Butte in Silver Bow County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
409 Alaska
Butte National Historic Landmark District
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 12, 2021
1. 409 Alaska Marker
Inscription.
409 Alaska. Butte National Historic Landmark District. Among the oldest survivors in the neighborhood, this four-room shotgun house was built between 1888 and 1890. That year, Butte boasted almost 11,000 people and over eighty operating mines. Mining refuse dumps separated the home from the Gagnon Hoisting Works, Clark’s Original Hoisting Works, and an extensive tram and rail network that hauled the ore to nearby smelters. By 1900, the Gagnon and Original works ran day and night; the roar of the steam engines and rattle of ore cars made it impossible for this home’s residents to forget Butte’s reason for being. A short walk down the hill led to busy Granite Street and the Miles City’s commercial and governmental center. The house’s proximity to mines and businesses reflected the intricate interconnection of Butte’s industrial, residential, and commercial zones. Widow Ellen Burns, who lived here from 1923 until her death at age sixty in 1931, surely appreciated the home’s proximity to Granite Street, where she worked as a “janitress” at the Butte Water Works. She shared the small residence, valued at $1,200 in 1930, with her miner brother, Dennis Leary.
Among the oldest survivors in the neighborhood, this four-room shotgun house was built between 1888 and 1890. That year, Butte boasted almost 11,000 people and over eighty operating mines. Mining refuse dumps separated the home from the Gagnon Hoisting Works, Clark’s Original Hoisting Works, and an extensive tram and rail network that hauled the ore to nearby smelters. By 1900, the Gagnon and Original works ran day and night; the roar of the steam engines and rattle of ore cars made it impossible for this home’s residents to forget Butte’s reason for being. A short walk down the hill led to busy Granite Street and the Miles City’s commercial and governmental center. The house’s proximity to mines and businesses reflected the intricate interconnection of Butte’s industrial, residential, and commercial zones. Widow Ellen Burns, who lived here from 1923 until her death at age sixty in 1931, surely appreciated the home’s proximity to Granite Street, where she worked as a “janitress” at the Butte Water Works. She shared the small residence, valued at $1,200 in 1930, with her miner brother, Dennis Leary.
Location. 46° 0.977′ N, 112° 32.277′ W. Marker is in Butte, Montana, in Silver Bow County. It is on Alaska Street near West Copper Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 409 Alaska Street, Butte MT 59701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically outhwest Montana, in Gold West Country, in Mining Country. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 31, 2021. It was originally submitted on October 31, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 260 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on October 31, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
