Butte Depot

It's hard to hear about Adam Para's story and not feel compassion. After all, Adam is a really nice guy. A lot of you may know him from his job at Northwest Pawn on Front Street and previous job at Autozone where he worked for a decade and later at Good Vibrations. Chances are Adam helped you if you were a customer, most likely with a big smile. And Adam is asking for your help.

Thirty years ago, Butte was still learning how to deal with the economic and social fallout that came with the fall of the Anaconda Company. A once bustling mining boomtown whose population had been well over 100,000 early in the twentieth century, by the 1990s it had fallen to just over 30,000. With the decline in population came urban blight. Many Uptown buildings, which once housed stores, offices and apartments were abandoned and lay dormant. The warehouse district was no exception. Right in the heart of the district is the once-bustling Great Northern Depot which was a hub of railway travel in Montana. For years it sat abandoned, although many would talk about the building's potential. But nobody took action. Until the Fisher Family came into the picture.

What does tourism mean to Butte? Well, just walk through the Uptown on any given Summer weekend and chances are pretty good that you're going to find some sort of festival or celebration going on and you'll definitely see a lot of out-of-state license plates. Head to a fishing access point or boat launch and chances are you'll be waiting your turn, as well. The winter brings a myriad of skiing and snowmobiling adventurers from across the globe to our neck of the woods and our area's natural splendor and inviting demeanor more often than not leads to repeat visitors. Tourism is a huge part of not only Butte's economy but of the entire state's as well, and it is with that in mind the Montana Chamber of Commerce is hosting their 2nd Annual Convergence Festival on May 21st and 22nd here in the Mining City.

Butte, Montana is known for its rough and tumble mining past. The mines in particular relied almost solely on railroads to transport ore and with Butte's population at one time well over 100,000, railway service was one of the most relied-on ways of getting to the Mining City. And the Butte Depot at 818 S. Arizona, formerly the Great Northern Railway Station, was at the heart of it. It is with that in mind that Bill Fisher and his family completely transformed the once-abandoned shell into one of the coolest reception halls you will find anywhere.

Scarlett Bowling is on the road to recovery, but her family has incurred tremendous medical bills but also must make home renovations in order to create a safe and comfortable space for Scarlett to heal and grow. To help out, a Benefit Auction and Bingo Night has been scheduled for April 4th at the Butte Depot 818 S. Arizona. There will be fantastic items up for bid in a silent auction plus exciting bingo games. Delicious refreshments will be available, and every dollar will go directly towards Scarlett's medical expenses and home renovations.

If you're part of an event here in town that draws a crowd or if you're still in the planning stages, the Butte Tourism Improvement District has grant money available and the application deadline has been extended to 5pm this Thursday, February 15. Hard copies will be accepted at the Butte Chamber of Commerce at 1000 George Street.

The Eastside Athletic Club at 3200 Dexter in Butte will be the site of a cornhole tournament and benefit for lifelong resident John Maloughney who has recently been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. The events will take place on Saturday, September 30 with registration at 11am, competition at noon and events throughout the day including a silent auction, raffle drawings and entertainment.

The Butte Depot at 818 S. Arizona in Butte will be the site of the Dutton Simons benefit set for October 7 at 4pm. Dutton is a Butte infant who has already tackled a lifetime's worth of challenges and has many more to come.

The friends and family of Kaci Wenger Erichsen have planned a benefit fundraiser at the Butte Depot, 818 S. Arizona, on Saturday, September 9.

If the turnout the past several weeks is any indicator, this Thursday night's "Music on Main" event is going to be a big one. Coupled with a favorable forecast and one of Butte's most popular bands and you've got something. Add one of Montana's premiere guitar players to the mix and it adds up to an evening of great music, food and fun that you will want to come early for.