Distinctly Montana Magazine

DISTINCTLY MONTANA MAGAZINE • WINTER 2022-23 66 V irginia City has always been one lucky town. The discovery of gold in nearby Alder Gulch during the spring of 1863 was quite lucky, as the first gold field struck turned out to be the largest in the area. The town would have favorable luck once more even after the gold started to dry up, when Charles and Sue Bovey set their philanthropic sights upon the town. Locals had enough money to stay and keep the businesses operating, but not enough to main- tain the aging structures. Starting in the 1940s, the couple began buying parts of the town and slowly repairing the buildings, and it began operating seasonally for tourism in the following decade. The tourist boom has yet to wane like the gold in the gulch did, and it is doubtful that it ever will. The ability to step into the past intrigues people from far and wide to come see a living piece of Old West history. Virginia City is branded as a living ghost town, which is per- haps the most accurate description. Yes, there are reports of hauntings and ghosts throughout the area, but a person is far more likely to encounter a friendly local, very much alive, on the streets during any season. A hearty population of Virginia City citizens live in town and the surrounding area year-round, and there is no shortage of community engagements and sports to bring everyone together even in the coldest of winters. I was lucky to speak to three key members of the community to ex- plore what the area has to offer during what most would think is Virginia City's off season. THOMPSON-HICKMAN MEMORIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM The Thompson-Hickman Memorial Library and Museum was built in 1918, funded by philanthropist William Boyce Thomp- son. Born in a little white house in Virginia City and raised in Butte, he would join his father in business on the Richest Hill on Earth and go on to claim an empire of his own. After building mining and lumber ventures across the West and securing his fortune, he decided to fund libraries in the towns he employed and never forgot about Virginia City. It was the birthplace of his wife, Gertrude Hickman Thompson, as well, so they honored their parents and bequeathed the library with both of their sur- names. The couple gifted the library to the town in 1918, with the only stipulation being that part of the building be utilized as the museum. The library has since flourished and indisputably earned its place as a pillar of the community, with a truly seam- less addition being built in 2015 to accommodate the growing collection of information. I went to speak to Assistant Librarian Christina Koch on a beautiful fall day, when the library was festooned with Hallow- een decorations and the foliage of the town was immaculate. My attention was immediately grabbed by flyers for the VigilanTeens VIRGINIA CITY IN THE OFF-SEASON by RENEE CARLSON Not- So-Quiet

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