List of ghost towns in Montana explained

This is an incomplete list of ghost towns in Montana.

A ghost town is a town or city which has lost all of its businesses and population. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as a flood, government action, uncontrolled lawlessness, or war.

The term is sometimes used in a deprecated sense on the internet to include cities, towns, and neighborhoods which, while still populated, are significantly less so than in years past.

Abandoned towns

• Aldridge, Park County, 45.0869°N -110.8217°W, el. 6427feet,^{[1] [2]}
• Bannack, Beaverhead County, 45.1611°N -112.9956°W, el. 5728feet^[3]
• Coloma, Missoula County 46.8431°N -113.3806°W, el. 5928feet^[4]
  • Diamond City, Broadwater County, 46.5972°N -111.4239°W, el. 5005feet, and satellite communities of El Dorado, Boulder, Jim Town, and Cement Gulch City, all in Confederate Gulch Junction City, Yellowstone County, 46.143°N -107.5468°W
• Rancher, Treasure County
• Rocky Point, Fergus County, 47.6063°N -108.446°W
• Thoeny, Valley County 48.8769°N -106.9175°W
• Wheat Basin, Stillwater County

Towns with residual population

• Albion, Carter County 45.1872°N -104.2769°W, el. 3376feet^[5]
• Aldridge, Park County
• Alton, built in 2009, Glacier
• Argo
• Barker, Judith Basin County^[6]
• Bean, Carbon County
• Bear Creek, Carbon County
• Bearmouth, Granite County
• Beehive, Stillwater County
• Bighorn, Treasure County
• Bowler, Carbon County
• Cable, Deer Lodge County^[7]
• Capitol, Carter County^{[8] [9]}
• Carlyle, Wibaux County, 46.655°N -104.0761°W, el. 3159feet^[10]
• Carter, Chouteau County
• Castle Town, Meagher County, 46.4414°N -110.6719°W, el. 5978feet^{[11] [12]}
• Chico, Park County
• Coburg, Blaine County
• Comanche, Yellowstone County
• Comertown, Sheridan County, 48.8969°N -104.25°W, el. 2270feet^[13]
• Comet, Jefferson County
• Coolidge, Deer Lodge County
• Copperopolis, Meagher County
• Corwin
• Coulson, Yellowstone County
• Dean, Stillwater County
• Dooley, Sheridan County
• Electric, Park County
• Elkhorn, Jefferson County
• Ewing, Carbon County^[14]
• Exeter, Phillips County
• Finch, Rosebud County
  • Fox, Carbon County Garnet, Granite County
• Giltedge, Fergus County^[15]
• Glendale, Beaverhead County
• Gold Creek, Powell County
• Granite, Granite County
• Hassel, Broadwater County^{[16] [17]}
• Hecla, Beaverhead County
• Hesper, Yellowstone County
• Hillsboro, Big Horn County
• Hughesville, Judith Basin County
• Independence, Park County^[18]
• Ingomar, Rosebud County
• Jardine, Park County
• Kendall, Fergus County^[19]
• Keystone, Mineral County
• Kirkville, Granite County^[20]
• Landusky, Phillips County
• Laurin, Madison County^[21]
• Lennep, Meagher County
• Leroy, Blaine County
• Limestone, Stillwater County
• Lion City, Beaverhead County
• Lonetree, Chouteau County
• Maiden, Fergus County
• Mammoth, Madison County
• Marysville, Lewis and Clark County
• Maudlow, Gallatin County
• Melrose, Silver Bow County
• Minden, Meagher County
• Mondak, Roosevelt County
• Nevada City, Madison County
• Pardee, Mineral County
• Perma, Sanders County
• Pioneer, Beaverhead County
• Pioneer, Powell County
• Pony, Madison County
• Princeton, Granite County^[22]
• Quartz, Mineral County
• Quietus, Big Horn County
• Red Bluff, Madison County^[23]
• Red Lion, Granite County
• Rimini, Lewis and Clark County
• Rimrock, Yellowstone County
• Ringling, Meagher County
• Rockvale, Carbon County
• Ruby, Madison County
• Ruby Gulch, Phillips County
• Silesia, Carbon County
• Silver Bow, Silver Bow County
• Sixteen, Meagher County
• Southern Cross, Deer Lodge County
• Square Butte, Chouteau County
• Stark, Missoula County
• Storrs, Gallatin County
• Sumatra, Rosebud County
• Taft, Mineral County
• Thoeny, Valley County
• Tower, Granite County
• Trapper City, Beaverhead County
• Trident, Gallatin County
• Vananda, Rosebud County
• Vandalia, Valley County
• Virginia City, Madison County
• Wagner, Phillips County
• Washoe, Carbon County
• Wheat Basin, Stillwater County
• Wickes, Lewis and Clark County
• Yellowstone City, Park County
• Zortman, Phillips County^[24]

See also

• History of Montana
  • Timeline of Montana history
    • Timeline of pre-statehood Montana history
• List of cities and towns in Montana
• List of counties in Montana
• List of places in Montana
• Outline of Montana

Further reading

• Book: Weis, Norman D. . Ghost Towns of the Northwest . Caxton Printers . Atlanta, GA . 1981 . 0-87004-201-7 .
• Book: Miller, Don C. . Ghost Towns of Montana . Pruett Publishing . Boulder, Colorado . 1982 . 0-87108-606-9 .
• Book: Lambert, Florin . Ghost Towns of the Rockies . Promontory Press . New York . 1987 . 0-88394-067-1 .
• Book: Lambert, Florin . Ghost Towns of the West . Promontory Press . New York . 1992 . 0-88394-013-2 . registration .
• Book: Baker, Don . Ghost Towns of the Montana Prairie . Fred Pruett Books . Boulder, CO . 1997 . 0-87108-050-8 .
• Book: Fifer, Barbara . Montana Mining Ghost Towns . Farcountry Press . Helena, Montana . 2002 . 1-56037-195-1 .
• Book: Whitfield, William W. . Montana Ghost Towns and Gold Camps - A Pictorial Guide . Stoneydale Press Publishing Co . Stevensville, Montana . 2007 . 978-1-931291-38-5.

Notes and References

1. 778935 . Aldridge.
2. Book: Weis, Norman D. . Ghost Towns of the Northwest. 1971. Caxton Press. Caldwell, Idaho, USA. 0-87004-358-7.
3. 802010 . Bannack, Montana.
4. 770040 . Coloma.
5. 801985 . Albion.
6. Web site: Barker and Hughesville, Montana Ghost Camps. Legends of America: Montana Legends. 2012-12-29.
7. Web site: More Montana Ghost Towns - Cable. Legends of America: Montana Legends. 2012-12-29.
8. Web site: Capitol Populated Place Profile / Carter County, Montana Data. montana.hometownlocator.com.
9. Web site: July 1, 2009 Capitol, MT storm. stormbruiser.com.
10. 806912 . Carlyle.
11. 806915 . Castle Town.
12. Web site: More Montana Ghost Towns - Castle Town. Legends of America: Montana Legends. 2012-12-29.
13. 806769 . Comertown.
14. Web site: More Montana Ghost Towns - Ewing. Legends of America: Montana Legends. 2012-12-29.
15. Web site: Gilt Edge . Montana, Official State Travel Site . 2012-12-29 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130102200746/http://visitmt.com/listing/categories_NET/MoreInfo.aspx?IDRRecordID=6733 . 2013-01-02.
16. Web site: Hassel (St. Louis) . Montana, Official State Travel Site . 2012-12-29 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130102200749/http://visitmt.com/listing/categories_NET/MoreInfo.aspx?IDRRecordID=10363 . 2013-01-02.
17. Web site: More Montana Ghost Towns - Hassel. Legends of America: Montana Legends. 2012-12-29.
18. Web site: More Montana Ghost Towns - Independence. Legends of America: Montana Legends. 2012-12-29.
19. Web site: More Montana Ghost Towns - Kendall. Legends of America: Montana Legends. 2012-12-29.
20. Web site: More Montana Ghost Towns - Kirkville. 2012-12-29.
21. Web site: Laurin. Montana, Official State Travel Site. 2012-12-29.
22. Web site: More Montana Ghost Towns - Princeton. Legends of America: Montana Legends. 2012-12-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20130122190611/http://www.legendsofamerica.com/mt-ghosttownsummaries5.html#Princeton. 2013-01-22. dead.
23. Web site: More Montana Ghost Towns - Red Bluff. Legends of America: Montana Legends. 2012-12-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20130122190611/http://www.legendsofamerica.com/mt-ghosttownsummaries5.html#Red%20Bluff. 2013-01-22. dead.
24. Web site: Town Site of Zortman and Landusky. Montana, Official State Travel Site. 2012-12-29.