The Ghost Town of Granite, Montana - "The Silver Queen"

[@TheBrainSpecialist]

Just want to say a quick thanks to Tom and Emma for going out to these places so I can live vicariously through them and add places to visit to my list. Keep up the good work guys.

[@ellen4956]

I used to have a house that had a chimney like the one in Mae's cabin. It was for the kitchen stove, which was a wood-burning stove. That type of chimney is rare to see anymore. The house I had was built in 1892 in Oregon.

[@RobDeHaven]

Just think about the state of mind of the people that came to this town in search of a new life. Maybe they were headed west in an attempt to escape the civil war that was or had been raging back east. With silver being discovered in 1865, that would have been the last year of the civil war so I'm sure people were seeking a different place to live hoping to escape those horrors. Great video Tom, I really enjoy these videos and hopefully one day I'll be able to visit Philipsburg as it looks like a really interesting place to explore.

[@Ty-tie_FTW]

Can only imagine the relief those people felt when they finally had their destination in sight after that long journey. Even though most of them probably just earned a living through hard, intense labor.

[@reefsroost696]

​@@Ty-tie_FTW It was probably better than what they had back home.

[@Mrbfgray]

Never any mention of most titillating aspect--whore houses, they were as integral and important as a bank.

[@nozzzzy]

The image at 26:25 that overlays the town onto a modern image of the area blows my mind. It's incredible how so much history is lost so easily. If I were to walk through that area today I simply couldn't imagine that there was once a massive town there. You'd think there would be more left over given just how many buildings were there.

[@Ranger_Kevin]

I love the ghost town series. So many places I will probably never able to visit myself, with so much interesting history. And the decay is always so fascinating.

[@kittybitts567]

Thank you so much Tom, Emma and crew for documenting all this history, the history of the lives of ordinary men and women who built America. Your channel is a treasure!

[@tyler558806]

The most underrated historical places channel in all of KZbin. I absolutely LOVE your Ghost Town series and anytime you go anywhere of a notable event and overlay the maps and old photos and what not. Thank you!

[@caroleminke6116]

My sister was married to an electrician who worked in the silver mines around Coeur D’Alene Idaho & I’ve got a beautiful memory from visiting there in the mid 1970’s

[@Tachometrically]

I'm not sure how to describe how interesting this is, as someone who grew up in the wild west, these towns are so full of history it makes me long to know the story of the people. Another splendid video Tom.

[@chrisloomis1489]

Phillipsburg looks beautiful , wonderful video and part off why I love the West ... is expressed by you. I thank you : Chris

[@Ol_Durty_Badger]

Thanks for sharing Montana with the world! There is so much history lost in our mountains. Hundreds of ghost towns returning to nature with little or no info on many of them. Nearby Butte MT is the City that electrified America with its copper. America enjoyed the growth of industrialization on the backs of our boys who pulled the valuable ore from deep in the earth. Much like mines all over the country.

[@trinketsmusings]

I pretty much say this every time I watch one of your videos, but seriously, they are just so well done. Full of artistry, integrity, well paced, lovely to look at, full of incredible information. My thumbs up isn't just a like. It is utter admiration and complete appreciation.

[@kylekundert5665]

I'm actually from Montana and visited granite a few times. Thank you for putting this history into a palatable format. I was always curious about knowing this information but never had the patience to listen to a poor audio quality professors presentation that brush over granite cuz their focus is on the greater mining operations in Montana. Really appreciate you taking the time to put this out and happy I found your channel the more I work through the interesting videos you've put out

[@laundroismat]

If you like long form content, you’d enjoy the audiobook of Fire and Brimstone. It’s about the 1917 mine disaster in Butte. Before the Berkeley pit lol

[@WellRoundedWoodsman]

My wife, dog, cat and I explored Granite in 2015 on a cross country move from Florida to Alaska. It was one of the highlights of our trip and we spent an entire day between the Phillipsburg historical society and the actual visit to the town. Places like this are special to American history, and play an important yet underappreciated role in our story. Walking down the streets and what used to be streets, while holding photos like the ones you showed is a very surreal experience.

[@frankmarullo228]

This video my friend is very comprehensive , I went there years ago , had plenty to drink in Phillipsburg at the brewery . I live east of granite for 34 years now . been to quite a few ghost towns in montana . love your work. PS. You should go to Bannack. THANK YOU FRANK FROM MONTANA......

[@Arterexius]

This is one of the few really, really good historical channels on KZbin. Every single one of your episodes are feature length, documentary quality films and I love them all. I have yet to watch a lot of them, but that's good, as I treasure these tales. This isn't just one of the best historical channels on American history on the tube. It's one of the best overall historical channels on the tube, due to the sheer quality of work you and the team put into these. Thank you so much for yet another great video, I am looking forward to hearing more of the US that once were.

[@PartTimeExplorer]

Thank you for the kind comment!

[@jamy8575]

The east coast of AmeriKa has 100's & I would bet near 1000 disappeared towns FAR FAR less remains of them.. MANY absolutely nothing.. A few remained on Google MaPS per 2008.. I would visit them.. Just a spec on the google maps and NOTHING there what so ever.. One, I remember because I grew up next to it.. It was a town called Heverly, Pennsylvania. As a Preteen there was an eerily old decrepit coal tipple there.. by mid teens is was torn down & NOTHING there for a decade.. By my mid 20's a Federal program came in and built a Half way home for ex cons. Maybe dozens reside there and a few workers... The place is 4 Miles on either side from any type of town civilization.

[@mharris1957]

Great video! The Coolidge mine, nearby, is a lot more remote and lessor known. Very cool hike but with some mosquitos.

[@superbroadcaster]

This is my favorite side of Montana and I like to remind out of staters about it. Montana isn't a travel destination or a summer home, it's a grave full of broken dreams. So don't let it get any more expensive for the locals that do live here.

[@silvermoon1235]

Yes, thank you!! Of course its insanely beautiful here, but there’s so much history that newcomers completely disregard or want to eradicate to built on.

[@scofab]

Well done as always, thank you again.

[@woodyreece5588]

Love the small into video...I absolutely love these videos ..very relaxing

[@ladybugspritz]

clicked as fast as possible!! thank you for your work 😊

[@JustLou71]

I love this channel and all the true history, and that just what they want us to learn in school. But the true engineering and design that went into all of this back then is truly fascinating. This is day before codes, and permits and the such. And look at how much is still standing today. Truly fascinating!

[@RED-cy7ig]

Thanks for taking us along on your trip. Very Interesting.

[@jillatherton4660]

The photographer did a good job on his drawings. 👍

[@Rachel-art-and-design]

So cool. Thanks for the fabulous video 🎉❤😊

[@lynchmobfc]

I have traveled many places in the world yet never had time to visit you make that much easier thank you

[@Mist3rData]

O how i love history like this! Thank you so much for al the work, it is so interesting.

[@HFarms1955]

By far the coolest history lesson I've ever seen on Tube!!! Thank you!!

[@paulam408]

Really enjoyed another video. Would love to see this place in person. Thanks for posting.

[@l.l.2463]

Another winner!! I love these explorations -- all the different types. But the ones about old mining towns are especially fascinating to me. My dad was a self-taught geologist/prospector/miner and so this sheds some light on my family history.

[@RebinRed21]

Stay safe while exploring these ruins, what would we do without you ? ;) Lovely video, very nicely done.

[@katielin2379]

Thank you for a most interesting and detailed history of Granite.

[@donmarion8808]

I was able to visit P Burg when we were assigned to a forest fire near there in 1988. We were from southern Arizona and felt like we stepped back in a time machine. What an amazing place. Thank you for the great videao. What an amazing history

[@MrTylerStricker]

Very cool, interesting & fascinating documentary! I've never heard of Granite or Phillipsburg before, but now I'm glad I have! As a complete newbie to archeology like this, I can understand why so many people enjoy visiting, exploring & learning about these kinds of places.

[@Ty-tie_FTW]

You do an amazing job on your videos. The massive deadly rockslide video was one of my first ones I've watched. Now i just want to binge watch them all. Maybe if i get a sick day sometime soon i can do that! Thanks for the history lesson

[@teribelleau137]

This was an exciting explore, since there are still many structures. Thanks for all the interesting information. ❤😊

[@ShaunUnderwoodx]

I absolutely love this channel.. it's a great production.. in-depth history.. everything you need all in one place.. thank you for all your hard work... It's always a pleasure to be here and always relaxed when watching your productions...10/10 Tom and Emma and co .. waiting for the next one.. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and all the best success for 2024.. Happy Christmas everyone.

[@funken079]

Another great trip back in time .

[@garyday5299]

Very interesting. And as always, so very well narrated. Thank you for what you do.

[@chriswarburtonbrown1566]

Fabulous video! I love exploring those haunted old industrial sites, we have plenty here in the UK, often in stunning scenery.

[@jessthemuse]

Thank you for the Western Places plug!! These are perfect Christmas presents for a very specific type of person. Love the channel.

[@davidthorne5715]

The ghost town videos are fast becoming my favorite series of videos that you create, thanks for all the work and time you put into these!

[@maizie9454]

love the photography. and, well , everything else! THANKS!

[@dalekundtz760]

Thanks for the great history trip of Granite. Love videos like this one.

[@jimpantle3780]

The partial chimney was quit common in the late 1800s and the early 1900s. My family owns a house in western Ks that has one and another abandoned house in central Kansas has one as well.

[@FastingStarChanelNo5]

I lived in a national forest area in NoCal years ago, first a log cabin, then what we called a frame house. That chimney with the wood under it is a fire waiting to happen. Snob Hill, lol. Usually one sees Montana as all hilly and prairies like. Mining is so dangerous even today, not an easy occupation and always dangerous. TYSM for this!!

[@rebzdomine]

A very high-quality and informative video. I've always been interested in the history of such mining towns in the US, greetings from Russia!

[@mdoutey]

finally a video from you, also a long one. looking forward to watching it

[@grinderkenny]

Amazing amount of work went into this video. I enjoyed every bit of it.

[@StirlingLighthouse]

Outstanding presentation and location. Thank you very much 🙏

[@debrareplogle651]

Thank You for a walk through the past, fascinating, well done. I truly enjoyed it.

[@markclifton14]

What a beautiful old place.lots of interesting history, and fascinating to listen to. An excellently put together video as always. Very well filmed and presented. You really should be a professional documentary filmmaker and presenter. Well done keep up the great content.

[@TheCuriousCat07]

Wow, your videos are addictive. Script and narration is so captivating. This is one of my favourite channels in all of KZbin.

[@cet6237]

Really awesome video. I LOVE all the video and info on these old towns.

[@classic.cameras]

It's always amazing these huge towns that were all over the States and all of it was cleaned up and removed. Like where is this town? Where did it go? It's crazy!

[@alexw.7097]

It's especially interesting to me as someone half English, the US was formed less than 250 years ago, and we have places like this that popped up and were totally wiped away for the land to be used again and all that, when in many places in Europe, you can still find people living in houses *or Castles* and castle towns that were built well before the US mining settlements! It's interesting to think about the reasons why civilizations do or don't do something

[@edwardaustin740]

I stumbled across your channel about 6 months ago and I have enjoyed every minute of them. I instantly subscribed. I enjoy how you bring history to life with the way you explain it. Thank you very much.

[@fosterfamilyfaith]

I would just like to say that you're really doing an excellent job. The well put together combination of your footage coupled with the historical maps, drawings and photos makes the videos a pleasure to watch. Your narration is professional with just a smidgen of well placed humor. Always very interesting. Thanks for taking us along on your historical explorations. May your hardwork continue to bring you increased success.

[@sufficientphrase7769]

I love the tours around the ruins and the old pics and drawings.

[@Raaaahhhhbbbie]

Great video! Your videos tell the most nuanced and engaging stories. Tom, if you’re ever around California’s Central Coast, the ghost town of New Idria is a special example of a mercury boomtown that had a huge impact on the industries of the west coast in the early 20th century, and I think it’d be right up your alley.

[@karenc4544]

This is PBS quality (a big compliment, I think). It’s so good to find channels like this!

[@katienguyen1643]

In the middle of watching this video and had to stop to write this comment. I’m a history junky and love to watch videos such as this one. The quality, thoughts and research went into this is superb. Narration, cinematography and information delivered beautifully. Thank you! .

[@crowlangel9999]

Did you find any pieces of the silver stones laying around!? Looks like a fun place to visit, Thank you for sharing.

[@RebinRed21]

36:05 that’s definitely a strange chimney design, very interesting!

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

“Big Slim” ❤ The size of some of those wooden beams is incredible. The trees that they were cut from would have be absolutely enormous. BIG ancient trees, amazing. I’m interested, did you notice any termite damage done to those surviving wooden structures?

[@dianadelahaye7660]

A lot of work to build that tram. Amazing how a whole town was developed with lots of business. Hotels, several churches. Incredible to think how many people lived there. Wonderful video.

[@Toyahsi2]

Your vids are top notch, thank you for sharing. Learned a lot today. Amazing what the miners did. Building that tram just itself in insane.

[@dalmatiangirl61]

The half brick chimney was common, it would have been used with a wood fired cookstove, or a wood/coal heating stove. A single wall steel chimney would have been used between the cook/heating stove and the brick chimney, and entered thru the small hole at base of brick chimney. Back then a brick chimney thru the roof was the best protection against chimney fires, the bricks being great insulators.

[@Gunmetal_Cutlass]

Great video Tom! Have you ever considered having a collab with Brent from Ghost Town Living to do a video on Cerro Gordo?

[@AZHighDesert2]

Really fantastic work Tom, well done!

[@jeffreyhutchins6527]

Fantastic story. Really enjoyed it. I sure wish Tom and Emma could make it to a tiny ghost town in North East Washington State in Okanogan county Washington, called Bolster. Be very interested in a deep dive of that town.

[@jonsymmonds1120]

What an amazing video! You did a wonderful job of documenting Granite. The research alone put into the video must have taken a very long time! Thanks so much for sharing it with us!

[@josephpiskac2781]

Thanks for all your hard work. I find ruins also to be interesting. Amazing just how quickly these buildings vanished.

[@Kennerunderground]

I do a lot of mine exploring, but sometimes its hard to find detailed historical documentation behind some of the locations. This is pure American history, thank you for giving us this fascinating story

[@OGRocker1]

Great explore and history lesson, thank you for taking us along. ... Merry Christmas🎄

[@E_Sunbro]

These videos are incredible. The attention to detail and the emphasis on history make them a step above. You guys do amazing work.

[@curtisv7114]

Outstanding video!!! Incredible history. Thank you for what you do Tom and Emma!!!!

[@marcarbory6042]

I live in the Isle of Man. There was a major mining industry here. Lead, Copper, zinc, iron, silver and supposedly some gold. Unlike Granite and most of your older buildings, ours were constructed in stone, so quite a bit of the ruins remain, if you know where to look. But also like Granite, time, weather and erosion are slowly returning the land to nature. There is little interest in keeping their memories alive. The most prominent workings are the Great Laxey Mine, some what restored and semi working including the Lady Isobella water wheel.

[@brixen0623]

Your videos have inspired me to re-explore my own family history. My grandmothers aunt was Bernice (bitsy) Dombroski. One of the first 3 women to work in a mine in Oceola Mills PA. She recently passed away. Idk why im so fascinated. But i am. Thank you for your hard work and inspiration to those of us who just watch.

[@jeroberts7228]

That was so interesting, even fascinating! How I do love your channel, Tom.

[@2BoTube2]

Enjoyed this one immensely. I watch all of your videos. Really interested in the ones you've done from Nova Scotia, since we used to live there . Your style is so well done and easy to listen to. Thanks to Emma as well for being part of it as well.

[@louiesmom7394]

I had a great great uncle leave NJ in a Conestoga wagon and travel across the country to live in Oklahoma. I have the newspaper clipping when he went as it was a big deal for the townspeople. He got married and had 8 children and lived a long life. I can't imagine how hard that journey was.

[@jessicadavis8865]

Love your content and how well it’s put together. Thank you for keeping these places, and the people who got to experience them, alive.

[@Brian-HistoricMineExplorations]

Great episode as always. Really enjoy your ghost town content and the thorough research you do of the site history. Well done!

[@ItsMaisyDaisy]

I just found this channel and have been binge watching. He's a great narrator and has such interesting explorations. Thank you!

[@TheShowgirl25]

Cool video. A step back into history. I love this stuff! Thank you.

[@maureenfitzgerald1895]

Phillipsburg is a lovely city and a great place to visit. Three generations of our family went together and everyone had a great time!

[@DragonDrop4758]

Who doesn't like Wild Bill, who built such an amazing snowman? Long may he live on

[@theogdirkdiggler]

The most professional historical tribute to any mining town in yt history.

[@wendylabonte9330]

Thanks so much for such a wonderful video...very informative and historical...excellent insight to our history...sure hope those vandals have gotten their just do...

[@karissahenry2277]

I appreciate this video. It's keeping me calm while I'm stranded in the middle of nowhere during sundown waiting for a tow. 🙏 Thank you

[@cokeysnose375]

Always quality

[@YourLocalHistoryGuy]

Great video! I was wondering if you could make a video on the SS Sultana. She caught fire and sank in the Mississippi River.

[@janblake9468]

Your story of Granite history is beyond "over and above". Beyond excellence. Thank you very much. Looks like you used Sanborn maps for town building details.

[@sarahjohnson9693]

Thank you both for your amazing videos - they're so relaxing but interesting! I find myself rewinding and pausing in awe at some of the overlays - so cool! Please please consider buying and wearing a yellow vest and hard hat if walking through the falling down rooms. If something went wrong and you got trapped, the vest would make it easier for them to spot you. And you never know when a beams gonna just slip away and crack your head. Please be safe so you can do these for ever and ever!! thank you!!

[@fallenwatchers3441]

I love these videos you have done an amazing job!

[@BUFFALO1946]

Love your ghost towns Thank you

[@briannave7326]

Another great video, well documented.

[@Oneminuteman38]

Love to see you do one on the four towns that were destroyed to make the quabbin reservoir in Massachusetts

[@sodium9920]

Brilliant, superbly paced and narrated, fantastic, 10/10

[@ghil3697028]

Thank you for visiting it for us. Actually went through Philipsburg in November 2015, don't remember it like you describe (maybe because it was off season), I just stopped at the laundromat there for an overdue batch of laundry, I remember it being clean and well taken care of with even a shower for travelers. Chatted with a friendly local about car camping (my bed was actually the front passenger seat of my old Corolla for a month). On my way out (or maybe in?), saw the sign for Granite ghost town so of course I had to go! Probably not even halfway up the "unmaintained, unfrequented road", my rusty exhaust line fell out partially and I had to precariously park over a ditch to reattach it with paracord so I didn't lose it entirely. The cord didn't melt because the exhaust gases never made it through to the back, they were all shot out of the middle of the car, making a hell of a racket. Couldn't find a mechanic for dozens of miles either so I finally had it towed all the way to Missoula because I was going crazy with the noise. Never got to see the town unfortunately but that's still a good story to tell. Might go through there again when I go back west, there's still so much I want to see. Making sure my car is in better shape this time around.

[@jbstandsforjasonborne3847]

Oh cool, KZbin likes to recommend this stuff to me instantly.