Posted in Montana January 24, 2017 by

These 9 Rare Photos Show Montana’s Mining History Like Never Before

Montana has quite the mining legacy. Butte was once called the Richest Hill on Earth, and Helena one had more millionaires per capita than anywhere else. Reminders of our history are still prevalent in our mining towns, and these photos show a glimpse into what life was like in the days when working in the mines were the way Montanans made their living.

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1. This furnace was used to convert the gold dust to solid metal.
Arthur Rothstein / photogrammar.yale.edu
This photo was taken in Pony in the 1930s.
2. Huge motors are required for hoisting machines at copper mines.
Russell Lee / http://photogrammar.yale.edu
This photo is from Butte, 1942.
3. Armed with their pick axes and shovels, eight men pose in front of a mine in the late 1800s.
Library of Congress
4. This was once the home of Charles E. Morris, the pioneer developer of gold mines.
Arthur Rothstein / photogrammar.yale.edu
This photo was taken in Pony in 1939.
5. The Anaconda Copper Mining Company in 1942.
Russell Lee / photogrammar.yale.edu
6. Sharpening bits to be used in pneumatic drills in the copper mines in Anaconda, 1942.
Russell Lee /
7. Being absent from work was always discouraged at the Anaconda Copper Mining Company.
Russell Lee / photogrammar.yale.edu
This sign is from 1942.
8. The Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railroad transported ore from the mines in Butte to Anaconda.
Russell Lee / photogrammar.yale.edu
This photo is from 1942.
9. The is the Ben Bow chromite mine in Stillwater County around 1940.
Photo Credit

Montana has such an incredible history. Here are 10 fascinating facts about the Treasure State’s past.