Miners and merchants settled Butte in the 1860s. They came from around the world to what would become known as the Richest Hill on Earth for gold, silver, and, most of all, its enormous reserves of copper.

While the Lewis and Clark Expedition skirted what would become Butte, the city would later be made famous by the exploits of Daly and Clark, Marcus Daly and William Andrews Clark, the Copper Kings who would struggle for control of wealth, power, and prestige in the rich diggings. Today, the Copper King Mansion, where W.A. Clark lived in Butte, illustrates how one of the richest men in the world lived in his day.

Many of the Victorian homes built during this period are well preserved and grand public buildings, including some of the country's first "skyscrapers", can still be seen in Butte's historic district, the nation's second largest.

The Arts Chateau is the former home of Clark's son, Charles, built on the model of a French Chateau. The ornate mansion now serves as a community arts center. Along with building tours that show a glimpse of how the elite lived in Butte's heyday, the building's gallery space hosts art exhibits and workshops.

The Mother Lode Theater is a magnificently restored historic theater built in the 1920s that now offers homegrown productions, serving as a major venue for touring musical and theater shows, community concerts, Butte Symphony concerts, and host for a classic film series. The Orphan Girl Theatre, within the Mother Lode, is also the venue for children's theater productions.

As a result of efforts to develop the area's mineral resources for distant markets, Butte became an economic player well beyond its borders; supplying most of the nation's copper and in the process grew to be a metropolis in Montana of nearly 100,000 residents.

Immigrants from around the world came to Butte to live and work although the Irish came in the largest numbers. This results in annual celebrations and festivals to commemorate Chinese New Year, St. Patrick's Day, the Fourth of July, Cinco de Mayo, Mining Heritage Days and many others throughout the year.

Butte's rich heritage is also preserved and honored through historical attractions such as the Granite Mountain Memorial Overlook, the Butte Archives the Mai Wah Museum, and the World Museum of Mining.

Finally, to learn more about recent efforts to preserve and protect the cultural legacy of Butte's Historic Uptown District through Butte's Main Street program, visit Main Street Butte.