The battle over Butte's copper wealth shaped Montana politics for a generation. Montana's identity was forged on the open range, and its culture still carries that stamp.

Rival 'Copper Kings' fought for control of Butte's mines and the state.

What sets it apart

Miners from dozens of nations built one of the West's most diverse cities. For those who know the region well, it is a point of quiet pride.

Uptown Butte holds one of the country's largest historic districts.

Why it matters

Taken together, these threads say something about Montana itself — a state where the wild and the worked-over sit close together. It is a heritage still very much alive in the towns and gatherings of today's Montana.