Bearmouth, Montana
Encyclopedia
Bearmouth was a trading post for the placer mining
camps of Beartown, Garnet
and Coloma, located in the hills north of Bearmouth. A pioneer family named Lannen operated the gold exchange and ferry boat across the Clark Fork River.
Bearmouth was not a mining
camp, but rather a town
that depended on the survival of other towns that were mining camps, such as neighboring Garnet
. During the late 19th century, enormously rich ores
from Garnet came into Bearmouth to be shipped to smelters. When Garnet died, Bearmouth followed suit. The town, however, was also a main stop for stagecoaches on the old Mullan Road
. As such, it had a beautiful two-storied, balconied inn for travelers to spend the night as well as a large livery stable, both of which still stand.
In September 1841, the intrepid Jesuit priest, Pierre Jean De Smet, traveled westward through this area on his way from St. Louis
, to establish a mission
for the Flathead Indians in the Bitterroot Valley
.
The nearest town is Drummond
, about eight miles to the east. The nearest large city is Missoula
, about 20 miles to the west. The next large city to the east is Butte
, about 100 miles away.
The Hazel Marsh Papers http://nwda-db.wsulibs.wsu.edu/findaid/ark:/80444/xv25653 is a collection of records from the many Lannen family businesses in Bearmouth. The post office, saloon, and general store ledger books are in the collection as well as financial records and legal documents from Christopher Lannen. School district records and voter registration
s from Bearmouth are also in the collection. The collection also contains photographs and memorabilia and is located at the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
, K. Ross Toole
Archives, University of Montana.
Placer mining
Placer mining is the mining of alluvial deposits for minerals. This may be done by open-pit or by various surface excavating equipment or tunneling equipment....
camps of Beartown, Garnet
Garnet, Montana
Garnet is a ghost town in Granite County, Montana, United States. Located on the dirt Wallace Creek Road, it is an abandoned mining town from the 1860s. In First Chance Creek in western Montana, the town is at the edge of the high desert in the Front Range, but sheltered in a forest...
and Coloma, located in the hills north of Bearmouth. A pioneer family named Lannen operated the gold exchange and ferry boat across the Clark Fork River.
Bearmouth was not a mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
camp, but rather a town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
that depended on the survival of other towns that were mining camps, such as neighboring Garnet
Garnet, Montana
Garnet is a ghost town in Granite County, Montana, United States. Located on the dirt Wallace Creek Road, it is an abandoned mining town from the 1860s. In First Chance Creek in western Montana, the town is at the edge of the high desert in the Front Range, but sheltered in a forest...
. During the late 19th century, enormously rich ores
Orés
Orés is a municipality in the Cinco Villas, in the province of Zaragoza, in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It belongs to the comarca of Cinco Villas. It is placed 104 km to the northwest of the provincial capital city, Zaragoza. Its coordinates are: 42° 17' N, 1° 00' W, and is...
from Garnet came into Bearmouth to be shipped to smelters. When Garnet died, Bearmouth followed suit. The town, however, was also a main stop for stagecoaches on the old Mullan Road
Mullan Road
Mullan Road was the first wagon road to cross the Rocky Mountains to the Inland of the Pacific Northwest. It was built by US Army Lieut. John Mullan between the spring of 1859 and summer 1860. It led from Fort Benton, Montana, the navigational head of the Missouri River to Fort Walla Walla,...
. As such, it had a beautiful two-storied, balconied inn for travelers to spend the night as well as a large livery stable, both of which still stand.
In September 1841, the intrepid Jesuit priest, Pierre Jean De Smet, traveled westward through this area on his way from St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, to establish a mission
Mission (station)
A religious mission or mission station is a location for missionary work.While primarily a Christian term, the concept of the religious "mission" is also used prominently by the Church of Scientology and their Scientology Missions International....
for the Flathead Indians in the Bitterroot Valley
Bitterroot Valley
The Bitterroot Valley is located in southwestern Montana in the northwestern United States. It extends over 100 miles from remote Horse Creek Pass north to a point near the city of Missoula...
.
The nearest town is Drummond
Drummond, Montana
Drummond is a town in Granite County, Montana, United States. The population was 318 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Drummond is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
, about eight miles to the east. The nearest large city is Missoula
Missoula, Montana
Missoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...
, about 20 miles to the west. The next large city to the east is Butte
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
, about 100 miles away.
The Hazel Marsh Papers http://nwda-db.wsulibs.wsu.edu/findaid/ark:/80444/xv25653 is a collection of records from the many Lannen family businesses in Bearmouth. The post office, saloon, and general store ledger books are in the collection as well as financial records and legal documents from Christopher Lannen. School district records and voter registration
Voter registration
Voter registration is the requirement in some democracies for citizens and residents to check in with some central registry specifically for the purpose of being allowed to vote in elections. An effort to get people to register is known as a voter registration drive.-Centralized/compulsory vs...
s from Bearmouth are also in the collection. The collection also contains photographs and memorabilia and is located at the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library is the campus library for students at the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana. The five-story library, which is located on the east side of the UM campus, was finished in 1978, funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce. In 1979, it was dedicated to...
, K. Ross Toole
K. Ross Toole
Kenneth Ross Toole was an American historian, author, and educator who specialized in the history of Montana...
Archives, University of Montana.