Mining in Butte

The story of Butte is the story of underground mining. In the early part of the 1900s, Butte had more than 100,000 people and 400 mines in operation. Open-pit surface mining has replaced underground operations, and only a handful of the iconic gallus or head frames are standing today. This collection of vintage imagery showcases the people, machinery, processes, and technology in the mines that comprised Butte Hill.

The World Museum of Mining, located in Butte, is dedicated to preserving the rich mining and cultural history of Butte and environs. Director Tina Green, curator Dolores Cooney, mining engineer Logan Dudding, and the museum's dedicated volunteers present a snapshot of the tremendous mining history of this city and its mining legacy. Culled from a collection of over 14,000 photographs, this volume highlights the period from the 1880s through the 1960s. The mines may have disappeared, but their history lives on.