GRANITE
    Silver was first discovered here in 1865.  In 1879, Charles McClure purchaed a claim here for $30,000.  It was already being mined and he was convinced (by what he saw in the mine tailings) that there was an even bigger strike waiting below.  In 1880, he convinced a group of investors from St. Louis to invest $130,000 in this claim, and the St. Louis and Montana Mining Company was born.  They established the Silver Queen mine.  Around this time, 3,000 people lived in Granite. 
     There was many months of nothing good to report from the mine.  The investors gave the order to shut down the operations.  The order was delayed two days by a blizzard.  Within those two days, one of the richest lodes of silver in Montana was discovered.  For the next ten years, the dividends for the investors were $1000,000 a month.  In all, $33,000,000 in silver came out of this mine and anopther $12,000,000 came from the nearby Bi-metalic Mine.  
     In 1892 as the mining was slowing down, saphire deposits were found.  This extended the life of the town for a while.  Many great buildings still stand here.  The bank is gone, but the vault still remains. 
Old Building at Granite  Courtesy of Dolores Steele
                   DIRECTIONS
     Take I-90 east out of Missoula to exit 153 (Highway 1).  Take this highway south for 26 miles to Phillipsburg. Or Take I-90 west out of Butte to exit 208 (Highway 1). Take this highway 36 miles to Phillipsburg.  Granite is on a gravel road a few miles east of Phillipsburg.  You may need to inquire at Phillipsburg about the best way to get there.
Old House at Granite  Courtesy of Dolores Steele
Granite Mine Superintendants House  Courtesy of Dolores Steele
Old Brick Building at Granite
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