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 Special Features Ghost Towns Nevada City
Ghost Towns of Gold West Country: Nevada City
Nevada City, like Virginia City, was born out of the gold discovery in Alder Gulch in 1863.
Nevada City's main street was the setting for the miners' court trial of George Ives for the brutal murder of Nicholas Thiebalt. The trial was a dangerous undertaking because emotions ran high on both sides of the law. Wilbur Fisk Sanders carved an indelible place in Montana history for his role as Ives' prosecutor. Judge Don Byam sat in a wagon and the jury made a half circle around a big log fire. Ives was convicted and hanged. This momentous event, which concluded on December 21, 1863, was the catalyst for the forming of the Vigilance Committee, or Vigilantes, on December 23. The Vigilantes were key players in the turbulent times ahead. They would hang 24 men in the space of scarcely a month.
At its peak, Nevada City boasted dozens of stores and cabins that extended back about six blocks. By 1869, the population had fallen to one hundred ten, but there were still three general stores and two saloons. In 1872, the town had a miners'store, a brewery, a blacksmith, a butcher, livery stable and Masonic hall. By 1876, Nevada City was nearly a ghost town.
A western town created from a collection of buildings from other ghost towns, Nevada City has been largely restored and preserved. The Montana Historical Society has certified 150 authentic buildings. Original buildings, dating from the Territorial days, are filled with merchandise and implements used when gold camps flourished in the West. Boardwalks, mechanical music machines, a penny arcade, antique automobiles and even a two-story outhouse add to the Old West atmosphere.
Nevada City's Music Hall was built as the "Recreation Hall" at Canyon Lodge in Yellowstone National Park, about 1910. It was disassembled in 1959 and moved to Nevada City. In the Music Hall, you'll also find the largest rifle in Montana and mutoscopes, which were the first form of movies before they were shown in theaters. When a coin was put in the slot, customers looked inside and turned a crank to watch a little movie flip by.
Step back in time when you walk the streets and boardwalks of historic Nevada City. You can also travel between Virginia and Nevada City on the Alder Gulch Short Line Railroad.
Nevada City is located south of Butte on Highway 287. Travel east on I-90 to Highway 41 and pick up Highway 287 at Twin Bridges.
Contact Information
Montana Heritage Commission
PO Box 338
Virginia City, MT 59755
Phone: 406-843-5247
Fax: 406-843-5468
Email: juljohnson@mt.gov
Related Links
Nevada City Montana
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