Butte

Butte, Montana, began in 1864 as a small placer gold mining camp. By 1870, the placer deposits were depleted, and most miners left. A few remaining miners found significant silver ore in the nearby quartz lodes, but by the late 1870s, copper was the major ore in the district, and Butte became The Richest Hill on Earth. Thousands of immigrants came to Butte from throughout Europe to operate the underground mines, and the city grew to an unofficial estimate of about 90,000 residents in 1917-1918. The population of Butte slowly declined to about 35,000 residents when fewer miners were necessary after open-pit mining began in 1955. Today, Butte remains a city of great character and cultural diversity. The postcards in this book illustrate some of its history.