Rimini, Montana
| Rimini, Montana | |
|---|---|
| Ghost town | |
| Coordinates: 46°29′17″N 112°14′48″W / 46.48806°N 112.24667°WCoordinates: 46°29′17″N 112°14′48″W / 46.48806°N 112.24667°W | |
| State | Montana |
| County | Lewis and Clark County |
| Founded | 1864 |
| Elevation | 5,285 ft (1,611 m) |
| Population (1890) | |
| • Total | 300 |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| Area code(s) | 406 |
Rimini, ['rɪm ə naj] Montana is a ghost town which is one of the oldest mining districts in the state. It was established when silver lodes were discovered in 1864. Other names for the town were Lewis and Clark, Tenmile, Vaughn, Colorado, and Bear Gulch. It was the site of Camp Rimini, which trained dogs for use in World War II.
The town was named for the character Francesca da Rimini, or for the Italian city of Rimini.
At its peak in 1890, Rimini's population was about 300 people. The town had "several hotels and stores; a school; saloons, gambling houses and pool halls; livery stable; physician’s office; church; several boarding houses; and a sawmill."
As of 2012, there are only "a few full time residents," with part-time residents arriving during the summer.
Camp Rimini, Montana trained sled and pack dogs for use as war dogs in World War II. Between 1942-1944, 263 sled dogs and 268 pack dogs were trained. The facility was run by the Quartermaster Corps, which was responsible for running the Army's K-9 Corps.
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality describes the Rimini Mining District as follows:
The Rimini district is about 13 miles east of Helena on the east side of the Continental Divide at the terminal point of a branch of the Northern Pacific Railroad. It is on Tenmile Creek with Red Mountain on the east and Lee Mountain on the west. It is probably the oldest lead-zinc camp in Montana ...
The Lee Mountain Lode was discovered in 1864 and the Eureka Mine in 1865. However, little mining occurred until 1885 when the Northern Pacific spurline was constructed to the district. During the 1880s a number of mines were developed with the most productive ones being the East Pacific, Lady Washington, John McGraw, Eureka and Porphery Dike. Some of these mines were opened to depths of up to 500 or 600 ft. One of the deepest, the Lee Mountain, has produced more than $1.5 million and the Valley Forge, which is 325 ft deep, has produced more than $200,000. The district shipped 400 tons of ore per week in 1891 with most of the ore being sent to the smelter at Wickes.
...
Wikipedia