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. Shown below are some of the Nevada City homestead cabins.
Horseshoe used as a towel holder.
The Finney Homestead
The Frank Finney family occupied this house from 1864 until 1958. Daughter Cora Finney lived here all her life and when she died in 1958 she was the last of the “old-time” Nevada City residents. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of Interior.
Notice the contrast between the log construction on the side of the house and the clapboard trim on the front porch area.
Water from the well shown above was used for laundry. Drinking water, however, was carried from a spring about a quarter of a mile away.
Dupuis House
This house was built in 1871 by E.S. Dupuis near Laurin, Montana. After having been torn down for firewood, it was rescued in 1976 and brought to Nevada City. It was used for training families for the PBS TV series Frontier House.
Shown above is a pie cooling rack attached to the porch area. The screen allows the pies to cool and stops the bugs from feasting on them.
Note: pies always taste better when cooked in a wood stove. (Yes, I speak from personal experience.)
Richards Cabins
This building was built about 1863 as a miner’s cabin and is original to this site.
Museums 101
Museums, particularly living history museums, are a good way to learn history. More from this series:
Museums 101: The Anderson Homestead (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Blacksmith Shop and Saddle Shop
Museums 101: The Country School (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Nevada City China Town (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Sedman House in Nevada City (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Cabinets of Curiosity (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Fort Steele Assay Office (Photo Diary)
National Museum of Scotland: An Overview (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Dalles City Street Scene (Photo Diary)
If you are interested in joining the Museums group here on Daily Kos, let us know in the comments.