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In the final installment of the series, we follow the life of a woman whose unwavering dedication helped preserve the historic town of Bannack, ensuring its stories and its spirit would endure for generations. Across the street from the Methodist church near the middle of town lies the Ovitt Store. Once home to a saloon, a bustling boarding house, and even a bakery, the building found new life in the 1950s when Mrs. Mabel Ovitt took over and turned it into a shop. Mabel was b

The heart of Bannack holds its share of stories, but it’s in the forgotten edges of town where the ghosts whisper loudest. While most ghost towns offer only a few scattered cabins, Bannack tells a fuller story. Some came to strike it rich, digging deep into the earth. Others saw opportunity above ground, opening businesses to serve the miners. And then there were the drifters, drawn by the chaos and chance of a town on the edge of nowhere, chasing drink, cards, and fleeting f

As I rolled down the highway, I was pointed towards "the door through which the world rushed into Montana," according to Lora Anderson-Gale. I'm talking about Bannack, the Montana ghost town that started it all. After resupplying in Dillon for the better part of the day, I booked it over Badger Pass through the white-dusted sagebrush that smattered the rolling hills surrounding me in early November. Bannack is one of the best-preserved ghost towns in the state of Montana. Eac