Remembering the Butte Copper Mine Tragedy: A Devastating Explosion on June 8, 1917
Butte, Montana – On June 8, 1917, a catastrophic explosion rocked the Butte Copper Mine, leaving a tragic imprint on the community and shifting the labor landscape of the region. The disaster claimed the lives of nearly 168 miners, sparking widespread outrage and leading to a transformation in safety regulations within the mining industry. At approximately 10:30 a.m. on that fateful day, a massive underground blast was felt throughout Butte, which was then a booming …