Havre Montana - The Underground City Tour

HAVRE, MONTANA 

A Great Northern Railroad town along the route from Seattle to Minneapolis.

Founded in 1893 it had become a "Railroad Boom Town" and had it's share of 

corruption, crime and mayhem.

There was so much racism that the Chinese workers were not allowed on the streets and needed a safe place to go to work so they went to the underground tunnels and rooms.

When a fire destroyed most of the town in 1904, the business moved underground for about 2 yrs until the city could be rebuilt.

After the city was rebuilt several of the businesses stayed underground

( brothels and opium dens )

until a flood in the 1930's wiped it out.

A picture perfect life!

Sausage Factory

Sewing machine for heavy leather in the tack shop.

And then there's the dental office-

And the bordello 

(perhaps the Madam's quarters)

The rather large room had separate numbered areas with oil cloth dividers for 'rooms' (The ladies were numbered, names were not used )

Perhaps this was the fancy parlor in the bordello.

The guide said that the crystal chandler was donated by a Lutheran Church

( they didn't say where it should be displayed.)

The sidewalks on the street level installed glass bricks for light to the underground.

This wall in the tunnel had glass for some sunlight.

Several cities have underground tours.  Google says that this is the #2 rated one.

Todays tour was interesting even though not directly related to the Lewis and Clark expedition but they were here and camped nearby on the river.