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Butte and the Richest Hill: History

This guide focuses on the history of Butte, Montana

"Butte was mercurial...The wicked, wealthy, hospitable, full-blooded

little city welcomed me with the wild enthusiasm of the most disorderly kind." 

~~Theodore Roosevelt~~

Background

Butte, once the largest city in the Rocky Mountains, and has been called the "Richest Hill on Earth" due to the mining operations of gold, silver, and copper. During the boom years of the late 1800s and early 1900s, Butte became a melting pot, including immigrants of Irish, Scandanavian, Serbian and Asian cultures.  Butte is famous for the ultra-wealthy Copper Kings, union organization and violence, environmental concerns, and much more. Use the resources on this guide to find more information on this very colorful part of Montana.

MSUB History Librarian

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Eileen Wright
Contact:
Library Admin Office

Butte, America Video