The “Almost Ghost Town” of Marysville, Montana

Situated about a half hour’s drive northwest of the state capitol of Helena, Marysville is a sleepy town currently with a population of less than 100 residents.  It’s located about a mile above sea level on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.  The quiet town of today belies its past, as Marysville was once a busy gold mining camp.

A Brief History of Marysville:

The town was established in 1870 and was named in honor of its first woman settler, Mary Ralston.  In the 1880s and 1890s, Marysville was booming, growing to about 4,000 residents.  During this time, it was the leading gold producing region in the world.   The town was home to 27 saloons, 7 hotels, a grocery store, drug store, bakery, and many other businesses.

The most productive mine in town belonged to Irishman Tommy Cruse.  His Drumlummon Mine dug about half of the $50 million in gold which the region produced in the late 19th century.  Cruse became a wealthy man and in time he sold the mine to an English syndicate, the Drumlummon changing hands several times thereafter. Mr. Cruse moved to Helena where he founded a bank, but he missed mining and bought several smaller mines near Marysville to get back into the action.

Some mining continues to this day in Marysville, but obviously on a much smaller scale than in the past.

If you visit today:

Many of Marysville’s buildings have been abandoned or at a minimum poorly maintained,  as you can see from the photos in this blog post.

There are several historic buildings in Marysville, which are listed on the National Register.  The best known of these is the picturesque Methodist Episcopal church.

(Maryville’s Methodist Episcopal Church)

Here are a few of the town’s businesses….

The town is near the Great Divide Ski area and there are dozens of miles of hiking trails on the Continental Divide.  A popular restaurant (Marysville House) is open weekends.

(Marysville General Store)

(Old Masonic Lodge)

(Pioneer Memorial Building)

There are better (completely abandoned) ghost towns in the country but visiting and walking around Marysville is a nice way to spend a fall afternoon.