By the time the railroad was repaired in 1930, metal prices had declined to such an extent, that the mine was not profitable to operate. By 1932, the vast majority of the townspeople were gone and the post office was discontinued. At its peak, Coolidge boasted a population of about 350 people.

Despite the mine and mill’s limited development, some 50,000 tons of ore, including gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc, had been processed by 1927. Over the next several years, the mine changed hands numerous times and operations were intermittently continued but was never very  successful. Along with other mining investors, William Allen who had lost his fortune in the Elkhorn Mine, continued to believe in the mine’s potential, looking for investors until 1953.

In 1981, the Elkhorn mines were bought by Timberline Minerals, Inc. who, once again, completed some exploratory prospecting work, but this lasted only a couple of years.

Today, the site is located within the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest and though dozens of buildings continue to stand, they are quickly being reclaimed by Mother Nature. The lower mill was torn down years ago, but the upper mill, which sits high on road across the creek can be glimpsed through the trees, but blocked by a gate and is inaccessible.

Coolidge is located south of Butte, Montana. From I-15, travel west on SR-43, then south onto NF-73 (Wise River Polaris Road), then east down a dirt road. It then requires about a ½ mile hike to the old townsite.

Contact Information:

Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest

Wise River Ranger District

PO Box 100

Wise River, Montana 59762

406-832-3178