CITIES & TOWNS

A-C NAMES

Basin City

Basin City, the rival of the town of Cataract, was founded by Lawson & Allport, in 1880, at the mouth of Basin creek, a tributary of Boulder River.  Among the mines of the district are the Mantle, Boulder, Custer, Independence, Martin Maginnis, Rock of Ages, Nabob, Boston, Big Medicine, Susie Brown, Mohawk, Mount Thompson, Captain, Cook, Mountain Chief, Custer, Saginaw, Katie, Silver Butte, Union, Clipp, Highland, Gib, and others.  Basin City was once a camp of enterprise, and had its full share in contributing to the building up of the Territory.  Owing to new and more easily worked mines being discovered, Basin was left over, as it were, for the era, of new development, new machinery and increased production.  That it will eclipse its olden greatness is only a matter of a short time.  The business circle is made up as follows: Thomas Bassett and Truman Hopkins, liquors; Amos Calvin, hotel; T. F. Murray, general merchant; D. D. Jackson, postmaster.

Source: Transcription by Ellen Rae Thiel, from the book, History of Montana: 1739-1885, written by M. A. Leeson, published in 1885, page 661; located on the website, Hathitrust Digital Library (http://www.hathitrust.org).

Beaver Creek

Beaver Creek is the name given to the center of this great stock range.  The hamlet is 18 miles southeast of Helena, at the point where the water of the creek is diverted into the two French Bar ditches.  The name Beavertown is also applied to this settlement, and under this name the census enumerator credited the place with a population of 14 in 1880.  The discovery of lodes at this point and in the Park during the years 1878-9, added to the advances made in mining, will doubtless lead to the development of this district.  The commercial community is made up as follows: M. M. Brooks, carpenter; Crahn & Marks, sawmill; Hanlay Bros., sawmill; C. Reynolds, hotel; Tuckes & McPherson, hotel; J. W. Shoffs, meat market; W. H. Ridgeway, blacksmith; John Robinson, wagonmaker, and and J. N. Kelly, postmaster.

Source: Transcription by Ellen Rae Thiel, from the book, History of Montana: 1739-1885, written by M. A. Leeson, published in 1885, page 652; located on the website, Hathitrust Digital Library (http://www.hathitrust.org).

Boulder Village

Boulder Town Company was incorporated February 8, 1865, almost three years after the first settlement, with N. Walls, president; G. W. Case, secretary; W. Berkins, Treasurer; H. Stevens, R. Heaton, and J. J. Healy, trustees.  The boundaries of the town were: "Commencing at the north side of boulder crossing, on the Gillett road, thence north one half mile, thence west one mile, thence south one half mile, thence east one mile to the place of beginning, containing three hundred and twenty acres."  The stampede from Gold creek to the Boulder, which took place July 20, 1862, was the origin of the village.  The vicissitudes of the village are known to every old resident of the territory.  Until the revival of mining the old town was almost forgotten, but with the new industrial ear it has sprung once more into active life, and with so much earnestness, that she won from the rival towns the County Seat.  The population of the village and vicinity in 1880 was 215.  In July, 1883, the number of inhabitants in the town was about 150.  The business circle of the town in 1883 comprised the following named citizens: R. W. Jefferies, T. F. Murray, Edward Dougherty, William Reins, Williams Deacy, J. G. Smith, V. A. Cook, F. Farnham, proprietor of the Boulder City Hotel.  Boulder is the dinner station for three stage divisions; one from Butte, one from Helena, and one from Dillon.  In 1884-5 general stores were kept for V. A. Cook, J. E. Dougherty, R. W. Jeffries, and T. F. Murray; hotel by F. Farnham, saloons by W. Deacy and J. G. Smith, livery by W. D. Northrup, blacksmith shop by W. Reins, and meat market by Murray & Davis.  The Australian, Belle of Boulder, Amazon, Wall Street, Ollie, Chillicothe, Emmett and Spencer lodes are all in this district.  The Amazon concentrating works, two miles from the Amazon, were erected in 1883 by Jacob Wave, the mill-builder.  Henry Thompson was granted $2,500 by the Legislature January 11, 1865, for the pursuit of G. Kelly, the murderer of R. R. Dorsett and John White on the Boulder.  Boulder Star Lodge, No. 3, I. O. G. T., was organized February 18, 1869.  The present number of members is fifty-one including the following named officers of the lodge: G. W. Rohrbacker, Elmer Douglass, T. B. Mills, J. A. Bailey, G. A. Douglass, S. A. Riley, V. A. Cook, J. R. Holt and J. M. D. Holt.  From Boulder City excellent roads diverge in every direction, east to Elkhorn, southeast to Gallatin City, south to Dillon, west to Butte city, northwest to Comet and Wickes, and north to Jefferson and Helena, the several distances being: to Elkhorn, 15 miles; Gallatin, 40 miles; Butte City, 35 miles; Comet, 6 miles; Wickes, 9 miles; Jefferson, 12 miles; Helena, 32 miles.  South of Boulder City two and a half miles are the famous Boulder Hot Springs, a favorite resort for invalids, the waters of which are held on high authority to be a specific in cases of rheumatic an scrofulous diseases and highly beneficial in nearly all chronic complaints.  A large hotel building was completed at the springs in 1883.

Source: Transcription by Ellen Rae Thiel, from the book, History of Montana: 1739-1885, written by M. A. Leeson, published in 1885, page 649; located on the website, Hathitrust Digital Library (http://www.hathitrust.org).

Cataract

In June, 1862, a month after the discovery of the Bannack placer mines, the Old Bar near the mouth of Cataract creek was discovered.  The prospectors worked the Old Bar until their provisions were exhausted, when they fled to Bannack.  Subsequently this claim passed into the hands of the Stuarts and Reece Anderson, who erected their houses at the mouth of the creek, and resided there with their families while working the placers.  In 1864 the McIrwin Brothers rich ore 2 miles above the mouth of the creek, but owing to the difficulty of working quartz at that time, they abandoned the location.  Zach. Thompson's Company discovered the Big Medicine, the Susie Brown and Mr. Thompson leads in 1873.  The Mantle load was struck by Smith in 1879, and now belongs to S. T. Hauser.  Brown and Hathaway sold the Boulder Prospect to Lawson and Allport in 1880.  The numerous mines of this district now worked have been opened since 1880, and are among the leading industries of the Territory.  The population of Cataract and Basin in 1880 was 99.

Source: Transcription by Ellen Rae Thiel, from the book, History of Montana: 1739-1885, written by M. A. Leeson, published in 1885, page 652; located on the website, Hathitrust Digital Library (http://www.hathitrust.org).

Clancey

Clancey, fourteen miles southeast of Helena, is one of the business centers of the county, settled in 1865.  In 1879 this village was credited with a population of 200, while, according to the census returns of 1880, the number has fallen to 77.  M. H. Hill may be considered the Pioneer Merchant of Clancey.  He carries on a general mercantile business, including hardware and drugs, a machine and blacksmith shop, and acts as postmaster, assayer and metallurgist in that district.  The sawmill and ore hoister at this point are operated by water power.  Star of the West Lodge, No. 46, I. O. G. T., was founded by Massena Bullard, May 29, 1874.  The number of original members was 27.  F. L. Gillette was elected Lodge Deputy.  Charter revoked in 1876.  The Jefferson Valley Woolen Mill was erected in 1879.  This is a two story stone building, 50 X 100 feet, supplied with first class machinery, and is the pioneer of the woolen manufacturing industry in this Territory - the introduction, as it were, to hundreds of large manufacturing establishments which the Territory will sustain, and for which this county is so well adapted.

Source: Transcription by Ellen Rae Thiel, from the book, History of Montana: 1739-1885, written by M. A. Leeson, published in 1885, page 652; located on the website, Hathitrust Digital Library (http://www.hathitrust.org).

Comet

Comet is the name of a settlement of 1869, twenty eight miles south of Helena, just west of Wickes.  J. T. Parkison is postmaster.  The district is credited with a population of about 300.  The works at Wickes, Comet and Gregory have not only added to the wealth and population of Jefferson county, but have also given a strong impetus to prospecting.

Source: Transcription by Ellen Rae Thiel, from the book, History of Montana: 1739-1885, written by M. A. Leeson, published in 1885, page 661; located on the website, Hathitrust Digital Library (http://www.hathitrust.org).

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We would like to recognize the contributions of Ellen Rae Thiel.  For many years, she was the Jefferson County coordinator.  We appreciate her hard work and dedication.