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Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company records, 1877-1930

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company
Title
Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company records
Dates
1877-1930 (inclusive)
Quantity
9.8 linear feet of shelf space, 18 oversized volumes
Collection Number
MC 57 (collection)
Summary
The Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company was a gold and silver mining operation in Walkerville, Montana. Its headquarters were in Salt Lake City, Utah. The records consist primarily of letterpress volumes of outgoing correspondence from Walkerville mine superintendents to Salt Lake City company officials. Also included are organizational materials, financial records, productions records, and legal files.
Repository
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Access Restrictions

Collection open for research.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

In 1875, Marcus Daly purchased mining property north of Butte, Montana Territory, for four Walker brothers in Salt Lake City, Utah. Three years later, the Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company organized, with Joseph R. Walker as president and Marcus Daly as superintendent of the Walkerville operations. In 1880, Daly withdrew from the Alice and bought into the Anaconda Mine. Walker served as president until his death in 1901 when his brother, Matthew H. Walker, succeeded him. During these formative years, the Walker brothers invested in new machinery and enlarged the Alice's production capacity. The company constructed a 60-stamp mill, considered at the time to be the world's largest dry crushing and chloridizing mill. These technological improvements proved that, in addition to silver bullion, base ores could be economically mined. This was a particularly significant development after the Silver Panic of 1893, when silver prices fell and the Alice management sought profits through the extraction of zinc. The Anaconda Copper Mining Company acquired majority control of the Alice Company in 1910, and in 1930, the Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company was dissolved.

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Content Description

This collection is composed primarily of interoffice correspondence and financial records. The former includes letters between Joseph R. Walker and Matthew H. Walker at the Salt Lake City company offices and the company superintendents at the mine in Walkerville. These letters discuss daily operations, national mining issues, equipment used, labor relations, assay results, dealings with Butte business interests, etc. (1877-1940). In addition, the collection contains court papers, legal documents, and organizational materials.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.

Preferred Citation

Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Arranged by series. Some material housed in oversize folder in archives map case. Some material housed in oversized volumes. See inventory below for more information.

Location of Collection

4:2-4

Location of Collection

152:2-1 (Volumes 1-18)

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

  • Interoffice Correspondence

    • Description: Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office (correspondents include Joseph R. Walker, president; Matthew H. Walker, treasurer; Benjamin G. Raybould, secretary)
      Dates: December 1881- January 1882, December 1882- January 1884
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 1-8
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office (correspondents include Joseph R. Walker, president; Matthew H. Walker, vice president; James F. Lees, secretary)
      Dates: January 1887- January 1889
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 9-13
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office (correspondents include Joseph R. Walker, president; Matthew H. Walker, vice president; L.H. Farnsworth, secretary)
      Dates: January, November 1894- December 1895
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 1-4
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office (correspondents include Joseph R. Walker, president; L.H. Farnsworth, secretary)
      Dates: February, August, November 1896
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 5
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office (correspondents include Joseph R. Walker, president; Matthew H. Walker, vice president; L.H. Farnsworth, secretary)
      Dates: February, August, November 1896
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 5
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office (correspondents include Joseph R. Walker, president; Matthew H. Walker, vice president; L.H. Farnsworth, secretary)
      Dates: January 1897- April 1898
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 6-10
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office (correspondents include Joseph R. Walker, president; Matthew H. Walker, vice president; L.H. Farnsworth, secretary)
      Dates: May 1898- June 1901
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 1-9
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office (correspondents include Matthew H. Walker, president; L.H. Farnsworth, secretary; Joseph R. Walker, director)
      Dates: July-December 1901
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 10
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office (correspondents include Matthew H. Walker, president; Joseph R. Walker, vice president; L.H. Farnsworth, secretary)
      Dates: January 1902- June 1903
      Container: Box/Folder 4 / 1-3
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office (correspondents include Matthew H. Walker, president L.H. Farnsworth, secretary)
      Dates: July 1903- November 1905
      Container: Box/Folder 4 / 4-7
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Butte, Great Falls and New York offices to Walkerville office (correspondents include John D. Ryan, president; J.W. Allen, treasurer)
      Dates: 1906-1909
      Container: Box/Folder 4 / 8
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Anaconda Copper Mining Company General Office to Alice Dept. office in Walkerville
      Dates: 1910-1930
      Container: Box/Folder 4 / 9
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office (letterpress book: correspondents include W. Read, L. Dunn)
      Dates: September 1877- June 1878
      Container: Box/Folder 5 / 1
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office (letterpress book: correspondents include W. Read)
      Dates: March 1879- August 1880
      Container: Box/Folder 5 / 2
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office (letterpress book: correspondents include William E. Hall, superintendent)
      Dates: June 1881- August 1882
      Container: Box/Folder 5 / 3
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office (letterpress book: correspondents include William E. Hall, superintendent)
      Dates: July 1881- April 1882
      Container: Box/Folder 6 / 1
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office (letterpress book: correspondents include William E. Hall, superintendent)
      Dates: September 1882- January 1884
      Container: Box/Folder 6 / 2
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office (letterpress book: correspondent, William E. Hall, superintendent)
      Dates: January 1884- November 1886
      Container: Box/Folder 7 / 1-2
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office (letterpress book: correspondent, William E. Hall, superintendent; also includes assay reports, July-September 1887)
      Dates: October 1887- August 1889
      Container: Box/Folder 8 / 1-3
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office (letterpress book: correspondent, William E. Hall, superintendent)
      Dates: April 1889- August 1890
      Container: Box/Folder 9 / 1-3
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office (letterpress book: correspondent, William E. Hall, superintendent)
      Dates: August 1890- December 1892
      Container: Box/Folder 10 / 1-3
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office (letterpress book: correspondent, William E. Hall, superintendent)
      Dates: January 1892- November 1893
      Container: Box/Folder 11 / 1-2
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Miscellaneous [scattered originals]
      Dates: 1886-1906
      Container: Box/Folder 11 / 3
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence

  • Incoming Correspondence

    • Description: Miscellaneous (correspondents include Knowles Steam Pump Works, George O'Brien)
      Dates: 1883
      Container: Box/Folder 11 / 4
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: Miscellaneous (correspondents include Griffith and Wedge Company, Minnie Moore Mine and Concentrating Works, John M. Kinnear, Phoenix Steel Broom and Brush Company)
      Dates: 1887
      Container: Box/Folder 11 / 5
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: A-I (correspondents include Bi-Metallic Mining Company, William P. Blake, Blue Bird Mining Company, Butte Boiler Works, Boulder Hot Springs, William A. Clark, Gilbert Clements, Sol Erickson, Fraser and Chalmers, Granite Mountain Mining Company, Griffith and Wedge Company, David Hall, F.W. Iredell)
      Dates: 1888
      Container: Box/Folder 11 / 6
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: K-W (correspondents include C.B. Kirkland, A. Kleinschmidt and Company, McCormick and Company bankers, Montana Mineral Land Association, Montana Union Railway Company, People's Forwarding Company, Phoenix Steel Broom and Brush Company, Union National Bank, Union Pacific Railway Company)
      Dates: 1888
      Container: Box/Folder 11 / 7
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: Miscellaneous (correspondents include Butte Miners Union, Butte Chamber of Commerce, Montana Union Railway Company)
      Dates: 1889-1894
      Container: Box/Folder 11 / 8
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: A-W (correspondents include Anaconda Copper Mining Company, Crew Levick Company, Diamond Coal and Coke Company, L.C. Trent and Company, F.G. White)
      Dates: 1896
      Container: Box/Folder 11 / 9
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: A-H (correspondents include Anaconda Copper Mining Company, Alexander Andrews, Butte General Electric Company, William A. Clark's office, Colorado Smelting and Mining Company, Chrome Steel Works, Crew Levick Company, Diamond Coal and Coke Company, Divide Lumber Company, John D. Haines, William E. Hall)
      Dates: 1897
      Container: Box/Folder 11 / 10
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: L-W (correspondents include Lexington Mine, Montana Power Company, Montana Union Railway Company, R.H. Officer and Company, Parrot Silver and Copper Company, L.C. Trent and Company)
      Dates: 1897
      Container: Box/Folder 11 / 11
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: A-W (correspondents include Butte and Boston Consolidated Mining Company, Butte Terminal Association, Thompson Campbell, W.E. Carroll, Chrome Steel Works, W.A. Clark's office, Diamond Coal and Coke Company, Granite-BiMetallic Consolidated Mining Company, S.P. Holden, Kemmerer Coal Company, Lynch and Bacheler, R.A. Reynolds, Charles C. Rueger, Sturtevant Mill Company, L.C. & S.V. Trent Mining Machinery, W.S. Tyler Wire Works Company, United States Assay Office, Walker Brothers Bankers, W. Winagar)
      Dates: 1898
      Container: Box/Folder 12 / 1
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: A-V (correspondents include Chrome Steel Works, W.A. Clark's office, A.N. Clement, Granite Bi-Metallic Consolidated Mining Company, Mountain View Methodist Episcopal Church Building Committee, W.S. Tyler Wire Works Company)
      Dates: 1899
      Container: Box/Folder 12 / 2
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: A-W (correspondents include W.A. Clark's office, .A. Granite Bi-Metallic Consolidated Mining Company, McHatton and Cotter, Salt Lake Hardware Company, M.E. Smith, Western Labor Union, Wetherill Separating Company enclosing assays)
      Dates: 1900
      Container: Box/Folder 12 / 3
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: A-W (correspondents include Anaconda Copper Mining Company, Butte Stationary Engineers' Union, W.A. Clark's office, James R. Hendra, Axel O. Ihlseng, Midland Smelting Company, Thomas G. Robinson, W.S. Tyler Company, Henry Williams)
      Dates: 1901
      Container: Box/Folder 12 / 4
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: A-W (correspondents include Albemarle Company, W.A. Clark Jr., International Mining Congress, J.M. Lewis, Richard Lockey re fire at Alice hoist, Metal Volatization Company, Lewis B. Rogers re hoist fire)
      Dates: 1902
      Container: Box/Folder 12 / 5
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: B-W (correspondents include Butte School District 1, E.J. Lavine and Company, Montana World's Fair Commission, Oregon Short Line Railroad Company, Payne Separator Company, Refractory Ore Metals Company, United States Assay Office, United States Census Office)
      Dates: 1903
      Container: Box/Folder 12 / 6
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: A-W (correspondents include American Metal Company Ltd., G.O. Angell enclosing report of C. Gordon Richardson, Butte Blacksmiths and Helpers' Union, Taylor and Brunton Ore Company, Western Forge Company, C.B. Wisner)
      Dates: 1904
      Container: Box/Folder 12 / 7
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: K-N (correspondents include Kirk and Clinton, Mount Bethel Methodist Episcopal Church, Northern Pacific Railway Company)
      Dates: 1905
      Container: Box/Folder 12 / 8
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: A-T (correspondents include Anaconda Copper Mining Company re taxes on Alice property, Montana Zinc Company, James O'Grady, Morris and Fay, H. Brownson Smith)
      Dates: 1906
      Container: Box/Folder 12 / 9
      Location: Incoming Correspondence
    • Description: A-P (correspondents include Anaconda Copper Mining Company re taxes on Alice property; Butte Coalition Mining Company; Pogson, Peloubet and Company re adjusting Alice books with New York books)
      Dates: 1907-1909
      Container: Box/Folder 12 / 10
      Location: Incoming Correspondence

  • Outgoing Correspondence

    • Description: Letterpress books
      Dates: 1881-1885, 1893
      Container: Box/Folder 12 / 11-12
      Location: Outgoing Correspondence
    • Description: to Clarence B. Wisner, Montana Zinc Company
      Dates: 1905
      Container: Box/Folder 13 / 1
      Location: Outgoing Correspondence
    • Description: Miscellaneous
      Dates: 1899-1940
      Container: Box/Folder 13 / 2
      Location: Outgoing Correspondence

  • Court Papers

    • Description: Michael Reynolds vs. Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company
      Dates: 1899-1900
      Container: Box/Folder 13 / 3
      Location: Court Papers

  • Financial Records

    • Description: Account ledger
      Dates: 1894-1900
      Container: Volume 5
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Assay reports
      Dates: 1883-1885; 1889-1890; 1898-1900
      Container: Volume 1-4
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Assay reports
      Dates: 1887-1888, 1894-1899
      Container: Box/Folder 13 / 4-8
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Assay reports

      1897 ledger unidentified, presumed to be a part of Alice G

      Dates: 1892-1897, 1903-1905
      Container: Box/Folder 13a / 1-5
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Assay reports
      Dates: 1936-1942
      Container: Box/Folder 14 / 1-5
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Bank pass books [17 books]
      Dates: 1885-1908
      Container: Box/Folder 14 / 6-8
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Bullion receipts
      Dates: 1894, 1898-1899
      Container: Box/Folder 15 / 1
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Cash book
      Dates: 1888-1892
      Container: Box/Folder 15 / 2
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Cash book
      Dates: 1908
      Container: Volume 6
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Check stub book
      Dates: 1893
      Container: Volume 7
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Day book (company store)
      Dates: 1898-1900, undated
      Container: Volume 8-11
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Debit balances
      Dates: 1914
      Container: Box/Folder 15 / 3
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Expenditure reports: abstracts
      Dates: January - February 1908
      Container: Box/Folder 15 / 4
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Expenditure reports: estimates and statistics
      Dates: 1899-1905
      Container: Box/Folder 15 / 5
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Expenditure reports: monthly abstracts
      Dates: 1894, January -March 1898
      Container: Box/Folder 15 / 6-7
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Expenditure reports: monthly abstracts
      Dates: 1898, 1902, 1904
      Container: Box/Folder 16 / 1-6
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Expenditure reports: monthly abstracts
      Dates: 1898, 1902, 1904
      Container: Box/Folder 16 / 1-6
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: General ledgers
      Dates: 1896-1899, 1906-1916
      Container: Box/Folder 17 / 1-3
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Grocery Day Book - Andro Maichel & Co. general store
      Dates: 1891-1894
      Container: Volume 12
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Journal entries
      Dates: 1908 January - November
      Container: Volume 13
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Monthly financial reports
      Dates: 1893-1895
      Container: Box/Folder 17 / 4
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Monthly financial reports
      Dates: 1894-1908
      Container: Box/Folder 18 / 1-3
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Monthly financial reports
      Dates: 1897-1906
      Container: Box/Folder 19 / 1
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Office supply book
      Dates: 1895
      Container: Box/Folder 19 / 2
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Operational reports
      Dates: 1917-1919
      Container: Box/Folder 19 / 3-6
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Order book
      Dates: 1889-1896
      Container: Box/Folder 19 / 7
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Order book
      Dates: 1889-1896
      Container: Box/Folder 19A / 1
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Ore shipment record
      Dates: 1894-1896
      Container: Box/Folder 19A / 2
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Ore ledger
      Dates: 1910-1930
      Container: Box/Folder 20 / 1
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Payrolls
      Dates: 1902-1910
      Container: Volume 14
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Payrolls
      Dates: 1906-1908, 1911-1915
      Container: Volume 15
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Payrolls
      Dates: 1907-1908
      Container: Box/Folder 20 / 2-3
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Price book
      Dates: circa 1896
      Container: Box/Folder 20 / 4
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Receipts: Alice Hospital Fund; miscellaneous
      Dates: 1889, 1898, 1908-1909
      Container: Box/Folder 20 / 5
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Silver quotations book
      Dates: 1895-1898
      Container: Box/Folder 20 / 6
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Statements and invoices
      Dates: 1883-1929
      Container: Box/Folder 20 / 7-10
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Superintendent's log
      Dates: 1897-1903
      Container: Box/Folder 21 / 1
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Superintendent's log: Lexington Mine
      Dates: 1950-1956
      Container: Box/Folder 21 / 2
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Superintendent's Monthly Reports
      Dates: 1884-1887
      Container: Volume 16
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Supplies Log
      Dates: 1901-1905
      Container: Volume 17
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Tax returns
      Dates: 1937-1938
      Container: Box/Folder 21 / 3
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Time books [payroll]
      Dates: 1897-1898, 1935-1939
      Container: Box/Folder 21 / 4-5
      Location: Financial Records
    • Description: Vouchers
      Dates: 1908-1910
      Container: Volume 18
      Location: Financial Records

  • Legal Documents

    • Description: Abstracts of title
      Dates: 1878-1890
      Container: Box/Folder 21 / 6
      Location: Legal Documents
    • Description: Abstracts of title: Theseus Quartz Claim
      Dates: 1907
      Container: Box/Folder 21 / 7
      Location: Legal Documents
    • Description: Agreements
      Dates: 1884-1905
      Container: Box/Folder 21 / 8
      Location: Legal Documents
    • Description: Deeds
      Dates: 1880-1894
      Container: Box/Folder 22 / 1
      Location: Legal Documents
    • Description: Lease notes [2 notebooks]
      Dates: 1936-1938
      Container: Box/Folder 22 / 2
      Location: Legal Documents
    • Description: Lease reports
      Dates: 1935-1940
      Container: Box/Folder 22 / 3
      Location: Legal Documents
    • Description: Patents
      Dates: 1877-1893
      Container: Box/Folder 22 / 4-5
      Location: Legal Documents
    • Description: General Land Office Mineral Certificates
      Dates: 1877-1893
      Container: Oversize Folder 1
      Location: Legal Documents
    • Description: Superintendent's contract book [2 volumes]
      Dates: 1936-1938
      Container: Box/Folder 22 / 6
      Location: Legal Documents
    • Description: Miscellaneous
      Dates: 1881-1904
      Container: Box/Folder 22 / 7
      Location: Legal Documents

  • Organization

    • Description: Stockholders' lists; minutes of foremen's meetings
      Dates: 1904-1918
      Container: Box/Folder 22 / 8
      Location: Organization

  • Miscellany

    • Description: Blueprints and diagrams
      Dates: 1895-1906
      Container: Box/Folder 23 / 1
      Location: Miscellany
    • Description: Blueprints
      Dates: 1905
      Container: Oversize Folder 2
      Location: Miscellany
    • Description: Chicago Iron Works catalog [belonging to William H. Hall]
      Dates: 1893
      Container: Box/Folder 23 / 2
      Location: Miscellany
    • Description: Notebook on inspection routes
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box/Folder 23 / 3
      Location: Miscellany
    • Description: "Schedule for sulphide silver-lead zinc ores"; notes on West Saukie Mine
      Dates: 1901, 1925
      Container: Box/Folder 23 / 4
      Location: Miscellany
    • Description: Miscellaneous
      Dates: 1902, undated
      Container: Box/Folder 23 / 5
      Location: Miscellany

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Assaying--Montana--Butte
  • Gold mines and mining--Montana--Butte
  • Labor and laboring classes--Montana--Butte
  • Labor relations--Montana--Butte
  • Labor unions--Miners
  • Miners--Montana--Butte
  • Silver mines and mining--Montana--Butte
  • Stamp mills--Montana--Butte
  • Strikes and lockouts--Copper mining--Montana--Butte
  • Wages--Montana--Butte
  • Zinc mines and mining--Montana--Butte

Corporate Names

  • Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company (creator)

Geographical Names

  • Butte (Mont.)--Industries--Mines and mining
  • Butte (Mont.)--Labor relations
  • Lexington Mine (Butte, Mont.)
  • Walkerville (Mont.)

Finding aid prepared by MHS Staff
2004

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