A storm was brewing over The Stack when we got up this morning.
We’ve developed a fondness for the old mining town of Butte. It seems that we see or learn something new every time we visit. This time we found something unexpected.
After a flamboyant career, Evel is resting beside his parents, “Pappy” and “Mammy”. It was so strange to see such a huge personality resting quietly under a tree in a small town.
We had to drive to the top of the “The Richest Hill in the World.” One of the most visible structures on this hill overlooking Butte is the head shaft of The Con.
In its day, the Con tunnels honeycombed over 5,000 feet into the mountain. The elevation of Butte is 5,824 feet, hence the “a mile high and a mile deep” slogan. The Hill is riddled with 3,000 miles of tunnels (yeah, really) that pretty much undermine the entire city, but produced over 2 billion dollars worth of gold, silver, and copper.
The view from the Con is spectacular. The entire city lies before you, with mining structures and hundred year old mansions reminiscent of a rough and tumble time.
Many of the houses in old town are placed haphazardly, reminding us of the miners tents and cabins that were built wherever it was convenient!
The famous, and huge, Berkeley pit that supplied ore to the smelters in Anaconda is visible in the distance.
It was gittin’ on to supper time, so we slid down the hill to CasaGrandas Steakhouse. Set in a remodeled warehouse, this is one of town’s most famous restaurants.
A couple of adult beverages and we’re ready for the crabcake appetizer, soup and salad, and the main course…..steak cooked and seasoned to perfection!
Butte has a cosmopolitan population derived from the four corners of the world. She was a bold, unashamed, rooting, tootin, hell-raising camp in days gone by and still drinks her liquor straight!
(Thanks to the Chamber of Commerce).
Returning to Anaconda, we drove by a now infamous local bar where four people were killed a short time ago. The alleged shooter has been apprehended and the bar closed as a crime scene.
Every city has a story to tell, doesn’t it?
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