Bannack
State: Montana
County: Beaverhead County
Founded: 1862
Peak Population: 3,000-5,000
Bannack was Montana's first territorial capital (1864-65) and site of the territory's first major gold strike (1862). Sheriff Henry Plummer was secretly leading an outlaw gang—the Vigilance Committee hanged him without trial in 1864. 60+ buildings remain in this National Historic Landmark.
Quick Facts
- Sheriff Plummer was secretly leading the outlaw gang he was supposed to stop
- Vigilantes executed 22 men in about six weeks
- Montana's first territorial capital (1864-65)
- Some historians now question Plummer's guilt
Location
Address: Bannack State Park, Beaverhead County, Montana
Coordinates: 45.1622, -113.0067