Alder Gulch Gold Rush

Gold discoveries at Alder Gulch in 1863 brought a sudden influx of miners, merchants, gamblers and adventurers into what soon became Montana Territory. Virginia City and nearby camps expanded quickly, with wealth and population arriving faster than stable institutions.

The mining boom was accompanied by robbery, disputed authority and the famous Montana vigilante movement. Stories about Sheriff Henry Plummer and alleged road agents became part of the enduring mythology of the region.