Bannack State Park – Hendricks/Apex Mill Reroof

Bannack State Park is home to the best-preserved ghost town in Montana and one of the best-preserved ghost towns in the United States. Bannack’s historic significance dates back the first major discovery of gold in the state on July 28, 1862. This discovery set off a gold rush, which caused the town’s population to swell then slowly decline. Bannack became a state park in 1954.

The Hendricks/Apex Mill, originally constructed in 1918, was a part of the gold rush that built Bannack’s economy. At this mill, miners extracted gold from ore using cyanide solutions, which was a common practice during the 19th century gold rush. As one of only two intact mills open to the public in Montana, the Hendricks/Apex mill is a very important relic of the state’s industrial past. MHF assisted in the preservation of this building by providing grant money to Bannack State Park for the reconstruction of the mill’s roof.