Hm. I've lived in Butte for 20 years and can say that it is still not my first choice of places to live. Just the same, it has good and bad points. Lets do some bad, first.
--The Berkley Pit - One of the largest (maybe still THE largest) Super Fund Sites in the country. This is a mining-produced hole in the ground which is filling with toxic water. Look it up on the internet. It's astounding. The solution seems to be to treat the water once the hole fills up, and it WILL fill up.
--Mining is the historic income-source for Butte. There are parts of mountains and even huge parts of the city itself that have been hauled away in the name of mining. The scars are still there and are growing. Since outdoor activities and environmental concerns are very important to me, this has been very bothersome. Just the same, there are lots of people for whom it's not a problem.
--AND, if you don't look in the direction of the mining, the physical surroundings are breathtaking.
--Butte is over a mile high, depending on where you are when you measure. It gets dang cold in winter, but it doesn't last long. A few days ago, we had a low of -37. People ask me how I deal with that. The answer is simple. You stay inside and pre-warm your car if you go out. The other side of this is that rarely gets as hot as other places in the summer! This may change with global warming. We're seeing higher temps than we're used to, for sure.
--Butte has a rich history based on mining. It was once a much larger city than it is now, and historical records of those days are fascinating. Presidents and world leaders visited here at one time.
--Butte still has one of the highest proportions of people of Irish-decent in the country. Irish tradition, history and even speech still effect the people. We have a huge St. Patrick's Day celebration. Enough said about that, though.
--Butte hosts the Montana Irish Festival each August, bringing internationally renouned Irish musicians, dancers, teachers, language workshops and more for 2-3 days of incredible performances, Irish culture and fun. Butte's focus on Irish culture has been so impressive that it has drawn visits from Irish dignitaries and even a visit from the President of Ireland a few years ago!
--Butte also hosts Evil Kinevil days, which I can't say much about because I've never felt compelled to go.
--When we first moved here, my spouse's employer told us that Butte is a wonderful place to live because it's only 5 miles from Montana - a little tongue-in-cheek humor, but true. If you enjoy the outdoors, it's a short distance from a number of incredible places to hike, bike, ski, hunt, fish, climb, etc.
--There are so many other things to talk about that I could take days to say. I'm sure there's somebody else out there who might have more to say. The town is growing slowly as people learn that our housing is cheaper than Helena, Bozeman or Missoula. Small businesses are moving in, which is a very healthy indicator.
--The people here are great - friendly, compassionate, very willing to help others. Butte has a reputation for being a rough town with rough people, and I can't say that's not true but it's also misleading in some ways. The history of mining definitely has had far-reaching effects, and most people from the rest of the state would prefer to put us down, but the truth is that most people who live here for more than 2 years prefer NEVER to leave.
--oh, yeah. One more thing. Since SilverBow County is incorporated, Butte is often referred to as Butte-Silver Bow.
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Butte-Silver Bow?
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