Aldridge, Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aldridge
|
|
|---|---|
 Aldridge
Location in Montana
Aldridge
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Park |
| Established | 1901 |
| Abandoned | 1910 |
| Named for | W. H. Aldridge |
| Elevation | 6,427 ft (1,959 m) |
Aldridge is a ghost town located in Park County, Montana, in the United States. A ghost town is a place where most people have left. Aldridge was once a busy mining town. It supplied coke and coal to large factories. These factories, called smelters, belonged to the Anaconda Copper Mining Company.
Aldridge is found about two miles (3.2 km) north of the northern entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The town was officially named Aldridge in 1906. Before that, it was known as Horr and later Electric.
Contents
History of Aldridge
Early Coal Discoveries
The story of Aldridge began in 1872. That year, a man named Major Horr found five veins of coal. He found them on a hillside near a place called Cinnabar.
In 1882, Major Horr and his two sons started a business. It was called the Horr Coal Company. Later, his sons sold the company to H.F. Blake. The company then became known as the Park Coal Company.
Growth of the Mining Company
Under Blake's leadership, the company grew. They built special ovens to process iron ore. By 1889, J.H. Conrad became the manager. At this time, the company was producing a lot of coal and iron ore.
About 50 tons of coal and iron ore were produced daily. This was sent to the Anaconda Copper Mining Company's smelters. These smelters were located in cities like Butte, East Helena, Great Falls, and Anaconda.
New Discoveries and a Strike
In 1894, the Park Coal Company was sold again. New owners from New Jersey bought it. They renamed it the Montana Coal Company. Under its manager, Ware B. Gay, the company became very successful.
It employed 400 men and was the largest iron ore company in the western United States. In 1892, workers from the Montana Coal Company found a rich coal vein. This new vein was near a lake, which was later called Aldridge Lake.
By June 1895, much of the mining work moved to this new lake area. A mining camp called "Camp at the Lake" was formed there. In November, 200 miners marched from the lake to the Horr office. They wanted higher wages for their hard work.
The Montana Coal Company sent W.H. Aldridge from Helena to help end the strike. After the strike was over, the mining camp was renamed Aldridge in his honor.
Aldridge Becomes a Major Mining Hub
A conveyor system was built to move coal from Aldridge to the iron ore ovens in Horr. With this system, the Aldridge mines produced a lot of iron ore. They produced between 300 and 500 tons every day.
Because of this success, the mines in Horr were closed in 1897. All mining operations then focused on Aldridge.
Mine Safety and an Accident
The Aldridge mines were considered safe. They were safer than many other mines in the area. In all the years the mine operated, only one accident was recorded.
On August 2, 1901, a man named Thomas W. Thomas died in the mine. He was killed by an explosion. The exact cause of the explosion was never found. It might have been caused by explosive gas or an unexploded blast.
Peak Production and Decline
By 1901, the Montana Coal and Coke Company was working at its fullest in Aldridge. They had over 500 workers. They shipped out more than 650 train cars of coke every day.
All the coal came from the 3,000 acres (1,214.1 hectares) of land around Aldridge. But in August 1904, the miners went on strike again. This strike lasted for a whole year. It caused a lot of problems for the local economy.
The company did recover, but it never reached its earlier success.
Horr Becomes Electric
Before 1904, an electric plant was built in Horr. This plant provided electricity to the Montana Coal Company's mines and businesses. In 1904, Horr was renamed Electric because of this power plant.
Since there were no mines in Electric, its economy relied on other things. It transported iron ore to the smelters using its railway.
Aldridge Becomes a Ghost Town
In 1906, with support from the community, Aldridge grew. It took in the town of Electric and became an incorporated town. Local newspapers thought Aldridge would become a very important mining town.
However, the Montana Coal Company faced financial trouble in 1910. They failed to make payments on their bonds. This led to a lawsuit between the company and the bondholders. The bondholders won the lawsuit.
The Montana Coal and Coke Company was ordered to pay over $100,000. This large debt caused all mining operations in Aldridge to close down. With the mines closed, Aldridge became a ghost town.
Aldridge Today
Today, there is no active mining in Aldridge. However, there are still many coal deposits in the area. Some of Aldridge's old buildings have been taken down or moved. Other buildings are now just ruins.
