Elkhorn - Montana's Most Iconic Ghost Town

Comments · 636

• LO

  @loismasters246 · 3 years ago

  My grandfather, born in 1868 in Kentucky, owned a saloon in Elkhorn.  The earliest date I know of his owning it was 1895 because we have a bill of lading for Woodford Distilling Company, Woodford, Kentucky dated May 1895 when he had an agreement with the distilling company to receive kegs of Penns Club Rye - which he received in October, December, June and March in 1898 and 1899.  My grandfather is said to have had a problem with gambling and drinking.  He was always being challenged to play cards and the saloon would sometimes become collateral.  One night he almost lost the saloon to a professional gambler.  He decided that was no way to live; so he just walked off the next morning.  He went to Oregon, took out a homestead - and became a dry land wheat farmer.  My dad said grandpa wasn't really very fond of horses.  He spent his youth walking the West.

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• MR

  @MrDeadglim · 3 years ago

  Your methods of contextualizing places like this brings so much humanity to your presentations. Highlighting that they're not just piles of rubble, but were homes for some people their entire lives is such a grounding touch that I deeply appreciate.

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• DE

  @DebbieMcGuckin-od7ch · 3 years ago

  When I was a small child, 6 or 7, we went to Elkhorn. At that time, the mine was still there and alot more of the homes.  My mom sketched some of the buildings and then painted them. We went there at least 3 times. Mom's garden in Helena had big rocks that had sparkly sides, blues, yellows and one red. Beautiful. I played all over the town. We went to the grave yard on top of a mountain above the town. We walked all through it and read all the inscriptions.  I loved that ghost town. I am 70 now but have a clear picture of it in my mind. So sad that so many buildings were not saved from collapse. Enjoyed the video.

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• IS

  @isctony · 3 years ago

  As an Englishman, it's really very interesting to see this kind of history, very different to our own. It's all so recent in America and the quality of the construction is such that things have already almost disappeared when left untouched. There's a pioneering temporary feeling to things. Find a resource, build what's necessary quickly and then when the resource is gone, so are the people and the structures quickly follow. I went on a walk in Yorkshire, England just last week, an abandoned 1809 church was present, dilapidated but still standing, though in its red brick it had an air of modernity. Many churches date back to 1100 in England, this is mainly the Saxon era in England, and those churches still stand today, maintained of course by each generation. History is fascinating and I hope to one day visit the US, I would love to see somewhere like this in person, they are our forefathers after all that made the journey from Europe (UK, France, Holland etc.). Thank you for the video

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• IM

  @imstuman · 3 years ago (edited)

  As a city dweller you can see old buildings every day. However the history of the common man disappears or is  displayed behind glass in public museums. I love seeing the communities you explore and feel such a connection to the history and people.

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• RE

  @Republic3D · 3 years ago

  The log cabins were usually built by Norwegians, Swedes and Finnish immigrants. They introduced this style of house in the northern territories. I grew up in a log house in Norway, the house was built around 1880, then moved 20 years later around 1900.

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• 82

  @82c10 · 3 years ago (edited)

  As a young kid (13) I went to this town. We explored the whole town and tried to find objects so that we could add them to the still standing buildings there to give a better picture of life in that time. While looking through an old house I found a brick that was loose. I pulled it out to reveal a 130 year old photograph of a man, his wife, his son and daughter. The daughter being the oldest of the two. I placed it back where I found it. But It was one of the coolest finds of my life! Definitely visit if you get the chance.

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• AN

  @anna-lisagirling7424 · 3 years ago

  We visited Elkhorn about 18 years ago when visiting friends in Helena, MT.  We spent one whole day visiting Elkhorn and a number of other townsites in the region.  In the other communities, all that were left were foundations and cemetaries.  That diptheria epidemic spread out to those communnites, too.  Our imaginations ran wild trying to picture and appreciate what it must have been like because the lion's share of those headstones and plaques recorded deaths during winter..  The Elkhorn town and those others used to have horrendous winters with several feet of snow assured.  Your video has refreshed my imaginings of living in those thin-walled, uninsulated homes and shops with a house full of sick kids and if "lucky", a single doctor to visit everyone for about a 75 mile radius.  We are so blessed these days.  Thanks for these memories!

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• KU

  @kuartz. · 3 years ago

  So glad to see more of these videos. As someone who loves to explore ghost towns like this, it’s lovely to see it in a compact video form that has all the history of these towns, and the videos you get in all of them is incredible. Thank you so much for doing what you do!

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• BR

  @brianhattem7466 · 3 years ago

  I am a Fire Cause and Origin Investigator and a few years ago, the caretaker's residence caught on fire, I was the Investigator assigned to it. It was my first time there and after my investigation, I explored Elkhorn, what a Cool Place. And I live in Hungry Horse Montana, another unique place

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• 1T

  @1TruNub · 3 years ago

  My 2nd great grandfather wandering cowboy and part time outlaw in the 1880s nineties and early 1900s I have a letter to his mother after his father died in 1894  Telling her that he would be passing through Elkhorn Montana soon To meet with a few "friends of his"

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• LI

  @lisawilson105 · 3 years ago (edited)

  People have lived in Elkhorn as long as I can remember. Hard to believe the population was at zero 30 years ago. <br>We lived in the cabin across the street from the Fraternity Hall next to the bowling alley.

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