Butte Historical Tour

With Bob, the BEST tour guide in Butte Montana!

Well, we did it. I connected with a group of visitors to Anaconda and we caravaned (the 23 miles) to Butte to take Bob’s Old Butte Historical Adventure. Bob delivered! He was well worth his $20. fee (15. for seniors and minors.) He was engaging, entertaining and had no shortage of background knowledge and personal experience with the places he took us. The tour lasts a bit under 2 hours and was worth every penny!

Highlights

During the tour, we learned about Butte in its heyday. Bob talked about the old town jail (and took us there), about a speakeasy (more on this shortly), about an old barbershop (and the underground town), and other related aspects of old Butte life (including the redlight district and other immoral sidelines!

The Barber Shop

We visited an underground barber shop that hadn’t been active in decades. Much of what was there was “period authentic” including the employees graffiti on the walls (dating to 1920!)

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We learned that Butte had two street levels (you’ll have to do more research to learn exactly how they accomplished this.)

The Butte City Jail

Opened in 1890 and operated until 1971, the city jail was ruled a dungeon by the feds and shut down as a result. It is a living testimonial to the corrupt city government that existed at that time. (My how times have changed?)

Conditions in this jail are much as they were “back in the day” with one big exception. The building that houses the jail is the old city hall and is not currently in use. The jail is in the basement of the building. Predictably, it is chilly in the basement (about 58F) despite temperatures over 80 on the street outside.

This was not the case when the building was occupied by prisoners as well as the judge and the city officials. It seems the jail was adjacent to the building’s boiler. As such, temperatures in the jail ranged from 100-105F all the time and sentences in this jail were up to 179 days.

Study the photos, there’s an interrogation (read: torture) room and a literal dungeon that served as solitary confinement. Prisoners included men, women and children. The children were taken to the last cell, thus parading them in front of all other prisoners!

There are only about 5 cells, but each housed up to 16 people and included a toilet and sink. Showers were a rare commodity, typically offered only when a prisoner was to see the judge!

I’m sure the stench was truly foul to anyone who spent more than a moment in this place!

Interestingly, there was a teenager on our tour. He was probably “scared straight” to steer clear of any modern prisons. Especially if they resemble in the slightest the conditions in the old Butte jail!

Three 8 Hour Shifts – 10,000 men each…

Butte was a 24 hour city! The miners (10,000 at a clip) worked 8 hour shifts. There were 3 shifts in a 24 hour day. This created a situation where businesses operated around the clock. Visit the M&M on Main Street (a favorite of mine for breakfast) and you’ll see that “back in the day” they were open 24/7.

The brothels too…

The red light district also ran 24/7 as the miners needed “entertainment” off-shift. For those who were of greater means (the executives), there were “ladies rooms” hidden behind legit establishments. One such establishment was the Creamery Cafe on Broadway (near Main) in Uptown. The ladies of these establishments offered more discrete “services” for these men than those available in the red light district. It’s likely city and business executives frequented their services.

A Speakeasy that hadn’t seen a visitor and was hidden for 57 years

How do you preserve a Prohibition Era (1920-1933) Speakeasy? Easy! Cover the entrance to the Speakeasy with sheetrock. This was done (most likely) in 1947. Then allow the building to go vacant for decades and then discover the hidden room only by accident in 2004!

The current owner purchased an old commercial building in 2002. In 2004, he and his crew discovered the hidden speakeasy buried in the basement. They accessed it (initally) via a back bathroom entrance (with a real Thomas J. Crapper toilet! – see photos.

More “inside baseball”…

The original main entrance had been hidden behind sheetrock and was bolted shut to anyone trying to enter. The Speakeasy is incredibly well preserved. The most recent patrons were there in 1947 (likely earlier.) The original poker table was fully intact. The bar was intact and much liquor from the Prohibition Era was discovered along with additional artifacts.

The speakeasy was accessed via an Otis Elevator (circa 1912?) This appears to be a VERY early Otis Elevator…

Bob has leased the rights to take his visitors to this speakeasy. It is only open when Bob brings a tour there. On busy days, Bob (age 75) runs tours 3x each day Mon thru Sat. Call him for a reservation and mention Alan from RV Across America sent you!

Incidentally, the current building owner has stabilized the building and arrested the water damage that had reached down 2 of the 4 floors from the roof while the building was vacant.

Additional tid-bits

During his numerous stories, Bob shared in his explorations in Butte, he discovered an 1864 Mason’s bible. He has it partially hidden, under lock and key on display in his store.

The Miners Hotel

A hotel with lots of history! The Miners Hotel is now a “boutique hotel”, cafe (with lite breakfast and lunch), and a (recreated) Speakeasy that (really) looks authentic! Note: The Miners Hotel is not part of Bob’s tour. Being a “cafe junkie”, I know the management and got us in for a private tour!

These photos of the Miners Hotel “show off” some of their rooms and the recreated Speakeasy in their basement. Additional hotel photos (and much more about Butte and Anaconda can be found HERE.

Each hotel room has a theme and highlights the history. The main floor was originally a bank, patronized by you guessed it – miners! You’ll see photos here of the of the original vault (which was turned into a hotel room) and the Bank President’s office – which is also now a hotel room. This room comes complete with a “secret” stairwell to the Speakeasy.

The Miners Hotel has a basement. Originally part of the main floor (where the cafe is) was a retail furrier. Yes, they have some of the original furs found when the building was renovated! The basement was a large fur vault. The original “vault” door to protect the furs remains.

When the basement was renovated, the current owners (wisely) decided to recreate a Speakeasy. Some of the photos here highlight this upscale speakeasy bar.

Additional posts that highlight Butte, Anaconda and their shared history…

Butte was once the most affluent town between Chicago and San Francisco – here’s why

Anaconda and Skiing nearby

Southwestern Montana (in winter) – Exploring the Region

When I hook up my trailer and leave the region (likely in September) I will have a few things to say about skiing around here and a wrap-up of my overall SW Montana experience.

RV Camping Options in the Butte – Anaconda Region

I use two “tools” to search for RV Campsites when I plan to visit a region. Campgrounds RV Life (also known as Campground Reviews) is an easily searchable database. Enter the name of the town you plan to visit and you’ll see most (note: MOST) available campgrounds in that region. RV’ers who use this website can also post reviews. Many of the campgrounds have multiple reviews, again from real RV’ers who also provide local tips on what to see and do. There is no fee for this website, however you’ll want to join to see their entire database.

Allstays is a VERY comprehensive tool that provides you with a map interface. Their database displays all types of RV camping areas from dispersed National Forest camping to full hookup private campgrounds. Allstays is not free, but again it contains virtually every piece of information you’d want, including the location of Walmarts and truck stops!

Allstays works best with a laptop, desktop or an iPhone. They do not have an Android app. When I use it, I like the large interface a laptop provides. I can zoom in on the map and learn all about the region I plan to visit. In a post where I share a bit about Meadowlark Lake in the Big Horn Mountains, I share just a little about the Allstays interface and the kind of information available to you when you access it.

A few personal recommendations include Copper Court RV Park in Anaconda. Large, modern, full hookups. NOT near a set of train tracks! There are full service RV parks closer to Butte, but they are either located on the Interstate or in downtown Butte (KOA). Also, I recommend the rv sites at the Inn at Philipsburg. Its a bit distant from Butte, but is a great location to explore the historic town of Philipsburg.

If you’re more adventurous, the Georgetown Lake region has several dry camping campsites. Many of the sites only cater to smaller campers, so be sure to ask about the roads and campsite length if you consider this camping option.

Are you thinking of becoming an RV’er OR getting a new (or new to you) camper?

I personally offer a Concierge RV Buying (and Selling) Service. I serve as a “guide by your side, who also has your back.” My service covers the entire buying and/or selling process. You can check out my service HERE. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to hear what my clients have to say.

Lastly, need RV Accessories?

I use or have tested virtually all of the equipment and accessories I highlight…

In Closing…

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