X2 on Bannack, it is in the MT state park system about 50 buildings are open for tourists.
In the 1880s a charismatic young man appeared in town and ran for the office of Sheriff, he won the election. Unknown to the residents of Bannack he was a convicted felon from CA that had been pardoned by the Governor of CA (murdered the husband of his girlfriend) Now it gets interesting. The sheriff rounded up a group of โbadโ guys. Then mysteriously when a miner was going to the town of Virginia City, MT or was just leaving Bannack area he would mysteriously disappear along with his GoldDust! When the Sheriff was the leader of the โRoad Agentsโ who do you go to for help? This was the start of the MT vigilantes.
This brings up the numbers 3-7-77! We have been told that there is nothing in the Official history of MT or the Bannack Masonic Lodge history about the origin of those numbers. Evidently when the vigilantes discovered who a โbadโ guy was they would paint those numbers on his cabin or tent. That was code: 3 sevens= 21 plus 3= 24, he had 24 hours to get out of town of or he would be found hanging on the short end of a rope! When the vigilantes captured Henry Plummer (notice the spelling) they held him prisoner in the Jail that he had had built and hung him on his gallows. There are many other theories as to what the numbers mean. Even today on the logos of the MT highway patrol and the MT Air National Guard the numbers 3-7-77 appear.
Google-
Bannack State Park, MT
MT Vigilantes
Henry Plummer, sheriff of Bannack, MT
Origin of the numbers 3-7-77
Bannack Historic Masonic Lodge 3-7-77
While you are at it google- Virginia City, MT and Nevada City, MT (both are living ghost towns, The Hotel in Nevada City has a interesting two story outhouse!
We would go up to Bannack a couple of times every summer, Even tho it is only 23 mi from Dillon on a good paved road it is our style of camping, No off air TV, No off air radio, No hard wired phone service and NO Cell Phone service! (the state park rangers have a radio phone to Dillon for emergencies) The CG is unimproved (a single water spigot and pit toilets) on the banks of Grasshopper Creek. (Fishing) If it isnโt a moon lit nite it is DARK and a zillion stars in the sky! Someplace I have a photo of Alice napping on a recliner and a Deer grazing not 10 feet from her!
If you go South on the dirt road from Bannack about 10 mi you will come to the little village of Grant turning right (west) at Grant will take you to Lehmi Pass only 10 miles or so. (Part of it is paved)
On I-90 between exit 267 and 278 is the town of Three Forks. A few miles out of town is the Missouri Headwaters State Park. The Jefferson River flows north and joins the Madison River also flowing north from YSNP, then a couple hundred feet later the Gallatin River also flowing north from YSNP joins in to form the Headwaters of the Missouri River. Just look at any map and you can see it so it must be true! Now the plot thickens, One of the responsibilities that President Jefferson charged Lewis and Clark with on their journey west was to map and determine the headwaters of the Missouri River. About 10 miles south of the town of Dillon, MT on I-15 is Clark Canyon reservoir, straight west of the reservoir is Lehmi Pass on the continental divide separating ID and MT. (Good paved road except the last few miles are gravel) At the top of the pass there is a spring, on a large rock there is a US Dept of the Interior Plaque that says in part โmost distant fountain springโ BUT now the MT F&G and others say that it is actually Browers Spring in the Centennial MTโs south and east of Clark Canyon Res. (East of Monida on I-15) Who is correct? I have been to the top of Lehman pass many times.
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