{"id":99,"ordinal":8,"modified":"2026-04-17 19:58:29","content_modified":"2026-04-17 19:58:29","featured":1,"title":"Montana Tech","creator":"Story of Butte","description":"<p>The Enabling Act of 1889 laid the foundation for the Montana School of Mines, providing for the first federal land grants for the establishment of mining schools. This landmark provision thus recognized the significance of mining industries to the newly admitted western states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington. A commission appointed by Governor J. E. Rickards to investigate establishing such a school in Montana determined that the heart of Montana’s mining industry — Butte — would be the ideal location.\r\n\r\nAt the foot of Big Butte, with its sweeping view of the surrounding area rich in mineral ores, the cornerstone of Main Hall was laid in the fall of 1896. Designed by Montana’s premier architect John C. Paulsen, the splendid Renaissance Revival style building was completed in 1897, but it presided over Butte unoccupied for lack of additional funds. Thanks to the generosity of local benefactors, the school finally opened in 1900 to 39 students, 36 men and three women. Two degrees were offered, electrical engineering and mining engineering.\r\n\r\nDuring the next decades, architects George Carsley, C. S. Haire, Floyd Hamill, and Walter Arnold left their marks on the campus following Paulsen’s lead. Federal assistance during the 1930s allowed expansion and extensive landscaping, which greatly enhanced the campus.\r\n\r\nThe Montana School of Mines earned its excellent academic reputation partly because Butte offered unsurpassed opportunities in practical observation and firsthand mine experience, a facet of training not emphasized by other mining schools. Today, the school is named Montana Technological University but is known as Montana Tech. It serves about 2,500 students.</p>","postscript_text":"","tour_img":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/9e4e56ab676bb761861fe2a96fa301d9.jpg","items":[{"id":3399,"title":"Montana Tech Arch","latitude":46.01235272345996207832286017946898937225341796875,"longitude":-112.5548779964447021484375,"thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/9e4e56ab676bb761861fe2a96fa301d9.jpg","fullsize":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/9e4e56ab676bb761861fe2a96fa301d9.jpg","subtitle":"Arch Spans Park Street Entrance to Campus","address":null,"custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":3401,"title":"Marcus Daly Statue","latitude":46.0123676258813389949864358641207218170166015625,"longitude":-112.556709945201873779296875,"thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/4d4b3b4dea781d53c3161166512d01af.jpg","fullsize":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/4d4b3b4dea781d53c3161166512d01af.jpg","subtitle":"Statue Pays Tribute to One of Butte's Three Copper Kings","address":"West Park Street near Montrose Ave","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":3400,"title":"Chancellor's Residence","latitude":46.0125688081772068471764214336872100830078125,"longitude":-112.5572101771831512451171875,"thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/79f605aa0bc554369ecbb20d70ebff19.jpg","fullsize":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/79f605aa0bc554369ecbb20d70ebff19.jpg","subtitle":"Home was a WPA Project","address":"1315 W. Park Street","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":3402,"title":"Science and Engineering Hall","latitude":46.01206806315530428719284827820956707000732421875,"longitude":-112.5567233562469482421875,"thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/2650d34530e169cd3b122c4c0fc65956.jpg","fullsize":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/2650d34530e169cd3b122c4c0fc65956.jpg","subtitle":null,"address":"1300 West Park Street, Montana Tech Campus","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":3403,"title":"Engineering Hall","latitude":46.01165044229824019339503138326108455657958984375,"longitude":-112.5567448139190673828125,"thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/486cabe620c32307c333a4d6aefc317d.jpg","fullsize":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/486cabe620c32307c333a4d6aefc317d.jpg","subtitle":"Building was Originally a Gymnasium","address":"1300 West Park, Montana Tech Campus","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":3405,"title":"Leonard Field","latitude":46.0117178532940016566499252803623676300048828125,"longitude":-112.55559146404266357421875,"thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/d6b55a14e491ef2bd359b286c414fa12.jpg","fullsize":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/d6b55a14e491ef2bd359b286c414fa12.jpg","subtitle":"Originally Nicknamed the Bean Bowl","address":"Montana Tech Campus","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":3404,"title":"Main Hall","latitude":46.01116796810969589159867609851062297821044921875,"longitude":-112.556715309619903564453125,"thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/f552e58b4f1ce394a632d98f3fb8351b.jpg","fullsize":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/f552e58b4f1ce394a632d98f3fb8351b.jpg","subtitle":"First Building Constructed for the School of Mines","address":"1300 West Park Street, Montana Tech Campus","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":3407,"title":"Museum Building","latitude":46.01069666686571935088068130426108837127685546875,"longitude":-112.55677700042724609375,"thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/8cdd9f837fdf721e86f6ebfb7e0eee01.jpg","fullsize":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/8cdd9f837fdf721e86f6ebfb7e0eee01.jpg","subtitle":"Brass Doors Depict the Evolution of Mining","address":"1300 West Park Street, Montana Tech Campus","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":3409,"title":"Mill Building","latitude":46.011276012888316699900315143167972564697265625,"longitude":-112.5574207305908203125,"thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/e61dfd39e64a28a1834cc60adc0dbaf7.jpg","fullsize":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/e61dfd39e64a28a1834cc60adc0dbaf7.jpg","subtitle":"Huge Boilers, which Supplied Heat to Campus Buildings, Still Intact","address":"1300 West Park Street, Montana Tech Campus","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":3408,"title":"Chemistry and Biology Building","latitude":46.010661272539010724358377046883106231689453125,"longitude":-112.5574100017547607421875,"thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/2bbb7d039b35482101772cce67d36e92.jpg","fullsize":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/2bbb7d039b35482101772cce67d36e92.jpg","subtitle":"Construction Halted by Court Ruling, Strike, and Partial Collapse","address":"Montana Tech Campus","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":3410,"title":"Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology","latitude":46.01310005165944261307231499813497066497802734375,"longitude":-112.56201803684234619140625,"thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/658b674f1c2dc7f99367a283798831cd.jpg","fullsize":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/658b674f1c2dc7f99367a283798831cd.jpg","subtitle":null,"address":"Montana Tech Campus","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":3406,"title":"Big M","latitude":46.01908134039758380140483495779335498809814453125,"longitude":-112.558815479278564453125,"thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/92f53d5d04dd5b3e2166482720806e19.jpg","fullsize":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/92f53d5d04dd5b3e2166482720806e19.jpg","subtitle":"Iconic Symbol Was Constructed by Students in 1910","address":"Big Butte","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}}]}