Once upon a time, Butte-Silver Bow, Montana was a booming city of nearly 100,000 residents. A rich vein of copper was discovered below the city, and miners, fortune seekers, and settlers rushed to “The Richest Hill on Earth” to find their own little piece of mining success.
Nestled in the Rocky Mountains, between Glacier and Yellowstone National Park, Butte Montana was first established as a mining camp in 1864. Early prospectors to the area found that the Silver Bow Creek Valley, which straddles the Continental Divide, was a lucrative place to mine for silver and gold.
Many of the early settlers were men from Cornwall, England, and Ireland. Late in the 19th Century, gold and silver mining was replaced by the Anaconda Copper mine. With electric lights heavily in demand in the growing United States, copper became king in Butte.
By 1910, Butte was the largest producer of copper in the United States, and the town was booming. However, all good things must come to an end, and over many years of declining production, the Anaconda and Berkeley Pit mines were eventually closed.
Today, the mining industry in Butte has gone, but what remains of this community is a beautifully preserved piece of American and Montana history. The historic Uptown District tells a story of wealth and prosperity and is the second-largest historical district in the United States.
In 1977 the Butte city government and the Silver Bow County government were combined into a single organization. Today, Butte is a small and thriving community that welcomes tourists and has a wealth of things to experience.
In this article, we will take a look at everything there is to do in Butte-Silver Bow and the surrounding area, so you can make the most out of your next visit.
Your Guide to Butte-Silver Bow, Montana
The Best 3 Hotels in Butte-Silver Bow
