Philipsburg in Granite County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Philipsburg

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 23, 2011

1. Philipsburg Marker

Inscription. Philipsburg's early-day fortunes ebbed and flowed with mining. Today, its historic district is one of Montana's best preserved late-19th-century mining towns, with commercial, public and private buildings dating from the boom period of silver mining. Silver was discovered south of here in 1864, and only three years later Philipsburg (at elevation 5,270 feet) was growing at the “rate of one house per day,” an area newspaper reported. That same year, the St.Louis and Montana Mining Company sent Philip Deideshimer (for whom the town was named) to Philipsburg to help develop and manage its mines and stamp mills. Only two years later, the nearby Hope Mill shut down and Philipsburg was largely deserted. A revival of mining activities from the mid-1880s to mid-1890s led to Philipsburg's greatest growth, when tens of millions of dollars worth of silver bullion, ore and slag were shipped to out-of-state markets. The wooden, false-front buildings on Broadway were replaced with masonry structures. When silver mining was curtailed in 1893, recently discovered sapphire deposits helped stabilize the local economy. That year

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also saw the creation of Granite County, with Philipsburg as county seat. During World War I, Philipsburg was the largest supplier of domestic manganese, which led to another boom for the area. After that boom, Philipsburg has slipped into a stable existence based on agriculture, government, logging, limited mining and tourism.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Montana National Register Sign Program series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1864.

Location. 46° 19.913′ N, 113° 17.662′ W. Marker is in Philipsburg, Montana, in Granite County. It is on South Sansome Street near East Broadway Street, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 102 South Sansome Street, Philipsburg MT 59858, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically outhwest Montana, in Gold West Country, in Mining Country. It is also in the American Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 23, 2011

2. Philipsburg Marker

Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: McDonald Opera House (here, next to this marker); Philipsburg Historic District (a few steps from this marker); Jones' Run For Life (a few steps from this marker); Courtney Hotel (within shouting distance of this marker); Sayrs' Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Masonic Temple (within shouting distance of this marker); Doe's Drug Store (within shouting distance of this marker); 123 East Broadway (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Philipsburg.

Also see . . . Philipsburg, Montana. (Submitted on July 29, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)

Philipsburg, Montana image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 23, 2011

3. Philipsburg, Montana

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on July 29, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 752 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 29, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 3. submitted on July 30, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.