Montana's Historic Mining City is Emerging as an Affordable Tech Hub

By Christina Henderson and Emily Simonson

The Alliance is writing a series of profiles on Montana cities to help people find the right community when they’re looking at taking a job or locating an office in Montana. Help us capture your communities’ flavor, amenities, and business environment by sending suggestions to martina.pansze[at]mthightech.org. We’ll write about cities in alphabetical order and update these articles in the future. Check out our recent stories on Bozeman and Billings.

Butte is a city unlike any other. Firmly planted in the heart of Montana, local pride runs so deep that generations of residents have called it Butte, America. According to historian David Emmons, the nickname owes its origins to the diverse immigrants who came to work in Butte’s mines. “People in Butte never thought of themselves as Montanans,” Emmons said. “They identified first with Butte and then with places overseas.”

Population: 35,000

Nicknames: The Richest Hill on Earth, The Mining City

Founded: 1864

Area: 716.82 sq mi

Median rent: $625

Median home value: $190,000

Unemployment rate: 3.4% (in late 2019)

Nearby towns: Williamsburg, Walkerville, Homestake, Anaconda

What do you call the people: Buttian

For more than a century, Butte was the quintessential Wild West mining town. Prospectors discovered gold in the 1860s and then dug for silver and copper – metals needed for wire to electrify America and ammunition to fight two world wars. Dubbed the Richest Hill on Earth, over $48 billion of wealth has been unearthed from Butte’s mines to date.

In the late 1800s, Butte gave rise to the three Copper Kings – rival industrialists William A. Clark, Marcus Daly, and Augustus Heinze. The city’s mining wealth built one of the largest National Historic Landmarks with more than 6,000 historic structures. Butte’s Gilded Age architecture lives on in its ornate courthouse, Victorian mansions, and tall buildings.

At its peak in 1910, Butte’s population reached nearly 100,000. By the 1920s, Anaconda Copper emerged as a monopoly and dominated Montana’s economy and politics for decades to come. The mines also gave birth to an organized labor movement that has long made Butte a Democratic stronghold.

When the mine shut down in the early 1980s, Butte fell on hard times. Many families encouraged their children to get a college education and leave town to find a good job.

In recent decades, leaders have worked to diversify the economy and create opportunities for Butte kids to come back. Butte-Silver Bow County has invested in assets that appeal to entrepreneurs, outdoor enthusiasts, artists, and young families. 

In September of 2020, a federal judge approved a landmark consent decree mapping the last round of cleanup of mining waste in the center of Butte. The deal ensures the EPA will begin delisting Butte as a Superfund site by 2024, shedding a stigma that has hindered economic growth.

Butte is becoming the kind of place tech workers love – a vibrant college town of 35,000 people with outdoor amenities such as public land, trout streams, bike trails, and modern parks. Often underestimated, the Mining City is a hidden gem. Butte’s grit and authenticity have attracted a civic-minded creative class telling a new story of revitalization.

Doing Business in Butte

Affordable Real Estate

As work-from-home becomes the new normal, Butte is in the spotlight. A recent Forbes article  included Butte on a list of Zoom Towns – affordable vacation destinations that are booming as remote workers relocate.

Tech entrepreneurs are drawn to Butte for its Montana lifestyle and a cost of living that is approximately 20 percent below the national average.

Imperium Tool and Instrument, Inc., founded in 2007 by Samuel Park, specializes in manufacturing precision instruments. Park moved his company to Butte from Bozeman.

“Living in Butte is low stress, low cost, and centrally located,” Park said.

Butte lies halfway between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks at the crossroads of two Interstate highways, I-15 and I-90. Aspiring homeowners and investors are discovering Butte as they get priced out of other Montana communities.

According to a recent Montana Public Radio podcast, real estate prices in big tech hubs have been driven up by demand. In Bozeman, Montana’s fastest-growing city, the median price of a single-family home has spiked to nearly $600,000. Missoula’s median home costs more than $350,000. In Butte, the median home price is still under $200,000.

Given Butte’s boomtown history, most of its housing stock was built before 1939. Homebuyers are charmed by snug miner’s cottages or painted-lady Victorians with turrets and stained glass. 

Modern businesses – craft breweries, yoga studios, retailers – have set up shop in historic Uptown Butte. Built on a steep hill, locals use ‘uptown’ to refer to the main business district.

Strong Workforce

Butte boasts a long list of business assets beyond affordable real estate. The city’s strong work ethic supports companies in diverse industries like energy, manufacturing, engineering, healthcare, technology, and media.

In 2020, the largest employers in Butte include NorthWestern Energy, St James Healthcare, and Town Pump. Montana Resources, the operator of the local copper mine, still employs around 370 people. 

Northwestern Energy constructed a new $27 million headquarters in Uptown in 2015. NorthWestern has more than 582 employees in Butte, ranging from tradespeople like linemen to computer programmers and financial analysts.

Butte’s skilled labor has also powered growth in advanced manufacturing. The Montana Connections Business Development Park houses operations for Montana Craft Malt, REC Silicon, and Montana Precision Products (MPP), a joint venture between Seacast and GE Aviation.

Arielle Allen, an HR Leader for MPP who moved to Butte in 2019, said she thinks the city is a great place for newcomers.

“Butte has a tribal mentality while also being one of the most welcoming communities I’ve ever had the opportunity of living in,” Allen said. 

Tech companies say friendly Montanans are a great fit for customer service roles. In 2019, Oregon-based FCR opened a new call center in the Butte Plaza Mall, providing customer support over phone, email, and chat.

STEM University

Butte is home to Montana Technological University, ranked #1 Best Value Engineering School  in 2020. Montana Tech (or just Tech) is a leading STEM university with more than 2,500 students. 

“Montana Tech is such a key driver in our community,” said Northwestern Energy community relations manager Paul Babb. “Having access to a school like Montana Tech just really opens up a lot of avenues for businesspeople.”

Tech offers 2-year, 4-year, graduate and PhD programs in fields like Engineering, Computer Science, Healthcare, Business, and IT. Highlands College of Montana Tech offers dual enrollment courses for high school students and Associates degrees in trades like Welding, Machining, and Fabrication.

Montana companies love hiring Oredigger alumni. "Although small, Montana Tech provides a great school to hire from,” said Nate Lampert, people operations for Figure, which has offices in Helena and Bozeman. “Students get a very personalized computer science education which provides great hands-on experience that rapidly translates to our workforce needs. Additionally, several more experienced MT Tech alumni provide the backbone of the exciting technology and products Figure is developing in the FinTech space.”

Fast Internet

Local businesses also have access to unusually fast broadband. In 2014, Butte launched a 28-mile, 2-gigabyte fiber optic loop through Uptown that connects the school district, public library, and county courthouse as well as private enterprises like the National Center for Health Care Informatics (NCHCI).

Spun out of Montana Tech in 2004, NCHCI specializes in high-tech medical simulation training for clients like the U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen. NCHCI is close to breaking ground on a $35 million Praxis Center for Innovative Learning, a four-story complex in Uptown dedicated to rural healthcare. 

Great Location

Butte’s central location is a draw for creative industries. In 2020, Montana Studios acquired NorthWestern Energy’s old headquarters with plans to transform the space into sound stages for movies. The media company will leverage the MEDIA Act, a Montana tax credit for film production passed in 2019. 

Maureen Porter, business manager for Montana Studios and a Butte native, said the company will benefit from Butte’s geography.

“It's a great location, right between Bozeman and Missoula and close to Helena,” Porter said. “Also because of all the cinematic colors in between. Mountain landscapes, river landscapes, just anything and everything that you would want to film is close and accessible to Butte.”

Bert Mooney Airport completed a new $10.5 million passenger terminal in 2018. The Butte airport has daily direct flights to Salt Lake City and free parking for ticketed passengers.

Incomparable Brand

Butte is known for its rough and rowdy past. Residents have a knack for turning labels like “Butte Tough” or “Butte Rat” into t-shirt slogans. A new crop of successful entrepreneurs is incorporating the singular Butte spirit into modern brands.

Headframe Spirits is a distillery and still manufacturer named Small Business Champions of the Year by the Small Business Administration in 2016. Founders John and Courtney McKee honor Butte’s rich history with spirits named after local mines – Neversweat Whiskey and Orphan Girl Bourbon Cream Liqueur. 

Butte native Luke Anderson started UpTop Clothing Co. while studying business at Tech. Luke’s brother and co-founder, Colt Anderson, is a former University of Montana safety who went on to play in the NFL. UpTop has grown into a regional lifestyle brand selling team apparel and “Butte vs Everybody” t-shirts through retailers, athletes, and Instagram influencers. 

Amenities and Fun

History

Historic character is Butte’s trademark. The city’s 14 iconic headframes – tall, black steel elevators – stand guard over closed mines and glow with red lights at night. The World Museum of Mining runs an underground tour with hard hats and headlamps 100 feet below the Orphan Girl Mine.

Old Butte Historical Adventures offers a window into Butte’s opulent and gritty past. The City Underground Tour descends into the Rookwood Speakeasy, sealed up in the 1920s, and the City Jail where local daredevil Evel Knievel was booked for reckless driving.

If you prefer to stay above ground, the Butte Chamber offers trolley tours through the Historic District including the Copper King Mansion, Dumas Brothel, and Chinese Mai Wah Museum.

Butte’s historic sites also acknowledge its complex legacy. The mining industry brought jobs and prosperity on one hand, human costs and pollution on the other. The Granite Mountain Memorial remembers the 1917 Speculator mine fire when 168 miners lost their lives. The Berkeley Pit, a mile-wide lake of acidic water and unique microorganisms, tells the story of open pit mining that began in the 1950s.

“Our Lady of the Rockies” stands atop the Continental Divide as a reminder of Butte’s can-do spirit. Blue-collar workmen built the 90-foot statue of the Virgin Mary to honor a cancer survivor and all women.

Outdoor Recreation

Southwest Montana attracts anglers from all over the globe to fly fish in blue-ribbon trout streams. Arielle Allen said the Big Hole is one of her favorite places to fish - a pristine mountain river that flows wild and free with more than 3,000 fish per mile.

“Few places can compete with Butte from an outdoor recreation standpoint.” Allen said. 

Surrounded by over 3.2 million acres of the Beaverhead/Deerlodge National Forest, Butte offers endless opportunities to get outside. Basecamp Butte – a website hosted by Butte Local Development Corporation – offers tips for hiking, biking, fishing, camping, boating, hunting, rock climbing, birding, backpacking, horseback riding, off-roading, and more.

Maureen Porter recommends hiking the Thompson Park and Continental Divide National Scenic Trails (CDNST). The CDNST is in the “triple crown” of long-distance hiking trails in the U.S. along with the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails. 

The Butte 100 Mountain Bike Race on the Continental Divide bills itself as the most difficult mountain bike race in the country. In town, riders can check out the family-friendly Whiskey Gulch Mountain Bike Skills Park at Tech or one of two community riding clubs.

The fun continues in winter with cross-country or backcountry skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, fat biking or ice fishing at Georgetown Lake. There are seven ski areas within three hours of Butte, including Discovery just 45 minutes away with terrain for all abilities.

Less than 20 miles from Butte, Fairmont Hot Springs Resort is open year-round, with a water slide and Olympic-size indoor/outdoor hot spring pools.

Parks and Trails

In the last three years, Butte’s Stodden Park has become the envy of other Montana communities. The Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation and Montana Resources funded $10 million in recent upgrades, including a $1 million destination playground. Completed in 2018, the accessible Butte-themed play structures include a zipline, giant mining truck, three headframes, and a mini mountain.

The Stodden Park project includes new tennis courts and a pair of virtual reality golf simulators at Highland View Golf Course.

Also opened in 2018 were the nonprofit Spirit of Columbia Gardens Carousel and the taxpayer-funded Ridge Waters, an $8.7 million pool and waterpark with slides and a lazy river. 

Butte’s Copperway Trails allow walking, biking, or boarding between heritage sites and the business district. The 26-mile Silver Bow Creek Greenway is transforming a toxic streambed into a recreational corridor teeming with plants, insects, fish, beavers, and bald eagles.

In the Winter, locals head to the Butte Community Ice Center for hockey, figure skating, and bonspiels with the Copper City Curling Club. Butte also has multiple outdoor rinks, including the Butte High Altitude Skating Center that was once a training ground for Olympic speed skaters.

Cultural Events and Festivals 

Also known as the Festival City, nobody throws a party like Butte. 

With the highest percentage of Irish residents outside of Ireland (25 percent), St. Patrick’s Day Is Butte’s biggest celebration. Around 30,000 visitors come for bagpipers in kilts, corned beef and cabbage, and green beer. 

Post-parade, revelers can watch teams from Missoula and Butte face off in Irish hurling – an ancient Celtic warrior sport growing in popularity. 

In the evening, folks head to the Butte Civic Center for performances by local band Dublin Gulch and the Tiernan Irish Dancers. Butte also hosts the An Ri Ra Montana Irish Festival in August.

Reflecting its history as a mining melting pot, Butte’s diverse cultural celebrations include the Serbian Festival, the North American Indian Alliance Pow Wow, and the “shortest, loudest, and coldest” Chinese New Year Parade.

The fun continues with the SNöFlinga celebration of winter recreation, 4th of July Freedom Festival, Covellite International Film Festival, Butte-toberfest, and the Christmas Stroll.

A personal favorite of Paul Babb is the Montana Folk Festival, held at the Original Mine Yard headframe. 

“When you sit up there on a summer's night at the Folk Festival you listen to folk music that is just amazing,” Babb said. “Then you look over the Highlands and the valley, it’s just absolutely gorgeous. And then to have it set in an industrial mine yard - most people have probably never seen that before.”

Butte hosts weekly farmers markets, monthly artwalks, and live Music on Main in the summers. 

The Clark Chateau, a 26-room mansion, is a public museum and arts center hosting book clubs and a Ukelele Group. The historic Mother Lode Theater is home to the Butte Symphony, Orphan Girl Children’s Theatre and community concerts.

The Imagine Butte Resource Center in Uptown is a gathering place for artists and creatives with film screenings, workshops, artist studios, a makerspace, gallery and frame shop.

Learn More

Ready to start planning your trip to Butte? Check out our list of great eateries and lodging in Butte. 

Listen to the Richest Hill podcast about Butte from Montana Public Radio.

Christina Quick Henderson is Executive Director of the Montana High Tech Business Alliance and adjunct professor of entrepreneurship, management and organizational behavior in the College of Business at the University of Montana.

Emily Simonson is the former staff writer and content creator for the Montana High Tech Business Alliance. Originally from Havre, Emily graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in English in May 2020. She is also a Public Affairs Specialist in the National Guard and enjoys reading and knitting in her spare time.

Launched in 2014, the Montana High Tech Business Alliance is a nonpartisan nonprofit association of highly-engaged high-tech and manufacturing companies and affiliates creating high-paying jobs in Montana. For more information, visit MTHighTech.org or subscribe to our biweekly newsletter.