Steptoe City
Steptoe City was one of three communities that emerged on the outskirts of McGill (the others being Smelterville and Ragdump). While McGill grew as a well-regulated company town, these 'fringe' towns contained saloons, gambling halls, and other forms of entertainment for workers. Steptoe City was located less than ½ mile behind the smelter, and in 1909 became the home of the Western Federation of Miners' Hall (with nearly 450 members) due to difficulty finding a facility in the company town. Unlike the larger Ragdump, which quickly evaporated after the loss of gambling and entertainment in 1914, Steptoe City continued to function as residential area for workers who couldn't find homes in McGill.
By the early 1920s, Steptoe City had a population of about 150 with a church and businesses, and briefly bootleggers hid out in the small town. A fire in 1926 damaged much of the town, possibly resulting from a still which exploded in the old Miners Hall that was then used as apartments. Steptoe City declined, but a few families remained through at least the late 1940s.
