Butte, Montana, nestled in the Rocky Mountains at 5,545 feet, hosts classic architecture, a vibrant past, and an abundance of colorful characters.
The massive copper ore deposits underlying Butte earned it the nickname The Richest Hill on Earth, and the town was once the nation's major supplier of copper that helped electrify the world. Also shown here is Butte's early adoption of innovative ideas and technologies, a practice that kept the city thriving despite the vagaries of the mining industry. The enduring spirit of its people, however, lends Butte an exuberant character. Unlike other mining towns, Butte had the audacity to survive, and its rich history and forward thinking will ensure its existence for many generations to come. Today, statuesque gallows frames stand testament to Butte's mining past, along with a historic town center that reminds people of that era's prosperity.