History on Homestake Creek

On our recent camping trip in Pipestone, we rode ATV's literally all over the place. Amazingly enough, despite riding in this area for the last four years, we still find new roads and new points of interest. On many of our rides, we end up coming out at Homestake Pass. There are, after all, only a very few "civilized" bathrooms along the way! 

One such stop at Homestake Pass last week led us to one of those "undiscovered" spots. We took a cut-off trail from Homestake Pass which came out in the Homestake Creek valley. As we came around a corner, we saw an old building. Stopping to explore was mandatory! The building, though currently in disrepair, was obviously quite a place in its day. There was a large open room in the front with a loft above, as well as a second smaller room and a kitchen in the back. There was also an outhouse and the remains of a stable. 

Not far away, on Camp Caroline Road, we found a sluice and a free-standing chimney. I am not sure if the chimney was built that way intentionally, or if over time, the rest of the building has just disappeared. 

Now my curiosity was aroused. After we got home, I googled the area, but I didn't find much information. What I did find was on Montana.GOV, Department of Environmental Quality. It states:

          "Roby et al (1960) has perhaps the best definition of the district.

'The Homestake District lies along the crest of the Continental Divide,

the boundary of Jefferson and Silver Bow Counties,

approximately 9 miles southeast of Butte...'

The area saw active mining in the early 1900's, 

producing gold and silver from rich, but short and irregular, veins."

While I was unable to definitively identify the specific structures that we found, it was still an enjoyable stop on our day's ride. I am always drawn to these spots that pull one back to a time long ago, and even, in a sense, a place far away.