Bannack State Park

Good morning, my friends! Well. I just about wore out my shutter finger taking pictures yesterday. You might want to drink a double shot of espresso to fortify yourself. We have a lot of ground to cover. Even Sadie is exhausted at the thought of it.

Smitty gave up and took a morning sunbath on Mike's lap. He's 'zhausted, and the day hasn't even started.

If you remember when we rerouted from northern Idaho (turns out it was the right choice too), our alternative destination was the ghost town at Bannack State Park in Montana.

We made our way out there yesterday. We got an early start to avoid crowds and heat, successfully, I might add. When we arrived, the parking lot was mostly empty. The visitor center was just opening as we walked up. Inside, I selected a shot glass and a refrigerator magnet. Finding both is an indicator of a perfect day ahead. Also inside the visitor center, I knew you'd want to see this treadle sewing machine. The brand was "New Home." You can read about the brand right here. It was a new one on me, but apparently, it was a popular machine in its day.

The cover rotated up and to the right, revealing the machine inside.

We'd paid our day use fee at the gate, and the ranger handed us this nifty guidebook. Opening it up to reveal the whole cover, you can see what Bannack looked like before it was abandoned.

And here's a map in the centerfold. The book was a great resource. The structures included in the informational text were all numbered, and the map also helped in locating what was where.

Like so many of the ghost towns in the west, it grew up because of mining. When it was mined out, it was abandoned.

As we walked along, I started taking pictures, and then I barely stopped. I don't have information about all the structures, but I will include text from the guidebook as I'm able. When I do, it will be above the associated picture. This next one was just someone's house at one time. Many of the buildings were open. Some were locked, and I was able to take pictures through the windows, if there was something to see. Many of them were just storage areas with a lot of stuff stacked inside.

So let's just start with #1 on the map...the Turner House. I'll begin with the text from the guide book.

Inside it looked like this. I was charmed by some of the peeling wallpaper, and the doors leading into doors. There was nothing fancy in any of these structures, but they were appealing, just the same.

I love these old wood-burning stoves. They always make me grateful for gas and electricity.

Of course, I snapped this image of the pretty grass heads surrounding the town.

We were warned there were more than the usual number of rattlesnakes, both inside and outside the structures. I hope this little bunny minds his P's and Q's. Fortunately, we didn't see any snakes.

This next photo was taken through the glass. It was a general store. I was surprised to find vinyl flooring in many of the structures. I would not have thought it available during this era.

This next brick structure served as the county courthouse until the county seat was moved in 1881.

When it was no longer used as a courthouse, it was purchased and turned into a hotel.

And there it is. (I don't know those women, but they really wanted to be in my photo.)

Inside, it had a spiral staircase. Cool, huh?

Turning to my left was a long hall with rooms/offices on both sides. That's Mike there are the far end.

Walking back to where he was, there was a large kitchen and dining area.

One of the rooms had been decorated in period style by volunteers. I knew you'd want to see the quilt. I believe that is a chamber pot on the left side of the bed. Makes me happy for indoor plumbing too.

To my left was a wood stove for heating.

Across the room was a dresser and some other period items. When I was a little girl, I had a dresser like that. Mine was missing the mirror.

On the far side of the bed was a desk and some other items.

Hanging, was what appeared to be a dress and undergarments.

From there, we headed up another staircase to the upstairs portion of the building.

If you'd been a guest at the hotel, you might have seen this from your window.

Back outside, you can see the whole building from the side.

Moving on...

Here's the saloon.

It had an ornate bar.

Here's a close-up of the carvings.

Mike and I took a selfie in the mirror behind the bar.

On the far side of the room was this barber chair. Yeah...don't ask me. I guess you could get a haircut while you drank your shot of whiskey. Or maybe you're a sarsaparilla kind of person.

Looking up, I noticed the gap where the roof met the walls.

On the opposite side, you can see how paper and rags were stuffed into those gaps to prevent leaks.

Outside, I wanted you to see the wood siding.

Walking on...

There were mining artifacts distributed at various places along the way. Up on the hillside was another home.

There was also an old International pick-up truck.

Here's another home. It looked so inviting standing at the gate.

On the hillside toward the back, we located the gallows. "Justice" was swift in those days. 

There it is...pretty simple. Just throw a noose over that cross beam and let 'er rip! Or something.

So here's the church.

This was interesting to me because of the front door. There is one double door. When we visited Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park several years ago, we learned that the Methodists  followed the custom of having men sit on one side of the house while women sat on the other. The churches were built with two front doors. Here's an image from our Cades Cove visit so you can see what I'm talking about.

Apparently this church out west didn't follow the custom. 

Inside, if you'd been preaching to your flock, this is what you'd have seen from your pulpit. Only one sinner in the congregation today.

Opening a back door, I could see the "necessary room."

Walking on, here's another home.

There's a barn behind this next one.

Again, I was intrigued by the siding. They used some sort of mortar to keep out drafts.

Crossing to the other side of the street, there was another modest home.

Inside, I noticed there was cardboard behind the wallpaper on interior walls. Exterior walls were right against the log siding.

Okay, and if you didn't mind your manners, you could end up in jail.

It was the one structure in town with a sod roof.

If you'd been incarcerated there, this would have been the view from your window.

There was another cell to the left. I'm assuming that little slot was to pass meals through to any Dangerous Dan locked up inside.

Okay, now this next place really had me guessing. If you know your medieval history, then you might know that the red and white striped barber pole originated because barbers were also physicians. The look of the barber pole is linked to bloodletting, with red representing blood and white representing the bandages used to stem the bleeding. So when I saw the sign indicating "tonsorial artists," I wondered if the barber also made his living removing infected tonsils. 😕😕Well...no, as it turns out. Read on for an explanation.

I forget where I saw this wood burning stove. It was the third one I'd seen.

Let's move on to the Masonic lodge and school house. I'm hoping you can read this text from the guidebook. Remember you can make the picture larger by clicking on it.

Here's the building:

This sign hung above the door.

Inside the schoolhouse, these "rules for teachers" were printed on the blackboard.

If you were the teacher here, first...go home and change out of those bright colors. You're breaking the rules. Then, get back here and do some teaching. And no fraternizing with men along the way. Shame on you! Your students might be anywhere ranging from K-8. My grandmother was a teacher during this era. With such strict rules, I kind of wonder how she met and married my grandfather.

One had to walk outside to access the stairs leading to the Masonic temple up above.

I'm assuming this sign directed folks up the stairs. Despite the years listed there, I'm told by a friend that this historic chapter is still in existence elsewhere. Their dues help with the maintenance of this building.

We could only peer in through the windows, but this is what it looked like.

Walking on...

The doctor's house was the one structure with curtains in the window.

The door was locked, and so I took pictures through the window.

Sitting just inside the window was another old Bartlett treadle machine. You can read more about the brand right here.

Sitting to the right was this jar of thread.

Looking beyond...I had to try to shoot through the tattered curtains.

We were nearing the end when we reached the Xavier Renois Cabin.

It used split logs for a porch.

Inside was a proper fireplace, which was different from the other cabins that were heated with woodstoves.

A large room in the back looked like this:

I liked this cowboy wallpaper in one of the smaller side rooms.

Okay, and you know it's a good day when I can get a shot glass *and* a refrigerator magnet.

And that's the end of our tour. 

Today we have a down day. We'll have to make a trip to the grocery store, but otherwise, we'll spend time relaxing. Tomorrow, we'll be off to Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park. We're going to be staying in the park, and we have tickets to tour the cave. Also at this stop, we'll also be visiting the Missouri Headwaters State Park in Three Forks, Montana. This was a place visited by Lewis and Clark as a part of their mission to find the headwaters of the Missouri River. Take some time to rest up after our walk today. There's much more walking to come.

Just now, I noticed some birds hopping around outside our window. They're Yellow-headed Blackbirds. We don't have them in our area, and so these are the first I've seen. I wasn't able to get a good in-focus image through our window, and so I'm borrowing this one from Creative Commons.

(Yellow-headed Blackbird" by USFWS Mountain Prairie is licensed under CC BY 2.0.)

There are a half dozen or so outside, so here's one more picture:

(Photo Credit: K. Theule/U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)

Okay, and with that, I will leave you to your day.