A Brief History of Butte, Montana
On Main Street, looking south, just north of Park Street.
Founded in 1864 as a mining camp nestled in the northern Rocky Mountains, Butte is Montana’s fifth-largest city. The city’s name derives from the geological term butte, referring to the small hill upon which the town was originally built. First known as Butte City, it was officially renamed Butte in 1894.
Butte earned the nickname “The Richest Hill on Earth” due to its extensive mining legacy. By 1887, it had become the world’s leading producer of copper and, for the next three decades, supplied over 50% of all copper used in the United States. This mining boom fueled rapid growth, and during the peak of World War I, Butte’s population briefly surpassed 100,000.
Underground, Butte is crisscrossed by a staggering 10,000 miles of tunnels, a testament to its mining dominance. Above ground, the city’s skyline is still marked by fourteen historic headframes, remnants of its industrious past.
Butte’s prosperity attracted immigrants from around the world, earning it the title “The Melting Pot Mixer.” Among these, Irish immigrants were especially prominent, one in four newcomers hailed from Ireland, giving Butte the highest per capita Irish American population in the country today.
A view of Uptown Butte in 1910. | Western Mining History
As Montana’s first major industrial center, Butte’s Uptown district rose to prominence and became the cultural and commercial heart of the city. Between 1880 and 1930, Butte was the largest city between Minneapolis and Spokane, Washington. However, during the 1950s, it was overtaken in population by Billings.
The latter half of the 20th century brought economic decline. As underground resources dwindled, most of the city’s mines and smelters shut down. Additionally, the advent of open pit mining led to the destruction of several historic neighborhoods in pursuit of deeper mineral deposits.
In 1977, Butte consolidated with Silver Bow County, forming a combined city-county government. Today, it spans 718 square miles and is home to approximately 34,500 residents.
Butte’s rich heritage lives on. It is now part of the largest National Historic District in the United States, encompassing more than 6,000 registered historic sites, a lasting tribute to its remarkable past.
A chili pasty from Joe’s Pasty Shop. Pronounced “Passtee”, this meat pie dish was introduced to Butte through Welshmen and Cornishmen who pioneered hard rock mining in the city. The Pasty became a traditional lunch dish that was popular with miners.
The preserved headframe and hoist house for the long closed Anselmo Mine in Uptown Butte.
Exploring tunnels of the former Orphan Girl mine at the World Museum of Mining on the campus of Montana Technological University.
Walking on East Broadway Street in the direction of Hotel Finlen. Inspired by New York’s Astor Hotel, the hotel tower was completed in 1924. Famed guests during the 20th century included Charles Lindbergh and Presidents Harry S. Truman and John F. Kennedy.
The Hennessy Building was once the flagship location for Hennessy’s department store. Founded by Daniel Hennessy in 1898, Hennessy’s grew to become a chain with locations throughout Montana before being acquired by Dillard’s in 1998.
The Mike Mansfield Federal Building and United States Courthouse was completed in 1904 and expanded in 1932.
The Historic Clark Chateau Museum & Gallery was originally built in 1898 as a mansion for the son of local copper magnate William A. Clark.