Anaconda, Montana

Anaconda, county seat of Deer Lodge County, which has a consolidated city-county government, is located in southwestern Montana, United States. Located at the foot of the Anaconda Range (known locally as the "Pintlers"), the Continental Divide passes within 8 mi (13 km) south of the community. As of the 2020 census the population of the consolidated city-county was 9,421,[1] and the US Census Bureaus's 2015-2019 American Community Survey showed a median household income of $41,820.[2] Anaconda had earlier peaks of population in 1930 and 1980, based on the mining industry. As a consolidated city-county area, it ranks as the ninth most populous city in Montana, but as only a city is far smaller. Central Anaconda is 5,335 ft (1,626 m) above sea level, and is surrounded by the communities of Opportunity and West Valley.

Anaconda
Consolidated city-county
Downtown Anaconda, looking north
Downtown Anaconda, looking north
Location of Anaconda within the county Deer Lodge County.
Location of Anaconda within the county Deer Lodge County.
Anaconda is located in Montana
Anaconda
Anaconda
Location in Montana
Anaconda is located in the United States
Anaconda
Anaconda
Anaconda (the United States)
Anaconda is located in North America
Anaconda
Anaconda
Anaconda (North America)
Coordinates: 46°8′N 112°56′W
CountryUnited States
StateMontana
CountyDeer Lodge
Area
 • Total741.2 sq mi (1,919.7 km2)
 • Land736.53 sq mi (1,907.6 km2)
 • Water4.7 sq mi (12.1 km2)
Elevation
5,276 ft (1,608 m)
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Total9,421
 • Density12.79/sq mi (4.94/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP code
59711
FIPS code30-01675
GNIS feature ID779015
Websiteadlc.us
Main Street, Anaconda
Entering Anaconda, looking west

The county area is 736.53 square miles (1,907.6 km2), characterized by densely timbered forestlands, lakes, mountains and recreation grounds. The county has common borders with Beaverhead, Butte-Silver Bow, Granite, Jefferson and Powell counties.

History

Anaconda was founded by Marcus Daly, one of the Copper Kings, who financed the construction of the Anaconda smelter on nearby Warm Springs Creek to process copper ore from the Butte mines. In June 1883, Daly filed for a town plat for "Copperopolis", but that name was already used by another mining town in Meagher County. Instead, Daly accepted the name "Anaconda", suggested by the United States postmaster of the time, Clinton Moore.[3] Moore chose the name because of the important mining smelter already existing in the area. When Montana was admitted as a state in 1889, Daly lobbied to have the capital moved to Anaconda, and Montana legislators decided to hold two referendums in 1892 and 1894 to choose a capital city. The campaigns for the referendums were heated, ending with a victory for Helena, the location supported by Daly's rival William A. Clark.

In 1903, the Socialist Party of America won its first victory west of the Mississippi when Anaconda voters elected a socialist mayor, treasurer, police judge, and three councilmen. The Socialist Party had grown within the expanding Montana labor movement. Initially, the Anaconda Copper Mining Company tolerated socialist activities, but when the Socialists gained political power and threatened to implement reform, the company systematically undermined the party. City workers and councilmen refused to cooperate with the new mayor, and the company began to fire Socialists. In the long run labor lost ground in Anaconda and the company exerted ever greater political control.[4]

The Anaconda Company expanded smelting capacity over time; by 1919 the Washoe Reduction Works could boast that its 585-foot (178 m) smokestack (Anaconda Smelter Stack) was the tallest masonry structure in the world and that the smelter-refining complex constituted the world's largest non-ferrous processing plant.

In 1980, Atlantic Richfield Company closed the smelter, bringing an end to almost a century of mineral processing.[5] While some aspects of the operation had been cleaned up under environmental laws, closing the smelter resulted in a large area contaminated with hazardous wastes. Since then, an operation for environmental cleanup was put into place by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and executed with the assistance of ARCO. The multimillion-dollar cleanup and redevelopment has resulted in the "Old Works" Golf Course, a championship 18-hole course designed by Jack Nicklaus.

Anaconda joined with Deer County to form a consolidated city-county government in 1977.[6] Part of Anaconda is included in the Butte-Anaconda Historic District.

Geography
  • Elevation: 5,335 feet or 1,626 metres
  • Average annual rainfall: 14 inches or 360 millimetres
  • Average length of growing season: 114 days
  • Average annual snowfall: 48.0 inches or 1.22 metres
  • Average annual temperature: 43.0 °F (6.1 °C)

Climate
Climate data for Anaconda
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 60
(16)		 65
(18)		 71
(22)		 83
(28)		 89
(32)		 95
(35)		 100
(38)		 98
(37)		 95
(35)		 88
(31)		 71
(22)		 60
(16)		 100
(38)
Average high °F (°C) 31.3
(−0.4)		 28.9
(−1.7)		 39.8
(4.3)		 50.1
(10.1)		 59.4
(15.2)		 66.3
(19.1)		 68.9
(20.5)		 65.8
(18.8)		 58.2
(14.6)		 49.1
(9.5)		 40.2
(4.6)		 34.1
(1.2)		 49.3
(9.6)
Daily mean °F (°C) 23.4
(−4.8)		 22.1
(−5.5)		 33.4
(0.8)		 43.2
(6.2)		 51.8
(11.0)		 60.2
(15.7)		 63.8
(17.7)		 61.9
(16.6)		 53.2
(11.8)		 43.4
(6.3)		 35.1
(1.7)		 28.3
(−2.1)		 43.3
(6.3)
Average low °F (°C) 15.9
(−8.9)		 14.7
(−9.6)		 25.3
(−3.7)		 34.3
(1.3)		 44.3
(6.8)		 53.4
(11.9)		 57.8
(14.3)		 54.3
(12.4)		 46.4
(8.0)		 35.2
(1.8)		 27.8
(−2.3)		 19.8
(−6.8)		 35.8
(2.1)
Record low °F (°C) −28
(−33)		 −35
(−37)		 −12
(−24)		 4
(−16)		 17
(−8)		 27
(−3)		 30
(−1)		 25
(−4)		 12
(−11)		 −9
(−23)		 −22
(−30)		 −38
(−39)		 −38
(−39)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.58
(15)		 0.46
(12)		 1.04
(26)		 1.17
(30)		 1.85
(47)		 1.93
(49)		 1.43
(36)		 1.47
(37)		 1.14
(29)		 0.84
(21)		 0.84
(21)		 0.63
(16)		 13.38
(339)
Source 1: NOAA (normals, 1971–2000)[7]
Source 2: The Weather Channel (Records)[8]

According to the Köppen climate classification, Anaconda has a humid continental climate

Demographics
See also: Deer Lodge County, Montana § Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880700—
18903,975467.9%
19009,453137.8%
191010,1347.2%
192011,66815.1%
193012,4947.1%
194011,004−11.9%
195011,2542.3%
196012,0547.1%
19709,771−18.9%
198012,51828.1%
199010,278−17.9%
20009,417−8.4%
20109,298−1.3%
20209,4211.3%
Source[9]
U.S. Decennial Census[2]

Arts and culture
Club Moderne (1937), Anaconda (Historic American Buildings Survey)

On main street is the Washoe Theater, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was the last theater constructed in the United States in the Nuevo Deco style. The theater was designed in 1930 by B. Marcus Priteca, an architect from Seattle and opened in 1936. It was listed by the NRHP for architectural significance in 1982. It currently is used for showing films, plus periodically hosting plays and other types of entertainment.

Government and politics
Deer Lodge County Courthouse in Anaconda

Deer Lodge County voters have a record as the most consistently Democratic county in Montana for Presidential elections. These voters have not supported a Republican candidate since Calvin Coolidge in 1924. In the last five elections before 2016, the Democratic candidate has won by 21% to nearly 49% of Deer Lodge County's vote. In gubernatorial elections, the only Republican to carry the county in the last twenty years was Marc Racicot in the 1996 election. In that election the original Democratic nominee, Chet Blaylock, died and Marc Racicot carried every county.[10]

The city is currently in the 39th district of the Montana Senate and is represented by Republican Terry Vermeire in the 2023 legislative session. Anaconda is also in the 77th district of the Montana House of Representatives, which has been represented by Republican John Fitzpatrick since 2023. This is the first time since 1945 that the city has been represented by a Republican in the state House of Representatives.[11][12]

Elected in 2017, Bill Everett is the current CEO. The CEO is elected by a plurality vote on a non-partisan ballot for a four-year term.[13]

Sports and recreation
  • Hunting – There are hundreds of square miles of hunting available to the public in the area. With permit, hunting is permitted for fowl, bear, mountain lion, elk, deer and moose.
  • Fishing – Many nearby mountain lakes and streams offer such primary fishing spots as Silver Lake, Georgetown Lake, Echo Lake, Storm Lake, Racetrack Lake, Warm Springs Creek, Warm Springs Ponds, and the Big Hole River.
  • Golf – The Old Works Golf Course is a Jack Nicklaus-signature golf course, developed of brownfield land. A local country club and an 18-hole championship golf course are located at Fairmont Hot Springs.
  • Skiing – The area has many trails for cross-country skiers, and the nearby Discovery Ski Area has downhill skiing with 15 downhill double-black diamond trails and 5 kilometres (3 mi) of groomed cross-country ski trails.
  • Darts -The annual Winter Getaway dart tournament, held in several local establishments, is the largest regional dart tournament in Montana.
  • Museums – The Copper Village Museum and Arts Center provides visitors and residents with art and history of the local area.
  • Hiking – Hiking opportunities in and around Anaconda include trails up to mountain lakes and a 10,067-foot (3,068 m) mountain that can be climbed without technical equipment. A walking trail is on the north side of Anaconda next to Warm Springs Creek.
  • Drag Racing – Lost Creek Raceway was founded in 1986 and hosts over 20 events a year bringing racers from Washington, Idaho and Montana.
  • Mountain Biking

Education
Hearst Free Library (1898), listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Four schools are part of Anaconda School District 10, including a Head Start program; Lincoln Elementary (grades K-3), Fred Moodry Intermediate School (grades 4–6), and Anaconda Junior-Senior High School (grades 7–12).[14] The mascot of Anaconda Junior-Senior High School is the Copperheads.[15]

The Hearst Free Library serves the area.[16][17]

Infrastructure

Anaconda is on Montana Highway 1 off of Interstate 90. The Highway extends to Drummond and is known as the Pintler Scenic Loop. East of town is the Montana Highway 48 junction.

Bowman Field is a public airport located three miles (5 km) northeast of Anaconda.[18] The nearest commercial airport is Bert Mooney Airport in Butte.

The Community Hospital of Anaconda provides medical care to the town.[19]

Media

The Anaconda Leader is the local newspaper. It is published twice weekly.[20]

KGLM-FM is licensed in Anaconda. It is owned by Butte Broadcasting Inc.[21]

Film credits

Anaconda has been a filming location for a few movies, documentaries and a TV show, including:

  • 1960 - Perch of The Devil, Harvey Richards Media Archive (Estuary Press)
  • 1974 - The Legendary Mountain. Montana State University Film and T.V. Center
  • 1978 - The Other Side of Hell, Aubrey-Lyon Productions
  • 1981 - Today, NBC News Production
  • 1985 - Runaway Train, Golan-Globus Productions
  • 1986 - Better Pictures, Left Handed Pictures
  • 1987 - Portrait Of America, Turner Broadcasting System
  • 1992 - Return to Better Pictures, Sloppy Films
  • 1993 - Return to Lonesome Dove, Artisan Home Entertainment
  • 2005 - Backroads of Montana, Montana PBS
  • 2008 - Prodigal Sons, Big Sky Productions
  • 2012 - Diggers, Half Yard Productions
  • 2016 - Dead 7, Syfy
  • 2016 - Lester Leaps In, Montana Mafia Productions
  • 2018 - Jeremy Bass: We Will Be You, Annie McCain Casting
  • 2018 - Far Cry 5: Inside Eden's Gate, Asylum Entertainment
  • 2019 - Worth The Wait, Maney Telefilm Co.
  • 2019 - Mickey and the Bear, Utopia
  • 2020 - Trail of Justice, Eagle Ridge Studios
  • 2020 - Two Eyes, Two Eyes Productions
  • 2020 - Backroads of Montana, Montana PBS
  • 2022 - The Ghost Town Terror, Travel Channel
  • 2022 - Stu, Sony Pictures Releasing
  • 2022 - 1923 (TV series), 101 Studios, Bosque Ranch Productions & MTV Entertainment Studios
  • TBA - Brown, Dark Frames
  • TBA - Broke, Broken Films

Notable people

See also

References
  1. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  2. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  3. Carkeek Cheney, Roberta (1983). Names on the Face of Montana. Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Company. p. 6. ISBN 0-87842-150-5.
  4. Jerry Calvert, "The Rise and Fall of Socialism in a Company Town, 1902–1905", Montana, Dec 1986, Vol. 36 Issue 4, pp 2-13
  5. Aarstad, Rich, Ellie Arguimbau, Ellen Baumler, Charlene Porsild, and Brian Shovers. Montana Place Names from Alzada to Zortman Archived October 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Montana Historical Society Press.
  6. "Charter of Anaconda - Deer Lodge County" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 8, 2023.
  7. "Climatography of the United States NO.81" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  8. "Monthly Averages for Anaconda, MT". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  9. Moffatt, Riley. Population History of Western U.S. Cities & Towns, 1850–1990. Lanham: Scarecrow, 1996, 127.
  10. David Leip's Election Atlas
  11. "2022 General State Canvas Report Legislative (Montana)". Montana Secretary of State. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  12. "1944 Montana Legislative Assembly Elected Members" (PDF). Montana Secretary of State. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  13. "Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, MT | Official Website".
  14. "Anaconda Public Schools". Archived from the original on May 14, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
  15. "Member Schools". Montana High School Association. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  16. "Hearst Free Library". Hearst Free Library. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  17. Geil, M. (1998). Anaconda's treasure: The Hearst Free Library. Anaconda, MT: The Library.
  18. FAA Airport Form 5010 for 3U3 PDF, effective 2007-12-20
  19. "About Us". Community Hospital of Anaconda. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  20. "Anaconda Leader". Anaconda Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  21. "KGLM-FM". FCC. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  22. Corman, Marvin L. (2005). Colon and Rectal Surgery. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 1574. ISBN 0781740436. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  23. "Founder of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps movement dies". Catholic Sentinel. October 2, 2012. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  24. "Thomas J. Ward". Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2014.

Further reading
  • Mercier, Laurie. Anaconda: Labor, Community, and Culture in Montana's Smelter City (University of Illinois Press, 2001) 300pp
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