Anaconda Copper and civil unrest Butte, Montana

frank little, iww organizer lynched in butte in 1917.

in 1899, daly joined william rockefeller, henry h. rogers, , thomas w. lawson organize amalgamated copper mining company. not long after, company changed name anaconda copper mining company (acm). on years, anaconda owned assorted larger corporations. in 1920s, had virtual monopoly on mines in , around butte. between approximately 1900 , 1917, butte had strong streak of socialist politics, electing mayor on socialist ticket in 1914.

it had established 1 of solid union cities in america. after 1905, butte became hotbed of industrial workers of world (iww, or wobblies ) organizing. rivalry between iww supporters , wfm locals culminated in butte, montana labor riots of 1914, , resulted in loss of union recognition mine owners. after dissolution of miners union, anaconda company attempted inaugurate programs aimed @ enticing employees. however, number of clashes between laborers, labor organizers, , anaconda company ensued, including 1917 lynching of iww executive board officer frank little. in 1920, company mine guards gunned down strikers in anaconda road massacre. seventeen shot in tried flee, , 1 man died.

sparked tragic accident more 2,000 feet (600 m) below ground on june 8, 1917, fire in granite mountain shaft spewed flames, smoke, , poisonous gas through labyrinth of underground tunnels including connected speculator mine. rescue effort commenced, carbon monoxide stealing air supply. few men built man-made bulkheads save lives, many others died in panic try out. rescue workers set fan prevent fire spreading. worked short time, when rescuers tried use water, water evaporated, creating steam burned people trying escape. once fire out, waiting hear news on surface not identify victims. mutilated recognize, leading many assume worst. of 168 bodies removed mine, had died due lack of oxygen , smoke inhalation opposed actual fire itself. due efforts of men such ernest sullau, manus duggan, con o neil, , j. d. moore, survived, event largest hard rock mining accident in history. granite mountain memorial built commemorate died in accident. disaster memorialized in song, rox in box on album king dead indie rock band, decemberists.

the loss of miners in incident sparked additional strikes , protests, establishment of metal mine workers union, led 15,000 workers abandon jobs. in 1917, copper production butte mines peaked , steadily declined thereafter. wwii, copper production acm s holdings in chuquicamata, chile, far exceeded butte s production. historian janet finn has examined tale of 2 cities —butte , chuquicamata 2 acm mining towns.