Bannack: Foundation of Montana

The photographic work of Rick and Susie Graetz is what comes to mind for those familiar with their work. Certainly, their photos are beautiful; readers looking only for photography will give this book five of five stars. However, the series of Montana books by the Rick and Susie also provide much more text than do most photographic volumes. At sixty-four pages, roughly half devoted to photos and half to text, this is not a comprehensive book on Bannack. It is, nevertheless, a wonderful overview of Bannack's history and a record of how it and the surrounding area look today. It substantiates the historical account with many quotes from people who wrote of living in the earliest days of Bannack. Bannack is essentially the birthplace of Montana. Lewis and Clark touched the area in 1805, as did countless native people before that. The discovery of gold in 1864 began a succession of rushes to Montana gold fields. Bannack blossomed, became the capital of the territory, and then faded as the gold waned. Today, it is Montana's best preserved ghost town. It is a state park, visited by thousands annually. Indeed, it is easy to wander the streets of Bannack imagining the people and events that were at its "foundations." This book is a good introduction if you are thinking of visiting Bannack. It is also an outstanding souvenir if you have been to Bannack and wish to retain the memories. Few authors, perhaps none, have produced as many volumes on the underpinnings of Montana as have Rick and Susie Graetz. If you like this one, be sure to see some of the others.