Archives West Finding Aid

In 1899 when the Anaconda Company's majority stock holdings were bought out by Standard Oil and placed in the holding company of the Amalgamated Copper Company, a number of smaller, interlocked companies were created. The North Butte Mining Company was among the most successful of the interlocked companies, and by 1910 employed 1,000 people. John D. Ryan (president of the Amalgamated) and his partner, Thomas Cole, controlled the properties of the North Butte Mining Company. Cole operated from Minnesota and Ryan operated from Butte, Montana. They appointed John D. Pope as general manager of the properties. Pope, a well known citizen of Butte, held a similar position with the Butte and Boston Mining Companies before becoming general manager of the North Butte Mining Company. Pope was in charge of the operation of the North Butte properties including Speculator, which was among the more important holdings.