Why the name Garnet?
The Garnet Range was named after the semi-precious stones found in the area. But it was the gold deposits that brought the miners. Prospecting started here as early as the 1860s. Placer mining mainly required very little equipment; a gold pan and sluice box were easy to manoeuvre and haul into the more remote areas.
In 1895, a ten-stamp mill was built in First Chance Gulch, financed by Drs. Armistead Mitchell and Charles Mussigbrod. They also paved the way, literally!
With several roads accessing the area, the town of Mitchell was born, later being renamed to Garnet.
The Boom of Garnet
The boom began after a rich ore vein was discovered in Samuel Ritchey’s “Nancy Hanks” mine. Miners poured in from everywhere, following their dreams of striking it rich.
Four stores, two barber shops, a butchers, a candy shop, seven hotels, three livery stables, a drugstore, a doctor’s office, an assay office, 13 saloons and a union hall were built.
Miners brought their families, so a school was also needed – one which accommodated 41 students.
Over 1,000 people called Garnet their home, but by 1900, the mines were running dry, and by 1905, most were abandoned altogether, leaving only 150 residents remaining.
The Devastating Fire of 1912
Like most mining towns, fire was the Achilles heel and in 1912, Garnet succumbed to the same tragedy with a fire breaking out in the Lyle & Fitzgerald saloon in the Garnet Hotel. Most commercial buildings were destroyed, with the Adams Store the only building remaining on the north side. Kelly’s Bar, Davey’s Store and the Wells Hotel were saved due to the road.
The Outbreak of WWI
Another blow was WWI. Many remaining residents left for defence-related jobs, leaving their cabins and belongings behind like rats fleeing a sinking ship.
One resident remained steadfast. Frank A. Davey continued to run his store and the hotel.
When President Roosevelt raised gold prices from $16 to $35 an ounce in 1934, the deserted town of Garnet sprang back to life. Miners returned, reworking the mines, and within two years, the population had grown to 250.
The Outbreak of WWII
With WWII breaking out in 1939, the population dwindled once again. The restrictions on the use of dynamite made mining almost impossible. The post office served its last customer in 1942 before closing its doors forever, making the once bustling town of Garnet into a ghost town.
Only a few people remained, including Frank Davey, but with his passing in 1947, his general store was closed, and the contents were auctioned off. Souvenir hunters gradually stripped the town. Stain glass windows, woodwork, other artefacts and even the beautifully carved bannister of the Wells Hotel were stolen.
Our Journey Begins
After camping in a large area just off the road in our trusted steed, Tonto, we climbed up the Garnet Road and into the Garnet Range. The thoroughfare started paved but soon turned into a well-maintained gravel road.
Our first stop was the Fire Wardens Cabin, built in the 1940s. Just a single room, log cabin with a stove inside. It is still used as an emergency shelter for those who brave the elements and get caught in a blizzard.
A few feet away are the ruins of an 1890s stagecoach stop. It was 15 miles from one town to the other, and it took a day to complete the journey. Could you imagine travelling that distance in a bumpy, rickety stage with no suspension, heat, or air conditioning? What a trek!
Jumping back into Tonto, we continued. We reached the main parking area for Garnet ghost town several miles further.
Parking Area and Pay Station
The parking area is large, with plenty of room. There are two clean restrooms with hand sanitiser and a bear-proof bin.
At the entrance to the trail, we found the pay station with envelopes to deposit cash. After filling out the relevant information and attaching the stub to our windscreen, we posted our $6 into the Iron Ranger, read the information board and proceeded to take the winding trail into the town.
Viewing Platform
Halfway down, there is a viewing platform for your selfies!
We gazed out over the town and surrounding mountains. It’s a pretty impressive site.
Continuing our way down the zig-zagging trail, we finally reached our destination. Wow, so much to see! Where shall we begin?
We were surprised at how busy it was. The crowds tended to turn right towards the most prominent structures of the town and the visitor’s centre. So we decided to turn left.
Here are our highlights.
Adams House
Once one of the most prestigious houses in Garnet. The Adams house is a modest, single-story, two-roomed abode. Built from logs, between 1896 and 1900, Mrs. Adams operated the Post Office from here until 1910.
The main room would have acted as the kitchen, dining room, parlour and living room (and Post Office).
A large stove is the room’s main focal point, with a couple of chairs and a small table added for effect. As far as we can gather, these artefacts do not belong to the Adams.
It is difficult to imagine a household of three living, dining, working and playing in such a small space!
The second room is the bedroom. It is likely that Mr. and Mrs. Adams and their daughter, Mary-Jane, would sleep in one room. But that is just our speculation.
But what made this house so special was the covered passageway leading to the woodshed and outhouse. Jennie Adams filled the parlour and outside with plants, adding a white picket fence.
When Mr. Sam Adams became ill in 1927, it was decided that the family would move to Missoula. Ten-year-old Mary-Jane had to leave her best friend – her precious black cat – behind. So, the cat had to find another home in the mining town of Garnet.
It wasn’t until a year later that they would return to collect their belongings.
Garnet School
The original school was built in 1897 and faced the road with a high footbridge crossing the gulch. This one-roomed schoolhouse was built in 1937/8.
Initially, 41 children attended the old school in 1896. By 1936, that number had decreased to only five. By the time the new school was built (1937/8), out of the 30 school-aged children in the town, attendance was 13.
School records show that in 1944, only two students attended full-time education, and from 1948, no data was listed. In fact, from 1949, Garnet School doesn’t appear on the statistical ledgers kept by the State of Montana Superintendent of Schools.
Numerous Other Buildings
We continued walking around Garnet ghost town, exploring the 1897 jail, the blacksmith shop (which ran between 1896 and 1900), the many miners’ cabins, and the 1-1/2 storey Hanifen house built in the early 1900s. But the most impressive buildings are:
J.K. Wells Hotel
The most prominent and recognisable building is the three-storey J.K. Wells Hotel, built for luxury in the winter of 1897.
Having owned an establishment in Bearmouth, Mrs. Wells designed this lodge to include stained glass windows, chandeliers, beautifully carved doors and an oak stairwell.
It consisted of a ladies’ parlour, a hotel office, and a grand dining room, which also held masquerade balls.
Cloth wallpaper adorned the walls, and two stoves heated the dining room. The warm air rose, heating the upper floors of the bedrooms.
The top floor had no furnishings and was used for miners who slept on the floor.
The hotel, as it was, closed in the 1930s. Before Frank Davey’s death, he moved into the kitchen and maintained some rooms for visiting friends.
Kelly’s Saloon
Robert Moore had previously owned this saloon dating back to 1898. Known as “Bob Moore Saloon”, it received a name change to Kelly’s Saloon when, in October 1898, L.P. Kelly purchased it.
Even though it was sold several times in the coming years, Kelly still operated it. Being one of the 13 bars in the town, it offered male-orientated entertainment.
As there were no real places for the town’s females to go, Mrs Kelly would invite her lady friends to join her upstairs where the Kellys lived. There, they would chat and have tea.
Frank A. Davey’s General Store
Davey’s General Store would have been one of the hubs of the town. Everything was sold within these walls, from dry and canned goods, cuts of meat, shoes, mining tools and even weighed gold.
It even functioned as a Post Office for a while in the 1910s.
Frank purchased the store in 1901 and operated it until 1947. All his belongings and the store’s items were auctioned off in 1948. The rest was looted or stolen.
If only these walls could talk!
OUR TAKE ON MONTANA’S BEST PRESERVED GHOST TOWN – GARNET
To our delight, Garnet ghost town didn’t disappoint. It was a real treat to wonder at our own pace and explore each building. The guide pamphlet and interpretive boards outside many of the structures were informative.
We recommend a trip to one of the best-preserved ghost towns we’ve seen.
HOW TO GET TO GARNET GHOST TOWN
RECOMMENDED ROUTE
- The easiest route is from Hwy 200
- Well signposted
- Graded gravel road
- Parking Lot GPS: 46.8267611, -113.3361421
FROM I90
- From I90, it is a narrow, single-track high-clearance road. DO NOT attempt in an RV or trailer, as there are switchbacks and no turnaround points. 4 x 4 is recommended
IN A NUTSHELL
- When researching these types of places we have found that TripAdvisor is one website we turn to
- Large parking area and picnic tables
- Porta-potties
- Trash cans / Rubbish bins
- Information board
- Pay station $3 per person over the age of 16 years – cash only
- Free to America the Beautiful Pass holders
- BLM land
- Walking trail leading to the ghost town
- Disabled parking only at ghost town
- Porta-potty at the Accessible parking area
- Potable water
- Free walking tour guide
- Out of the 21 structures remaining, 16 are open to the public. (2 are private property and are occupied, two are for rentals, and 1 is the Park Office.)
- Several old cabins are available to rent – book in advance
- THEIR WEBSITE
- No cell service
- No other amenities – make sure you have a full tank of gas/petrol and have snacks and drinks with you (There is portable water at the restrooms in the town proper)
- Staff are on site 24/7
- Visitors centre at Ole Dahl’s Saloon – No. 1 on walking tour guide
- The walking tour offers little shade – take sunscreen and wear appropriate clothing
- Carry water with you
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