We had a nice afternoon and evening in Butte, catching up with errands, sightseeing and Diane visiting family.
Our Lady of the Rockies sits high on a hill over the town, beautiful glowing white at night.
We went to the Mining Museum which is a living history museum, well done and yet once again reinforces how difficult life was in the late 1800's. I was especially put off by the dentists office, I don't think I have to describe the instruments of torture for you!
Diane took us to a touching monument to over 2500 men who have lost their lives in the mines.
Butte is a town that the world has pretty much passed by. The neighborhoods at the base of the mountain haven't changed much since the early 1900's. Stores that Diane remembers visiting as a child are boarded up. The mountain side is dotted with mine entrances, one sign read "one mile high....one mile deep". Freaks me out to think about being underground and working all day. Then when the miners emerge from the blackness they have mountains to climb or descend to get home. The Catholic Church on the hill is for sale.
Anaconda Mines have bought up most of the top of the hill and are strip mining, a huge pit looms over the town.
In spite of this the town has its charm. As you ride around the old downtown area the buildings are predominately brick and I think one of the better jobs to have had when the town was booming was painting advertisements on the side of the buildings. Great fun to ride around and see what we could still read.
On to Georgetown Lake for a couple of days, then Flathead Lake for three days, then Glacier!
We will probably be dry camping so no more posts for a few days unless I have 3G!
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