the Christenot Mill
New Pictures, courtesy of Jack Thurber
History of the Mill
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Benjamin Franklin Christenot built the mill in 1866 near Virginia City in
southwestern Montana. The mill processed gold ore from Frank's nearby
mine, the Oro Cache. Furnished with the most modern machinery at great
expense, the mill had four huge Chilian rollers. They were manufactured in
Pennsylvania, shipped by paddlewheeler to Nebraska City, NE, and
hauled by ox train to Virginia City along the Bozeman Trail. The Chilian
rollers were an unwieldy load, and the wagons tipped over from time to
time. Thus three yoke of oxen were drowned while fording the Yellowstone
River. To reach that remote site, the wagons were hauled to an elevation
over 7,000 feet along a trail that is still hazardous. Frederick & Charles Christenot lived near the mine then and worked at the mill. Frederick, Frank's father, was 59 in 1866. Charles had served in the Civil War and was not in the best of health. Both men had recently married their second wives. The job there was short. In a matter of months, debts caused Frank to sell both the mine and the mill. The mine was rich and the mill efficient; but the Christenots did not profit by them. |
The Christenot Mill Today
Under a challenge cost share agreement between the Christenot Mill Preservation Association and the BLM, Christenot family members have donated labor and money to protect and restore the historic mill's structure.
In 1997, a family work party built a fence to keep the cattle out. The BLM cut down trees and brush from inside the walls. Family members started capping the stone walls. They also built and installed door and window headers and sashes. Preservative was applied to all of the wood window and door frames as well as machinery support timbers. In August 1999, family members, local historians & BLM employees continued the restoration. Crumbling walls were remortared. A window and a doorway were replaced.
Crew participants have been:
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certificate of registration from Governor Judy Martz, 16 Jan 2001.
From the Christenot Chronicle:"Thanks to the exhaustive research and diligent groundwork of Cousin Nick, and the cooperation and assistance of the BLM's Dillon resource area, Christenot Mill was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on Feb. 26, 1999."
More information? Montana Ghost Town Preservation Society Sons & Daughters of Montana Pioneers New book:
Dreams Across the Divide |
