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.
Government services in the mining camps was minimal. Fire was always a concern because it was easy for fire to spread from one one log building to the next. Thus, a fire station was a prominent feature in many western towns. There was also some concern for law and order: thus, there were also jails and law enforcement offices. In the boom-town mining camps, however, no-one really wanted to guard a prisoner instead of looking for gold. As a result, those accused of crimes were often hung, sometimes without the formality of a brief trial.
Shown below are some of the government facilities on display in the Nevada City Living History Museum.
Fire Station
The Fire Station on display has been reconstructed with parts from the Basin, Montana fire station.
Post Office
The Iron Rod post office was built in 1869. Iron Rod, Montana, was a stage stop along the Jefferson River about 7 miles north of Twin Bridges. The name of the town comes from the iron rod bridge: a swinging foot bridge high above the water which was anchored by heavy cables on each bank. It would sway in high winds and had a reputation of being a bit dangerous.
In 1872, a federal postal inspector stopped at the Iron Rod post office and found that it was sandwiched in between a saloon and a faro bank. According to the display:
“The mail was brought in and dumped on the floor, and everyone took what they wanted. The agent, inquiring about the postmaster, was told by the bartender that the postmaster was out hunting gold.”
Following this the Iron Rod post office was closed but reestablished in 1876. In 1882 it was closed for good. In 1976, the building was moved to Nevada City.
Sheriff’s Office
Sun River Jail
The 1880s jail was built from wood. Sun River in Cascade County is one of the oldest non-Indian settlements in Montana. It is near Fort Shaw, an army fort established in 1867 24 miles from present-day Great Falls. The jail building was moved first to Great Falls in 1941 and then to Nevada City in 1959.
Twin Bridges School
This log building may be the oldest school building in Montana. It was constructed in 1867 in Twin Bridges. It was moved to Nevada City in 1960. In 1867, an average of 15 students attended this school. In addition to their studies, children did the cleaning, carried water, and brought in firewood.
Virginia City School
In 1863, Thomas Josiah Dimsdale opened a private school which charged $2 per week. Dimsdale was from England and had come to Montana in search of a better climate for his health. His book, Vigilantes of Montana, was first published in 1865. He died in 1866 at the age of 35. This cabin was moved from Virginia City to Nevada City in 1976.
Museums 101
Museums can be an important element in the way we tell our histories. Museums 101 is a series of photo tours of museum exhibits. More from this series:
Museums 101: The School and the General Store (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Old Time Education (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The General Store in the Presby House Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Historic Auburn (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Old Montana Prison (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Life in Libby, Montana (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Historic Dumas Brothel Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Government Buildings in a Mining Town (Photo Diary)