A book aptly titled "The Story of Butte" was published more than 100 years ago. Within its pages was a quote comparing Butte to a ladder — "pointing heavenward with many rings of gold, copper, and silver." Those days, and most of those metals, have long gone. However, what is left is a wealth of history on a town still fondly referred to as "The Richest Hill on Earth." Below are some historical "gems" on the Mining City, which will be featured every other week in the Big Sky section.
1. How many Butte people were aboard the Titanic when it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic April 14-15, 1912, and sunk?
There were nine Butte people on board the Titanic, including Copper King W.A. Clark's nephew, Walter Clark, and his wife, Virginia McDowell Clark. The six men perished; the three women survived.
2. What is the name of the famous mystery novelist who was once a Pinkerton agent in Butte?
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During Butte's turbulent times of the 1910s, Dashiell Hammett was assigned to Butte. He later wrote such well-known novels as "The Maltese Falcon," "The Glass Key" and "The Thin Man." 3. Which one of the famous Earp brothers (recall the shootout at the O.K. Corral?) served as a police officer in Butte from Dec. 18, 1879, to March 10, 1880?
Morgan Earp was a lawman in Butte from Dec. 18, 1879, to March 10, 1880. In March 1882, he was shot and killed in Nevada.
4. Who served as a Butte High coach the longest?
Harry "Swede" Dahlberg has that distinction. He was a Bulldog coach for 44 years.
5. How many city employed firemen and volunteer firemen were killed in an explosion Jan. 15, 1895?
Fifty-seven men were killed when a fire and explosion broke out in some warehouses on Butte's East Side. Unbeknownst to these firefighters, the warehouses were illegally storing a large amount of dynamite.