Spirit Tailings: Ghost Tales from Virginia City, Butte and Helena

by Ellen Baumler, Jon Axline (Preface by)

Overview

If ghosts are the restless spirits of those who died violently or in a state of unreadiness, then Montana's violent frontier history explains the richness and depth of these haunting stories. This wonderful collection--based on oral testimony, diaries, journals, and newspaper accounts--presents an eerie history of the state's legendary mining towns. In addition to their ghoulish intrigue, these stories combine to provide new perspectives and a greater appreciation for Montana¿s past.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780917298912
Publisher:	Montana Historical Society Press
Publication date:	10/28/2002
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Ellen Baumler is a writer and interpretive historian. She lives in Helena, Montana.

Table of Contents

	Preface	vii
	Introduction	1
	Virginia City Tailings
	Virginia Slade	8
	The Body in the Bathtub	15
	Thus Would We Leave Her	20
	Mother Irene	25
	Lightning Splitter	32
	The Cook's Helper and the Winsome Maiden	35
	Nevada City Ghosts	39
	Butte Tailings
	Mine Spooks	48
	The Haunting of the Quartz Street Fire Station	53
	Of Copper Kings and Other Things	61
	A Spook to Believe In	65
	Mansion Mysteries	72
	A Discordant Note	78
	The Ghostly Madam at the Dumas Hotel	80
	A Midnight Visitor	88
	Helena Tailings
	John Denn	94
	The Ghosts That Weren't	99
	Mamie's Bells	103
	Little Girl Lost	110
	Count Your Blessings	114
	The Haunted Cabin	119
	The Mumblers	124
	Lady of the House	128
	The Right Time	134
	Montana Club's Urban Legend	138
	Epilogue	144
	Sources	146
	Index	147
	Virginia City
	George Lane's mummified foot and cane	7
	The Slades' stone house	9
	Boot Hill	17
	Frank and Amanda McKeen	18
	Bonanza Inn	26
	Lightning Splitter	33
	Nevada City Hotel	44
	Butte
	Steel Headframe	47
	Men Getting Ready to Blast	54
	Quartz Street Fire Station	57
	Invitation to Hanging	67
	Timer and artifacts from prostitute's crib	81
	"Hidey hole"	83
	Artist portrait of the ghostly madam	87
	Helena
	Freight train on Main Street	93
	Eckert photo of hanging	96
	Mamie Cruse	106
	Cruse Mausoleum	109
	George Mitchell in front of Pioneer Cabin	122
	Father Van Gorp	127
	Clara Bicknell Hodgin	129
	Tatem House	134
	Montana Club	140