During the 1860s, gold lured thousands of miners to Montana’s Garnet Mountains. In 1895, the town of Garnet was established. By the late 1940s, Garnet was basically a ghost town. Today the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the Garnet Preservation Association maintain Garnet in a state of arrested decay.
Miner’s cabins were built quickly using whatever material was at hand. According to the information pamphlet:
“Less time building meant more time mining. Logs notched at the corners fit closer together and required less daubing to fill the voids between logs. Daubing material come from whatever was on hand, usually mud, grass, and moss.”
Shown above is the view from the doorway of a miner’s cabin.
Post Office
The post office was originally built as a miner’s cabin between 1896 and 1900.
Notice that the logs have been placed on a dry-stone (i.e. no mortar) foundation.
Outhouses
Garnet Ghost Town
Garnet Ghost Town: Barn, Blacksmith's Shop, and Jail (Photo Diary)
Garnet Ghost Town: Kelly's Saloon (Photo Diary)
Garnet Ghost Town: Davey's Store (Photo Diary)
Garnet Ghost Town: Artifacts (Photo Diary)
Garnet Ghost Town: Hotel Rooms (Photo Diary)
Garnet Ghost Town: Wells Hotel (Photo Diary)
Garnet Ghost Town: Some Family Houses (Photo Diary)