Monday, June 26, 2017

Granite County Seminar, Stamp Mill Demonstration and tours

      Wonderful  audience at the stamp mill demonstration by Dave Harris and Jim Waldbillig.

There was at least 119 people attending the 130 pm demonstration and about 50 early risers came to the 9 am demonstration. Both demonstrations were on June 24th before the Tours.

After the stamp mill viewing, Jim Waldbillig led a walking tour of at least 21 people through downtown Philipsburg with handouts of the 1894 Sandborn Insurance maps detailing the businesses and buildings present at that time. Positive feedback has been received from tour attendees!

Ted Antonioli led a group by motor vehicles to the Ghost Town of Granite where at least 17 individuals and a group of 24 with  Katie McDonald were provided with a walking tour. This group also received Sandborn Insurance map handouts of the town of Granite in 1889. A history of Granite was provided by Ted Antonioli. A lesson in local geology was provided by Katie McDonald and Ted Antonioli detailed the mines. Steve Neal provided a picture story of the early structures and persons who resided in Granite during its heyday.  Feedback said the tour was enjoyed by everyone.

On June 23 an interested audience of 41 people heard Robert Carriker speak on "Father Peter DeSmet, well known in the 19th Century and little known in the 21st Century." 
Next Ted Antonioli spoke about Father DeSmet's "Eldorado" at Henderson Gulch.
Then Bill Taylor detailed the "Railroads to Silver and Gold." 

As always the audience was comfortable in the Granite County Museum conference room.

At the Philipsburg 150th Birthday Party on June 22,2017  the huge audience spilled over from the Old Fire Hall onto Sansome Street. Many speakers welcomed the crowd prior to Ted Antonioli detailing the discovery of silver by Hector Horton and the reason the town was named Philipsburg not Deidiesheimerburgh.