Museums 101: The Nevada City Wagons (Photo Diary)

by Ojibwa for Shutterbugs

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Monday, Oct. 22, 2018 Monday, Oct. 22, 2018 at 8:30:10am PDT

In 1863, placer gold was discovered in Alder Gulch in Montana and the rush to find the mother lode began. Nevada City and Virginia City soon became boom towns. Between 1945 and 1978 Nevada City was restored as a living historical museum which includes over 100 buildings, most of which were moved to this site from other Montana locations and restored. Today this is a living history museum. On the grounds a number of historic wagons and carriages are displayed.

photo P1020813_zpsbcrc55ro.jpg — This barn was built in the 1890s in White Sulphur Springs, Montana. A triple legal hanging took place in the barn in 1917. The White Sulphur Springs Historical Society donated the building to Bovey Restorations in 1975 and it was moved to Nevada City. It has been used in several movies.

Wagon Shop

The large log building which houses the wagon shop was originally built in 1912 as a dining hall at Canyon Lodge in Yellowstone National Park. When the National Park Service decided to replace it with a more modern structure, it was dissembled and brought to Virginia City.

According to the display:

“The Wagon Shop machinery and parts came from the Butte Carriage Works. Nearly all the necessary machinery and parts to manufacture new wagons and wheels are available in this building. The shop is equipped with a full set of blacksmithing and forging tools plus a large collection of wagons.”