Unionville, Montana Explained

Official Name:Unionville, Montana
Settlement Type:Unincorporated community
Pushpin Map:Montana#USA
Pushpin Label:Unionville
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Montana
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Lewis and Clark
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:3.33
Area Land Km2:3.32
Area Water Km2:0.01
Area Total Sq Mi:1.28
Area Land Sq Mi:1.28
Area Water Sq Mi:0.00
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:206
Population Density Km2:62.09
Population Density Sq Mi:160.81
Timezone:Mountain (MST)
Utc Offset:-7
Timezone Dst:MDT
Utc Offset Dst:-6
Elevation Ft:4920
Coordinates:46.5414°N -112.085°W
Area Code:406
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:770091

Unionville is an unincorporated community in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, United States, four miles south of Helena and approximately two miles west of Jefferson City and accessible from Oro Fino Gulch Drive. Unionville is part of the Helena micropolitan area.

Unionville was the camp for the Whitlatch-Union Mine, which operated from 1864–1872, and again from 1905-1942. It yielded over 17,000 ounces of gold, over 8,000 ounces of silver, nine tons of copper, nine tons of zinc and 40 tons of lead.

The town maintained its own identity even though it was just a stone's throw from the state capitol. Although the gold that made the town independently wealthy may be gone, reminders of Unionville's rich history remain there today. Unionville was also the site of one of the first movies ever shot on location in Montana. The movie "The Growler Girl" was shot there in 1926.

Despite the closure of the mine, the community remained relatively active up through the 1950s and today many old historic buildings remain intact and have been preserved. The town is easy to reach for visitors being situated a short distance from Helena. In spite of a number of abandoned older buildings, it is still inhabited by many longtime and newer residents.

Education

Helena Elementary School District and Helena High School District are the respective school districts.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ArcGIS REST Services Directory. United States Census Bureau. September 5, 2022.
  2. Web site: 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lewis and Clark County, MT. U.S. Census Bureau. 2024-03-14.