DescriptionThe origin of the name Little Rocky Mountains is not known, but this range in north-central Montana is on the Northern Plains, isolated from the main stem of the Rocky Mountains. Euro-American habitation of these mountains followed the discovery of gold by Frank Aldridge in 1885 and subsequent construction of a mill in Alder Gulch by Pete Zortman. During this period, Powell “Pike” Landusky discovered gold in Montana Gulch near Landusky. In 1904, Ben Phillips and Charles Whitcomb organized the Ruby Gulch Mining Company, which operated the mines until about 1951. In the 1970s, Pegasus Gold Corporation began a large cyanide heap-leach mine near the Zortman mines, which leaked thousands of gallons of cyanide solution into adjacent creeks in the 1980s. Pegasus declared bankruptcy in 1998, leaving the State of Montana to clean up the toxic waste. The northern part of the mountain range is on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. The tribe has played an active role in trying to enforce cleanup of the mines.Personal NamesAldridge, FrankZortman, PeteLandusky, Powell "Pike"Philips, BenWhitcomb, CharlesContributing InstitutionMontana Historical Society Library and ArchivesGeolocation[1]
