Anaconda, MT to Phillipsburg, MT to home
The weather continues to be a bit problematic – no snow, but heavy thunderstorms and COLD nights! Memorial Day we left Anaconda and went through the mountains to another valley, the Flint Creek Valley, where high on the hillsides is the little town of Phillipsburg. Surrounded by silver and gemstone mines, Phillipsburg flourished in the late 1890’s before the mines ran out. Today about 900 people line in the town, which is the only town in Granite County and therefore has the courthouse, school, etc. Downtown Phillipsburg stretches for about six blocks down the side of the mountain and is a bustling little place. I wandered into the beginnings of their Memorial Day parade so things were especially humming along Main Street. Tourism is a major source of income and downtown is dressed up “to the nines”. Here’s a samples of the buildings that line Main Street.
The Phillipsburg Elementary School was built in 1896 and is the oldest continuously operating elementary school in the state of Montana. The same year the county jail was built high on a hill overlooking town. The living quarters for the sheriff are attached to the right.
But, of course, the best part of the day was the little parade. It consisted of the school band and a couple of veterans leading them, yet it seemed like the whole town was out in the streets. Hope you all had a good Memorial Day as well.
After leaving Phillipsburg I’m heading on I-90 to Spokane, take a brief detour north to Chewelah to visit my brother and his wife, and then return to Fairview. The weather has not been cooperating so I’m going to cut the trip a bit short and return to this area when it’s warmer!
Hope you have enjoyed this trip!
This completes updating past trips on the blog. If everything works out, I should be hitting the road again in March 2015.
Next destination; Texas!
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