Hassel, Montana Mine and Mill.
Situated near Indian Creek in Broadwater County, Montana, Hassel was first called Saint Louis when it got its start in 1869 after gold had been discovered in the nearby creek.
Like other mining camps of Montana, it would have a number of fitful starts and stops for several decades. As early as 1866, placer gold was discovered. Later, simple quartz mining with shallow tunnels and open pits were utilized to retrieve the precious gold. The camp was officially formed around 1875, and about 40 miners were working in the area. By 1880, placer mining was replaced with stamp mills and some hydra sluicing operations. Mines in operation included the Bunker Hill, Ajax Mine, Big Hill, Lone Star, the Diamond Hill, which was considered the Mother Lode in the area, and several other smaller operations.
When a post office was established in August 1895, the camp was renamed Hassel in honor of pioneer miner Joseph E. Hassel. At that time, the camp was home to about 200 people and boasted several businesses, a Masonic Lodge, several frame homes, and numerous log miners’ cabins. At various times, the camp was also known as Knoxville, Placerville, and Florence City.
For about two decades, the mines continuously produced gold, grossing about $5,000,000. The camp was most famous for its huge Diamond Hill 120-Stamp Mill, which operated at full capacity from 1898 to 1900.
By 1910, however, the ores were beginning to decline, and Hassel was all but abandoned. Mining reconvened briefly during the 1930s until World War II stopped it again.
Last-ditch efforts were made in 1946 when Indian Creek was dredged, a process that destroyed the mine tunnels and covered much of what remained of the mining camp with high waste tailings.
Today, the Apollo Mining Company has taken over the site, where mining is once again in full swing. Though much of the original site has been destroyed, some old buildings and mining remnants can still be seen.
© Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated May 2025.
Also See:
See Sources.