Meaderville

Butte’s reputation of being boisterous, boastful and rough was built on the stories and lives of the earliest mining prospectors who found gold on the Silver Bow Creek. Butte grew to be known as “The Richest Hill on Earth,” “The Mile High City,” “A Wide Open Town.” Booze, women and gambling were common activities in the area and Meaderville was the host. Located in the county rather than the city, saloons kept the bar open and the tables set twenty-four hours a day. Men worked hard underground and played hard above ground and the best fun was in Meaderville, named for Charles T. Meader a miner who arrived in the late 1870’s. He was an innovative mining man who settled the small suburb of Butte. The area soon became home to the Italian immigrants who brought their skill in the kitchen to the small camp. Mining technology changes saw the town disappear when open pit mining began in the 1950s’. To this day Meaderville lives in the hearts of the Italian community.