Red Lodge in southern Montana was established in 1884 and developed as a coal mining town, according to AllRedLodge.com. It grew quickly, but fell on hard times during the Great Depression years and after a big mine disaster in 1943.
In 1887, the Rocky Fork Coal Co. opened the East Side Mine, which employed more than 400 miners of European heritage, according to WesternMiningHistory.com. Coal production in the area increased and the population of Red Lodge grew to 5,000 by 1911.
When the demand for coal declined during the Great Depression, bootleg liquor was made and sold in the town. In 1931, Herbert Hoover authorized the construction of the Beartooth Highway to draw visitors to the Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, according to WesternMiningHistory.com.
The last coal mines in the region were closed after 74 miners were killed in an explosion at the Smith Mine in 1943. Red Lodge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and some of its old buildings have been preserved. Red Lodge has been converted from a mining town to a modern tourist center.
