Step back in time with us to Bannack, Montana—once a booming gold rush town and now one of the best-preserved—and most haunted—ghost towns in the West. In this chilling episode, we explore Bannack’s turbulent past: from its founding on sacred Native American lands, through lawless gold camps and vigilante justice, to the spirits that linger in the historic Hotel Meade. Listen to the frontier history and hauntings of Bannack!

Sources:

General History of Bannack & Grasshopper Creek

• Montana Office of Tourism official pages on Bannack State Park.

• Montana Historical Society, “Bannack Historic Resources.”

• “Ghost Towns of Montana” by Donald C. Miller (book).

• National Park Service documentation for Bannack National Historic Landmark.

• Lewis and Clark Expedition records, U.S. National Archives (re: original naming of Willard Creek).

• Bannack page, Legends of America (overview of gold strike, early town life).

Native American History & Presence

• Shoshone-Bannock Tribes official website and public cultural statements.

• “Native American Tribes of Montana: A Guide to Their History” by Federal Writers’ Project.

• University of Montana, Indigenous Studies research on Bannock and Shoshone traditional territories.

• Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks interpretive materials on prehistoric and tribal use of the region.

Hotel Meade History

• Bannack State Park visitor guide (facility and renovation history).

• “Bannack: The First Territorial Capital,” Montana Historical Society Press.

• Montana History Foundation: preservation of Hotel Meade and structure biographies.

• On-the-ground interpretation panels at Bannack site.

Dorothy Dunn Story & Hauntings

• Interviews and testimonials from Bannack State Park rangers and visitors.

• “Haunted Montana” by Karen Stevens (book – ghost encounters, especially Dorothy Dunn).

• Ghost Adventures: Bannack episode and summary.

• Dillon Tribune historic newspaper (coverage of the 1916 drowning and locals’ reactions).

• Personal memoirs and stories collected by the Beaverhead County Museum Association.

Sheriff Plummer & Vigilantes

• Montana Historical Society: “The Life and Death of Henry Plummer.”

• “Vigilante Days and Ways” by Nathaniel P. Langford (primary source account).

• “Montana: A History of Two Centuries” by Malone, Roeder, and Lang.

• Reports and oral histories from Bannack interpretive material.

• Bannack State Park map and guidebook—location and function.

• “Haunted Places: The National Directory” by Dennis William Hauck (accounts of haunted general store).

• Testimonies from park staff, visitor blogs, and photo records.

Bannack Today: Preservation & Current Status

• Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks official announcements (Bannack’s status, restoration after 2013 flood).

• “Preserving Bannack Ghost Town,” Montana History Foundation press releases.

• Bannack Association nonprofit, stewardship and event programming.