Virginia City in Madison County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Frisch/Ferguson Cabin
This Property Contributes to the Virginia City Historic District
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 5, 2022
1. Frisch/Ferguson Cabin Marker
Inscription.
Frisch/Ferguson Cabin. This Property Contributes to the Virginia City Historic District. The Frisch/Ferguson cabin escaped collapse twice and survives as an excellent example of a one-room log dwelling meant to provide short term, basic shelter for prospectors. The cabin’s early history is unknown, but by 1874, miner Fred Frisch and his wife Amelia were residents. Fred died in April 1878, leaving Amelia to care for two young children. In December of that year, Amelia married Fred’s mining partner, Abram Thurgood. They left town to settle in the Ruby Valley where Abram worked various mining claims. For nearly eighty years the Frisch/Thurgood family maintained the cabin as a rental property. Abram Thurgood became a successful miner and saloon owner and was elected Madison County Assessor in 1898. By 1901, he and Amelia lived nearby on the southwest corner of Jackson and Cover streets. Widowed prospector Sim Ferguson was the last renter in the 1940s. Preservationist Charles Bovey rebuilt the cabin in the 1950s, but with no tenant in residence it fell into disrepair by the 1980s. The Montana Heritage Commission rescued the cabin once again in 2005, preserving it as a permanent exhibit.
The Frisch/Ferguson cabin escaped collapse twice and survives as an excellent example of a one-room log dwelling meant to provide short term, basic shelter for prospectors. The cabin’s early history is unknown, but by 1874, miner Fred Frisch and his wife Amelia were residents. Fred died in April 1878, leaving Amelia to care for two young children. In December of that year, Amelia married Fred’s mining partner, Abram Thurgood. They left town to settle in the Ruby Valley where Abram worked various mining claims. For nearly eighty years the Frisch/Thurgood family maintained the cabin as a rental property. Abram Thurgood became a successful miner and saloon owner and was elected Madison County Assessor in 1898. By 1901, he and Amelia lived nearby on the southwest corner of Jackson and Cover streets. Widowed prospector Sim Ferguson was the last renter in the 1940s. Preservationist Charles Bovey rebuilt the cabin in the 1950s, but with no tenant in residence it fell into disrepair by the 1980s. The Montana Heritage Commission rescued the cabin once again in 2005, preserving it as a permanent exhibit.
Location. 45° 17.621′ N, 111° 56.966′ W. Marker is in Virginia City, Montana, in Madison County. Marker is on West Cover Street near Wallace Street, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 403 West Cover Street, Virginia City MT 59755, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 18, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 18, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 55 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on September 18, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
