Bannack MT

Bannack was the original capital of the Montana Territory as evidenced by the photo of the recently completed court house in 1875. The county seat was moved in 1881, and the building was converted to a hotel in 1890. It boasted excellent accommodations and superb food served on fine china and white linen. It closed … Continue reading »

Just to the left of the Meade are the old drug store and then the assay office. In July 2013 a devastating flash flood damaged about 80% of the 50+ old buildings in Bannack, and the assay office had to be completely rebuilt. The old photos date from the 1940s.

Shown here in a 1940s photo is a building that was moved to Bannack in 1863. It operated for two years as a saloon and hang-out for road agents. It was a dry goods store for 30 years but, in a nod to Bannack’s raucous past, is still referred to as Skinner’s Saloon.

The Bannack jail was built in 1863 by the crooked sheriff Henry Plummer. He was briefly jailed there and then was  hanged by vigilantes in 1864  for his role as leader of a gang responsible for over 100 murders in the area. The first photo is from the early 1940s.  

The First Methodist Church was built in 1877 and is seen here in an undated photograph. It is still used for community events.

This building was built in 1874 and housed a school on the first floor and a Masonic Lodge on the second. The photo is from 1878. The school closed in 1951. Visitors can still see the original desks and chalkboard.