The ghost town of Glendale near Melrose, Montana was originally built around a silver smelter that was started in 1875. Up to two thousand people called Glendale home during the mining boom of the 1880’s. It was the most non-violent, sober, civilized town in the area. Schools, stores, and even churches dotted the landscape of Glendale.

Three 50-ton blast furnaces roared as it produced 90 pound silver bars that were shipped to Omaha for final processing. The district produced 18-22 million dollars in silver and other metals. This little valley was active 24 hours a day as the smelters were never shut down.

In 1900, the mines surrounding Glendale were closed and the smelter buildings were torn down. Most of Glendale’s buildings are now gone; some moved, others consumed by fire. The town’s location can be spotted in the valley by the massive smelter chimney and the rock walls of the company offices. A few rock foundations around town indicate a prosperous time past.

Have you seen Glendale’s smelter chimney and stopped to investigate this abandoned spot? Did you check out the dates on some of those hauntingly beautiful gravestones? Tell us about your visit to this Montana ghost town in the comments!

David Eggebraaten travels all across Montana, taking beautiful aerial footage of the amazing spots he visits along the way. We recently featured his Fort Missoula Complex Flyover and his exploration of Elkhorn, MT. You can check out more of his work on his YouTube channel!

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