The town of Bannack, Montana came into being in 1862 when gold was discovered in sizable quantities on the banks of a local creek. The population swelled to 3000 in just a matter of months, and Bannack soon became the first capitol of the Montana Territory. When the gold ran out, the town was abandoned. The site became a State Park in 1954.

In 1877, Bannack had a major indian scare. Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce Indians had just defeated General Gibbon at the bloody Battle of the Big Hole, and they were on the rampage. The women and children were brought into the hotel, a brick fortress, and some stories tell of hiding the children inside the safes. The Indians killed several nearby settlers, but Bannack remained untouched.

In it’s early days, Bannack was terrorized by a gang of robbers known as the “Innocents”. In an eight month period this notorious gang was responsible for over 100 murders. The robberies and killings finally stopped when the ringleader was captured and hanged. To everyones great shock, the ringleader turned out to be none other than the sheriff himself!

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