A mysterious quality of Montana resides near Boulder and Basin, in the internationally known Health Mines, recently featured in National Geographic magazine. While owners of the health mines do not guarantee any cures, some visitors claim that their health has greatly improved from breathing the gas within the mines.
The history of the mines as possible cures for various ailments began by accident in 1950. A California woman suffering with arthritis accompanied her husband, a miner, into the Free Enterprise uranium mine in Boulder. Following her visit to the mine, she claimed to find freedom from the continuos pain she had suffered. She told her experience to another California woman who then visited the mine and also reported relief from arthritis pain. More visitors came as the word spread among chronic pain sufferers. Then "Life" magazine eventually caught wind of the stories and sent a reporter, and photographer team to record the "Stampede of Pilgrims" to the Boulder and Basin area. In a year's time, nearly a thousand visitors came to visit the mine in hopes of relief from pain. More than a dozen national publications and TV networks have carried stories about the mines since the first coverage by "Life" magazine. Thousands of people now come to the Boulder and Basin area each year, from all over the United States and Canada, to visit the health mines. Many people have found that the health mines relieve their pain where heavy medications do not. Others have found that they greatly reduce dosage or stop taking medications all together. Some people have been coming to the mines for as many as 25 years to gain relief from arthritis, emphysema, bursitis, cataracts, and many other ailments.
There are five health mines in the area of Boulder and Basin. Basin is seven miles from Boulder, south on 1-15. These five mines include the Free Enterprise in Boulder, the Merry Widow and Earth Angel in Basin, and Sunshine and High Ore between Boulder and Basin. All five mines have regular visitors who have been returning for years and have claims of miraculous relief from many ailments.
South of Boulder on Hwy-69 is the Boulder Hot Springs, with its natural hot water pools. It carries an atmosphere of a time during prohibition and the roaring 20's. It was once a hot spot for the politicians and well to do citizens around the Helena area.
