DescriptionJean Batiste Laurin (pronounced “Lah-ray”) settled on the Ruby River in 1863 and operated a general store at a location he named Cicero. The post office that opened here in 1874 was named Laurin for this early settler. One resident described Mr. Laurin as looking like “a little 8 gallon keg of beer.” The town served as a supply center for the Alder Gulch mines and surrounding agricultural areas, but after the 1930s it experienced a steady decline. Laurin’s Saint Mary of the Assumption Church is listed in the National Register. The infamous Hangman’s Tree, where on January 4, 1864, members of the Vigilance Committee hanged Erastus “Red” Yager and G. W. Brown—members of Sheriff Henry Plummer’s outlaw gang, the Innocents—stands half a mile from town. Personal NamesLaurin, Jean BaptisteYager, Erastus "Red"Brown, G. W. Other Name(s)CiceroContributing InstitutionMontana Historical Society Library and ArchivesGeolocation[1] Elevation5065 ft. CountyMadison County
