Anaconda Historic District, Park & Commercial Streets, Main Street vicinity, Anaconda, Deer Lodge County, MT

Significance: Anaconda was established in 1885 by Marcus Daly on Warm Springs Creek, as the site of the smelter for the Amalgamated Copper Mining Company. The site was selected for its proximity to the mines at Butte, and the abundant water provided by Warm Springs Creek falling 400 feet in a ten mile stretch. The Anaconda Reduction Department, situated about 1 mile southeast of the city limits, was the town's largest employer, and dominated the local economy. In the 1890s, Daly attempted to have Anaconda designated as the capital of the newly created state of Montana, but was unsuccessful. It is now the seat of Deer Lodge County, and contains many of its original historic structures.
Survey number: HABS MT-53
Building/structure dates: ca. 1885 Initial Construction