NAME: Bannack COUNTY: Beaverhead ROADS: 2WD GRID: 4 CLIMATE: snow
in winter.
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Summer.
COMMENTS: Just outside of Dillon. REMAINS: Some original remnants.
Bannack might be the only town in the
west to have had the leader of an outlaw gang as its sheriff.
His name was Henry Plummer. The stagecoach route between Bannack
and Virginia City was the scene of holdups, robberies and murders
that made it almost impossible to travel the road safely. The
Sheriff of Bannack headed the outlaw gang. Having escaped from
California and Nevada to Montana, Plummer set himself up as a
law abiding, God fearing citizen of Bannack. He convinced the
citizenry to elect himself Sheriff, which they did, ignorant
of his background and his plans for the future. Plummer and his
gang of outlaws were responsible for over a hundred murders before
he was found to be the leader of the outlaws. Time being of the
essence, gallows were promptly constructed in back of a saloon
and he was hanged along with several members of his gang. A visit
to Bannack is in order. Submitted by Henry Chenoweth.
Jail - 10 inch logs - never a jail break
Courtesy Dolores Steele
This is a southwest view of the town of Bannack from ontop of the cemetery
hill. From left to right on the Main street: (far side), Bessette house
(small white), Spokane Mining house, Bannack jails (small, in rear),
Chrisman's Store (sheriff's office), Gibson houses, Masonic Lodge/School
house (tall, bright roof). Left to right, (near side), of Main st.:
Methodist Church, Roe/Graves house, 'bachelors row,' gallows road (leading
north), Goodrich Hotel, Skinner's Saloon, Hotel Meade (large red brick).
-submitted by Keith Kersting (2002).
This is the Bannack gallows pole. It is located 5 minutes, walking, up
the north road into the valley overlooked by the cemetary hill. The valley
has no other stuctures. Behind the sheriff's office, on the opposite side
of the main street, the one person death row cell has a 12 inch by 8 inch
single window, that during the 'normal' holding period of 24 hours, the
condemned had a solitary view of the gallows pole up the valley. "Outlaw"
Sheriff Henry Plumer, (correct spelling), and three of his "Road
Agents" killer deputies were "dropped" on this gallows
without trial. These are the exact proportions and exact location of Bannack
gallows, however, the original timber was destroyed by vandals and lies
on the ground 10 meters from this spot. --submitted by Keith Kersting
(2002).
Bannack 360 Degree Virtual Tour courtesy David Eggebraaten
