Come walk the deserted streets of Bannack, and discover for yourself the way the West really was. Bannack is one of the best preserved of all of Montana's ghost towns. It was Montana's first major gold discovery July 28, 1862 and became Montana's first territorial capital in 1864. This strike set off a massive gold rush that swelled Bannack's population to over 3000 by 1863. When the gold ran out the town died. There are over 50 historic structures that line Main Street.