One of the original counties formed with Montana Territory in 1864, Madison County has the oldest surviving Court House still in use in the state. The County Seat, Virginia City, also served as Montana's territorial capitol from 1865 until 1875 at which time the capitol was moved to Helena in Lewis and Clark County (5). While an important part of Montana history, Madison County and Virginia City are today best known as recreational sites for history buffs, hunters and anglers. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,691 people call Madison County home, but only 190 live in Virginia City, the second smallest county seat in the state. Now when we add in the tombstone census, it's a different story. At 5,761 feet in elevation, Virginia City is Montana's highest county seat, higher even than the city that sits a mile high and a mile deep--Butte in nearby Silver Bow County (1).
Madison County's current boundaries enclose 3,603 square miles. Depending on how you look at things, the county was either named for Secretary of State (later President) James Madison, or for the Madison River which was definitely named for the politician. When Lewis and Clark reached the headwaters of the Missouri River, they found three rivers joining to form that mighty stream They named the rivers for the President who sent them on their journey, Thomas Jefferson, his Secretary of State, James Madison, and the man who financed their expedition, the Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. Montana attached those names to three contiguous counties. Ironically, in today's world, the county named for the banker is the largest (Gallatin, #6), and the one named for the President (Jefferson, #51) would be the smallest did it not serve as a bedroom community with lower taxes for the state's capitol, Helena.
The Madison County Court House, A.D. 1875
Virginia City, Montana
Once the capitol moved to Helena, Virginia City's star faded. The town lost most of its population (some 10,000 miners and tradespeople in the mid 1860s), and the mines dried up. It was not until the 1950s that the city began a come back of a sort. Thanks largely to the efforts of Charles and Sue Bovey who had begun buying up the town during the 1940s, the ghost town was resuscitated and today serves as an open-air museum where over half the town's 300 buildings were constructed before 1900. During the summer tourists watch staged gun fights on Main Street, can attend 19th Century live theatre at the Opera House, and spend a fun evening of comedy and song, often in the form of political satire, at the Brewery Follies.Just down the road from Virginia City, another gold rush ghost town, Nevada City, has also been restored. Nevada City actually predates its more famous sister, having been settled in 1863 and incorporated as a town shortly thereafter. Today, again thanks to the Bovey family, the town boasts several operating enterprises, including the Star Bakery, the Nevada City Hotel, and Alder Gulch Accommodations. A museum in town, the Nevada City Music Hall, holds the largest collection of automated music machines in North America. During tourist season, a steam train carries visitors between Nevada City and its more famous neighbor one and a half miles away.
Nevada City in the Winter
For outdoor recreationists, Madison County is known for its trout streams. I grew up camping along the Madison River south of Ennis where my father loved to fish. On August 17, 1959, just before midnight, an earthquake brought down the mountain on the south side of the Madison River, burying campers alive. The shock of the earthquake was felt hundreds of miles away, and property damage occured over a similar swath of land. Friends in Laurel, Montana, saw their driveway crack from the quake, even though they were 220 road miles away (much closer as the crow flies). I cannot visit the site, even today, without a chill going down my back. Had we not just moved to California in June, we might well have been camped there ourselves.
Today numerous Madison County businesses cater to those wishing to hunt and fish the area. If you're in the area over Labor Day weekend, you should take in the Ennis on the Madison Fly Fishing Festival. In addition to the Madison River itself, Madison County is home to the Ruby River, parts of the Jefferson River, the Big Hole River, the Beaverhead River, and Ennis Lake. I've camped beside a hot spring fed pool just west of the Ruby Reservoir, where gold fish color the water, so many are living in the pool. While the main entrance and lodging facilities for Big Sky Ski Resort are in neighboring Gallatin County (6), much of the ski area itself is on the Madison County side of the line. And after a day on the river or ski slopes, why not stop for a soak at Norris Hot Springs, also known as the Water of the Gods.
The place where the mountain fell
1959 Hebgen Lake Earthquake
Other communities in Madison County include Sheridan, Twin Bridges, Alder, Laurin, and Pony. Sheridan is marketing itself as a tourist destination with free Wi-Fi available throughout the town. It is the home of the oldest Methodist Church in Montana. Twin Bridges is the home of Montana's State Orphanage (now closed) and is a well-known fly fishing destination in its own right. Alder sits just below the Ruby Reservoir, and Laurin is home to one of the most astonishing sights along any rural road. The St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church rises south of the highway, looking like something that has been dropped in this rural western landscape out of medieval France.
Madison County is a bit out of the way as it lies east of Interstate 15 and south of Interstate 90. The various communities are all served by two lane mountain roads, including US 287 which connects Madison County with West Yellowstone and Yellowstone National Park, Montana 41 which connects Twin Bridges with Dillon and Interstate 15 in neighboring Beaverhead County (18), and Montana 287 which connects Twin Bridges with Ennis, passing through Sheridan, Laurin, Alder, Nevada City and Virginia City along the way. All of these communities are well worth your time as each has something unique to offer the tourist.
The Montana State Orphanage (no longer in use)
Twin Bridges, Montana
Madison County has a website at: http://madison.mt.gov/aboutus/
As a state historical park, Virginia City's website can be found at: http://www.virginiacitymt.com/
The Ruby Valley Chamber of Commerce has a site that covers much of the activities in the county: http://rubyvalleychamber.com/
Photo Information:
Madison County Sign: Taken 2/14/2010 on the Madison/Beaverhead County Line, Montana Highway 41. ISO 125, f /19.0, 1/90 second. Nikkor 16-85 mm lens set at 62 mm.
Madison County Court House: Taken 2/14/2010 in Virginia City, Montana. ISO 125, f /19.0, 1/45 second. Nikkor 16-85 mm lens set at 16 mm.
Nevada City in the Winter: Taken 2/14/2010 in Nevada City, Montana. ISO 125, f /19.0, 1/60 second. Nikkor 16-85 mm lens set at 45 mm.
Hebgen Lake Earthquake Site: Taken 6/30/2010 along US Highway 287, Madison County, Montana. ISO 100, f /4.8, 1/125second. Nikkor 16-85 mm lens set at 16 mm.
Montana State Orphanage: Taken 2/14/2010 in Twin Bridges, Montana. ISO 125, f /19.0, 1/20 second. Nikkor 16-85 mm lens set at 85 mm
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