Philipsburg, Montana
Philipsburg was named after a prominent mining engineer from the Comstock mining region in Nevada. At the time, Philip Deidesheimer was appointed manager of the James Stuart Mill, which later became known as the Hope Mill. Trying to ease the transportation burden, he built a mill where the flat gulch of Camp Creek narrowed above Flint Creek. The road leading to the mill was to become the main street, Broadway, of Philipsburg. Local residents were so grateful to Philip, they voted to name the town after him.
Philipsburg was officially registered as a town in 1867. The town was growing at such an unbelievable rate that it was reported in an August edition of the Montana Post that Philipsburg was "scarcely thirty days old" but growing at a "rate of one house a day." By December of the same year, Philipsburg had a population of about 1,500 people.
Over time, Philipsburg has evolved into a community with a restored sense of history and where it came from. This area has groomed itself for outdoor enthusiasts, miners, shoppers, family vacations and reunions, business meetings, and for those who want to get away to relax in the mountains of Philipsburg. Come and visit for yourself as Philipsburg was recently chosen by The National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of America'a Dozen Distinctive Destinations.
FASCINATING FACTS
Starting as a booming mining community, the area has become a valley known for ranching, mining, enchanting ghost towns, and an outdoor enthusiast's paradise. We wanted to give you an idea of the beginnings of the area as knowing the past of the community grants you a deeper appreciation for what it's become. Enjoy the history!
- The Pintler Range was named after Charles Ellsworth Pintler.
- Fred Burr introduced cattle to the Flint Creek Valley in 1856.
- The town of Philipsburg was selected as the outstanding tourism community in 1998, by the State of Montana.
- In 1997 and again in 2000, Philipsburg was named a finalist in the contest for Prettiest Painted Places in America.
- Prior to 1867, Philipsburg was known as Camp Creek.
- In 1868, Broadway was lined with several hotels with restaurants; six general assortment stores; seven saloons; three blacksmith shops; three boot and shoe shops; three butcher shops; two beer breweries; three livery & feed stables; one Masonic Hall; two physician offices; one portable steam saw mill and several bakeries.
- The Philipsburg Grade School is in the oldest operating school building in the State of Montana.
- The voluntary undertaking of the replacement of the street lighting system from 1994 to 1997, gives Philipsburg a feeling of returning to past decades.
- Philipsburg became an incorporated town in 1890 - James McDonald was the first mayor.
- In 1887, three brick yards were operating "full force", finding it almost impossible to supply the demand generated by the construction of the downtown buildings.
- In 1998, we honored the return of the theater backdrops and scenery flats, hand painted by Edgar S. Paxson over 100 years ago, to the historic Philipsburg Opera House.
- Sapphires were discovered on the West Fork of Rock Creek in the early 1890's.
- For more than 100 years the Philipsburg area has been known for its exotic, colorful and rare mineral specimens.
- At its peak, the town's population reached 3000.
- The Silver Crash of 1893 devastated the mining business in Granite. The Granite and Bi-Metallic operations closed immediately. Most of the population vanished overnight.
- The two brick stacks to the southeast of town are known as the Bi-Metallic Mill where the ore from Granite Bi-Metallic was milled.
- Beginning in 1899 and finishing in 1901, the Georgetown Lake Dam was built to provide power for the Bi-Metallic Mill and the Granite Mine. It was constructed with 36,000 cubic yards of granite blocks, 2,000 barrels of cement, 10,000 barrels of sand and 40,000 cubic yards of clay fill.
- There are 50 lakes and more than 500 miles of streams in Granite County.
- There are more then 1300 head of elk in Granite County, and more than 200 head of mountain sheep live on upper Rock Creek.
- There are 6 cabins for rent by the Pintler Ranger District.
- The highest peak in the Flint Range is Mt. Powell at 10,164 feet.
- The highest peak in the Anaconda Pintler Range is West Goat Peak at 10,793 feet.
- The population of Philipsburg is 923. The population of Granite County is 2853.
