Virginia City, Montana

Virginia City became the capital of Montana Territory in 1865 after the gold strike at nearby Alder Gulch. The boomtown almost died out, until Montana rancher and state legislator Charlie Bovey and his wife Sue formed a preservation program in 1944. Their efforts helped the town gain National Historic Landmark status in 1961. By 1978, the Boveys owned one-third of Virginia City. After they died, the state finally purchased the Bovey structures in 1997. The Montana Heritage Commission maintains t