North of Boulder on Interstate 15 lies the small community of Basin, Montana. Basin boomed as a mining town at the turn of the twentieth century and, though not like its past glory, remains to this day. The town once boasted a smelter and a mill, but both closed in the 1920s. Today, Basin's historic buildings house, among other things, a bar, two restaurants and a few specialty shops. Since the 1960s, a few radon mines in the area have marketed themselves as health mines, citing the reputed health-giving benefits of radon exposure. The town has a lively, eclectic feel because of the numerous artists and musicians that have congregated in Basin, attracted by its rural atmosphere.
