The Richest Hill on Earth
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 
Heading to Butte, Montana, this afternoon—land of Copper Kings, the Dumas Brothel, a legendary St. Patty’s Day celebration, and notable birthplace of none other than Evel Knievel. If you grew up in the 70s, an Evel Knievel stunt-cycle was a rite of passage (far superior to the Six-Million Dollar Man action figure, in my opinion).
I love Butte because what you see is what you get. Sure, like Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters, Missoula and Bozeman get all the attention—but Butte has a heart of gold, or copper as it were.
It’s those turn-of-the-century copper mines that serve as a backdrop for Ivan Doig’s new book, Work Song, which I was fortunate enough to read as a bound galley. I even offered a blurb, not that Ivan needs my words—his reputation as the new dean of western literature speaks for itself.
Okay, time to pack my flask and sidearm. Butte, here I come…
Reader Comments (1)
But Evel vs Steve Austin...damn, that's a tough call.
Also: I just learned last week that one of the daughters of "Copper King" William Clark is still alive. She's 103 years old now. (http://www.bigskyblog.com/index.php/2010/03/15/montana-legend-william-clark/)