This is an amazing original 1897 Bannack, Montana bucket-lift gold dredge and miners professional photograph. Detailed scene of the "Maggie A. Gibson" dredge with 13 men in the view. The "Maggie Gibson" was the first dredge in operation, was removed from Bannack in 1898, and was therefore not only one of the earliest bucket-lift dredges to operate in this country, but was also the first to be worked in two different localities. By the early 1860s prospectors were leaving the played-out placer mines of California and Colorado. Many of these men were entering the Montana territory in search of new gold deposits. In the summer of 1862, a group of prospectors from Colorado discovered gold in what they would name Grasshopper Creek. The strike was significant enough that the men stayed at the location and created the mining camp known as Bannack, named after a local Indian tribe. By winter around 400 people resided at the camp. The year 1863 is when the rush to Bannack started, and by summer the camp had 3,000 to 5,000 miners, merchants, gamblers, saloon keepers, prostitutes and outlaws. Montana became a territory in 1864, and Bannack became the territorial capitol. Bannack, MT is now a ghost town and state park. Light corner bumps on slightly curved mat, overall good condition albumen print, foxing apparent. Large format 9"L x 7.5" on 12"L x 9"W. hardboard mat.

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