When did mining stop in Butte Montana?

Most underground mines had been closed in the 1970s, so for the first time in its history, Butte was a mining town without a mine. During the 1980s, the population declined before stabilizing around 32,000 in the early 1990s.

When did mining start in Butte MT?

1860s
Butte began as a mining camp in the 1860s. Early map drawings of Butte sometimes referred to the settlement as “Butte City.” In 1874, William L. Farlin staked the Asteroid Mine (later known as the Travona), and was followed by an influx of additional miners seeking gold and silver.

What did they mine in Butte Montana?

The Butte mining district encompasses an area of approximately 2 by 4 miles which has produced huge commercial quantities of not only copper (21.5 billion pounds) but also significant amounts silver, gold, manganese, zinc, lead and molybdenum (table 1).

What Montana town is known for its mining history?

5. Butte is Home to The World Museum of Mining. With over 50 exhibit buildings, endless artifacts and an underground mine tour, The World Museum of Mining is an amazing resource to anyone interested in the development of Butte and mining history.

Do they still mine in Butte?

As Butte’s population and economy tanked, the struggle over cleanup began. About 370 people still work pulling copper and the metal molybdenum out of the area’s only remaining active mine, the Continental Pit.

How many miners died in Butte MT?

On June 8, 1917, at the height of wartime copper production, fire raced through Butte’s Granite Mountain and Speculator mines, killing at least 167 miners. The tragedy led to a climactic clash between capital and labor in which the unions were crushed.

How deep is the mine in Butte Montana?

The Berkeley Pit is a former open pit copper mine in the western United States, located in Butte, Montana. It is one mile (1.6 km) long by one-half mile (800 m) wide, with an approximate depth of 1,780 feet (540 m).

Is there still mining in Butte?

How deep is the Butte pit?

1,800-foot deep
Once home to a bustling open-pit mining operation, Berkeley Pit is now a nearly 1,800-foot deep crater filled with various heavy metals and “unique microscopic lifeforms.” The more than 40 billion liquid gallons in this pit include acidic water, copper, iron, arsenic, zinc, sulfuric acid and more.

Who owns the mine in Butte Montana?

businessman Dennis Washington
The company is owned by businessman Dennis Washington as a unit of The Washington Companies. The company employs about 350 people, and operates the Continental mine, an open pit copper and molybdenum mine at Butte. The Continental pit is the only active mining operation at Butte.

What is the big mine in Butte MT?

Berkeley Pit
The Berkeley Pit is a former open pit copper mine in the western United States, located in Butte, Montana. It is one mile (1.6 km) long by one-half mile (800 m) wide, with an approximate depth of 1,780 feet (540 m).

Is Butte MT toxic?

A once-powerful Montana mining town warily awaits final cleanup of its toxic past. BUTTE, Mont. — High above this storied copper town, one of the tallest earth-filled dams in the country holds back more than 6.5 trillion gallons of toxic sludge from an open-pit mine.