A Guide to Historic Hamilton

Book excerpt: Founded in 1890 against the backdrop of the lush Bitterroot Valley, the town of Hamilton's history revolves around timber, the railroad, and agriculture. Hamilton owes its early history to copper baron Marcus Daly, whose Anaconda Company sawmill and private Bitter Root Stock Farm dominated the community through the late nineteenth century. The drama of the twentieth-century apple boom and the saga of the battle to cure Rocky Mountain tick fever enrich the town's more recent past. Drawing the reader into the historical mosaic that is Hamilton, Montana, with architectural and historical information on town and valley history, buildings and historic sites, this guide is a treat for all those who would explore "the jewel of the Bitterroot."