Mining
The township of Cooke City became base camp after 4 trappers found galena deposits above 7000ft in 1870. The New World Mining District was organized in a mixture of private land and National Forest land and was centrally developed about 2 miles from Northeast Gate to Yellowstone in the Beartooth Mountains. As a result of mining, hard rock mining waste and acidic discharged impacted the surrounding areas. According to the USDA Forest Service, 'Human health and environmental issues are related to elevated levels of heavy metals present in mine waste piles, open pits, acidic water discharging from mine openings, and stream sediments. On August 12, 1996, the United States signed a Settlement Agreement (Agreement) with Crown Butte Mining, Inc. (CBMI) to purchase CBMI’s interest in their District holdings. This transfer of property to the U.S. government effectively ended CBMI’s proposed mine development plans and provided $22.5 million to cleanup historic mining impacts to certain properties in the district. In June 1998, a Consent Decree (Decree) was signed by all interested parties and CBMI, and approved by the United States District Court, that finalized the terms of the Agreement and made available the funds that will be used for mine cleanup. As specified in the Decree, monies available for cleanup will be first spent on the "District Properties" which include all property or interests in property that CBMI relinquished to the United States. After the District Properties are cleaned up to the satisfaction of the United States, any remaining funds will be used to address other mining disturbances in the District.'
Silver Gate
"The history of Silver Gate is wholly unique from its Cooke City counterpart which had been built upon the mining industry. Silver Gate in contrast developed with a vision to create a tourist’s paradise embedded in the splendors of nature. Beginning in about 1930 the Silver Gate Company owned the land platted for a small township between the Northeast Gate and Cooke City. Parcels of the land were eventually sold to early entrepreneurs who built rustic cabins in hopes that people would come. By the end of the decade the vision had become a success as a number of lodges, gas stations and restaurants catered to every visitors needs. In 1939 the annual Montana Post Master’s Convention was held in Silver Gate with the Post Master General of the United States, Mr. James Farley in attendance. It was a huge hit and the little town was officially put on the map. Today little has changed in Silver Gate, known to many as the log village." Excerpt from https://www.cookecitymontanamuseum.org/silver-gate
