Montana Extremes Part III: Butte

After our prolonged stint at Fort Missoula, we headed to Butte. What was our first impression of Butte? Historic, peculiar, unique, and in need of a little love in some spots. Butte’s past is firmly intertwined with the hollows beneath its earth. Butte has had at least 512 mine claims within its boundaries, and there are 10,000 miles of mining tunnels below the city. That’s the distance between Los Angeles and New York City times four. Like I said, curious.

town hole
As the Berkeley Pit is directly adjacent to Butte, street after street was slowly demolished to make room for its ever-expanding hole with shady tactics being employed regularly by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company to obtain possession of entire neighborhoods.

We made it to Butte with just enough daylight left to visit the Granite Mountain Speculator Mine Memorial. In June of 1917, a fire broke out in the Speculator Mine killing 168 men, mostly through oxygen deprivation. The mine was at maximum operation at the time due to high copper demand related to America’s entry into World War I, and working conditions were grim. Both factors contributed to the fire’s capability to inflict widespread wreckage. The Speculator Mine Disaster is the worst metal (hard rock) mining catastrophe in planet history. Its memorial was a sobering reminder of the substantial sacrifices made by regular folks to supply the resources we take for granted.

Butte’s gallows
Fourteen headframes, the metal skeletons of dead mines, are still scattered throughout Butte, a reminder of the 225 mines that once operated in the city.

The next morning, we got up extra early to get a Butte load. We started with a visit to the Copper King Mansion. The Copper King Mansion was built by one of Butte’s three copper lieges, W.A. Clark, between 1884 and 1888 in Romanesque Revival Victorian style. While this 34-room manor was only one of the many he owned as the second-wealthiest man in America, he insisted that quality and bragability be maintained. Hence, the mansion was lavish and full of entertaining nuances, which our engaging guide was happy to highlight.

tunnel to toxicity
A viewing platform at the edge of Berkeley Pit’s toxic, 7,000-foot-long lake can be accessed via a lengthy tunnel through a hillside.

Following our tour, we stopped at Butte’s toxic pit to see the less beautiful side of mining. The Berkeley Pit is the remains of an open-pit copper mine that was active between 1955 and 1982. When the pit ceased operations and the pumps at the nearby Kelley Mine were turned off, groundwater began to fill it. Water levels slowly rose over the next decades until the pit’s fluid was in danger of spilling into groundwater and rivers. What would be so disastrous about a little liquid mingling?

Berkeley Pit
The waters of the Berkeley Pit were much worse before the EPA forced a cleanup. They once resembled a metallic wine instead of an agreeable turquoise.

The pool in Berkeley Pit is about 900 feet deep and has a pH of 2.5, which is roughly the acidity of lemon juice or vinegar. It isn’t the acidity of this water that raises the greatest concerns though, it is its contents. The water contains high concentrations of copper, cadmium, iron, cobalt, zinc, manganese, and arsenic. In 1994, the EPA forced the mine’s owners to take some responsibility for their mess by requiring them to keep water levels in the pit below the protective water level, the elevation at which its water would enter the groundwater system- 5,410 feet. Why were the mine’s possessors so irresponsible about taking care of their hole to begin with? I guess the easy answer is “corporate America” and a shrug of the shoulders. One can only hope they will not pull further careless shenanigans with their Continental Pit, another open-pit operation that was opened near the Berkley Pit in 1980.

Butte’s legacy
Mining deaths in Butte have exceeded 2,500 and the value of all the minerals extracted $101.6 billion in today’s metal prices.

As if that weren’t enough underground stuff, we later went to the World Museum of Mining. There, in addition to exploring an accurately reproduced mining town with 50 structures, we descended 100 feet vertically (10 stories) and over half a mile horizontally into an actual mine, the Orphan Girl Mine.

The Orphan Girl Mine operated until 1956 with zinc, silver, and lead being the primary minerals of interest. Its shaft extended 3,200 feet down, and we got to nervously dangle over it in a cage during our tour. Unlike most of the other underground mines in Butte, which could surpass temperatures of 100 degrees due to geothermal activity, the Orphan Girl was not hot but homely. It stayed between about 55 and 65 degrees throughout its many levels of crisscrossing tunnels. This made it popular with miners and pleasant for our expedition.

Orphan Girl Mine
The Orphan Girl Mine once produced 600 tons of ore a day.

What did I learn from this tour, besides that it is possible for me to hang out in a mine without having a panic attack? Underground miners had, and continue to have, a tough gig. By candlelight, and later by carbide lamps, they had to perform detailed work and differentiate the color of rocks. FYI, in tunnel conditions, all rocks appear the same hue. They had acid water dripping on them all day and were susceptible to silicosis caused by dust inhalation. Plus, there was always the possibility of being crushed by machinery or a cave-in or being asphyxiated in a fire. Sounds glamorous, doesn’t it? It’s no wonder plunging into the earth was a daily source of anxiety even for experienced miners.

cage of the mine
On average, a regular elevator moves at 430 feet per minute. By comparison, mining cages like this one moved at 800 feet per minute. It’s no wonder that 33% of Butte’s mining deaths in the late 1800s were from hoisting accidents

As interesting as Butte’s hidden features were, we didn’t just go into its hills, we also clambered over them. Big Butte, the remains of an extinct volcano that last erupted 49 million years ago, gave the city of Butte its name. We hiked the Big Butte Loop with an added climb to the top of Big Butte, about 2.5 miles total. The hike was easy, rewarding, and the last adventure of our vacation.

Big Butte
While a distinct landmark, this extinct volcano had little to do with the mineral deposits that made Butte a mining mecca.

We visited three areas of Montana close in proximity but divided by separate histories and geographical features. Hamilton seemed defined by its mountains, Missoula by its rivers, and Butte by its earth. We delved into Montana’s fascinating past through ghost towns, museum exhibits, and several tours. We also witness the continued unfolding of history at places like the Berkeley Pit and found awe in chiseled landscapes as we scaled mountains. There were many sad reminders of America’s history of prejudice throughout but also tales of perseverance and resilience. This area that wasn’t on our travel list or radar even surprised us continually with its singular places, curious narratives, and remarkable backdrops.

By the way, as food is of great import, you won’t readily find fine cuisine in Montana, but you will find plenty of excellent sandwiches, pastries, and coffee.