Neihart

Rich veins of silver were mined in the Historic Neihart Mining District for a fifty-year period beginning in July 1881. Remnants of the first claim, the Queen of the Hills mine, are located just a few hundred yards north of where you are standing. During the peak of silver mining here (late 1800s and early 1900s), the Silver Dyke Mine was one of the world’s largest producers of silver ore.

J. L. Neihart helped discover the district and soon founded the town bearing his name. In 1891, the Belt Mountain branch of the Great Northern Railroad was constructed, connecting Neihart to the Anaconda Company smelter at Great Falls. The line remained in operation until 1945.

Neihart had a fire department, electric company, water company, school, several churches, a mining union, three hotels, fraternal lodges, the Belt Mountain Hospital and two newspapers. At one time, Neihart had fourteen saloons in one block, all of them located on the same side of the street. Respectable stores were located on the opposite side, and ladies never crossed over.

Company, Neihart, Circa 1900.

• Neihart celebrated Miners Day Parade July 13, 1892. Miners received wages of $3.50 per day for a total annual payroll of $250,000.

• Office of the Silver Horn Mining Company, Neihart, Circa 1892.

The ore-extraction process also carries the legacy of pollution. In particular, tailings are leftovers from crushing and chemically treating ore to extract valuable metals such as silver. This fine-grained material, which has been found in isolated places in and near Neihart, contains a variety of metals that can be harmful to people and wildlife if exposure levels are high. Of more immediate concern is that the historic mine sites contain other hazards, such as open shafts, unstable adits, and derelict structures.

In September 2001, Neihart and the adjacent watersheds of Carpenter and Snow creeks were added to the federal Superfund priority list for cleanup funds.

Casade County and the town of Neihart, with assistance from the Montana department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, have minimized the pollution risks. However physical hazards still exist. Please respect these hazards and view the historic features of Neihart from a safe distance.

In a tribute to Montana’s mining origins, the state seal bears the motto, “oro y plata” - gold and silver. The arrival of the railroads to Montana in the late 19th century made possible the rise of industrial mining. The industrial revolution in the United States and Europe created a demand for Montana’s mineral resources.

As a major producer of silver and lead, the small mining community of Neihart helped fuel economic development and growth in Montana and the nation. During the 1940’s, large quantities of lead and zinc were produced from Neihart's mines in support of the war effort.