The Richest Hill On Earth

In this episode of History Below the Pines, we travel to Butte, Montana—a city built on copper, grit, and 10,000 miles of underground tunneling. Known as "The Richest Hill on Earth," Butte’s legacy is one of staggering wealth and immense sacrifice.Levi sits down with Jeanette Kopf, the Executive Director of the World Museum of Mining. Located on the actual mine yard of the historic Orphan Girl Mine, the museum serves as a time capsule for a vanished way of life. Jeanette shares the history of the museum’s founding in 1963, the preservation of the towering 100-foot steel headframe, and the stories of the thousands of miners who descended 3,200 feet into the dark every day.In this episode, we explore:The transition from gold and silver to the "Copper Boom" that put Butte on the global stage.The history of the Orphan Girl Mine and its survival through legal battles and flooding.Life in "Hell Roarin' Gulch"—the museum’s meticulously recreated 1890s mining town.Why preserving the "privately-owned" and often forgotten history of the West is more important now than ever.Step back in time and go 100 feet underground as we uncover the secrets of the hill that changed America. This is an episode you will NOT want to miss!