Wickes, Montana

A silver deposit was discovered in the area in 1869 which was worked by Alta Mine, one of the territory's richest silver mines.^[2] The interests were sold in 1876 to a group of investors headed by William W. Wickes.^[2] The investors platted the townsite in 1877.^[2] In 1879 Samuel T. Hauser reorganized the company into the Alta Montana Company.^[2] By 1880 the town grew to 400 residents.^[2] The Alta mill burned down in 1882 and the group sold out to Hauser.^[2] He rebuilt the silver mill and convinced Northern Pacific Railroad to build a branch line between Helena and Wickes.^[2] In 1887, the Helena Mining and Reduction Company built the town’s first smelter.^[3] The town grew to around 1,500 residents by 1893.^[2] When the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 was repealed the company closed its smelter.^[2] In 1896 the mine was closed.^[3]

In 1901 a fire destroyed the entire business portion of the town.^[3] In 1909 a new townsite was laid out near the railroad tracks.^[3] The Corbin railroad station was moved to Wickes.^[3] The school operated until the 1930's.^[3]

A newspaper, the Wickes Pioneer, was started in August 1895 by publisher Robert G. Bailey.^[3] It ended shortly after the mine closed in 1896.^[3]

• Photos of Wickes, Montana on Ghost Town Gallery