In 1956, a young U.S. Marine wrote a poignant holiday greeting to Mrs. Jessie Trueworthy, matron of the Paul Clark Home in Butte, Montana. His note reads: “I haven’t forgotten you again on Xmas and I shall never as long as I live, and although I am so far away, and in my country’s … More Christmas Greetings to the Paul Clark Home
Fire insurance maps were created to help insurance companies assess the potential risks involved in underwriting policies. They depict features that affect the vulnerability of properties to disasters like fire, earthquake, and flood. The first fire insurance maps were created in London in the late 18th century. In America, D.A. Sanborn, a civil engineer and … More What are Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps?
In 1876, the Country celebrated its 100th birthday. In honor of this auspicious event, William Adams filed a claim in Horse Canyon and named it the Columbia. Adams failed to develop the claim as a mining venture and instead opted for a recreational retreat. He built a beer hall that supported gambling, horse racing, and … More The Columbia Gardens Amusements
We get a lot of requests from other cities or states (even countries) for information about people who were born in Butte or lived here for a while and then moved on to other places. We also hear a lot of stories about people from Butte taking a trip and running into other people who … More Butte People are Everywhere
The 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States provides men and women with equal voting rights. The amendment states that the right of citizens to vote “shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” In Montana, women had won this right in 1914 and … More Women’s Suffrage
The Leggat Hotel officially opened its doors on January 22, 1914, under the management of Henry E. Meyers, and was said to be nearly fireproof. Diners were welcomed with a cabaret show and music by Brennan’s orchestra. The first dining room services were made to the Drama Club, which gave a luncheon in the main dining … More Opening of the Leggat Hotel
I get a real thrill from opening books and magazines and seeing this: Those of us who work in processing do not always know what the people who work more closely with authors are doing with the things we process. Yesterday I bought a copy of the new book, Political Hell-raiser, the Life and Times … More Thank you, Butte!
We get research requests from close to home in Butte and as far away as Finland, Ireland, and Italy. Many have to do with family history. Local people like to research their homes and others request photographs from our collection. Writers and historians use our facility for academic research, and students draw upon our collections … More Who Was Rick Jones?
Following the end of World War II, with the return of servicemen now looking for work, Butte underwent a shift in population from the Uptown to the Flats. In 1946, the Butte Development Association formed as a spontaneous idea to bring three community interests together – labor, business, and the public – to look at Butte’s … More Butte Housing Day, 1947
Recently, we were touring the Lexington Mine Hoist House when someone looking at a control panel asked, “What is a Lilly?” I was happy to say that I knew exactly what it was thanks to Dorothy McBride, William J. Lilly’s great-niece. They were referring to the Lilly Controller that was still in the hoist house. … More What Is A Lilly?
Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives 