Miners Union Hall, Main Street, Granite, Granite County, MT

Significance: The Granite Townsite was laid out in the summer of 1884. Known as the Silver Queen City she reached her heyday in 1889 when the production of the mines ran as high as $250,000 to $275,000 a month. Located 2,000 feet above the valley floor the town was well named for the entire Granite Mountain even lacked a fertile topsoil. Neither water wells nor graves were dug here. Burials took place in the valley four miles below the town. Water was hauled up the mountain in wooden barrels. The social center of Granite was the Miners Union Hall completed in 1890. The three story brick and stone building with its decorative front facade of wood, metal and brick housed the club and game rooms on the first floor, an auditorium and offices on the second floor and the lodge room on the third floor. Here socials, concerts, operas, theatricals and dances were held. The auditorium had an all maple "spring floor" suitable for dancing. The Silver Panic of 1893 was felt in Granite on August 1, 1893. Some 3,000 inhabitants left Granite in a 24 hour period. Now a ghost town, Granite experienced being reborn several times. Money invested in Granite came from St. Louis and that city is indebted to Granite Mountain and bi-metallic silver. The proceeds of these mines laid the foundation for St. Louis' first major real estate boom.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-15
Survey number: HABS MT-15
Building/structure dates: 1890 Initial Construction