Original subtitles

(wind whistling)

(light dramatic music)

(light dramatic music)

(light music)

- Our journey begins at

the old mining town of Butte.

We head west across the dramatic landscape

of Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest

with its lush valleys that so promised

a new life of prosperity for the early colonials.

At Sula we pass a beautifully restored

one-room schoolhouse before ascending

into the rugged Bitterroot Mountains.

Crossing the valley past Hamilton City,

we fly into the Sapphire Mountains,

so-called for the sheer abundance of world class gemstones.

At Rock Creek there's a guest ranch

popular with city folk seeking a wild west experience.

And nearby is the abandoned ghost town of Granite

once a major center for silver mining.

We end our journey at the Grant-Kohrs Ranch at Deer Lodge,

which used to be the headquarters of one

of the biggest cattle empires in U.S. history.

Nestled high in the Rocky Mountains

is the city that was once described

as the richest hill on earth.

Today, Butte is Montana's fifth largest conurbation

with a population of over 34,000.

But in the 1920s, this figure was more like 100,000

as workers flocked to this remote outpost

from all corners of the globe.

The industry here was mining

and it was on an unprecedented scale.

The town's museum proudly tells

the extraordinary story that goes back

to the second half of the 19th century

when prospectors discovered some of

the richest deposits of gold ever.

As well as the abundance of silver and zinc,

it was the seemingly limitless supply of copper

that led to Butte's transformation

from a muddy camp to the largest boomtown

in the American west.

Alongside a memorial the thousands who

lost their lives in mining accidents

is the museum's main attraction;

a reconstruction of Butte as it may have been.

A place where miners worked hard and played hard

in one of the west's greatest and most notorious cities

home to hundreds of saloons

and an infamous red light district.

The spiraling demand for Butte's copper

gave rise to some of the richest men in the world.

These mine owners were known as the copper kings.

Probably, the most famous was William A. Clark,

who's fabulous 34-room Victorian house

stands as a testament to his wealth and power.

By 1900, it's estimated that Clark

was worth 50 million dollars,

making him the world's richest man at the time.

Today, the Copper King Mansion lies at the heart

of Butte's historic center.

Operating as a museum and a bed and breakfast.

And only a block away is the magnificent

French-style chateau that Clark built in 1898

as a wedding gift to his son Charles

and his daughter-in-law Catherine.

It's said the house is a replica of one wing

of the Chateau de Chenonceau in France's Loire Valley

where the couple spent their honeymoon.

Today, this historic building,

now known as the Charles W. Clark Chateau

is a museum dedicated to the early mining boom.

(light music)

Abandoned mining rigs are still scattered

across the city, symbols of Butte's mining heritage.

They lowered men, mules, and equipment

into the pits that were up to 1,500 meters underground.

And, most importantly for the mine companies,

they brought up load after load of precious mineral ore.

They worked almost around the clock,

only stopping if there was a breakdown or labor strike.

Accidents and deaths were commonplace.

By the 1950s, the declining grade of ore,

as well as competition, marked the end of underground mines

in favor of the more profitable open pits.

The result was Butte's infamous Berkeley Pit.

Its 28-year operation resulted in

an environmental catastrophe.

When the pit was shut down in 1982,

so were the drainage pumps.

This led to the water level rising,

forming a toxic soup of dangerous chemicals.

A massive cleanup operation has been undertaken

to prevent the contamination of the ground water

as well as rivers.

The closure of Berkeley Pit also led

to an economic disaster for Butte.

(engine rumbling)

But in 2003, mining around the pit resumed

under careful management,

and today, it produces around 8% of the nation's copper.

Much of the metal is extracted from

the contaminated water itself which is so rich

in the mineral that it blazes with these striking colors.

Oddly, these toxic pools have given rise

to a unique form of tourism where visitors

can now pay a fee to enter an observation platform

and witness these incredible mine works.

It's a heritage that's a bittersweet reminder

of how an industry that brought so much wealth

ultimately poisoned the town.

Though a big price was paid, Butte is slowly recovering.

The return of mining has brought development

in other areas such as transportation and technology.

But the ups and downs of Butte have always

centered on mining and the giant monument

that looms over the town and toxic lake is no exception.

Our Lady of the Rockies.

The Madonna was built as a massive community project

in the 1980s when Butte was hard hit

by copper mine closures.

Erected in 1985, the watchful presence

of Our Lady of the Rockies is said

to have raised the spirit of the town.

At a height of 27 meters,

it's the tallest Madonna in the U.S.

and the country's second tallest statue

after the Statue of Liberty in New York.

(light music)

Flying west out of Butte takes us across

a vast expanse of the Rocky Mountains.

This is the Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest.

The largest of the national forests in Montana

covering some 13 and a half thousand square kilometers.

The protected status of this area is in large part

a response to the ruthless logging

by the Butte mining companies whose actions

compelled President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908

to declare this region a national reserve.

All along this valley are the remains

of long-abandoned ranches and homesteads.

With the abundance of cheap, fertile grassland,

cattle ranchers began flourishing here

as early as the 1860s as demand for beef

in the new mining communities increased.

(birds chirping)

Wheat farming was also popular

until a devastating drought and slump in market prices

after the first world war ruined livelihoods.

The homestead bust, as it was known,

forced many farmers to abandon their land.

West beyond the valley is this roadless wilderness,

the Anaconda-Pintler Range,

known for its beautiful mountain scenery.

But the rich greens have sadly given way

to sways of brown from dead and dying trees

having fallen victim to pine beetle damage.

The burrowing pine beetle normally plays

an important role in the ecosystem of the forest.

However, a series of unusually hot, dry summers,

and mild winters, have led to an epidemic

in a number of these insects.

But it's not the only concern for the forest authorities.

There's also the risk of wildfires.

This region was laid waste after a number

of lightning strikes in the year 2000

which sparked a devastating fire.

(light music)

Tucked into the southeastern corner

of the Bitterroot National Forest

is the remote ranching community of Sula.

It was once the home of the Salish tribe of Flathead Indians

who were noted for their welcoming hospitality.

But as white farmers moved into the area,

the tribe was forced north in the 1870s.

One of the few relics in that turbulent era of upheaval

as settlers expanded west is this iconic

one-room schoolhouse.

Dating back to the turn of the 20th century,

its charm is made complete by the cupular on top

housing the school bell.

(bell dinging)

Such schools were common among rural communities

where a single teacher taught the academic basics

to various ages of boys and girls.

In 2011, the local historical society

led a campaign to restore the derelict schoolhouse.

And, with generous donations and help,

it's been giving a long overdue facelift.

The Bitterroot National Forest, mountains,

valley, and river take their name

from the bitterroot flower that grows in this region.

For the Flathead Indians, this flower was a delicacy

with magical beginnings.

Their legend tells of a woman filling the river

with her tears as she wept for her starving people.

Pitying her, the sun sent down a beautiful

guardian bird that gifted her with a flower.

Though the roots would be bitter from her sorrow,

the flower would nourish her and her people.

The Bitterroot River, where the woman is said to have wept,

has been food for the soul ever since.

Starting at the confluence of its east and west forks,

it peacefully meanders north along

the valley with beautiful scenery and wildlife.

Agriculture, alongside mining and tourism,

is a vital part of Montana's economy,

contributing over two billion dollars to the state annually.

Here in the Bitterroot Valley,

beef cattle are the largest source of farm income.

This means that the demand for hay is tremendous

and the fertile soil in the valley

is ideal for its production.

Increased horse ownership has also created

a market for premium hay.

It's an important source of income for some farmers

who have access to enough land and equipment.

Mowing hay is almost an art form

and it's a hotly debated topic among farmers

about which mowing patterns are most efficient

for time and fuel costs.

Traditionally, hay is mown clockwise in spiral patterns.

In this instance, they're oblongs working inward.

Along the east of the valley lie the Bitterroot Mountains

that mark the border with the state of Idaho.

(light dramatic music)

With massive ridges and long arduous approaches

to major peaks, these are some of the most

impenetrable mountains in the United States.

But this harsh and unforgiving place

also holds a compelling secret of unimaginable riches.

A mystery that's become a legend in these parts

of one that's confounded prospectors

for almost a century.

The Bitterroot legend of the lost bonanza.

It was somewhere in these mountains in 1923

that lone prospector, Arthur Woods,

worked tirelessly before snow and lack of food

forced him to return to the valley

alongside his horse laden with, it's said,

over 30 kilos of gold dust.

Arthur confided in his friend Bill Ward,

a local sheriff, that he hadn't even scratched

the surface and that he'd take the wide-eyed sheriff

to the very spot come the spring.

Unfortunately for both, spring came,

but Arthur had died from an illness

and never made it back to the mother load.

For years after, the sheriff, with Arthur's sister,

went in search of the mine, but it was in vain.

Arthur's grandson continued to search

right up to the 1960s, as have many others since,

but no one has ever found Arthur Wood's lost bonanza

as it's come to be known.

(light music)

In the heart of the Bitterroot Valley lies Hamilton,

a city of around 4,000 people.

Hundreds of small farms, ranches, and orchards

surround the city enjoying the milder climate

offered by the sheltering mountain ranges on either side.

It's hard to find any place in this valley

that doesn't have a connection with the hay day of mining

and Hamilton is no exception.

The city was founded by the prominent copper tycoon

Marcus Daly in the late 19th century.

Intended as a transport hub for his existing lumber trade,

he recruited James Hamilton and Robert O'Hara

to design and develop his fantasy town

complete with a bank, stores, shops,

a school, and four churches.

The town was named after Hamilton,

and O'Hara was appointed mayor.

And in the tradition of the fabulously wealthy copper kings,

Daly built a home in the city he created

to ensure no one was in any doubt

as to his power and status.

The Marcus Daly Mansion.

Built in 1890 as a summer residence,

this is an imposing Queen Anne style Victorian house

with 25 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, and seven fireplaces.

After Daly's death in 1900, his wife had

the home remodeled into the present Georgian revival style.

This national historic site is now run

by the Daly Mansion Preservation Society

and is open to the public.

The exhibits tell the story of Daly's rise

from working class Irish immigrant

to one of the three copper kings

who controlled mining in Montana.

(light music)

(cows mooing)

As well as rearing beef cattle,

Hamilton has a great tradition of horse ranching.

It's another legacy left by Marcus Daly.

It was his dream and passion to create

the greatest racehorse breeding

and training center in the country.

He eventually acquired several properties

in the Bitterroot Valley to establish

a ranch covering almost 90 square kilometers.

He hired the best trainers, vets, and jockeys

in North America, and before long,

his horses were breaking records at some

of the top racetracks in the country.

In 1901, after Daly's death,

369 of his racehorses were sold at a series

of auctions at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

It's been said to be one of the greatest

horse racing stock sales America has ever witnessed.

The east of the Bitterroot Valley

is flanked by the Sapphire Mountains,

covering the protected Welcome Creek Wilderness.

The name stems from the abundance

of gem-quality sapphires that have been mined

from this region for over 100 years.

In fact, sapphires are so plentiful here,

that a number of tourist centers

have opened where visitors can

go treasure hunting for themselves.

(birds chirping)

The outdoor lifestyle of the early ranchers

has given rise to some of the most romantic

and enduring images of America's wild west.

And the desire, particularly among city dwellers,

to experience the simplicity and splendor of life

as a cowboy gave rise to guest, or dude ranches,

all across the state.

This is the exclusive dude ranch at Rock Creek

where western adventure is combined

with luxury accommodation and pampering.

Horse riding is obviously the big appeal,

but guests can also go fishing, shooting,

hiking, and even skiing during the winter months.

Dude ranches started appearing as early as the 1920s

when postwar prosperity,

together with popularity of western movies,

led to a rapid rise in this industry.

This dude ranch is the realization

of wealthy banker Jim Manly.

Ever since his youth, he dreamed of one day owning a ranch

complete with horses, guns, and wide open spaces.

We now head northeast across the foothills

of the John Long Mountains.

A varied landscape of rolling hills,

open grasslands, and scattered forest,

it takes us to one of the most eerie sites in Montana.

(light dramatic music)

Scarring one side of a mountain

is the ghost town of Granite.

It was once one of the biggest silver mining camps

in the state with over 3,000 inhabitants.

Today, Montana's silver queen, as it was once known,

is completely deserted.

Like the silver ore, the residents of Granite are long gone

and the few buildings that remain

have been left to rot and crumble.

But in its hay day in the 1890s,

it was a bustling town full of miners,

merchants, and their families.

With immigrants arriving from all over the world,

neighborhoods quickly developed,

hence street names such as Finnlander Lane,

Cornish Row, and Donegal Lane.

Magnolia Avenue, nicknamed Silk Stocking Row,

was home to the social elite like mine managers

and superintendents, as well as doctors

and other professionals.

The town also supported a sizeable Chinese population

which lived in the gully below Main Street

alongside the red light district.

The social center of this bustling camp

was the miners' union hall.

Built in 1890, it often hosted traveling theater troops

and local dances.

Like other mining camps in the American west,

Granite suffered dramatically when

the price of silver crashed in 1904.

Within a year, the town's population dropped

from around 3,000 to just 140.

Though mining continued on a small scale,

Granite had all but become a ghost town.

But when fire broke out in 1958,

most of the structures were destroyed.

The last resident of Granite, Mae Werning,

continued to live here long after

all the others had left.

She spent many years as the town's caretaker

and as a water commissioner for Deer Lodge-area ranches.

She died in 1969 at the age of 75.

Today the old town's site is preserved

as a Montana state park.

The final leg of this journey takes us

to the town of Deer Lodge.

(light music)

Once an important railroad stop,

Deer Lodge is now best known for this historic

museum complex that was previously

the infamous Montana state prison.

Built as a response to widespread lawlessness,

it first locked its doors on prisoners in 1871

and was overcrowded within a month.

In 1959, an explosive riot caught the headlines

when inmates took over the prison for 36 hours

before the National Guard stormed its walls

and restored order.

It was finally retired in 1979

and it's now the old prison museum

housing collections as diverse as vintage trucks

and saloon memorabilia.

And finally, in this largely wild and untamed land,

it's fitting we end this journey at a place that was,

at one time, the heart of a 19th century cattle empire.

The Grant-Kohrs Ranch national historic site.

Run and maintained by the National Park Service,

it's a working ranch with a difference.

As it's also open to the public as a living museum

commemorating the western cattle industry

that goes back to the 1850s.

The ranch was established by fur trader John Grant

and then expanded by the cattle baron Conrad Kohrs.

One time he owned 50,000 head of cattle

and had grazing pasture of 40,000 square kilometers,

roughly the size of Switzerland in Europe.

Today the ranch occupies a still considerable

six square kilometers.

Visitors can tour several buildings

including the handsome ranch house

which was once the largest home in Montana territory.

And the bunkhouses where cowboys

and ranch hands slept, ate, and entertained themselves.

Meanwhile, rangers continue their tradition

of ranch life; tending cattle, mending fences,

and taking care of horses against

the breathtaking backdrop of Montana's landscape

and its wide open skies.

It's a great symbol of the American west

and a fine place to end this journey.

(light dramatic music)

(whooshing)