On Saturday, Sept. 7, one of the most popular historical field trips is taking place.

It’s the annual Tour of the Cedar Creek Historic Mining District hosted by the Mineral County Museum and Historical Society. The tour will be guided by local history buffs and will include at least 10 stops before landing at the Gildersleeve Mine. 

“We have been going up Cedar Creek for almost 18 years,” shared Kay Strombo with the MCMHS. “We started when Chuck Mead said we needed to go to historic sites in the county.” 

All along the route, the remarkable history of the area will be shared about the tough-as-nails people who lived up that narrow canyon, what they did for a living (legal and illegal), the big money behind the mining operations and why there is barely a ghost town today. 

The 1870 census of the Cedar Creek area showed 1,587 white people, 30 Chinese, 20 Indians and nine blacks. A total of 50 saloonkeepers and nine bartenders were listed and if you’re seeing this for the first time, you’ll say, “No way!” 

On the tour, people are invited to walk to some remaining Chinese ovens built into the steep slopes. The old one-room jail is still standing in Louisville, which will be one of the scheduled stops. 

Brothels, booze and bad boys make up some of the most interesting stories, but the majority were honest hard-working people doing what they needed to do to survive, but really, hoping to strike it rich. 

Today’s visitors are astounded when they learn of the snow depths and trying to maneuver horses and wagons in the narrow streets. And there is still the railroad bed that moved ore down several miles and a few thousand vertical feet to the Clark Fork River.

The Gildersleeve Mine will be the last stop for a potluck lunch, music, gold mining and neighborly socializing. Sue McLeese, who is also with the MCMHS, has firsthand knowledge of the mine as her family eventually came to own it to this day. 

She shared some history:

“The Gildersleeve Mine Camp was built in 1930 when The Gildersleeve Brothers - Issac, Charlie and Lee, found some good looking paydirt and partnered with a mining company to start a tunnel into the side of the mountain following a quartz vein with copper, lead and silver in it. Thirty to 40 men were hired to log and cut the boards, build the road 1/2 mile to the cabin site where a crew was building the cabins, and another crew started the tunnel into the side of the hill. 

Mrs. Gildersleeve and her daughter were cooking for the men and needed help, so Issac recruited Fern Dodson who had just arrived from Illinois (flat lander) to the soaring mountains of Montana. She grew to love it here and she and George, Issac’s son, were married a year later.  

1929-30 was the only year they stayed there through the low snow year. Some years there has been as much as 16 feet of snow. After a year or so the mining company went broke, but the Gildersleeve family continued to prospect and mine.  

The brothers had passed away by 1952, and George, Fern and their two daughters and families continued to placer mine, keep up repairs on the cabins and greet people that stopped by. George was famous for his home-made beer and Fern for her great cooking and sweet nature.”  

McLeese will be at the potluck serving line so ask her to tell the story about the mama bear and her two cubs.

The tour is free, yet participants are asked to bring a dish to share at the potluck. Strombo said that they will have coolers to help transport some foods that might need to be kept cool. 

“The program there (Gildersleeve Mine) includes speakers, optional tours of the mine buildings, panning for gold and live music,” she said. 

Call the museum at 406-822-3543 by Sept. 1 to sign up to help determine transportation needs. 

“In an effort to reduce traffic on Cedar Creek Road and delays in gathering at each site, carpooling and riding the bus are highly recommended. Last year’s attendance approached 80 participants,” noted Strombo. 

She advised everyone to bring a windbreaker as it will be cooler in the shade and at higher elevations. Everyone will meet behind the Superior Library in the gravel parking lot at 8:30 a.m. for registration as orientation and loading the buses will start promptly at 9 a.m.

    The potluck at the Gildersleeve Mine is the cherry on top of a wonderful day of history, camaraderie and laughter. (photos provided)