Ghost Town Tuesdays; Nevada City, Montana

Back 2015 I was traveling to Yellowstone National Park from Glacier National Park. My route took me through Montana State Route 287 which crossed through Nevada City in the Rockies of Madison County.

Nevada City is located at approximately 5,700 feet above sea level was settled in 1863 after placer mining claims were staked in Alder Gulch. Nevada City essentially was a suburb of the much larger Virginia City but actually managed to incorporate first in 1865. Nevada City being tied to mining claims started to decline by the mid-1870s falling to a population of about 100. By 1880 the US Census showed on 50 people living in Nevada City occupying only 16 structures. In 1896 a construction project to widen Alder Gulch destroyed much of the original town site of Nevada City.

Presently there are only 14 original buildings that were originally part of Nevada City. Most of Nevada City is consists of over 80 additional buildings that were brought in from other sites which are maintained by the State of Montana.

MT 287 was originally signed MT 34 and oddly connects to US Route 287 to the east in nearby Ennis. According to the topographical maps I've looked at on historicaerials MT 34 was renumbered to MT 287 sometime between 1986 and 1989. US Route 287 was extended north of Yellowstone in 1965 but it seems that Montana signed the current route as MT 287 at least through Ennis as a renumbering of MT 1 from some point after 1958.

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