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Virginia City, Montana part 2 July 30-31, 2007. Don't forget that we have two other Virginia City Travellogs: We are staying in Cameron RV-Park & Store in Cameron, Montana. Cameron is a STORE located 10-miles south of Ennis in the Madison Valley. The Cameron RV-Park is about 12 sites located behind the Store & Saloon (the social gathering place for miles around). The PPA campground is nothing fancy but for the PPA price of $12.50 for FHU it is just fine. The view over the Madison Valley and mountains surrounding Virginia City is worth the $12.50. For those of you that are not familiar with PPA (Pass Port America) it is an organization you can join for less than $50 per-year. Campgrounds that belong to PPA offer 1/2 price discounts. That kind of savings can quickly add up. While participating PPA parks generally have some restrictions on dates the PPA offer is valid, or possibly days of the week the discount is valid, or perhaps the number of days that the PPA discount will be honored the discount is genuine. Many times PPA campgrounds are new campgrounds that need help in getting established. Other times PPA campgrounds may be on the outskirts of town instead of in the "prime" location thus they need to provide an incentive for campers to stay with them. Whatever the reason PPA campgrounds generally provide a much cheaper option. PPA is the only campground organization that I think is worth the cost. PPA does not have a gimic. What you see is what you get. Once you join they send you a directory listing all participating campgrounds. The PPA directory is the FIRST directory we check when trying to locate a place to spend the night. You can join PPA by calling 228-452-9972. If you decide to join PPA, it would be nice if you gave them my number "R-0156251" as the PPA member that told you about PPA. In return PPA will give me $10 cred toward next years membership. I will thank you in advance for that kindness. Thank you.
We visited Virginia City located 14-miles west of present day Ennis several times. Virginia City is a city that has literally stood still in time. Virginia City IS Montana history! Virginia City was making history long before Montana was a state, even before Montana was a "Territory" it was what attracted white men to present day Montana. It was here before the LAW arrived, before government. Now that I have hopefully, gotten your attention let's visit Virginia City. Prospectors found placer gold (gold dust in stream beds) along a streambed choked with alder trees in May, 1863. Remember that this was in the middle of the Civil War (1861 - 1865). Thousands came from every corner of the world to try their luck in the placer mines and, perhaps, to garner a piece of the "gold" treasure. A brief but turbulent period of lawlessness and vigilante justice existed during the Civil War Years. Take a moment and ponder the fact that Virginia City part 1 (east end of Alder Gulch) was here as a gold mining Mecca a full year before the Montana Territory was created. Virginia City became the Territorial Capital, but Virginia City's glory faded when placer gold played out and the people moved on. The gold rush in Alder Gulch produced the largest amount of placer gold in the Northwest an estimated $120 million. Placer gold mining, or free gold prospecting, should not be confused with hard rock gold mining. Placer mining involves dust, flakes, and nuggets, while hard rock mining involves veins of ore. Bypassed by the railroad, Virginia City struggled. Gold dredging operations from the 1890's to the 1940's saved the town from total abandonment. Then, Charles and Sue Bovey began buying the dilapidated gold-rush era buildings in the 1940's. Virginia City became one of the first preservation efforts in the West and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961. The gold rush-era false-fronts and territorial-period landmarks reflect the optimism of Virginia City's early residents, providing a unique window to the past.
Locals ride horses to town in Virginia City
Locals visiting town tie up at this hitching post on Main Street.
Ruby Chang's is a special place
The young lady that owned Ruby Chang was an angel. Between 5:30 & 6:00 PM we went to start the Saturn and NOTHING. Not a click, NOTHING. Cell phones don't work in Virginia City, -totally useless they are! I went in her shop to ask if I could borrow her telephone and phone book. When she learned what my problem was she right off said "do you need a jump", of course I did but I had no idea this young lady was going to give me one. Immediately she said "lets jump it" and started out the door. She locked the door as we were leaving then went around behind the store and was back with her car and jumper cables in a flash. We connected her jumper cables to my battery. With her jumper cables connected we did get the solenoid to click, but that was all. We left it connected for 15-minutes hoping to charge my battery enough to get us started. It never got any better. Around 7PM she closed her shop and drove us back to our motorhome which was 25-miles east of Virginia City. She lived 15-miles in that direction but it was a super nice thing for her to do. Between 6PM and when we headed back to our motorhome in this ladies car we used her phone to try and find some place with a new battery and someone who would deliver it. Virginia City does not have a gas station, mechanic or auto parts store. When Virginia City residents need anything they have to drive 14-miles east to Ennis or a little further than that to the west to Sheradin. Now that we were back at our motorhome we still had no way to purchase a battery, and get us and the new battery to our Saturn in Virginia City. Talk about a rock and hard spot. The next morning we walked to the "store" in Cameron (Cameron really only has one business and that would be a country store, restaurant and Saloon. There is a small RV-Park and about 10-cabins that go with the store plus a United States Post Office that services a large rural area south of Cameron. When we asked the lady that was running the store if we could borrow her phone book we got to talking and when she saw that we were making NO progress with our phone calls to the parts dealers and mechanics in Ennis she offered to drive us, in her car, when she got off at 10AM which was only a few more hours. That was a deal we could not pass up. This lady did pick us up and take us in to Ennis where we purchased a new battery then delivered us (and the new battery) to our Saturn in Virginia City. She went shopping in one of the tourist places in Virginia City while I installed the new battery. She stayed with us until our Saturn started. We took good care of both of these angels that entered our lives. Neither one of them will ever know how much they effected our lives with the kindness they showed.
Huge willow tree on Main Street in Virginia City
With the Saturn fixed it was time to get back to enjoying Virginia City. I had to stop and get a better look at this old willow tree. It is a big one and probably very old. I can see the scar where a huge piece of it has recently broken off. What remains is still a large willow tree.
Vintage building in Virginia City, Montana
Just off main street are a number of vintage buildings like this one.
Vintage building with modern tin roof in Virginia City, Montana
This old building has been modernized with a tin roof.
Vintage building in Virginia City, Montana
One is left to wonder just how long these buildings have been here. Don't forget that we have two other Virginia City Travellogs:
Virginia City part 1 -------------------- Virginia City part 3
More Montana AdventuresSome Exciting Drives** More 2007 Travel Adventures
Mike & Joyce Hendrix
Mike & Joyce Hendrix who we are We hope you liked this page. If you do you might be interested in some of our other Travel Adventures: Mike & Joyce Hendrix's home page Travel Adventures by Year ** Travel Adventures by State ** Plants ** Marine-Boats ** Geology ** Exciting Drives ** Cute Signs ** RV Subjects ** Miscellaneous Subjects
We would love to hear from you......just put "info" in the place of "FAKE" in this address: FAKE@travellogs.us Until next time remember how good life is.
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