Bannack, Montana

The Bannack State Park is 25 miles from Dillon in Beaverhead County of the U.S. state of Montana. The 1951 designated State Park consists of the ghost town of Bannack and the surrounding areas with a portion of Beaverhead Creek. The state park covers an area of ​​619 hectares at an altitude of 1779 m.

History

Bannack was founded in 1862 and named after the Native American tribe originally native Bannock. The gold mining town in 1864 appointed the first capital of the historic Montana Territory. In 1865 the capital was moved to Virginia City, where since the California gold discoveries of 1863 also increasingly attracted residents of Bannack. Between the late 1860s and the 1930s Bannack continued to exist as a mining site, albeit with a declining population. Up to the 1950s, the gold mining income had decreased further and leave most of the residents of the city. In this phase of Bannack State Park with 40-60 historic structures and buildings was established. In 1961, the area was also registered as a National Historic Landmark.

Fauna

In the park grounds and buildings the different animals have settled. During the Columbia Spotted Frog wet terrain and sparse trees preferred the Western rattlesnake is found in dry areas.

The air space is populated by over 30 species of birds. Songbirds such as Mountain Bluebird, Rock Wren, cats choke, Gambelmeise and Black-capped Chickadee, Purpurstärling and the Red-winged Blackbird are also to listen as the gold woodpecker and downy woodpecker or scream birds such as the Western Forest tyrant. Canada herons, Grus canadensis, Great Horned Owl and Red-tailed Hawk impress with wing spans well over a meter while the hummingbird Rufous hummingbird may have only eleven inches. Sängervireo, Violet Swallow and Belted Kingfisher complement the range of species

Among the nocturnal mammals include lucifugus the long swan Zwiesel and several bat species such as the Great Brown Bat, the Townsend - Long-eared Myotis and ciliolabrum and Myotis.

In State Park, there are a whole range of small mammals and rodents like the Dark Rotzahnspitzmaus and American mask shrew, Thomomys idahoensis, Deer Mouse, Gull - Wiesenwühlmaus and long-tailed vole. Salbeiwühlmaus, Western Hüpfmaus, hiking shrew, or the packrat. At larger rodents mountain cottontail rabbits, dwarf rabbits, donkeys hare, prairie hare live in the area.

Of the occurring Squirrel the Wyoming ground squirrel are among the Erdhöhlenbewohnern while Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, Yellow spruce Chipmunk, Little Chipmunk like trees are to go. The Canadian Beaver preferred the watercourse of the Beaverhead Creek. Moose and white-tailed deer are the largest animals in the park. From this food base to omnivores such as Streifenskunks, coyote and wolverine can feed.