Butte

Dubbed the "Richest Hill on Earth," Butte was once a wealthy and rollicking copper-, gold-, and silver-mining town. During its heyday, 100,000 people from around the world lived here; by 1880 Butte had generated about $22 billion in mineral wealth. The revived historic district, Uptown Butte, is now a National Historic Landmark area. Numerous ornate buildings recall the Old West, and several museums preserve the town's past. Today about 34,000 people live in the Butte-Silver Bow County area. The city maintains a strong Irish flavor, and its St. Patrick's Day parade is one of the nation's most notorious.