View source for Butte, Montana

{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Butte-Silver Bow
| name                     = Butte
| settlement_type          = [[Consolidated city-county]]
| nickname                 = Butte America
| motto                    = The Richest Hill on Earth
| image_skyline            = Butte, Montana collage.png
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = {{small|Clockwise, left to right: view of uptown Butte from west; ''[[Our Lady of the Rockies]]''; Curtis Music Hall; aerial view of the [[Berkeley Pit]]; mine headframe; and the [[Hotel Finlen|Finlen Hotel]]}}
| image_flag               = Flag of Butte, Montana.svg
| image_seal               = Seal of Butte, Montana.png
| map_caption              = Location of Butte in Montana
| image_map1               = Silver Bow County Montana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Butte Highlighted.svg
| mapsize1                 = 250px
| map_caption1             = Map of Silver Bow County showing the city of Butte in red and [[Walkerville, Montana|Walkerville]] in gray
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Montana]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Montana|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Silver Bow County, Montana|Silver Bow]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = 
| leader_name              = 
| established_title        = [[Human settlement|Settled]]
| established_date         = {{Start date and age|1864}}
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 5, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2           = 1855.32
| area_land_km2            = 1853.80
| area_water_km2           = 1.52
| area_total_sq_mi         = 716.34
| area_land_sq_mi          = 715.76
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.59
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 34494
| population_density_km2   = 18.61
| population_density_sq_mi = 48.19
| population_metro         = 
<!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[Mountain Time Zone|MST]]
| utc_offset               = −7
| timezone_DST             = [[Mountain Daylight Time|MDT]]
| utc_offset_DST           = −6
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 5824
| coordinates              = {{coord|45|54|08|N|112|39|24|W|region:US-MT|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 59701, 59702, 59703, 59707, 59750
| area_code                = [[Area code 406|406]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 30-11397
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 2409651<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2409651}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|https://www.co.silverbow.mt.us/}}
| footnotes                = 
}}

'''Butte''' ({{IPAc-en|b|juː|t}} {{respell|BEWT}}) is a [[consolidated city-county]] in and the [[county seat]] of [[Silver Bow County, Montana]], United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of '''Butte-Silver Bow'''. The city covers {{convert|718|mi2|0}}, and, according to the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]], has a population of 34,494, making it Montana's [[List of municipalities in Montana|fifth-largest city]]. It is served by [[Bert Mooney Airport]] with airport code BTM.

Established in 1864 as a [[mining camp]] in the northern [[Rocky Mountains]] on the [[Continental Divide of the Americas|Continental Divide]], Butte experienced rapid development in the late 19th century, and was Montana's first major industrial city.<ref name=historyculture/> In its heyday between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was one of the largest copper [[boomtown|boom town]]s in the [[American West]]. Employment opportunities in the mines attracted surges of Asian and European immigrants, particularly the [[Irish people|Irish]];<ref name=bbelspk>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=239TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=d4YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7019%2C4792991 |work=The Bulletin |location=(Bend, Oregon) |last=McMahon |first=Paul |title=Electricity sparked Montana city's rise |date=November 20, 1988 |page=B4}}</ref> as of 2017, Butte has the largest population of [[Irish Americans]] per capita of any U.S. city.

Butte was also the site of various historical events involving its [[mining industry]] and active [[Trade union|labor union]]s and [[Socialism in the United States|socialist]] politics, the most famous of which was the [[1914 Butte, Montana, labor riots|labor riot of 1914]]. Despite the dominance of the [[Anaconda Copper|Anaconda Copper Mining Company]], Butte was never a [[company town]]. Other major events in the city's history include the 1917 [[Speculator Mine disaster]], the largest hard rock mining disaster in world history.

Over the course of its history, Butte's mining and [[smelting]] operations generated more than $48 billion worth of [[ore]], but also resulted in numerous environmental implications for the city: The upper [[Clark Fork River]], with headwaters at Butte, is the largest [[List of Superfund sites|Superfund site]] in the nation, and the city is also home to the [[Berkeley Pit]]. In the late 20th century, the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|EPA]] instated cleanup efforts, and the [[Butte Citizens Technical Environmental Committee]] was established in 1984. In the 21st century, efforts to interpret and preserve Butte's heritage are addressing both the town's historical significance and the continuing importance of mining to its economy and culture. The city's Uptown Historic District, on the [[National Register of Historic Places]], is one of the largest [[National Historic Landmark|National Historic Landmark Districts]] in the U.S., containing nearly 6,000 contributing properties. The city is also home to [[Montana Technological University]], a public engineering and technical university.

==History==
{{Main|History of Butte, Montana}}

===Early history and immigrants===
Before Butte's formal establishment in 1864, the area consisted of a mining camp that had developed in the early 1860s.{{sfn|Ring|Watson|Schellinger|2013|p=70}} The city is in the Silver Bow Creek Valley (or Summit Valley), a natural bowl sitting high in the Rockies straddling the [[Continental Divide of the Americas|Continental Divide]],{{sfn|Malone|2006|pages=3–4}} positioned on the southwestern side of a large mass of [[granite]] known as the [[Boulder Batholith]], which dates to the [[Cretaceous]] era.<ref name=deq/> In 1874, William L. Farlin founded the Asteroid Mine (subsequently known as the Travona), which attracted a significant number of prospectors seeking [[gold]] and [[silver]].<ref name=deq>{{cite web|url=http://deq.mt.gov/Land/AbandonedMines/linkdocs/183tech|work=Montana Department of Environmental Quality|title=Abandoned Mines: Historic Context|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171101193351/http://deq.mt.gov/Land/AbandonedMines/linkdocs/183tech|archive-date=November 1, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The mines attracted workers from [[Cornwall]] (England),<ref>{{cite book|author=Magocsi|first=Paul Robert|url=https://archive.org/stream/harvardencyclope00ther|title=Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups|publisher=Belknap Press of Harvard University|year=1980|isbn=978-0-674-37512-3|editor-last=Thernstrom|editor-first=Stephan|page=243|editor-last2=Orlov|editor-first2=Ann|editor-last3=Handlin|editor-first3=Oscar}}</ref> Ireland, Wales, Lebanon, Canada, Finland, Austria, Italy, China, [[Montenegro]], Mexico, and more.<ref name=irisham>{{cite web|work=Irish America|title=Butte: Montana's Irish Mining Town|date=August 2010|author=Rota, Kara|url=http://irishamerica.com/2010/08/montanas-mining-town/|access-date=November 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107030541/http://irishamerica.com/2010/08/montanas-mining-town/|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> In the ethnic neighborhoods, young men formed gangs to protect their territory and socialize into adult life, including the Irish of Dublin Gulch, the Eastern Europeans of the McQueen Addition, and the Italians of Meaderville.{{sfn|Finn|2012}}{{page needed|date=October 2021}}

[[File:Butte Montana (15667252674).jpg|thumb|right|Butte courthouse and additional buildings, 1885]]
Among the migrants were many Chinese who set up businesses that created a Chinatown in Butte.<ref name=bbelspk/> The Chinese migrations stopped in 1882 with the passage of the [[Chinese Exclusion Act]]. There was anti-Chinese sentiment in the 1870s and onward due to the white settlers' racism, exacerbated by economic depression, and in 1895, the chamber of commerce and labor unions started a boycott of Chinese-owned businesses. The business owners fought back by suing the unions and won. The history of the Chinese migrants in Butte is documented in the [[Mai Wah Museum]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://visitmt.com/history/Montana_the_Magazine_of_Western_History/spring_summer04/buttechinatown.htm|title=Remembering Butte's Chinatown|author=Carrie Schneider|publisher=Official State of Montana Travel Information Site|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130315155041/http://visitmt.com/history/Montana_the_Magazine_of_Western_History/spring_summer04/buttechinatown.htm|archive-date=March 15, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | author = Lee, Rose Hum | year = 1948 | title = Social Institutions of a Rocky Mountain Chinatown | journal = Social Forces | volume = 27 | issue = 1 | pages = 1–11 | doi = 10.2307/2572452| jstor = 2572452 | author-link = Rose Hum Lee }}</ref>

The influx of miners gave Butte a reputation as a wide-open town where any vice was obtainable. The city's saloon and red-light district, called the "Line" or "The Copper Block", centered on Mercury Street, where the elegant [[bordello]]s included the famous [[Dumas Brothel]].<ref name=baumler/> Behind the brothel was the equally famous [[Venus Alley]], where women plied their trade in small cubicles called "cribs."<ref name=baumler/> The red-light district brought miners and other men from all over the region and remained open until 1982 after the closure of the Dumas Brothel; the city's red-light was one of the last such urban districts in the country.<ref name=baumler>{{cite web|work=Montana Women's History Project|url=http://montanawomenshistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ButteWalkingTour12_2013_Rev.pdf|title=Butte's Red Light District: A Walking Tour|author=Baumler, Ellen|publisher=Montana Historical Society|access-date=April 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017033017/http://montanawomenshistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ButteWalkingTour12_2013_Rev.pdf|archive-date=October 17, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Commercial breweries first opened in Butte in the 1870s, and were a staple of the city's early economy; they were usually run by German immigrants, including Leopold Schmidt, Henry Mueller, and Henry Muntzer. The breweries were always staffed by union workers. Most ethnic groups in Butte, from Germans and Irish to Italians and various Eastern Europeans, including children, enjoyed the locally brewed lagers, bocks, and other types of beer.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Lozar, Steve|title=1,000,000 Glasses a Day: Butte's Beer History on Tap|journal=Montana|date=December 2006|volume=56|issue=4|pages=46–56}}</ref>
[[File:Butte America tunnel.jpg|thumb|Butte America tunnel]]

===Industrial expansion===
[[File:ANSELMO HEADFRAME AND TIPPLE LOOKING EAST - Butte Mineyards, Anselmo Mine, Butte, Silver Bow County, MT HAER MONT,47-BUT.V,1-A-32.tif|thumb|right|The Anselmo Mine, one of many in Butte, opened in 1887.]]

In the late 19th century, copper was in great demand because of new technologies such as electric power that required the use of copper. Industrial magnates fought for control of Butte's mining wealth. These "[[Copper Kings]]" were [[William Andrews Clark|William A. Clark]],<ref>{{cite web|work=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000454|access-date=October 28, 2017|title=CLARK, William Andrews, (1839 - 1925)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029065500/http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000454|archive-date=October 29, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Marcus Daly]], [[James Andrew Murray]] and [[F. Augustus Heinze]].<ref name=deq/> The Anaconda Copper Mining Company began in 1881 when [[Marcus Daly]] bought a small mine named the Anaconda. He was a part-owner, mine manager and engineer of the Alice, a silver mine in Walkerville, a suburb of Butte. While working in the Alice, he noticed significant quantities of high-grade copper ore. Daly obtained permission to inspect nearby workings. After his employers, the Walker Brothers, refused to buy the Anaconda, Daly sold his interest in the Alice and bought it himself. He asked San Francisco mining magnate [[George Hearst]] for additional support. Hearst agreed to buy one-fourth of the new company's stock without visiting the site. While mining the silver left in his mine, huge deposits of [[copper]] were soon developed and Daly became a copper magnate. When surrounding silver mines "played out" and closed, Daly quietly bought up the neighboring mines, forming a mining company. He built a smelter at [[Anaconda, Montana]] (a company town), and connected it to Butte by railway. Anaconda Company eventually owned all the mines on Butte Hill.<ref>Laurie Mercier, ''Anaconda: Labor, Community, and Culture in Montana's Smelter City'' (University of Illinois Press, 2001)</ref>

Between 1884 and 1888, W. A. Clark constructed the [[Copper King Mansion]] in Butte, which became his second residence from his home in [[New York City]].{{sfn|Gordon|2015|pages=38–41}} In 1899, he also purchased the [[Columbia Gardens (amusement park)|Columbia Gardens]], a small park he developed into an [[amusement park]], featuring a pavilion, roller coaster, and a lake for swimming and canoeing. Clark's expansion of the park was intended to "provide a place where children and families could get away from the polluted air of the Butte mining industry."<ref>{{cite web|work=[[The Montana Standard]]|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/columbia-gardens-butte-s-lost-amusement-park/collection_a4b37cae-a30a-5806-a427-cebac2569a28.html|title=Columbia Gardens: Butte's lost amusement park|date=June 10, 2016|access-date=December 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924045354/http://mtstandard.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/columbia-gardens-butte-s-lost-amusement-park/collection_a4b37cae-a30a-5806-a427-cebac2569a28.html|archive-date=September 24, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The city's rapid expansion was noted in an 1889 frontier survey: "Butte, Montana, fifteen years ago a small placer-mining village clinging to the mountain side, has now risen to the rank of the first mining camp of the world... [It] is now the most populous city of Montana, numbering twenty-five thousand active, enterprising, prosperous inhabitants."<ref name=great>{{cite book|title=The Great Reservation|pages=39–40|year=1898 |location=Chicago |publisher=Poole Brothers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QVdNAAAAYAAJ}}</ref> In 1888 alone, mining operations in Butte generated an "almost inconceivable" output of $23 million ({{Inflation|US|23000000|1888|fmt=eq}}) worth of ore.<ref name=great/>

[[File:Columbia Gardens, Butte, Montana 1905.jpg|thumb|left|[[Columbia Gardens (amusement park)|Columbia Gardens]], an amusement park in Butte, {{circa}} 1905]]
Copper ore mined from the Butte mining district in 1910 alone totaled {{convert|284000000|lb|kg}}; at the time, Butte was the largest producer of copper in North America and rivaled in worldwide metal production only by [[South Africa]].<ref name=deq/> The same year, in excess of {{convert|10000000|ozt|kg}} of [[silver]] and {{convert|37000|ozt|kg}} of [[gold]] were also discovered.<ref name=deq/> The amount of ore produced in the city earned it the nickname "The Richest Hill on Earth."<ref name=deq/> With its large workforce of miners performing in physically dangerous conditions, Butte was the site of active [[labor union]] movements, and came to be known as "the Gibraltar of Unionism."<ref name=union>{{cite web|work=The Montana Standard|url=http://mtstandard.com/lifestyles/unionism-in-butte-mines-contributes-to-city-s-fascinating-history/article_2877a26a-2720-5485-a4ab-e01f5106f14d.html|title=Unionism in Butte mines contributes to city's fascinating history|date=March 1, 2015|author=Bossard, Floyd|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107025914/http://mtstandard.com/lifestyles/unionism-in-butte-mines-contributes-to-city-s-fascinating-history/article_2877a26a-2720-5485-a4ab-e01f5106f14d.html|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=munday/>

By 1885, there were about 1,800 dues-paying members of a general union in Butte. That year the union reorganized as the [[Butte Miners' Union]] (BMU), spinning off all non-miners to separate [[craft unionism|craft unions]]. Some of these joined the [[Knights of Labor]], and by 1886 the separate organizations came together to form the Silver Bow Trades and Labor Assembly, with 34 separate unions representing nearly all of the 6,000 workers around Butte.{{sfn|Malone|2006|pages=76–7}} The BMU established branch unions in mining towns like Barker, Castle, Champion, [[Granite, Montana|Granite]], and [[Neihart, Montana|Neihart]], and extended support to other mining camps hundreds of miles away. In 1892 there was [[1892 Coeur d'Alene labor strike|a violent strike]] in [[Coeur d'Alene, Idaho|Coeur d'Alene]].{{sfn|Carlson|1984|p=50}} Although the BMU was experiencing relatively friendly relations with local management, the events in Idaho were disturbing. The BMU not only sent thousands of dollars to support the Idaho miners, they mortgaged their buildings to send more.{{sfn|Malone|2006|p=77}}

There was a growing concern that local unions were vulnerable to the power of [[Mine Owners' Association]]s like the one in Coeur d'Alene.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=The Overland Monthly|title=The Coeur d'Alene Riots, 1892|page=32|publisher=Samuel Carson|year=1895|via=Google Books|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UMARAAAAYAAJ&q=butte+montana+coeur+d%27alene+miners+association&pg=PA32}} {{free access}}</ref> In May 1893, about 40 delegates from northern hard-rock mining camps met in Butte and established the [[Western Federation of Miners]] (WFM), which sought to organize miners throughout the West.<ref>{{cite book|author=Rayback, Joseph G.|title=A History of American Labor|year=2008|orig-year=1966|page=233|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-439-11899-3}}</ref> The Butte Miners' Union became Local Number One of the new WFM.{{sfn|Malone|2006|p=79}} The WFM [[Cripple Creek miners' strike of 1894|won a strike]] in [[Cripple Creek, Colorado]], the following year, but in 1896–97 [[Leadville miners' strike|lost another violent strike]] in [[Leadville, Colorado]], prompting the Montana State Trades and Labor Council to issue [[November 1897 proclamation|a proclamation to organize a new Western labor federation]]<ref>{{cite book|author=Philpott, William Philpott|title= The Lessons of Leadville|publisher=Colorado Historical Society|year=1995|page= 71}}</ref> along [[Industrial unionism|industrial lines]].<ref>{{Cite thesis|title=Colorado's Role in the American Labor Struggle: Western Unionism and the Labor Question 1894-1914|page=55|publisher=University of Colorado, Boulder|author=Rasmussen, Ryan|date=Fall 2013|url=https://scholar.colorado.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1750&context=honr_theses|access-date=April 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425115638/https://scholar.colorado.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1750&context=honr_theses|archive-date=April 25, 2018|url-status=dead}} {{free access}}</ref>

===Anaconda Copper and civil unrest===
{{See also|Anaconda Copper|Speculator Mine disaster|Anaconda Road massacre}}
[[File:IWW organizer Frank Little, c. 1917.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|[[Frank Little (unionist)|Frank Little]], an [[Industrial Workers of the World|IWW]] organizer who was lynched in Butte in 1917]]
In 1899, Daly, [[William Rockefeller]], [[Henry H. Rogers]], and [[Thomas W. Lawson (businessman)|Thomas W. Lawson]] organized the Amalgamated Copper Mining Company.{{sfn|Malone|2006|p=137}} Not long after, the company changed its name to [[Anaconda Copper Mining Company]] (ACM). Over the years, Anaconda was owned by assorted larger corporations. In the 1920s, it had a virtual monopoly over the mines in and around Butte.{{sfn|Smith|2008|p=25}} Between approximately 1900 and 1917, Butte also had a strong streak of [[socialism|Socialist]] politics, even electing Mayor [[Lewis J. Duncan]] on the Socialist ticket in 1911, and again in 1913; Duncan was impeached in 1914 for neglecting duties after a bombing in the city's miners' hall in 1914.{{sfn|Calvert|1988|pages=43–7}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Lewis J. Duncan, Butte's Socialist mayor|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/lewis-j-duncan-butte-s-socialist-mayor/article_77f3176c-126d-520a-aa0b-4a70d50604db.html|work=The Montana Standard|author=Christensen, Kelly|date=October 12, 2014|access-date=April 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428181121/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/lewis-j-duncan-butte-s-socialist-mayor/article_77f3176c-126d-520a-aa0b-4a70d50604db.html|archive-date=April 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Butte also established itself as "one of the most solid union cities in America."<ref>{{cite book|author=Dubovsky, Melvyn|title=[[We Shall Be All: A History of the Industrial Workers of the World]]|year=2000|page=173|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn= 978-0-252-06905-5}}</ref> After 1905, it became a hotbed of [[Industrial Workers of the World]] (IWW, or the "Wobblies") organizing.{{sfn|Ring|Watson|Schellinger|2013|p=73}} Rivalry between IWW supporters and the WFM locals culminated in the [[Butte, Montana labor riots of 1914]], and resulted in the loss of union recognition by the mine owners.{{sfn|Murphy|1997|p=125}} After the dissolution of the Miners' Union, the Anaconda Company attempted to inaugurate programs aimed at enticing employees.{{sfn|Murphy|1997|p=125}} A number of clashes between laborers, labor organizers, and the Anaconda Company ensued, including the 1917 lynching of IWW executive board officer [[Frank Little (unionist)|Frank Little]].{{sfn|Murphy|1997|p=224}} In 1920, company mine guards gunned down strikers in the [[Anaconda Road Massacre]].{{sfn|Finn|1998|p=33}} Seventeen were shot in the back as they tried to flee, and one man died.{{sfn|Murphy|1997|p=33}}

Sparked by a tragic accident more than {{convert|2000|ft|m|-2}} below the ground on June 8, 1917, a fire in the [[Speculator Mine disaster|Granite Mountain]] mine [[shaft mining|shaft]] spewed flames, smoke, and poisonous gas through the labyrinth of tunnels including the connected Speculator Mine.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Mother Earth |title=Kaiserism in the Copper Industry |author=Carney, Jack |volume=12 |issue=6 |page=222 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EdBCAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA222 |date=August 1917}}</ref> A rescue effort commenced, but [[carbon monoxide]] was contaminating the air supply.<ref name=nogreater>{{cite web|work=Great Falls Tribune|location=Great Falls, Montan|url=https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/life/my-montana/2017/05/26/no-greater-love-heroes-emerged-buttes-darkest-hours/342796001/|title='No greater love': Heroes emerged in Butte's darkest hours|date=May 26, 2017|author=Inbody, Kristen|access-date=May 7, 2018}}</ref><ref name=lm>{{cite web|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-aug-20-bk-macdonald20-story.html|author=Mac Donald, Laura|title=A mine disaster and its ripple effects|date=August 20, 2006|access-date=May 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025094421/http://articles.latimes.com/2006/aug/20/books/bk-macdonald20|archive-date=October 25, 2015|url-status=live}} {{closed access}}</ref> Several men barricaded themselves against [[bulkhead (barrier)|bulkheads]] to save their lives, but many others died in a panic to try to escape.<ref name=lm/> Rescue workers set up a fan to prevent the fire from spreading. This worked for a short time, but when the rescuers tried to use water, it evaporated, creating [[steam]] that burned those trying to escape.{{sfn|Punke|2006|p=54}} Once the fire had been extinguished, recovery of the deceased began; many of the bodies were mutilated beyond recognition, leaving many unidentified.{{sfn|Punke|2006|p=59}} The disaster claimed a total of 168 lives.{{sfn|Punke|2006|p=280}} As of 2017, the event remained the largest hard rock mining accident in history.<ref>{{cite web|work=U.S. News & World Report|publisher=Associated Press|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/montana/articles/2017-06-08/butte-residents-mark-centennial-of-speculator-mine-disaster|date=June 8, 2017|access-date=October 28, 2017|title=Butte Residents Mark Centennial of Speculator Mine Disaster|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029121027/https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/montana/articles/2017-06-08/butte-residents-mark-centennial-of-speculator-mine-disaster|archive-date=October 29, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The Granite Mountain Memorial in Butte commemorates those who died in the accident.<ref>{{cite web|work=The Missoulian|url=http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/hundreds-attend-granite-mountain-memorial-service/collection_ac349a56-a831-5471-95e6-73f8253e5bb8.html|title=Hundreds attend Granite Mountain memorial service|date=June 9, 2017|access-date=April 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428094158/http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/hundreds-attend-granite-mountain-memorial-service/collection_ac349a56-a831-5471-95e6-73f8253e5bb8.html|archive-date=April 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Protests and strikes began after the Speculator Mine disaster, as well as the establishment of the Metal Mine Workers Union; about 15,000 workers abandoned their jobs in the disaster's wake.{{sfn|Ring|Watson|Schellinger|2013|p=74}} Between 1914 and 1920, the [[National Guard of the United States|U.S. National Guard]] occupied Butte six times to restore civility.{{sfn|Ring|Watson|Schellinger|2013|p=74}} In 1917, copper production from the Butte mines peaked and steadily declined thereafter. By WWII, copper production from the ACM's holdings in [[Chuquicamata]], Chile, far exceeded Butte's production.{{sfn|Finn|1998|p=34}}<ref>{{cite book|title=Montana, Past and Present: Papers Read at a Clark Library Seminar, April 5, 1975|url=https://archive.org/details/montanapastprese0000powe|url-access=registration|author1=Powell, Peter J.|author2=Malone, Michael P.|pages=[https://archive.org/details/montanapastprese0000powe/page/65 65–7]|publisher=William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, [[University of California]]|year=1976|series=William Andrews Clark Memorial Library seminar papers|asin=B0006CX6KS}}</ref>

In 1919, women's rights activist [[Margaret Jane Steele Rozsa]] became a food inspector for Butte, and immediately began pressing for change to questionable practices by several county commissioners who had been keeping the community's cost of living artificially high by, among other things, allowing carloads of perishable foods to rot on unloaded trains at the railroad station.<ref>Hitchcock, Calyn. "[https://documents.alexanderstreet.com/d/1009872266 Biographical Sketch of Margaret Jane Steele Rozsa]," in ''Biographical Dictionary of the Woman Suffrage Movement in the United States'': "Part III: Mainstream Suffragists—National American Woman Suffrage Association." Ann Arbor, Michigan: Alexander Street, a ProQuest Company, retrieved online May 9, 2021.</ref><ref>"Probing Butte Food Prices," in "County Agent Notes." Fort Benton, Montana: ''The River Press'', July 30, 1919, p. 4.</ref> She also "was instrumental in getting senate bill No. 19 through the legislature" that year to ensure that 199 tubercular soldiers who had served in [[World War I and the United States|World War I]] would be given "preference of entry to the Galen hospital", and that the legislature would authorize $20,000 to build additional dormitories at the hospital to make that care possible since hospital admissions were already at capacity.<ref>"[https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045085/1919-08-11/ed-1/seq-5/ Charitable to the Legislators]." Butte, Montana: ''The Butte Daily Bulletin'', August 11, 1919, p. 5.</ref> In 1921, she became the first female prohibition inspector in the city.<ref>Hitchcock, "Biographical Sketch of Margaret Jane Steele Rozsa", ''Biographical Dictionary of the Woman Suffrage Movement in the United States''.</ref>

=== Open-pit mining era ===
{{See also|Berkeley Pit}}
[[File:The Phantom Foe (1920) - American Theater, Butte, Montana.jpg|thumb|right|Patrons at a matinee of ''[[The Phantom Foe]]'' at the American Theater, December 25, 1920]]
[[File:Butte Montana 1942 LOC 1a35027u.jpg|thumb|left|1942 view of the city]]
Disputes between miners' unions and companies continued through the 1920s and 1930s,{{sfn|Malone|Roeder|Lang|1991|p=329}} with several strikes and protests, one of which lasted for ten months in 1921.<ref name=timeline>{{cite web|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/mining-city-timeline/article_9bf1c3dd-74b9-5e66-b328-488df21d3824.html|work=The Montana Standard|title=Mining City timeline|date=October 4, 2014|access-date=October 28, 2017|series=Butte, America's decades in photographs|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171028215420/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/mining-city-timeline/article_9bf1c3dd-74b9-5e66-b328-488df21d3824.html|archive-date=October 28, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> On New Year's Eve 1922, protestors attempted to detonate the Hibernian Hall on Main Street with [[dynamite]].<ref name=timeline/><ref name=thornton>{{cite web|work=The Billings Gazette|url=http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/butte-at-years-miners-anaconda-copper-again-at-odds-in/article_8627cc5b-29f4-523c-93b5-919c15d33704.html|title=Butte at 150 years: Miners, Anaconda Copper again at odds in the 1920s|date=January 19, 2015|author=Thortnon, Tracy|access-date=April 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428181100/http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/butte-at-years-miners-anaconda-copper-again-at-odds-in/article_8627cc5b-29f4-523c-93b5-919c15d33704.html|archive-date=April 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Further industrial expansions included the arrival of the first mail plane in 1928, and in 1937, the city's [[streetcar]] system was dismantled and replaced by bus lines.<ref name=timeline/> After the 1920s, the ACM began to reduce its activities in Butte due to the labor-intensivity of underground mining, as well as competition from other mine holdings in South America.{{sfn|Ring|Watson|Schellinger|2013|p=74}} This led the Anaconda Company to switch its focus in Butte from [[underground mining]] to [[open pit mining]].{{sfn|Ring|Watson|Schellinger|2013|p=74}}

Since the 1950s, five major developments in the city have occurred: the Anaconda's decision to begin open-pit mining in the mid-1950s,{{sfn|Ring|Watson|Schellinger|2013|p=74}} a series of fires in Butte's business district in the 1970s,<ref>{{cite web|work=The Billings Gazette|url=http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/butte-at-fires-prevalent-in-butte-throughout-the-s/article_3ab5b085-02d0-5e27-9ff7-5462b82d3681.html|title=Butte at 150: Fires prevalent in Butte throughout the '70s|author=Thornton, Tracy|date=February 23, 2015|access-date=April 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428180630/http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/butte-at-fires-prevalent-in-butte-throughout-the-s/article_3ab5b085-02d0-5e27-9ff7-5462b82d3681.html|archive-date=April 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> a debate over whether to relocate the city's historic business district, a new civic leadership, and the end of copper mining in 1983. In response, Butte looked for ways to diversify the economy and provide employment. The legacy of over a century of [[environmental degradation]] has, for example, produced some jobs. Environmental cleanup in Butte, designated a Superfund site, has employed hundreds of people.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Shovers, Brian|title=Remaking the Wide-Open Town: Butte at the End of the Twentieth Century|journal=Montana|date=September 1998|volume=48|issue=3|pages=40–53}}</ref>

Thousands of homes were destroyed in the Meaderville suburb and surrounding areas, McQueen and East Butte, to excavate the [[Berkeley Pit]], which [[Anaconda Copper]] opened in 1954.<ref name=timeline/>{{sfn|Ring|Watson|Schellinger|2013|p=74}} When it opened, the Berkeley Pit was the largest truck-operated open pit copper mine in the nation.<ref>{{cite book|title=CDIF Socioeconomic Analysis, Butte-Silver Bow Baseline Data|page=30|via=Google Books|author=Montana Energy and MHD Research and Development Institute|year=1978|publisher=United States Department of Energy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wjgWL0PDfIoC}} {{free access}}</ref> It grew until it began encroaching on the Columbia Gardens.{{sfn|Finn|1998|p=191}} After the Gardens caught fire and burned to the ground in November 1973, the Continental Pit was excavated on the former park site.{{sfn|Finn|1998|p=192}} In 1977, the [[ARCO]] (Atlantic Richfield Company) purchased Anaconda, and three years later started shutting down mines due to lower metal prices.{{sfn|Finn|1998|pages=66–7}} In 1983,{{sfn|Finn|1998|p=67}} all mining in the Berkeley Pit was suspended. The same year, an organization of low-income and unemployed Butte residents formed to fight for jobs and [[environmental justice]]; the Butte Community Union produced a detailed plan for community revitalization and won substantial benefits, including a [[Montana Supreme Court]] victory striking down as unconstitutional state elimination of welfare benefits.<ref>McCarthy, Bob J., Re-Claiming Butte: The Doctrine of Subjacent Support, 49 Mont. L. Rev. 267 (1988)</ref> After mining ceased at the Berkeley Pit, water pumps in nearby mines were also shut down, which resulted in highly acidic water laced with toxic heavy metals filling up the pit.<ref name=bp/>

[[File:Berkeley pit1984.jpg|thumb|right|The Berkeley Pit in 1984]]
Anaconda ceased mining at the Continental Pit in 1983. [[Montana Resources LLP]] bought the property and reopened the Continental Pit in 1986.<ref>{{cite web|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/05/us/butte-copper-pit-reopens-with-nonunion-miners.html|title=Butte Copper Pit Reopens, with Nonunion Miners|access-date=April 28, 2018|date=August 5, 1986|author=Robbins, Jim|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428094028/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/05/us/butte-copper-pit-reopens-with-nonunion-miners.html|archive-date=April 28, 2018|url-status=live}} {{closed access}}</ref> The company ceased mining in 2000, but resumed in 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/595076167/Mine-reopening-lifts-battered-Butte.html|title=Mine reopening lifts battered Butte|work=The Deseret News|date=July 11, 2004|access-date=April 28, 2018|last=Gallagher|first=Susan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180429091946/https://www.deseretnews.com/article/595076167/Mine-reopening-lifts-battered-Butte.html|archive-date=April 29, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

From 1880 through 2005, the mines of the Butte district produced more than 9.6 million metric tons of copper, 2.1 million metric tons of zinc, 1.6 million metric tons of manganese, 381,000 metric tons of lead, 87,000 metric tons of molybdenum, {{convert|715|e6ozt|t}} of silver, and {{convert|2.9|e6ozt|t}} of gold.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Czehura, Steve J. |title=Butte: A World Class Ore Deposit|journal=Mining Engineering|date=September 2006|pages=14–19}}</ref>

[[File:Montana Resources, Butte, America.jpg|thumb|Montana Resources, Butte, America]]

=== 21st century ===
{{See also|#Environmental concerns}}
Fourteen [[headframe]]s still remain over mine shafts in Butte,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitmt.com/listings/general/landmark/headframes.html|work=Visit Montana|title=Headframes|publisher=Montana Office of Tourism|access-date=April 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428093739/http://www.visitmt.com/listings/general/landmark/headframes.html|archive-date=April 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and the city still contains thousands of historic commercial and residential buildings from the boom times,<ref>{{cite web|work=The Montana Standard|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/high-stakes-in-the-struggle-for-historic-preservation-in-butte/article_16654a60-96a4-11e3-9dca-001a4bcf887a.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428093757/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/high-stakes-in-the-struggle-for-historic-preservation-in-butte/article_16654a60-96a4-11e3-9dca-001a4bcf887a.html|archive-date=April 28, 2018|title=High stakes in struggle for historic preservation in Butte|date=February 16, 2014|author=Smith, Mike|access-date=April 28, 2018}}</ref> which, especially in Uptown, give it an old-fashioned appearance, with many commercial buildings not fully occupied; according to a 2016 estimate, there were "hundreds" of unoccupied buildings in Butte, resulting in an ordinance to keep record of owners.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nbcmontana.com/news/local/butte-sets-new-ordinance-for-vacant-buildings|work=NBC Montana|title=Butte sets new ordinance for vacant buildings|date=June 21, 2016|access-date=April 28, 2018|author=Lester, Tiffany|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428093510/http://nbcmontana.com/news/local/butte-sets-new-ordinance-for-vacant-buildings|archive-date=April 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Preservation efforts of the city's historic buildings began in the late 1990s.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Malone, Patrick|title=Butte: Cultural Treasure in a Mining Town|journal=Montana|date= December 1997|volume=47|issue=4|pages=58–67}}</ref> As with many industrial cities, tourism and services, especially health care<ref name=top10>{{cite web|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/butte-s-top-employers/article_aaf7400d-b706-5162-88dd-d93e22fc4df6.html|work=The Montana Standard|title=Butte's top 10 employers|access-date=October 28, 2017|author=Hoffman, Matt|date=January 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107015202/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/butte-s-top-employers/article_aaf7400d-b706-5162-88dd-d93e22fc4df6.html|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> (Butte's St. James Hospital has Southwest Montana's only major trauma center), are rising as primary employers, as well as industrial-sector private companies.<ref name=top10/> Many areas of the city, especially those near the old mines, show signs of urban blight, but a recent influx of investors and an aggressive campaign to remedy blight has led to a renewed interest in restoring property in Uptown Butte's historic district,<ref>{{cite web|work=The Montana Standard|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/restoration-option-for-uptown-butte-s-many-ghost-signs/article_b49e08ba-3c38-11e2-bf43-001a4bcf887a.html|title=Restoration option for Uptown Butte's many ghost signs|author=Davis, Francis|date=December 1, 2012|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107010034/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/restoration-option-for-uptown-butte-s-many-ghost-signs/article_b49e08ba-3c38-11e2-bf43-001a4bcf887a.html|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> which expanded in 2006 to include parts of [[Anaconda, Montana|Anaconda]] and is one of the largest [[National Historic Landmark District]]s in the U.S., with 5,991 contributing properties.<ref name=nrhp>{{cite web|url=http://www.co.silverbow.mt.us/505/Historic-Preservation|work=The City and County of Butte-Silver Bow, Montana|title=Historic Preservation|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161219182508/http://www.co.silverbow.mt.us/505/Historic-Preservation|archive-date=December 19, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=United States National Park Service|url=https://www.nps.gov/nhl/find/statelists/mt/ButteAnacondaHD.pdf|publisher=United States Department of the Interior|title=Butte-Anaconda Historic District: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form|access-date=April 28, 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801101153/https://www.nps.gov/nhl/find/statelists/mt/ButteAnacondaHD.pdf|archive-date=August 1, 2017}}</ref>

A century after the era of intensive mining and smelting, environmental issues remain in areas around the city. [[Arsenic]] and heavy metals such as [[lead]] are found in high concentrations in some spots affected by old mining, and for a period of time in the 1990s the tap water was unsafe to drink due to poor filtration and decades-old wooden supply pipes. Efforts to improve the water supply have taken place in the early 2000s, with millions of dollars invested to upgrade water lines and repair infrastructure. Environmental research and cleanup efforts have contributed to the diversification of the local economy and signs of vitality, including the introduction of a multimillion-dollar polysilicon manufacturing plant nearby in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite web|work=The Billings Gazette|url=http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/japanese-to-sell-butte-asimi-plant/article_bc9ea0b9-20eb-58c5-85e6-c5806adedea8.html|title=Japanese to sell Butte ASiMI plant|agency=Associated Press|date=February 11, 2005|access-date=April 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428094132/http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/japanese-to-sell-butte-asimi-plant/article_bc9ea0b9-20eb-58c5-85e6-c5806adedea8.html|archive-date=April 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In the late 1990s, Butte was recognized as an [[All-America City Award|All-America City]] and as one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Dozen Distinctive Destinations in 2002.<ref name=enc/>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Butte-Silver Bow has an area of {{convert|1856.55|km2|abbr=on|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|1855.07|km2|mi2|abbr=on|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|1.48|km2|abbr=on|order=flip}} (0.08%) is water.<ref name=censusfacts/> The city is on the U.S. [[Continental Divide of the Americas|Continental Divide]].{{sfn|Malone|2006|pages=3–4}} Every highway exiting Butte (except westbound I-90) crosses the Divide (eastbound I-90 via Homestake Pass; eastbound MT 2 via Pipestone Pass; northbound I-15 via Elk Park Pass and southbound I-15 via Deer Lodge Pass).{{efn|Refer to map of Butte via [[Google Maps]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Butte,+MT/@45.9050026,-112.9178874,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x535a3f36d0ef3cd1:0xb5cd681d4d4f9799!8m2!3d46.0038232!4d-112.5347775|work=Google Maps|title=Butte, Montana|access-date=April 24, 2018}}</ref>}}

The city was named for a nearby landform, Big Butte, by the early miners.<ref name="mhs">{{cite web|title=Montana Place Names Companion|url=http://mtplacenames.org/|publisher=Montana Historical Society|access-date=July 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622083956/http://mtplacenames.org/|archive-date=June 22, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="names">{{cite book|last1=Carkeek Cheney|first1=Roberta|title=Names on the Face of Montana|date=1983|publisher=Mountain Press Publishing Company|location=Missoula, Montana|isbn=0-87842-150-5}}</ref> Butte's urban landscape is notable for including mining operations set within residential areas, visible in the form of various headframes throughout the city.<ref>{{cite web|work=Montana Standard|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/more-than-just-history-photos-of-butte-now/collection_c104d16a-a267-5967-8582-18426a881f63.html|title=More than just history: Photos of Butte now|date=December 12, 2017|access-date=April 23, 2018|author=Lewis, Lauren|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423232247/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/more-than-just-history-photos-of-butte-now/collection_c104d16a-a267-5967-8582-18426a881f63.html|archive-date=April 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{Geographic location
|North     = [[Helena, Montana|Helena]]
|Northwest = [[Deer Lodge, Montana|Deer Lodge]]
|West      = [[Anaconda, Montana|Anaconda]]
|Center    = Butte
|South     = [[Dillon, Montana|Dillon]]
|East      = [[Bozeman, Montana|Bozeman]]
|}}

===Cityscapes===
{{wide image|B.E. view, Butte, Montana LCCN2007662443.tif|850px|View of Butte from Big Butte, 1908}}
{{wide image|Butte-Panorama 01.jpg|850px|align-cap=center|View from west side, as seen from the [[Montana Tech of the University of Montana|Montana Tech]] campus, 2012}}
{{wide image|Panorama from uptown Butte facing south.jpg|850px|align-cap=center|View from uptown Butte facing south on Idaho Street, 2017}}

===Neighborhoods===
[[File:Butte uptown.jpg|thumb|right|Uptown Butte, 2006]]
The concentration of wealth in Butte due to its mining history resulted in unique and ornate architectural features<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nwtravelmag.com/exploring-historic-butte-montana/|work=Northwest Travel|title=Exploring Historic Butte, Montana|date=May 13, 2015|access-date=December 28, 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171029175710/http://nwtravelmag.com/exploring-historic-butte-montana/|archive-date=October 29, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> among its homes and buildings, particularly in the uptown section.<ref name=uptown>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mainstreetbutte.org/homes.htm|work=Main Street Butte|title=Butte's Painted Ladies: A Brief Tour of Butte's West-Side Homes|author=Everett, George|access-date=October 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061223125835/http://www.mainstreetbutte.org/homes.htm|archive-date=December 23, 2006}}</ref> Uptown, named for its steep streets,<ref name=scandal>{{cite web|work=NBC News|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/46481406/ns/travel-destination_travel/t/huguette-clark-scandal-sparks-interest-copper-king-fathers-lavish-past/#.WfeLqkyZPBI|title=Huguette Clark scandal sparks interest in copper king father's lavish past|author=Geranios, Nicholas K.|publisher=Associated Press|date=February 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605064933/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/46481406/ns/travel-destination_travel/t/huguette-clark-scandal-sparks-interest-copper-king-fathers-lavish-past/|archive-date=June 5, 2013}}</ref> is on a hillside on the northwestern edge of the town and characterized by its abundance of lavish [[Victorian architecture|Victorian homes]] and [[Queen Anne style architecture in the United States|Queen Anne style]] cottages built in the late 19th century.<ref name=uptown/> Several of Butte's "[[painted ladies]]" homes were featured in Elizabeth Pomada's 1987 book ''Daughters of Painted Ladies''.<ref name=uptown/><ref>{{cite book|last=Pomada|first=Elizabeth|title=Daughters of Painted Ladies: America's Resplendent Victorians|year=1987|publisher=Dutton|isbn=978-0-525-24609-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_0525246096/page/97 97–8]|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_0525246096/page/97}}</ref> Butte-Silver Bow County has an established Urban Revitalization Agency that works to improve building façades to "enhance and promote the architectural resources of historic uptown Butte."<ref name=uptown/> In 2017, a television pilot titled ''Butteification'' aired on [[HGTV]], which focused on a couple restoring a Victorian home in Butte.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/pilot-on-renovated-butte-historic-home-airs-on-hgtv-sunday/article_09f50f9e-2939-527b-a0d8-1f966828cbe4.html|work=Missoulian|publisher=The Montana Standard|title=Pilot on renovated Butte historic home airs on HGTV Sunday, Wednesday|date=June 10, 2017|access-date=October 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171030042615/http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/pilot-on-renovated-butte-historic-home-airs-on-hgtv-sunday/article_09f50f9e-2939-527b-a0d8-1f966828cbe4.html|archive-date=October 30, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Butte's South district, at a lower elevation than the hillside that comprises northern Butte, has historically been home to working-class neighborhoods.<ref name=south>{{cite web|url=http://explorebig.org/items/show/39|title=South Butte Neighborhood|work=Explore Big|publisher=Montana Historical Society|access-date=October 28, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171029180859/http://explorebig.org/items/show/39|archive-date=October 29, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Gold mines originally populated south Butte before it was platted for the [[Union Pacific Railroad]] in 1881.<ref name=south/>

The expansion of the Anaconda Company in the 1960s and 1970s eradicated some of Butte's historic neighborhoods, including the East Side, Dublin Gulch, Meaderville, and [[Chinatown]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mtstandard.com/special-section/local/lost-neighborhoods/article_4aa17ead-c99b-51ca-bb45-038c19bc1998.html|work=The Montana Standard|title=Lost neighborhoods|date=August 21, 2004|access-date=October 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024054315/http://mtstandard.com/special-section/local/lost-neighborhoods/article_4aa17ead-c99b-51ca-bb45-038c19bc1998.html|archive-date=October 24, 2014|url-status=dead}} {{small|(Archive link requires scroll down).}}</ref> The St. Mary's section, which borders uptown to the east, comprised the Dublin Gulch (an enclave for [[Irish people|Irish]] immigrants) and Corktown neighborhoods.<ref name=marys/> It takes its name from the eponymous [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] parish within it,<ref>{{cite web|work=The Montana Standard|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/gathering-of-the-gaels/article_586f433d-a9e8-5d93-ba68-f61fb7af5bd1.html|title=Gathering of the Gaels|access-date=October 29, 2017|author=Thornton, Tracy|date=September 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106081743/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/gathering-of-the-gaels/article_586f433d-a9e8-5d93-ba68-f61fb7af5bd1.html|archive-date=January 6, 2016|url-status=live}} {{small|(Archive link requires scroll down).}}</ref> historically known as the "miner's church", scheduling masses around miners' shifting schedules.<ref name=marys>{{cite web|url=http://explorebig.org/items/show/42|title=St. Mary's Neighborhood|work=Explore Big|publisher=Montana Historical Society|access-date=October 28, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171029181954/http://explorebig.org/items/show/42|archive-date=October 29, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Historically, the St. Mary's section of Butte had a prominent population of [[Slavs|Slavic]] and [[Finns|Finnish]] immigrants in addition to Irish before the mid-20th century.<ref name=marys/>

===Climate===
Butte has a cold [[semi-arid climate]] (''BSk'') under the [[Köppen Climate Classification]]. Winters are long and cold, January averaging {{convert|20.0|°F|}}, with 30.9 nights falling below {{convert|0|°F|}} and 53.8 days failing to top freezing.<ref name="NOAA"/> Summers are short, with very warm days and chilly nights: July averages {{convert|63.6|°F|}}. Like most areas in this part of North America, annual precipitation is low and largely concentrated in the spring: the wettest month since precipitation records began in 1894 was June 1913, with {{convert|8.86|inch}}, while no precipitation fell in September 1904.<ref name="NOW">[http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=mso NOW] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904113534/http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=mso |date=September 4, 2015 }}; [[National Weather Service|NWS]] Forecast Office; Missoula, Montana</ref> The wettest calendar year was 1909, with {{convert|20.55|inch}} and the driest was 2021, with {{convert|6.49|inch|}}. Snowfall is somewhat limited by dryness: the most in one month being {{convert|41.5|inch|}} in May 1927 and the greatest depth on the ground {{convert|27|inch|}} on December 28 and 29, 1996.<ref name=NOWData />

The coldest month was January 1937, with a daily mean temperature of {{convert|-5.5|°F}}, while the coldest complete winter was 1948–49, with a three-month mean of {{convert|6.69|°F}}, and the mildest 1925–26, which averaged {{convert|29.21|°F}}. July 2007 was easily the hottest month, with a mean maximum of {{convert|88.8|°F}}, although the hottest day, reaching {{convert|100|°F}}, was July 22, 1931. The coldest temperature recorded was {{convert|-52|°F}} on February 9, 1933, and December 23, 1983.<ref name=NOWData />

{{Weather box
|location = Butte, Montana ([[Bert Mooney Airport]]), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1894–present
|single line = Yes
|collapsed = yes
|Jan record high F = 58
|Feb record high F = 61
|Mar record high F = 69
|Apr record high F = 83
|May record high F = 90
|Jun record high F = 97
|Jul record high F = 100
|Aug record high F = 99
|Sep record high F = 96
|Oct record high F = 85
|Nov record high F = 70
|Dec record high F = 66

|Jan avg record high F = 48.0
|Feb avg record high F = 50.1
|Mar avg record high F = 60.1
|Apr avg record high F = 70.2
|May avg record high F = 78.9
|Jun avg record high F = 86.9
|Jul avg record high F = 92.2
|Aug avg record high F = 91.3
|Sep avg record high F = 86.1
|Oct avg record high F = 74.8
|Nov avg record high F = 59.2
|Dec avg record high F = 47.5
|year avg record high F = 93.1

|Jan high F = 32.1
|Feb high F = 34.6
|Mar high F = 43.7
|Apr high F = 51.1
|May high F = 61.0
|Jun high F = 70.0
|Jul high F = 81.3
|Aug high F = 79.8
|Sep high F = 69.1
|Oct high F = 54.3
|Nov high F = 40.2
|Dec high F = 30.7
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 20.0
|Feb mean F = 22.2
|Mar mean F = 31.6
|Apr mean F = 38.7
|May mean F = 47.6
|Jun mean F = 55.5
|Jul mean F = 63.6
|Aug mean F = 61.8
|Sep mean F = 52.8
|Oct mean F = 40.6
|Nov mean F = 27.8
|Dec mean F = 19.0
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 7.9
|Feb low F = 9.8
|Mar low F = 19.4
|Apr low F = 26.4
|May low F = 34.3
|Jun low F = 41.1
|Jul low F = 45.9
|Aug low F = 43.9
|Sep low F = 36.5
|Oct low F = 26.8
|Nov low F = 15.5
|Dec low F = 7.2
|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -19.6
|Feb avg record low F = -15.7
|Mar avg record low F = -1.3
|Apr avg record low F = 12.4
|May avg record low F = 21.5
|Jun avg record low F = 29.7
|Jul avg record low F = 36.3
|Aug avg record low F = 33.8
|Sep avg record low F = 24.1
|Oct avg record low F = 8.0
|Nov avg record low F = -8.9
|Dec avg record low F = -18.2
|year avg record low F = -27.7

|Jan record low F = -48
|Feb record low F = -52
|Mar record low F = -36
|Apr record low F = -16
|May record low F = 9
|Jun record low F = 22
|Jul record low F = 28
|Aug record low F = 23
|Sep record low F = 3
|Oct record low F = -23
|Nov record low F = -42
|Dec record low F = -52

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.42
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.43
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.64
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.33
|May precipitation inch = 2.02
|Jun precipitation inch = 2.45
|Jul precipitation inch = 1.20
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.28
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.07
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.84
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.60
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.48
|year precipitation inch =

|Jan snow inch = 8.5
|Feb snow inch = 7.4
|Mar snow inch = 10.1
|Apr snow inch = 6.9
|May snow inch = 3.7
|Jun snow inch = 0.5
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.1
|Sep snow inch = 1.1
|Oct snow inch = 3.7
|Nov snow inch = 6.6
|Dec snow inch = 8.3
|year snow inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 6.8
|Feb precipitation days = 7.4
|Mar precipitation days = 8.8
|Apr precipitation days = 11.2
|May precipitation days = 13.0
|Jun precipitation days = 13.7
|Jul precipitation days = 8.7
|Aug precipitation days = 7.7
|Sep precipitation days = 6.9
|Oct precipitation days = 8.2
|Nov precipitation days = 7.8
|Dec precipitation days = 7.2

|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 8.0
|Feb snow days = 7.5
|Mar snow days = 9.1
|Apr snow days = 6.0
|May snow days = 2.7
|Jun snow days = 0.4
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.1
|Sep snow days = 0.8
|Oct snow days = 2.8
|Nov snow days = 6.7
|Dec snow days = 7.8

|source 1 = NOAA<ref name=NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00024135&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access
|access-date = September 4, 2022
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service (average snowfall/snow days 1894–2001)<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=mso
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data
|access-date = September 4, 2022
}}
</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1870= 241
|1880= 3363
|1890= 10723
|1900= 30470
|1910= 39165
|1920= 41611
|1930= 39532
|1940= 37081
|1950= 33251
|1960= 27877
|1970= 23368
|1980= 37205
|1990= 33336
|2000= 33892
|2010= 33525
|2020= 34494
|footnote=source:<ref>Moffatt, Riley.  ''Population History of Western U.S. Cities & Towns, 1850–1990''. [[Lanham, Maryland|Lanham]]: Scarecrow, 1996, 128.</ref><br /><br />U.S. Decennial Census<ref name=2010census>{{cite web|work=United States Census Bureau|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/buttesilverbowbalancemontana/PST045216|title=QuickFacts: Butte-Silver Bow (balance), Montana|access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref><ref name="censusfacts"/>
}}

As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 34,494 people and 14,605 households residing in Butte-Silver Bow,<ref name=censusfacts>{{cite web|work=[[United States Census Bureau]]|url=https://www.census.gov|title=U.S. Census website|access-date=Oct 19, 2021}}</ref> giving a [[population density]] of {{convert|48.2|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. Per the US Census' 2019 [[American Community Survey]], the racial makeup of the city was 94.3% [[White (U.S. census)|White]], 0.6% [[African American (U.S. census)|African American]], 2.3% [[Native American (U.S. census)|Native American]], 0.8% [[Asian (U.S. census)|Asian]], 0.0% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. census)|Pacific Islander]], and 1.9% from two or more races.<ref name=censusfacts/> [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] people of any race accounted for 4.6% of the population.<ref name=censusfacts/> Of ethnic groups in Butte, the [[Irish Americans|Irish]] make up a significant portion, with over one-quarter of the city's population claiming Irish descent, exceeding the percentage of Irish Americans in [[Boston]].<ref name=irish/> Per capita, Butte has the highest percentage of [[Irish Americans]] of any city in the United States.<ref name=irish/>

Per the 2019 American Community Survey, the average household size was 2.24 persons, 6.0% of the population is under the age of 5, 20.1% under the age of 18, and 18.7% are 65 years of age or older. 49.3% of residents were female.<ref name=censusfacts/> From 2015 to 2019, the median income for a household in the city was $45,797, and 17.3% of families were below the [[poverty line]].<ref name=censusfacts/>

Some sources say that Butte had a peak population of nearly 100,000 around 1920, but no documentation corroborates this,<ref name=munday>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtech.edu/academics/clsps/ptc/sciencesocietysuperfund/pubs_presentations/butte_mining_history.pdf|publisher=Montana Tech|author=Munday, Pat|date=August 2005|title=Butte Mining, 1864 – 2005: A brief cultural and environmental history|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020210748/http://www.mtech.edu/academics/clsps/ptc/sciencesocietysuperfund/pubs_presentations/butte_mining_history.pdf|archive-date=October 20, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> though it has been reasoned by local journalists based on [[city directory]] data.{{efn|While the U.S. Census data shows a population of around 60,000 in 1920, a [[city directory]] from 1917 notes Butte's population as being 91,000, while the 1918 directory estimates 93,000. The variance between 1918 and the 1920 census is reflected in the city directories, which fall to 60,000 after 1920.<ref name=gibson>{{cite web|author=Gibson, Richard I.|work=The Montana Standard|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/was-butte-s-population-really-during-its-heyday/article_9ce24fa7-bb4e-5661-848a-52fccf142759.html|title=Was Butte's population really 100,000 during its heyday?|date=January 24, 2016|access-date=October 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502014817/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/was-butte-s-population-really-during-its-heyday/article_9ce24fa7-bb4e-5661-848a-52fccf142759.html|archive-date=May 2, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The variance in population reports has been attributed to the city's near-constant fluctuation of visitors, immigrants, and temporary boarders during this time.{{sfn|Everett|2007|p=3}}}} The city's population sank to a minimum around 1990 and has stabilized since then; the apparent jump in the 1980 census was due to the city's consolidation with all of [[Silver Bow County]] except [[Walkerville, Montana|Walkerville]].

==Economy==
As a mining boom town, Butte's economy was historically powered by its copious mining operations. Silver and gold were initially the primary metals mined in Butte, but the abundance of copper in the area further invigorated the local economy with the advent of electricity, which created a soaring demand for the metal.<ref name=deq/> After [[World War I]], Butte's mining economy experienced a downward trend that continued throughout the 20th century, until mining operations ceased in 1985 with the closure of the Berkeley Pit.<ref name=deq/> Over the course of its history, the city's mining operations generated over $48 billion worth of ore, making it for a time the richest city in the world.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[CNET|c{{pipe}}net]]|title=How mining nearly killed the 'richest hill on Earth'|author=Terdiman, Daniel|date=July 20, 2009|access-date=October 31, 2017|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/how-mining-nearly-killed-the-richest-hill-on-earth/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107022733/https://www.cnet.com/news/how-mining-nearly-killed-the-richest-hill-on-earth/|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Much of the city's economy since 2000 has been focused in energy companies (such as the [[Renewable Energy Corporation]] and [[NorthWestern Energy]]) and healthcare.<ref name=top10/> In 2014, NorthWestern Energy constructed a $25-million facility in uptown.<ref name=economy>{{cite web|work=The Montana Standard|author=Hinick, Walter|url=http://mtstandard.com/business/state-of-the-economy-on-the-richest-hill-on-earth/article_3ea72864-3fb7-586b-bff7-f7cb09480741.html|date=June 26, 2016|access-date=October 29, 2017|title=State of the economy on the 'Richest Hill on Earth'|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818075317/http://mtstandard.com/business/state-of-the-economy-on-the-richest-hill-on-earth/article_3ea72864-3fb7-586b-bff7-f7cb09480741.html|archive-date=August 18, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Government ==
[[File:Mansfield Fed Courthouse.JPG|thumb|right|[[Mike Mansfield Federal Building and United States Courthouse|Mike Mansfield Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse]] in Butte]]

=== Local government ===
In 1977, Butte consolidated with [[Silver Bow County, Montana|Silver Bow County]], becoming a [[consolidated city-county]]. It operates under a city-county government. The office of the mayor was eliminated. Mario Micone was the last mayor of Butte. In 1977, he became the first Chief Executive of Butte-Silver Bow County.<ref name=facts>{{cite web|work=The City and County of Butte-Silver Bow, Montana|title=Community Factsheet|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130221627/http://co.silverbow.mt.us/377/Community-Factsheet|url=http://co.silverbow.mt.us/377/Community-Factsheet|archive-date=November 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mtgenweb.com/silverbow/mayors_of_butte.htm |title=Mayors of Butte, Montana |publisher=mtgenweb.com |access-date=July 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720170937/http://www.mtgenweb.com/silverbow/mayors_of_butte.htm |archive-date=July 20, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Politics ===
Politically, Butte has historically been a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] stronghold, owing to its union legacy. Likewise, Silver Bow County has historically been one of Montana's strongest Democratic bastions.<ref name=bluest>{{cite web|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/butte-the-bluest-of-the-blue/article_4d59a0a7-12b0-5910-bfa7-d6b53a53f981.html|work=The Montana Standard|title=Butte: The bluest of the blue|date=September 15, 2014|author=Johnson, Charles S.|access-date=October 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107055118/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/butte-the-bluest-of-the-blue/article_4d59a0a7-12b0-5910-bfa7-d6b53a53f981.html|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=The New York Times|url=https://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/21/presidential-geography-montana/|title=Presidential Geography: Montana|author=Cohen, Micah|access-date=October 31, 2017|series=FiveThirtyEight|date=June 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708173901/https://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/21/presidential-geography-montana/|archive-date=July 8, 2017|url-status=live}} {{closed access}}</ref> In 1996, Haley Beaudry became the first Republican to represent Butte in the state legislature since 1950.<ref name=bluest/> In 2010, [[Max Yates]] was the next Butte Republican elected to the legislature; neither Beaudry nor Yates was reelected.<ref name=bluest/> In 2014, Butte became the third city in Montana to pass an anti-[[discrimination]] ordinance protecting [[LGBT]] residents and visitors from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations.<ref>{{cite web|work=Human Rights Campaign|url=https://www.hrc.org/blog/butte-county-commission-passes-non-discrimination-ordinance|title=Montana's Butte County Commission Passes Non-Discrimination Ordinance|date=February 20, 2014|access-date=November 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311120611/https://www.hrc.org/blog/butte-county-commission-passes-non-discrimination-ordinance|archive-date=March 11, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{Hidden begin
|titlestyle = background:#ccccff;
|title = Presidential elections results, 1980&ndash;{{efn|Since the city and county did not consolidate until 1977, prior election results reflect the county only and not the city.}}
}}
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"
|+ Presidential elections results<ref name=DL>{{cite web|url=http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/comparemaps.php?year=2008&fips=30&f=1&off=0&elect=0|title=Presidential Atlas|author=David Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=April 2, 2018}}</ref>
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Year
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
! [[Third Party (United States)|Third parties]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[2020 United States presidential election in Montana|2020]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|41.5% ''7,745''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''55.7%''' ''10,392''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.8% ''521''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Montana, 2016|2016]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|38.8% ''6,376''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''52.4%''' ''8,619''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.9% ''1,457''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Montana, 2012|2012]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|32.4% ''5,430''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''64.8%''' ''10,857''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.8% ''469''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Montana, 2008|2008]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|28.3% ''4,818''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''68.5%''' ''11,676''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.2% ''548''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Montana, 2004|2004]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|39.7% ''6,381''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''57.9%''' ''9,307''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.5% ''396''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Montana, 2000|2000]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|37.7% ''6,299''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''53.7%''' ''8,967''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.6% ''1,437''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Montana, 1996|1996]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|22.1% ''3,909''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''63.4%''' ''11,199''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|14.5% ''2,569''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Montana, 1992|1992]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|19.2% ''3,491''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''54.9%''' ''9,960''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|25.9% ''4,695''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Montana, 1988|1988]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|30.2% ''5,043''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''68.5%''' ''11,422''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.3% ''222''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Montana, 1984|1984]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|36.9% ''6,637''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''61.6%''' ''11,095''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.5% ''278''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Montana, 1980|1980]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|37.7% ''7,301''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''50.2%''' ''9,721''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|12.2% ''2,355''
|}
{{Hidden end}}

==Culture==
[[File:Butte American values.jpg|thumb|center|upright=2.5|Butte American values]]

===Historical sites and museums===
[[File:William A. Clark home (Copper King Mansion).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Copper King Mansion]], built between 1884 and 1888 for magnate [[William A. Clark]]]]
[[File:Montana Folk Festival.jpg|thumb|upright|right|A crowd gathers for the Montana Folk Festival in 2015. "The Original" [[headframe]] is converted into a stage during the annual festival.]]

Butte is home to numerous museums and other educational institutions chronicling its history. In 2002, Butte was one of only 12 U.S. towns to be named a Distinctive Destination by the [[National Trust for Historic Preservation]].<ref name=enc>{{cite web|work=City of [[Northampton, Massachusetts]]|url=http://archive.northamptonma.gov/WebLink/0/edoc/487297/Dozen%20Distinctive%20Destinations%20-%20National%20Trust%20for%20Historic%20Preservation.pdf|title=Dozen Distinctive Destinations|access-date=October 30, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171029192106/http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://archive.northamptonma.gov/WebLink/0/edoc/487297/Dozen%2520Distinctive%2520Destinations%2520-%2520National%2520Trust%2520for%2520Historic%2520Preservation.pdf|archive-date=October 29, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=Mainstreet Uptown Butte|title=About|url=http://www.mainstreetbutte.org/aboutus.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051231145555/http://www.mainstreetbutte.org/aboutus.htm|archive-date=December 31, 2005|access-date=October 30, 2017}}</ref> The Butte Silver Bow Public Library, at 226 W. Broadway, is dedicated to preserving the town's history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buttepubliclibrary.info|title=Butte Public Library|access-date=October 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027185107/http://buttepubliclibrary.info/|archive-date=October 27, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The library was created in 1894<!--based on p. 1 of the JSTOR piece--> as "an antidote to the miners' proclivity for drinking, whoring, and gambling," designed to promote middle-class values and to promote an image of Butte as a cultivated city.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Daniel F. |last=Ring |title=The Origins of the Butte Public Library: Some Further Thoughts on Public Library Development in the State of Montana |journal=[[Information & Culture|Libraries & Culture]] |date=1993 |volume=28 |issue=4 |pages=430–444 |jstor=25542594}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |publisher = T.E. Butler |location = Butte |title = Catalogue of Books in the Butte Free Public Library |date = 1894 |ol = 7167999M }}</ref> Additionally, the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives stores and provides public access to documents and artifacts from Butte's past.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bsb-mt.us/149/Archives|title=Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives|work=The City and County of Butte-Silver Bow, Montana|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018155120/http://www.bsb-mt.us/149/Archives|archive-date=October 18, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Butte Silver Bow Acrhives.jpg|thumb|Theodore Roosevelt statement Butte was mercurial]]

[[File:Digenite--pyrite Leonard Mine, Butte Montana.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|left|[[Digenite]]-pyrite specimen from the old Leonard Mine, display at MBMG Mineral Museum]]
Several museums and attractions are dedicated to the city's mining history, including the MBMG Mineral Museum (on the [[Montana Tech of The University of Montana|Montana Tech]] campus), and the World Museum of Mining, at the Orphan Girl mine in uptown Butte, which features "Hell Roarin' Gulch", a mockup of a frontier mining town.<ref>{{cite web|work=The World History of Mining|title=History|url=http://miningmuseum.org/history/|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224071017/http://miningmuseum.org/history/|archive-date=December 24, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Berkeley Pit]], a gigantic former open pit copper mine, is also open to the public for viewing.<ref name=bp/> Other museums are dedicated to preserving cultural elements of Butte: The [[Dumas Brothel|Dumas Brothel museum]], a former brothel, is in [[Venus Alley]], Butte's former historical [[red-light district]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Venus Alley|author=Giecek, Rudy|pages=1–5|publisher=Red Light Publishing|year=2005|isbn= 978-0-974-70820-1}}</ref> Another notable site is the Rookwood Speakeasy, a prohibition-era [[speakeasy]] that features an [[underground city]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/ktvm/recovering-history-a-look-inside-buttes-underground_20160509154333294/9173303|work=NBC Montana|title=Recovering history: A look inside Butte's underground|author=Hill, Donovan|date=February 6, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171029193110/http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/ktvm/recovering-history-a-look-inside-buttes-underground_20160509154333294/9173303|archive-date=October 29, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the [[Mai Wah Museum]], dedicated to preserving [[Asian people|Asian]] heritage in the Rocky Mountains.<ref>{{cite web|work=The Montana Standard|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/butte-in-no-mai-wah-museum/article_577a277d-0e01-5170-9290-7eee2ee3cb54.html|date=August 30, 2014|access-date=October 30, 2017|title=Butte in 75, No. 20: Mai Wah Museum|url-status=live|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107022729/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/butte-in-no-mai-wah-museum/article_577a277d-0e01-5170-9290-7eee2ee3cb54.html}}</ref>

The 34-room [[Copper King Mansion]] in uptown Butte was constructed in 1884 by [[William A. Clark]], one of the city's three [[Copper Kings]].<ref name=scandal/> The mansion functions as a bed-and-breakfast and local museum, and is often reported to be [[List of reportedly haunted locations in the United States|haunted]].<ref>{{cite web|work=ABC FOX Montana|url=http://www.abcfoxmontana.com/story/27170202/buttes-haunted-history|title=Butte's Haunted History|access-date=October 30, 2017|date=October 30, 2014|archive-date=October 29, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171029194335/http://www.abcfoxmontana.com/story/27170202/buttes-haunted-history|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Art Chateau, at one time home to Clark's son, Charles, was designed in the image of a French [[château]], and houses the Butte-Silver Bow Arts Foundation.<ref>{{cite web|work=The Montana Standard|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/art-chateau-ghost/article_71114c2f-3d41-5204-a054-19915554791c.html|title=Art Chateau Ghost|access-date=October 30, 2017|date=August 14, 2001|author=Stauffer, Roberta Forsell|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107014503/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/art-chateau-ghost/article_71114c2f-3d41-5204-a054-19915554791c.html|archive-date=November 7, 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Our Lady of the Rockies Butte America.jpg|thumb|Our Lady of the Rockies, Butte, America]]

Above Butte on the northeast edge of the city is the ''[[Our Lady of the Rockies]]'' statue, a {{convert|90|ft|m|adj=on}} statue of the [[Blessed Virgin Mary]], dedicated to women and mothers everywhere, atop the [[Continental Divide of the Americas|Continental Divide]].{{sfn|Finn|1998|p=222}} The statue was airlifted to the site on December 17, 1985, after six years of construction.<ref>{{cite web|work=The Montana Standard|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/our-lady-of-the-rockies-timeline/article_a7bd8c9e-9541-56b3-998c-ff59896930aa.html|title=Our Lady of the Rockies timeline|access-date=October 30, 2017|date=December 20, 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171029202649/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/our-lady-of-the-rockies-timeline/article_a7bd8c9e-9541-56b3-998c-ff59896930aa.html|archive-date=October 29, 2017|url-status=live}} {{small|(Archive link requires scroll down).}}</ref> Butte is also home to the U.S. High Altitude Speed Skating Center, an outdoor speed-skating rink used as a training location for [[ISU Speed Skating World Cup|World Cup]] skaters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/ktvm/former-olympic-athletes-reminisce-about-buttes-high-altitude-skating-center-world-cups_20160509194538983/9557940|work=NBC Montana|access-date=October 29, 2017|title=Former Olympic athletes reminisce about Butte's high-altitude skating center World Cups|date=February 11, 2014|author=Gedeon, Jacqueline|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171029201050/http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/ktvm/former-olympic-athletes-reminisce-about-buttes-high-altitude-skating-center-world-cups_20160509194538983/9557940|archive-date=October 29, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Throughout uptown and western Butte are over ten underground mine [[headframe]]s that are remnants from the town's mining industry. These include the Anselmo, the Steward, the Original, the Travona, the Belmont, the Kelly, the Mountain Con, the Lexington, the Bell/Diamond, the Granite Mountain, and the Badger. As part of a community project started around 2004, several headframes were repainted and outlined with [[LED lamp|LED]] lights which are illuminated at night.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/butte-in-no-steel-sentinels-headframes-loom-large-as-reminders/article_551da00e-049f-11e4-b0fa-001a4bcf887a.html|work=The Montana Standard|title=Butte in 75, No. 75: Steel sentinels: Headframes loom large as reminders, attractions|date=July 6, 2014|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107024833/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/butte-in-no-steel-sentinels-headframes-loom-large-as-reminders/article_551da00e-049f-11e4-b0fa-001a4bcf887a.html|url-status=live|archive-date=November 7, 2017}}</ref>

===Events and traditions===
[[File:St Patrick's Day celebration, Butte Montana (2007).jpg|thumb|St. Patrick's Day festival in Butte; the city is home to the largest number of [[Irish Americans]] per capita of any city in the United States.<ref name=irish/>]]
Butte's longstanding [[Irish Catholics|Irish Catholic]] community (the largest per capita of any U.S. city)<ref name=irish>{{cite web|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=March 12, 2017|url=http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-montana-irish-meagher-20170312-htmlstory.html|title=Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in the most Irish place in the U.S.--and we're not talking about Boston|access-date=October 30, 2017|author=Pockock, Joanna|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107022552/http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-montana-irish-meagher-20170312-htmlstory.html|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}} {{closed access}}</ref> has been celebrated annually on St. Patrick's Day since 1882. Each year, about 30,000 revelers<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.krtv.com/story/34900092/police-prep-for-potentially-rowdy-st-patricks-day-in-butte|work=KRTV|title=Police prep for potentially rowdy St. Patrick's Day in Butte|author=Emeigh, John|date=March 15, 2017|access-date=April 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316020824/http://www.krtv.com/story/34900092/police-prep-for-potentially-rowdy-st-patricks-day-in-butte|archive-date=March 16, 2017}}</ref> converge on Butte's Uptown district to enjoy the parade led by the [[Ancient Order of Hibernians]].<ref name=irish/> Also, local descendants of [[Finnish Americans]] celebrate [[Saint Urho|St. Urho's Day]] every year on March 16.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://explore.virtualmontana.com/2015/03/butte-and-the-legend-of-saint-urho/|title=Butte and the Legend of Saint Urho|first=Bert|last=Carlstrom|website=Virtual Montana|date=6 March 2015|access-date=16 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/a/3-9960509|title="Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää Buttesta!" – Suomi elää amerikkalaisen mainarikaupungin muistoissa|first=Mika|last=Hentunen|work=[[Yle]]|date=3 December 2017|access-date=16 June 2023|language=fi}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://mtstandard.com/celebrating-st-urhos-day-in-butte-america/collection_f57ce21a-c4e6-11ed-a0a3-1b058809e18a.html#1|title=Celebrating St. Urho's Day in Butte, America|first=Meagan|last=Thompson|work=The Montana Standard|date=17 March 2023|access-date=16 June 2023}}</ref>

[[File:Evel Knievel Days, Keith Sayers FMX, Butte, America 2008.jpg|thumb|Evel Knievel Days 2008, Keith Sayers FMX]]
A larger annual celebration is [[Evel Knievel]] Days, held on the last weekend of July, celebrating Evel Knievel (a Butte native).<ref name=evel>{{cite web|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/friday-evening-and-saturday-s-schedule-for-evel-knievel-days/article_0181cefc-bcfd-537c-9230-07051c4e30c2.html|work=The Montana Standard|title=Friday evening, and Saturday's schedule for Evel Knievel Days 2017|date=July 28, 2017|access-date=October 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729013816/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/friday-evening-and-saturday-s-schedule-for-evel-knievel-days/article_0181cefc-bcfd-537c-9230-07051c4e30c2.html|archive-date=July 29, 2017}} {{small|(Archive link requires scroll down).}}</ref> The weekend-long event, held in Uptown Butte, features various stunt performances, sporting competitions, fundraisers, and live music.<ref name=evel/>

Butte is perhaps becoming most renowned for the regional Montana Folk Festival<ref name=historyculture>{{cite web|url=http://www.co.silverbow.mt.us/481/History-Culture|work=The City and County of Butte-Silver Bow, Montana|title=History & Culture|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130223252/http://www.co.silverbow.mt.us/481/History-Culture|archive-date=November 30, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> held on the second weekend in July. This event began its run in Butte as the National Folk Festival from 2008 to 2010 and in 2011 made the transition to a free-of-admission music festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://montanafolkfestival.com/pages/more/about.php|work=Montana Folk Festival|title=About|access-date=October 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171023215100/http://montanafolkfestival.com/pages/more/about.php|archive-date=October 23, 2017}}</ref> Also in the summer is Butte's [[Independence Day (United States)|Fourth of July]] Parade and Fireworks show.<ref>{{cite web|work=The Montana Standard|title=Shell shocked|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/shell-shocked/article_e44cffc8-f181-51fe-ad6a-82ebe7a2b8ca.html|access-date=May 1, 2018|date=July 4, 2006|author=Duganz, Pat|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180502140324/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/shell-shocked/article_e44cffc8-f181-51fe-ad6a-82ebe7a2b8ca.html|archive-date=May 2, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008, [[Barack Obama]] spent the last Fourth of July before his presidency campaigning in Butte, taking in the parade with his family, and celebrating his daughter [[Malia Obama]]'s 10th birthday.<ref>
{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2008-07-05-2937395846_x.htm|title=Play of the Day: Malia Obama's best birthday|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208232357/https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2008-07-05-2937395846_x.htm|archive-date=December 8, 2008|work=USA Today|access-date=March 20, 2009|last=Loven|first=Jennifer| date=July 5, 2008}}</ref>

[[File:Montana Folk Festival, Butte, America.jpg|thumb|center|upright=1.75|Montana Folk Festival, Butte, America]]

[[File:M & M Bar & Cafe, Butte, America.jpg|thumb|M & M Bar & Cafe, Butte, America]]
Butte's legacy of immigrants lives on in the form of various local cuisine, including the [[Pasty|Cornish pasty]], popularized by mine workers who needed something easy to eat in the mines, the [[povitica]]—a Slavic nut bread pastry which is a holiday favorite sold in many supermarkets and bakeries in Butte<ref>{{cite web|work=The Montana Standard|title=Making povitica|url=http://mtstandard.com/special-section/local/making-povitica/article_e6350acf-9f08-577b-81f5-fa060ece6dee.html|author=Silve, Maryanne Davis|access-date=October 31, 2017|date=December 19, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107003751/http://mtstandard.com/special-section/local/making-povitica/article_e6350acf-9f08-577b-81f5-fa060ece6dee.html|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>—and the boneless porkchop sandwich.<ref name=historyculture/><ref>{{cite web|work=The Montana Standard|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/butte-s-pork-chop-john-dies-at/article_fc64ac53-6682-5978-925c-d29b925dcb1f.html|title=Butte's 'Pork Chop John' dies at 82|date=February 23, 2016|access-date=October 31, 2017|author=Dunlap, Susan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107023928/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/butte-s-pork-chop-john-dies-at/article_fc64ac53-6682-5978-925c-d29b925dcb1f.html|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Pekin Noodle Parlor]] in Uptown is the oldest family-owned, continuously operating Chinese restaurant in the U.S.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/03/dining/pekin-noodle-parlor-butte-montana.html|title=With Chop Suey and Loyal Fans, a Montana Kitchen Keeps the Flame Burning|author=Brett Anderson|date=August 3, 2021|work=The New York Times}}</ref>

==Environmental concerns==
===Berkeley Pit===
[[File:Berkeley Pit, Butte, Montana (45167982).jpg|thumb|left|Because its water contains high concentrations of metals such as copper and zinc, the Berkeley Pit is listed as a federal Superfund site.]]

After the [[Berkeley Pit]] mining operation closed in 1982, pipes that pumped groundwater out of the pit were turned off, resulting in the pit slowly filling with groundwater, creating an artificial lake.<ref name=bp>{{cite web|work=The Atlantic|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/12/berkeley-pit-geese/510089/|title=The Goose-Killing Lake and the Scientists Who Study It|author=Zhang, Sarah|date=December 13, 2016|access-date=October 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029173148/https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/12/berkeley-pit-geese/510089/|archive-date=October 29, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Only two years later the pit was classified as a [[Superfund]] site and an environmental hazard site. The water in the pit is contaminated with various hard metals, such as [[arsenic]], [[cadmium]], and [[zinc]].<ref name=bp/>

It was not until the 1990s that serious efforts to clean up the Berkeley Pit began. The situation gained even more attention after as many as 342 migrating geese chose the pit lake as a resting place, resulting in their deaths.<ref name=bp/> Steps have since been taken to prevent a recurrence, including but not limited to loudspeakers broadcasting sounds to scare off waterfowl. In November 2003, the Horseshoe Bend treatment facility went online and began treating and diverting much of the water that would have flowed into the pit.<ref name=kc>{{cite web|work=Billings Gazette|url=http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/some-worry-treatment-plant-won-t-keep-berkeley-pit-water/article_527666b3-a031-5c09-9b25-8a489e86eb04.html|title=Some worry treatment plant won't keep Berkeley Pit water in check|author=Christensen, Kelly|date=November 9, 2014|access-date=October 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029121227/http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/some-worry-treatment-plant-won-t-keep-berkeley-pit-water/article_527666b3-a031-5c09-9b25-8a489e86eb04.html|archive-date=October 29, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The Berkeley Pit is both a Superfund site and tourist attraction, viewable from an observation deck.<ref name=bp/> Per a 2014 report, scientists believe the Berkeley Pit may reach the critical water level—potentially contaminating Silver Bow Creek—by 2023.<ref name=kc/> Beginning in 2019, the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] ordered the Montana Resources and Atlantic Richfield Co. to begin treating water from the pit, which is to then be discharged into Silver Bow Creek at a rate of {{convert|7,000,000|USgal|L}} per day.<ref name=kc/> Nikia Greene, EPA project manager for [[mine flooding]], said in 2014: "The pit is a giant bathtub. There's a [[hydraulic gradient]] into the pit. We will never let the water reach the critical level."<ref name=kc/>

===Upper Clark Fork River===
The Upper [[Clark Fork (river)|Clark Fork River]], with Butte at the headwaters, is America's largest Superfund site, spanning {{convert|100|mi|km}}.<ref>{{cite book|title=Paddling Montana: A Guide to the State's Best Rivers|author=Fischer, Kit|pages=42–3|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2015|edition=3rd|isbn=978-1-493-01493-4}}</ref> This area takes in the cities of Butte, [[Anaconda, Montana|Anaconda]], and [[Missoula, Montana|Missoula]]. Butte's mining and smelting activity resulted in significant contamination of the Butte Hill as well as downstream and downwind areas. The [[contaminated land]] extends along a corridor of {{convert|120|mi|km|-1}} that reaches to Milltown and takes in adjacent areas such as the Anaconda smelter site. Contaminated sediment flooded out from abandoned mines was the root cause of the pollution at the headwaters of the Clark Fork River.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hcn.org/articles/contaminants-montanas-clark-fork-river-superfund-river-cleanup-mercury-pollution-mines|work=High Country News|title=Old mines still plague Montana's Clark Fork|author=McQuillan, Kindra|date=July 10, 2015|access-date=April 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423165957/https://www.hcn.org/articles/contaminants-montanas-clark-fork-river-superfund-river-cleanup-mercury-pollution-mines|archive-date=April 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> [[File:Ripple watershed research development community initiative.jpg|thumb|center|upright=1.5|
Butte community science and art education]]

Between the upstream city of Butte and the downstream city of Missoula lies the Deer Lodge Valley. By the 1970s, local citizens and agency personnel were increasingly concerned over the toxic effects of [[arsenic]] and heavy metals on environment and human health. The Anaconda Copper Mining Corporation (ACM), which merged with the Atlantic Richfield Corporation ([[ARCO]]) in 1977, is considered one of the parties responsible for the contamination.{{sfn|MacMillan|2000|pages=15–19}} Shortly thereafter, in 1983, ARCO ceased mining and smelting operations in the Butte-Anaconda area.<ref>{{cite book|title=Handbook of Pollution Control and Waste Minimization|pages=456–7|editor=Ghassemi, Abbas|publisher=CRC Press|year=2001|isbn=978-0-203-90793-1}}</ref>

For more than a century, the Anaconda Copper Mining company mined ore from Butte and smelted it in Butte (until {{circa}} 1920) and Anaconda. During this time, the Anaconda smelter released up to {{convert|40|ST|t|0|lk=on}} per day of arsenic, {{convert|1700|ST|t|-1}} per day of sulfur, and great quantities of lead and other heavy metals into the air.{{sfn|MacMillan|2000|pages=98, 234}} In Butte, mine tailings were dumped directly into Silver Bow Creek, creating a {{convert|150|mi|km}} plume of pollution extending down the valley to Milltown Dam on the Clark Fork River, just upstream of Missoula. Air- and waterborne pollution poisoned livestock and agricultural soils throughout the Deer Lodge Valley. Modern environmental cleanup efforts have continued into the 21st century.{{efn|As of 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains a database entry detailing the Silver Bow Creek/Butte area's pollution and cleanup efforts.<ref>{{cite web|work=Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)|url=https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0800416|title=Superfund Site: Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area|access-date=April 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110124825/https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0800416|archive-date=January 10, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

==Sports==
Playing for the [[Pioneer Baseball League]], the [[Butte Copper Kings]] were first active from 1979 to 1985, then 1987–2000; as of 2018, the team is known as the [[Grand Junction Rockies]].<ref>{{cite news|work=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/10/21/141595524/the-casper-ghosts-are-no-more-baseball-team-moves-to-colorado|title=The Casper Ghosts Are No More; Baseball Team Moves To Colorado|date=October 21, 2011|access-date=April 23, 2018|author=Chappell, Bill|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409044043/https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/10/21/141595524/the-casper-ghosts-are-no-more-baseball-team-moves-to-colorado|archive-date=April 9, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017, the [[3 Legends Stadium]] ballpark opened.<ref>{{cite news |title='3 Legends Stadium' grand opening ceremonies postponed to next Friday, May 26 |url=https://mtstandard.com/news/local/3-legends-stadium-grand-opening-ceremonies-postponed-to-next-friday-may-26/article_ee367721-cb6b-5b90-ba79-de6d07e2912b.html |access-date=October 29, 2020 |work=[[The Montana Standard]] |date=May 19, 2017 |language=en}}</ref>

Hockey teams from Butte have included the [[Butte Irish]] ([[America West Hockey League]]) active from 1996 to 2002, after which they became the [[Wichita Falls Wildcats]];<ref>{{cite web|work=Montana Standard|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/hockey-league-quits-butte/article_4718fd5e-b83e-568a-990e-15839e2bb953.html|title=Hockey league quits Butte|access-date=April 23, 2018|author=Paisley, Joe|date=May 6, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423170417/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/hockey-league-quits-butte/article_4718fd5e-b83e-568a-990e-15839e2bb953.html|archive-date=April 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[Butte Roughriders]] ([[Northern Pacific Hockey League]]), active from 2003 to 2011.<ref>{{cite web|work=Missoulian|location=Missoula, Montana|url=http://missoulian.com/sports/maulers/maulers-other-teams-leaving-norpac/article_83367ee2-8d8e-11e0-9519-001cc4c002e0.html|title=Maulers, 3 other teams leaving NorPac|author=Heinbach, Michael|date=June 2, 2011|access-date=April 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423170733/http://missoulian.com/sports/maulers/maulers-other-teams-leaving-norpac/article_83367ee2-8d8e-11e0-9519-001cc4c002e0.html|archive-date=April 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The Butte Cobras, a [[Western States Hockey League]] team, was active from 2014 to 2017.<ref>{{cite web|author=Balderas, Al|url=http://mtstandard.com/sports/hockey/butte-cobras-moving-to-na-league-for/article_b3fcbc6f-1259-53b1-97f2-2a664136592a.html|work=The Montana Standard|title=Butte Cobras moving to NA3 League for 2017-18|date=May 30, 2017|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107003931/http://mtstandard.com/sports/hockey/butte-cobras-moving-to-na-league-for/article_b3fcbc6f-1259-53b1-97f2-2a664136592a.html|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The Cobras then bought the Glacier Nationals franchise in the [[North American 3 Hockey League]] (NA3HL) for the 2017–18 season,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://na3hl.com/news/story.cfm?id=21180|work=North American 3 Hockey League|title=Glacier Nationals sold, relocated to Butte, Montana to become Cobras|access-date=May 1, 2018|date=May 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180502140459/http://na3hl.com/news/story.cfm?id=21180|archive-date=May 2, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> but the team went dormant prior to playing the season.<ref>{{cite web|work=406 MT Sports|url=http://406mtsports.com/hockey/butte-cobras-billings-bulls-go-dormant-week-ahead-of-/article_dc6b9fde-fa2e-59af-b65e-fcfe37d37c13.html|title=Butte Cobras, Billings Bulls go dormant 1 week ahead of 2017-18 season|author=Shockley, Troy|date=September 8, 2017|access-date=April 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912223544/http://406mtsports.com/hockey/butte-cobras-billings-bulls-go-dormant-week-ahead-of-/article_dc6b9fde-fa2e-59af-b65e-fcfe37d37c13.html|archive-date=September 12, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> They eventually began playing in the NA3HL for the 2018–19 season.

The [[Butte Daredevils]] ([[Continental Basketball Association]]), active from 2006 to 2008, were named for Butte native [[Evel Knievel]].<ref>{{cite web|work=Missoulian|location=Missoula, Montana|url=http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/cba-commissioner-says-butte-daredevils-are-defunctposted-on-aug/article_36c0e596-c372-5968-8086-db057f84601b.html|title=CBA commissioner says Butte Daredevils are defunctPosted on Aug. 15|date=August 15, 2008|agency=Associated Press|access-date=April 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423170805/http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/cba-commissioner-says-butte-daredevils-are-defunctposted-on-aug/article_36c0e596-c372-5968-8086-db057f84601b.html|archive-date=April 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

University teams include the [[Montana Technological University|Montana Tech]] Orediggers, who have competed in the [[Frontier Conference]] of the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] since the league's founding in 1952. The school hosts men's and women's basketball, football, golf, and women's volleyball.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.godiggers.com|work=godiggers.com|title=Montana Tech Orediggers|publisher=Montana Tech|access-date=April 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423170804/http://www.godiggers.com/|archive-date=April 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2020, Butte was awarded a team in the [[Expedition League]] to begin play in May 2021.<ref>{{cite news |title=Expedition League expands to Butte |url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2020/10/09/expedition-league-expands-to-butte/ |access-date=October 9, 2020 |newspaper=Ballpark Digest |date=October 9, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

==Transportation==
[[File:Montana street, Butte, America.jpg|thumb|Montana street, Butte, America]]
The city is served by the Butte Bus system, which operates within Butte as well as to the Montana Tech campus and nearby [[Walkerville, Montana|Walkerville]].<ref>{{cite web|work=The City and County of Butte-Silverbow Montana|title=Transit Services|access-date=October 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323025651/http://co.silverbow.mt.us/178/Transit-Services|url=http://co.silverbow.mt.us/178/Transit-Services|archive-date=March 23, 2017}}</ref> Intercity bus service is provided by [[Jefferson Lines]] and Salt Lake Express.<ref>{{Cite web| title = The Butte Bus : Connecting Services| access-date = 2021-11-09| url = https://buttebus.org/connecting-services/}}</ref> [[Bert Mooney Airport]] has commercial flights on [[Delta Connection]] Airlines.

[[File:Homestake pass, Butte, America.jpg|thumb|Homestake pass, Butte, America]]

Butte can be accessed via [[Interstate 15]] from north–south, and [[Interstate 90]] from east–west; the two intersect in Butte, making Butte and Billings the only cities in Montana situated at a juncture of two interstate highways. The city can also be accessed from the south via [[Montana Highway 2]] (Old U.S. Route 10).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.co.silverbow.mt.us/507/Getting-Here|work=The City and County of Butte-Silver Bow|title=Getting Here|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110115455/http://www.co.silverbow.mt.us/507/Getting-Here|archive-date=January 10, 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Butte, America train.jpg|thumb|Butte, America train]]
The [[Union Pacific Railroad]] until 1971 ran the ''[[Butte Special]]'' from Butte, south to [[Idaho Falls]], then to [[Salt Lake City]]. Until 1979 Butte was served by [[Amtrak]]'s [[Chicago]] – [[Seattle]] ''[[North Coast Hiawatha]]'' train.

==Education==
[[File:MontanaTecGate.jpg|thumb|right|Entrance of Montana Tech. A statue of [[Marcus Daly]] by [[Augustus Saint-Gaudens]] sits at the entrance.]]
[[Butte Public Schools]] has two components: Butte Elementary School District and Butte High School District.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apps.opi.mt.gov/SchoolDirectory/frmdirectorydistrictpdf.aspx|title=Directory of Montana Schools|publisher=[[Montana Office of Public Instruction]]|date=2024-03-13|access-date=2024-03-13|pages=264–265/317}}</ref>  [[Whitehall Public Schools]] has two components: Whitehall Elementary School District and Whitehall High School District.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apps.opi.mt.gov/SchoolDirectory/frmdirectorydistrictpdf.aspx|title=Directory of Montana Schools|publisher=[[Montana Office of Public Instruction]]|date=2024-03-13|access-date=2024-03-13|pages=143/317}}</ref> The consolidated city-county is covered by multiple school districts. High school districts include Butte High School District and Whitehall High School District. There are five elementary school districts: Butte Elementary School District, [[Divide Elementary School District]], [[Melrose Elementary School District]], [[Ramsay Elementary School District]], and Whitehall Elementary School District.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st30_mt/schooldistrict_maps/c30093_silver_bow/DC20SD_C30093.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Silver Bow County, MT|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-10-04}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st30_mt/schooldistrict_maps/c30093_silver_bow/DC20SD_C30093_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>

[[Butte High School (Butte, Montana)|Butte High School]] enrolls around 1,300 students.<ref>{{cite web|work=U.S. News & World Report|title=Butte High School|url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/montana/districts/butte-school-district/butte-high-school-12044|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329033440/https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/montana/districts/butte-school-district/butte-high-school-12044|archive-date=March 29, 2017}}</ref> In correspondence with the Butte Public Schools system, the Butte Education Foundation was established in 2006, which aims to revitalize the public schools in an effort to attract new businesses and residents.<ref name=edfound>{{cite web|work=The Butte Education Foundation|title=History of the Foundation|url=http://butteeducationfoundation.org/History_of_the_foundation.aspx|access-date=November 3, 2017|archive-date=December 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151217185733/http://butteeducationfoundation.org/History_of_the_foundation.aspx}}</ref> In the foundation's mission statement, it is noted that there is a "need to demonstrate a genuine and ongoing commitment to public education. Schools are often the first thing visitors ask about when looking at Butte as a potential new home."<ref name=edfound/>

There are several private schools in Butte: The [[Butte Central Catholic High School]] operates under the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena|Diocese of Helena]],<ref>{{cite web|work=The Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena|title=High Schools|access-date=October 28, 2017|url=http://diocesehelena.org/education/high-schools/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219034730/http://diocesehelena.org/education/high-schools/|archive-date=December 19, 2014}}</ref> which also operates Butte Central Elementary, a Catholic [[elementary school]].<ref>{{cite web|work=The Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena|title=Elementary Schools|access-date=October 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219035236/http://diocesehelena.org/education/elementary-schools/|url=http://diocesehelena.org/education/elementary-schools/|archive-date=December 19, 2014}}</ref> Other private elementary schools include the Silver Bow [[Montessori school|Montessori School]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.silverbowmontessori.org|title=Silver Bow Montessori School|work=www.silverbowmontessori.org|access-date=November 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927222742/http://www.silverbowmontessori.org/|archive-date=September 27, 2017}}</ref>

The first institute of higher education in Butte was the Montana School of Mines, which was established in 1889, the year of Montana's statehood.<ref name=catalog>{{cite web|url=http://archive.umt.edu/catalog/13_14/affiliated/ummontech/default.html|work=University of Montana|title=Montana Tech of The University of Montana|series=2013–2014 Course Catalog|access-date=November 3, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171103211000/http://archive.umt.edu/catalog/13_14/affiliated/ummontech/default.html|archive-date=November 3, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> The university changed its name to [[Montana Technological University|Montana Tech]] in the mid-20th century, and in 1994 became affiliated with the [[University of Montana]].<ref name=ustech>{{Cite web|work=U.S. News & World Report|title=Montana Tech of the University of Montana|url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/montana-tech-2531|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707010158/https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/montana-tech-2531|archive-date=July 7, 2017}}</ref> The university specializes in engineering as well as [[Geology|geologic]] and [[Hydrogeology|hydrogeologic]] research.<ref name=catalog/> It was ranked no. 4 by ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' in 2017 for "Best Regional Colleges in the West."<ref name=ustech/> Montana Tech of the University of Montana officially changed its name to Montana Technological University in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mtstandard.com/news/local/montana-tech-officially-renamed-montana-technological-university/article_a8e74359-6279-5293-ab55-ce4fc0b90bb6.html |title=Montana Tech officially renamed Montana Technological University |date=May 24, 2018 |publisher=The Montana Standard |access-date=July 15, 2021}}</ref> Montana Technological University is also home to Highlands College, a two-year college that grants associate's and trade degrees.<ref>{{cite web|work=Montana Tech|title=Highlands College|url=http://www.mtech.edu/academics/highlands/|access-date=November 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905211753/http://www.mtech.edu/academics/highlands/|archive-date=September 5, 2017}}</ref>

==Media==
===Radio and television===
Major [[AM broadcasting|AM]] stations in Butte are [[KBOW]] AM 550 (country) and [[KXTL]] 1370 (oldies and [[talk radio]]).<ref name=radio>{{cite web|work=Streaming Radio Guide|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170612005405/http://streamingradioguide.com/radio-station-list-by-state.php?state=MT|archive-date=June 12, 2017|url=http://streamingradioguide.com/radio-station-list-by-state.php?state=MT|title=Radio and TV Stations in Montana|access-date=October 30, 2017}} {{small|(Link requires scroll down).}}</ref> [[FM broadcasting|FM]] stations include [[KFGL]] 88.1 (Christian), [[KAPC]] 91.3 [[Montana Public Radio]] (via the [[University of Montana]]); [[KAAR]] 92.5 (country); [[KOPR]] 94.1 (classic rock), [[KMBR]] 95.5 (mainstream rock), [[KQRV]] 96.9 (country), [[KGLM]] 97.7 (contemporary), [[KMSM-FM]] 103.9 ([[Variety (US radio)|variety]]), and KBMF 102.5 [[community radio]] ([[classical music|classical]]; via [[Montana State University]]).<ref name=radio/>

Butte shares its [[Nielsen Media Research|Nielsen]] market with nearby [[Bozeman, Montana|Bozeman]], with which it forms the 194th largest TV market in the United States. Local television stations include: [[KXLF]] (Channel 4), an affiliate of [[CBS]], member of the [[Montana Television Network]] (MTN) and the oldest broadcast television station in the state of Montana; KTVM (Channel 6), an [[NBC]] affiliate that is part of the regional [[NBC Montana]] network; [[KUSM]] (Channel 9), a [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] member station broadcasting out of [[Montana State University]] in Bozeman; and [[KWYB]] (Channel 19), an [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate with [[Fox Broadcasting Company|FOX]] on its second digital subchannel and last of the "Big Three" networks to come into the market. Prior to KWYB's sign-on, Butte received ABC from the network's then-Denver affiliate [[KUSA-TV]] in [[Denver, Colorado]] and FOX from now-defunct Butte station [[KBTZ]].<ref>{{cite book|page=254|title=Censored 2007: The Top 25 Censored Stories|editor=Phillips, Peter|year=2011|publisher=Seven Stories Press|isbn=978-1-583-22976-7}}</ref>

===Newspapers===
Butte has one local daily, a weekly paper, as well as several papers from around the state. ''[[The Montana Standard]]'' is Butte's daily paper. It was founded in 1928 and is the result of ''The Butte Miner'' and the ''[[Anaconda, Montana|Anaconda]] Standard'' merging into one daily paper.<ref name=loc>{{cite web|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024813/|title=About The Montana standard. (Butte, Mont.) 1928-1961|work=[[Library of Congress]]|series=Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers|access-date=October 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220213815/https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024813/|archive-date=February 20, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The ''Standard'' is owned by [[Lee Enterprises]]. ''The Butte Weekly'' is another local paper.<ref>{{cite web|work=The Montana Standard|url=http://mtstandard.com/business/butte-weekly-to-begin-new-year-with-new-owner/article_3cd45be2-1401-558d-9747-99d5feecb60f.html|title=Butte Weekly to begin New Year with new owner|author=Pentilla, Annie|date=December 29, 2016|access-date=April 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425115208/http://mtstandard.com/business/butte-weekly-to-begin-new-year-with-new-owner/article_3cd45be2-1401-558d-9747-99d5feecb60f.html|archive-date=April 25, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
===Film and television===
Butte has appeared in numerous films. The first film to notably feature Butte was ''[[Evel Knievel (1971 film)|Evel Knievel]]'' (1971), a [[biopic]] of [[Evel Knievel]], a Butte native.<ref>{{cite book|author=Montville, Leigh|page=5|title=Evel: The High-Flying Life of Evel Knievel: American Showman, Daredevil, and Legend|publisher=Knopf Doubleday|isbn=978-0-767-93052-9|year=2012}}</ref> The 1976 thriller ''[[The Killer Inside Me (1976 film)|The Killer Inside Me]]'', starring [[Stacy Keach]] and [[Susan Tyrrell]] and set in small-town Montana, was partially shot in Butte in September 1974.<ref>{{cite news|work=The Montana Standard|title=Fire sends actors scurrying|date=September 12, 1974|page=13}}</ref> The city was featured in ''[[Runaway Train (film)|Runaway Train]]'' (1985), shot in part on the [[Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railway]],<ref>{{cite web|work=AlaskaRails.org|title=Runaway Train|url=http://www.alaskarails.org/sf/film/runaway-train/|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041213182654/http://www.alaskarails.org/sf/film/runaway-train/|archive-date=December 13, 2004}}</ref> and in the miniseries ''[[Return to Lonesome Dove]]'' (1993).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://billingsgazette.com/news/features/magazine/western-movies-turn-montana-takes-star-turn-in-film/article_bb4dcd26-cd71-5ca5-8fee-6304bc5045ea.html|author=Meyers, Christene|date=September 20, 2003|access-date=December 28, 2016|title=Western movies turn 100: Montana takes star turn in film|work=Billings Gazette|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107004612/http://billingsgazette.com/news/features/magazine/western-movies-turn-montana-takes-star-turn-in-film/article_bb4dcd26-cd71-5ca5-8fee-6304bc5045ea.html|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Other films shot in Butte include ''[[F.T.W. (film)|F.T.W.]]'' (1994).<ref>{{cite web|work=Film in America|title=The Last Ride|url=http://www.filminamerica.com/Movies/TheLastRide/|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-date=December 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225014143/http://www.filminamerica.com/Movies/TheLastRide/}}</ref>

The animated film ''[[Beavis and Butt-head Do America]]'' (1996) depicts Butte.<ref>{{cite web|work=Billings Gazette|url=http://billingsgazette.com/entertainment/movies/when-in-beavis-and-butthead-do-america-beavis-and-butthead/youtube_1a82b8ae-414b-5662-9f1d-33956a4c724f.html|title=When, in "Beavis and Butthead Do America," Beavis and Butthead travel through Butte and call it "Butt"|date=February 9, 2015|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171030200940/http://billingsgazette.com/news/features/magazine/western-movies-turn-montana-takes-star-turn-in-film/article_bb4dcd26-cd71-5ca5-8fee-6304bc5045ea.html|archive-date=October 30, 2017|url-status=live}} {{small|(Archive link requires scroll down).}}</ref> In 2004, the [[Wim Wenders]] film ''[[Don't Come Knocking]]'' was set and shot in Butte.<ref>{{cite news|work=The Montana Standard|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/former-butte-girls-in-l-a-review-don-t-come/article_b35bb595-e603-5199-a0e9-0e535b11991c.html|title=Former Butte girls in L.A. review 'Don't Come Knocking'|date=March 24, 2006|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920212901/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/former-butte-girls-in-l-a-review-don-t-come/article_b35bb595-e603-5199-a0e9-0e535b11991c.html|archive-date=September 20, 2015|url-status=live}} {{small|(Archive link requires scroll down).}}</ref> In 2015, the [[SyFy]]-produced horror film ''[[Dead 7]]'', which starred [[Nick Carter]] and [[AJ McLean]] of the [[Backstreet Boys]], as well as [[Joey Fatone]] of [[NSYNC]], was shot at the city's Anselmo Mine yards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/dead-on-location/image_1fc08ccb-919c-5ae6-923e-3173df2703e1.html|work=The Montana Standard|title='Dead 7' on location|date=August 22, 2015|access-date=October 30, 2017|author=Hinick, Walter|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150829163610/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/dead-on-location/image_1fc08ccb-919c-5ae6-923e-3173df2703e1.html|url-status=live|archive-date=August 29, 2015}} {{small|(Archive link requires scroll down).}}</ref> The 2019 film [[Juanita (2019 film)|''Juanita'']] is set in Butte.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

The city has been subject of several documentary films, including ''Die Vergessene Stadt: Butte, Montana'' (1992), a German documentary by Thomas Schadt,<ref>{{cite web|work=Big Sky Documentary Film Festival|url=http://www.bigskyfilmfest.org/archives/archived_films-2015/die_vergessene_stadt_butte_montana/2014|title=Die Vergessene Stadt: Butte, Montana|access-date=December 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420044354/http://www.bigskyfilmfest.org/archives/archived_films-2015/die_vergessene_stadt_butte_montana/2014|archive-date=April 20, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> and ''[[Butte, America]]'' (2008), narrated by [[Gabriel Byrne]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/butte-america/|work=PBS|title=Butte, America|series=Independent Lens|access-date=October 30, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101223222945/http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/butte-america//|archive-date=December 23, 2010}}</ref>

===Literary depictions===
One of the earliest literary depictions of Butte was by [[Mary MacLane]], a diarist who wrote of her life growing up in the town at the turn of the 20th century. Her diaries are published under the title ''I Await the Devil's Coming'', and have been credited as a progenitor of [[confessional writing]].<ref>{{cite web|work=The Atlantic|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/03/the-forgotten-story-of-mary-maclane-1902s-racy-angsty-teenage-diarist/274149/|title=The Forgotten Story of Mary MacLane, 1902's Racy, Angsty Teenage Diarist|date=March 19, 2013|author=Reese, Hope|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107011433/https://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/03/the-forgotten-story-of-mary-maclane-1902s-racy-angsty-teenage-diarist/274149/|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Butte answers to the unflattering description of the fictional city of Poisonville in [[Dashiell Hammett]]'s novel ''[[Red Harvest]]'', which also alludes to the 1920 [[Anaconda Road Massacre]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=Red Harvest and Dashiell Hammett's Butte|publisher=Montana Tech at the University of Montana|author=Crowley, Jack|journal=The Montana Professor|date=2008|volume=18|number=2|url=http://mtprof.msun.edu/Spr2008/crowl.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501123915/http://mtprof.msun.edu/spr2008/crowl.html|archive-date=May 1, 2016}}</ref> The 1980 novel ''The Butte Polka'' by [[Donald McCaig]] also incorporates the city's mining history into its plot, featuring a character who goes missing from his post at a Butte copper mine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/donald-mccaig-2/the-butte-polka/|work=Kirkus Reviews|title=The Butte Polka by Donald McCaig|access-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107040312/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/donald-mccaig-2/the-butte-polka/|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

More contemporary literary depictions of Butte can be found in 1998's ''Buster Midnight's Cafe'' by Sandra Dallas<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|url=http://ew.com/article/1990/05/04/buster-midnights-cafe/|title=Buster Midnight's Cafe|date=May 4, 1990|access-date=October 30, 2017|author=Hodgman, George|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107013250/http://ew.com/article/1990/05/04/buster-midnights-cafe/|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> and Jon A. Jackson's [[historical fiction]] novel ''Go By Go'', which depicts the 1917 [[Speculator Mine disaster]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Go by Go|author=Jackson, Jon A.|publisher=Dennis McMillan Publications|year=1998|isbn= 978-0-939-76731-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dKLJuPip4OMC}}</ref> [[Ivan Doig]]'s 2010 novel ''Work Song'' and 2013 novel ''Sweet Thunder'' are set in Butte in 1919 and 1920 respectively, after World War I.<ref>{{cite web|work=Los Angeles Times|title=Book review: 'Work Song' by Ivan Doig|date=July 15, 2010|access-date=October 30, 2017|author=Rutten, Tim|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jul-15-la-et-rutten-20100714-story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529095004/http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/15/entertainment/la-et-rutten-20100714|archive-date=May 29, 2016|url-status=live}} {{closed access}}</ref> Michael Corrigan's ''Confessions of a Shanty Irishman'' has a chapter-story set in Butte during the Speculator mining disaster and riots.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}} Irish writer, [[Kevin Barry]]'s 2024 novel, ''The Heart in Winter'' draws on the history of late 19th century Butte, providing vivid depictions of the city's wild west atmosphere and characters, with particular attention to the Irish immigrants who lived there.

Novelist Marian Jensen has published a [[mystery fiction|mystery series]], ''Mining City Mysteries'', which is set in Butte and the surrounding region.<ref>{{cite web|title=Marian Jensen: A local author tells her tale|url=https://www.buttenews.net/index.php/daily-police-report/11-latest-news/4355-marian-jensen-a-local-author-tells-her-tale|work=Butte News|access-date=November 22, 2021|archive-date=November 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122110638/https://www.buttenews.net/index.php/daily-police-report/11-latest-news/4355-marian-jensen-a-local-author-tells-her-tale|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{Main|List of people from Butte, Montana}}

==Sister cities==
* [[Altensteig]], [[Baden-Württemberg]], Germany {{small|(since 1991)}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/a-cultural-experience-german-students-attend-butte-high-in-exchange/article_ab3bc0a6-e54a-11df-9b53-001cc4c002e0.html|author=Gevock, Nick|work=The Montana Standard|date=November 1, 2010|access-date=December 26, 2016|title=A cultural experience: German students attend Butte High in exchange program|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171029183708/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/a-cultural-experience-german-students-attend-butte-high-in-exchange/article_ab3bc0a6-e54a-11df-9b53-001cc4c002e0.html|archive-date=October 29, 2017|url-status=live}} {{small|(Archive link requires scroll down).}}</ref>
*[[Bytom]], [[Silesian Voivodeship]], Poland {{small|(since 2001)}}<ref>{{cite web|work=The Montana Standard|url=http://mtstandard.com/news/local/butte-officials-off-to-poland-to-meet-sister-city/article_01c3a601-14e0-5189-901f-8ffdd37846eb.html|date=May 18, 2001|access-date=October 29, 2017|author=Stauffer, Roberta Forsell|title=Butte officials off to Poland to meet sister city|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171029184155/http://mtstandard.com/news/local/butte-officials-off-to-poland-to-meet-sister-city/article_01c3a601-14e0-5189-901f-8ffdd37846eb.html|archive-date=October 29, 2017|url-status=live}} {{small|(Archive link requires scroll down).}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Montana}}
* [[List of municipalities in Montana]]
* [[Anaconda Copper Mine (Montana)]]
* [[Irish language outside Ireland]]
* [[Melrose, Montana]]
* [[Rocker, Montana]]
* [[Silver Bow, Montana]]
* [[St. John's Episcopal Church (Butte, Montana)|St. John's Episcopal Church]]
* [[List of Superfund sites in Montana]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist|2}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Works cited==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
*{{cite book|last=Calvert|first=Jerry|year=1988|title=The Gibraltar: Socialism and Labor in Butte, Montana|publisher=Montana Historical Society|isbn=978-0-917-29814-1}}
*{{cite book|last=Carlson|first=Peter|year=1984|title=Roughneck: The Life and Times of Big Bill Haywood|publisher=W. W. Norton and Company|isbn=978-0-393-30208-0}}
*{{cite book|last=Emmons|first= David|year=1989|title=The Butte Irish: Class and Ethnicity in an American Mining Town, 1875–1925|url=https://archive.org/details/butteirishclasse0000emmo|url-access=registration|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=978-0-252-06155-4}}
*{{cite book|last=Everett|first=George|year=2007|title=Butte Trivia|publisher=Riverbend Publishing Co.|isbn=978-1-931-83285-4|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/buttetriviathemo0000ever}}
*{{cite book|last=Finn|first=Janet L.|title=Mining Childhood: Growing Up in Butte, 1900-1960|year=2012|publisher=Montana Historical Society Press|isbn=978-0-980-12925-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Finn|first= Janet L.|title=Tracing the Veins: Of Copper, Culture, and Community from Butte to Chuquicamata|url=https://archive.org/details/tracingveinsofco00finn|url-access=registration|year=1998|publisher=University of California Press|isbn= 978-0-520-92007-1}}
*{{cite journal|last1=Gammons|first1=Christopher H.|last2=Metesh|first2=John J.|last3=Duaime|first3= Terence E.|title=An overview of the mining history and geology of Butte, Montana|journal= Mine Water and the Environment|volume=25|issue=2|year=2006|pages=70–5|doi=10.1007/s10230-006-0113-7|bibcode=2006MWE....25...70G |s2cid=140546065}}
*{{cite book|last=Glasscock|first= C. B.|title=The War of the Copper Kings: The Builders of Butte and the Wolves of Wall Street|year=1935|publisher=Grosset and Dunlap}} 
*{{cite book|last=Gordon|first=Meryl|year=2015|title=The Phantom of Fifth Avenue: The Mysterious Life and Scandalous Death of Heiress Huguette Clark|publisher=Grand Central Publishing|isbn=978-1-455-51265-2}}
*{{cite book|last=MacGibbon|first=Elma|title=Leaves of Knowledge|publisher=Shaw & Borden Co.|year=1904|url=https://www.sos.wa.gov/legacy/publicationsviewer/?title=Leaves%20of%20knowledge&id=63&page=7}} 
*{{cite book|last=MacMillan|first=Donald|title=Smoke Wars: Anaconda Copper, Montana Air Pollution, and the Courts, 1890–1924|publisher= Montana Historical Society Press|year=2000|isbn= 978-0-917-29865-3}}
*{{cite book|last1=Malone|first1=Michael P.|title=The Battle for Butte: Mining and Politics on the Northern Frontier, 1864–1906|publisher=[[University of Washington Press]]|year=2006|isbn= 978-0-295-80219-0|orig-year=1981}}
*{{cite journal|last=Malone|first=Michael|year=1985|title=The Close of the Copper Century|journal=Montana: The Magazine of Western History|volume=35|pages=69–72}}
*{{cite book|last1=Malone|first1=Michael|last2=Roeder|first2=Richard|last3=Lang|first3=William|year=1991|title=Montana: A History of Two Centuries|publisher=University of Washington Press|location=Seattle|isbn=978-0-295-97129-2}}
*{{cite journal|last=McCarthy|first=Bob J.|title=Re-Claiming Butte: The Doctrine of Subjacent Support|issue=49|volume=267|journal=Montana Law Review|year=1988}}
*{{cite book|last=Murphy|first=Mary|title=Mining Cultures: Men, Women, and Leisure in Butte, 1914–41|url=https://archive.org/details/miningculturesme0000murp|url-access=registration|publisher=University of Illinois Press|year=1997|isbn= 978-0-252-06569-9 }}
*{{cite book|last=Nash|first=June|year=1993|orig-year=1979|title=We Eat the Mines and the Mines Eat Us|publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-08051-4}}
*{{cite book|last=Punke|first=Michael|year=2006|title=Fire and Brimstone: The North Butte Mining Disaster of 1917|publisher=Hachette Books|isbn=978-1-401-30889-6|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/firebrimstonenor00punk}}
*{{cite book |editor-last1=Ring |editor-first1=Trudy |editor-last2=Watson |editor-first2=Noelle |editor-last3=Schellinger |editor-first3=Paul |year=2013 |title=The Americas: International Dictionary of Historic Places |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-25930-4 |orig-year=1996 }}
*{{cite book|last1=Shovers|first1= B.|last2= Fiege|first2= M| last3= Martin|first3=F.|last4=Quivik|first4= F|year=1991|title=Butte and Anaconda Revisited: An Overview of Early-Day Mining and Smelting in Montana|publisher=Butte Historical Society; Klepetko Chapter, Society for Industrial Archeology}}
*{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Duane|year=2008|title=Rocky Mountain Heartland: Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming in the Twentieth Century|publisher=University of Arizona Press|isbn=978-0-816-52759-5}}
*{{cite journal|last=Wyckoff|first=William|year=1995|title=Postindustrial Butte|journal=The Geographical Review|volume=85|number=4|pages=478–97|jstor=215921|doi=10.2307/215921|bibcode=1995GeoRv..85..478W }}
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==
===Pollution and toxic cleanup===
'''Bibliographic materials'''
{{Refbegin|2}}
* Barnett, Harold C. ''Toxic Debts and the Superfund Dilemma'' (University of North Carolina Press, 1994)
* Barry, Bridget R. "Toxic Tourism: Promoting the Berkeley Pit and Industrial Heritage in Butte, Montana." (2012). [http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1050&context=historydiss online]
* Bookspan, Shelley. "Junk It, or Junket?" ''Public Historian'' (2001) 23#2 pp.&nbsp;5–8 [https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/tph.2001.23.2.5 in JSTOR]
* Capek, Stella M. 1992. Environmental Justice, Regulation, and the Local Community." International Journal of Health Services 22(4):729–746.
* Chess, C. and Purcell, K. 1999. Public participation and the environment: Do we know what works? Environmental Science and Technology 33(16): 2685–2692.
* Church, Thomas W. and Robert T. Nakamura. 1993. ''Cleaning up the Mess: Implementation Strategies in Superfund'' (Washington: The Brookings Institution).
* Covello VT and Mumpower J. 1985 "Risk Analysis and Risk Management: A Historical Perspective", Risk Analysis 5(2): 103–120.
* Dobb, Edwin. 1999. "Mining the Past." [[High Country News]] 31 (11): 1–10.
* Dobb, Edwin. 1996. "Pennies from Hell: In Montana, the Bill for America's Copper Comes Due." Harper's Magazine (293): 39–54.
* Langewiesche, William. 2001. "The Profits of Doom—One of the Most Polluted Cities in America Learns to Capitalize on Its Contamination" The Atlantic Monthly (April 2001): 56–62.
* Levine, Mark. 1996. "As the Snake Did Away with the Geese." Outside Magazine 21 (September 1996): 74–84.
* Edelstein, Michael R. 2003. ''Contaminated Communities: Coping with Residential Toxic Exposure'' Westview Press.
* Folk, Ellison. "Public Participation in the Superfund Cleanup Process", Ecology Law Quarterly 18 (1991), 173–221.
* Hird, J. A. 1993. "Environmental Policy and Equity: the case of Superfund." ''Journal of Policy Analysis and Management'' 12: 323–343.
* Munday, Pat. 2002. "'A millionaire couldn't buy a piece of water as good:' George Grant and the Conservation of the Big Hole River Watershed." ''Montana: The Magazine of Western History'' 52 (2): 20–37.
* Okrusch, Chad Michael. "Pragmatism and environmental problem-solving: A systematic moral analysis of democratic decision-making in Butte, Montana" (PhD. Diss. University of Oregon, 2010) [https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/11445/Okrusch_Chad_Michael_ph2010wi.pdf?sequence=1 online]
* Quivik, Fredric. 2004. "Of Tailings, Superfund Litigation, and Historians as Experts: U.S. v. Asarco, et al. (the Bunker Hill Case in Idaho)." The Public Historian 26 (1): 81–104.
* Probst, K. et al. 2002. "Superfund's Future: What Will It Cost?" Environmental Forum, 19 (2 ): 32–41.
* [[Sylvia Noble Tesh|Tesh, Sylvia.]] 1999. "Citizen experts in environmental risk." Policy Studies 32 (1): 39–58.
* Teske, N. 2000. "A tale of two TAGs: Dialogue and democracy in the superfund program." American Behavioral Scientist. 44 (4): 664–678.
{{Refend}}

'''Web resources'''
* United States Environmental Protection Agency. 2005a. Region 8 – Superfund: Citizen's Guide to Superfund. Updated December 27, 2005. www.epa.gov/ Accessed 27Dec.05.
* ______. 2005b. "EPA Region 8—Environmental Justice (EJ) Program." Updated March 24, 2005). www.epa.gov/region8/ej/ Accessed 05.Jan.06.
* ______. 2004a. Superfund Cleanup Proposal, Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit of the Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site, [http://www.epa.gov/Region8/superfund/sites/mt/FinalBPSOUProposedPlan.pdf epa.gov], accessed December 20, 2004.
* ______. 2004b. "Clark Fork River Record of Decision", available at [http://www.epa.gov/region8/superfund/sites/mt/milltowncfr/cfrou.html epa.gov]
* ______. 2002a. Superfund Community Involvement Toolkit. EPA 540-K-01-004.*
* ______. 2002b. "Butte Benefits from a $78 Million Cleanup Agreement." Available at [http://www.epa.gov/region8/superfund/sites/mt/silver_.html epa.gov]
* ______. 1998. Superfund Community Involvement Handbook and Toolkit. Washington, DC: Office of Emergency and Remedial Response.
* ______. 1996. "EPA Superfund Record of Decision R08-96/112." Available at [http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/rods/fulltext/r0896112.pdf epa.gov]
* ______. 1992.  "Environmental Equity: Reducing Risk for All Communities."  EPA A230-R-92-008; two volumes (June 1992).
* Society for Applied Anthropology. 2005. "SFAA Project Townsend, Case Study Three, The Clark Fork Superfund Sites in Western Montana." [http://www.sfaa.net sfaa.net], accessed November 23, 2005
* Montana Environmental Information Center. 2005. "Federal Superfund: EPA's Plan for Butte Priority Soils." Available at [https://web.archive.org/web/20061009212841/http://www.meic.org/Butte_Superfund2005/Butte_Superfund.html meic.org]
* Murray, C. and D.R. Marmorek. 2004. "Adaptive Management: A science-based approach to managing ecosystems in the face of uncertainty." Prepared for presentation at the Fifth International Conference on Science and Management of Protected Areas: Making Ecosystem Based Management Work, Victoria, British Columbia, May 11–16, 2003. ESSA Technologies, BC, Canada.
* National Academy of Sciences. 2005. The National Academy of Sciences Report on Superfund and Mining Megasites: Lessons from the Coeur d'Alene River Basin. Available at [http://www.epa.gov/superfund/reports/coeur.htm epa.gov]
* Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. 2005. "Cut and Run: EPA Betrays Another Montana Town—A Tale of Butte, the Largest Superfund Site in the United States." News release (August 18, 2005), [https://web.archive.org/web/20070120192010/http://www.peer.org/news/news_archive.php peer.org], accessed September 15, 2005
* Southland, Elizabeth. 2003. "Megasites: Presentation for the NACEPT—Superfund Subcommittee." www.epa.gov/oswer/docs/naceptdocs/megasites.pdf, accessed April 22, 2005.

'''Academic resources'''
* Center for Public Environmental Oversight. 2002. "Roundtable on Long-term Management in the Cleanup of Contaminated Sites." Report from a roundtable held in Washington, DC, June 28, 2002, [http://www.cpeo.org/ cpeo.org], accessed December 19, 2005.
* Case, Bridgette Dawn. "The women's protective union: Union women activists in a union town, 1890-1929" (PhD Dissertation. Montana State University-Bozeman, 2004) [http://scholarworks.montana.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1/1049/CaseB1204.pdf?sequence=1 online]
* Curran, Mary E. 1996. "The Contested Terrain of Butte, Montana: Social Landscapes of Risk and Resiliency." Master's thesis, University of Montana.
* LeCain, Timothy. 1998. "Moving Mountains: Technology and Environment in Western Copper Mining." PhD Dissertation, University of Delaware.
* Quivik, Frederic. 1998. "Smoke and Tailings: An Environmental History of Copper Smelting Technologies in Montana, 1880–1930." PhD Dissertation, University of Pennsylvania.

===Other===
* Mercier, Laurie. 2001. ''Anaconda: Labor, Community, and Culture in Montana's Smelter City'' (University of Illinois Press).
* {{cite book|last=Parrett|first=Aaron|title=Literary Butte: A History in Novels & Film|publisher=The History Press|year=2015|isbn=978-1-626-19836-4}}
* Toole, K. Ross. 1954. "A History of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company: A Study in the Relationships between a State and its People and a Corporation, 1880–1950." PhD Dissertation, University of California-Los Angeles.

===Primary sources===
* [https://archive.today/20130416043604/http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/search?q=Copper+camp:+stories+of+the+world's+greatest+mining+town&qt=owc_search Copper Camp: Stories of the world's greatest mining town, Butte, Montana] compiled by Workers of the Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of Montana.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Butte, Montana}}
{{EB1911 poster|Butte (Montana)}}
{{Wikivoyage|Butte}}

===Local resources===
* [https://www.co.silverbow.mt.us/ City and County of ''Butte-Silver Bow'']
* [https://scholarworks.umt.edu/butte_oralhistory/ Butte Oral History Project] (University of Montana Archives)
* [https://butteelevated.com/ Butte Visitors Bureau]

===Photographs and media===
* [https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4254b.pm020527/ Panoramic (zoomable) view of Butte, Montana, 1904], via [[Library of Congress]] 
* [http://watch.montanapbs.org/video/1430375505 Hidden Fire: The Great Butte Explosion] Documentary produced by ''[[Montana PBS]]''

{{Silver Bow County, Montana}}
{{Montana Regions and Towns with Breweries}}
{{Montana county seats}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Good article}}

[[Category:Butte, Montana| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Montana]]
[[Category:Cities in Silver Bow County, Montana]]
[[Category:Chinese-American culture in Montana]]
[[Category:Irish-American neighborhoods]]
[[Category:County seats in Montana]]
[[Category:Mining communities in Montana]]
[[Category:Consolidated city-counties]]