Monday, June 17, 2019

110 Years ago

When Butte's population was over 3 times what it is now, labor/management issues were not settled by negotiations often, the IWW was very active, the mine owners had hired Pinkerton goons to act as their personal police.


And today:



10 comments:

  1. My dad was the son of a coal mine engineer.There were grand supper time stories told.

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    1. When Butte was at it's peak population (70,000 to 100,000, depending on the source) every job in town was dependent on the copper mines one way or another.

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  2. Great historic photo. Those pole climbers are amazing. It looks peaceful today and my curiosity runs to what kind of cafe is the M&M? Looks like a place that would be interesting to try. Home cooking?

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    1. Ah, the M&M Cigar shop was the original name, dates back I think over 100 years....was known for it's 24/7 operating hours (three shifts at the mines). When I first got here 20 some years ago it was still a 24 hour place, one half of the cavernous interior was a bar, the other a cafe, with only counter seating. Known for it's good burgers and the like. In the last decade or so it's fallen on hard times, now is sometimes open, I haven't been in for years. There are many references to it on google.

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  3. I have a friend whose father was in the IWW. Those were the days.

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    1. Indeed. My dad had cousins that were Wobs in Oregon.

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  4. I love those then and now pics. I wonder about the edifice on the left, what was it?

    And how changed everything is.

    XO
    WWW

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  5. It was either one of the buildings blown up by errant mining explosives going off, one of the victims of the large fire, or was just removed. Not sure.

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