 16 miles west of Butte. (Anaconda, by Isaac Marcosson, pages 51-53; Union Pacific Railway and Auxiliary Companies, 1886, page 74; Google Books)
The smelter site was first known as Copperopolis, but was changed to Anaconda by its first postmaster. Construction on Anaconda's new smelter began in late 1882 and full production began in September 1884. The smelter and reduction works was built by Marcus Daly and his associates to process the ores from their mines in Butte, the largest of which was the Anaconda Mine. To further consolidate their interests, they organized the Anaconda Mining Company in January 1891. The Anaconda Reduction Works at the new town of Anaconda, Montana Territory, went into operation to reduce and concentrate the silver ore and copper ore being mined at the Anaconda claim in Butte. The copper ore was extremely rich at eight to ten percent copper. (Anaconda, by Isaac Marcosson, pages 52-53)
On February 15, 1887, as part of its annual report for the year ending November 30, 1886 to the Auditor of the Territory of Montana, Montana Railway gave its route as being nine miles in length, with no double track. The entire length was three-rail track, being both standard gauge and three-foot narrow gauge. The company reported that it owned no locomotives or rolling stock; "The equipment of Utah and Northern Ry. used on this road." The company also reported that it carried 21,152 passengers, no through freight, 221,930 tons of local freight and 202,772 tons of freight that consisted on ore, cattle or grain. "This road was operated by the Montana Union Ry. Co. subsequent to July 31, 1886." (Montana Railway "Railroad Report" to the Auditor of the Territory of Montana, dated February 15, 1887, photocopy furnished by Thorton Waite)
On June 30, 1897 the Montana Railway was sold to the Northern Pacific Railway, as part of the reorganization of Union Pacific in the 1893-1898 time period. The Stuart line was owned and operated by NP after 1897, as part of NP's operation of its lease of Montana Union, giving NP direct access to the mills and smelters in the vicinity of Anaconda. After the Butte, Anaconda & Pacific began operations in 1894, very little traffic to the smelter went by way of NP's Stuart line. Anaconda Copper built the Anaconda Street Railway for the benefit of its employees living in the town of Opportunity, seven miles to the east of Anaconda on NP's Stuart line. On May 1, 1898, Anaconda Copper's railroad subsidiary, Butte, Anaconda & Pacific, leased the entire Stuart line from Northern Pacific. Later, NP sold the line to BA&P.
The Anaconda smelter was shut down in 1981 and by 1983 only the smelter stack remained as the site's only structure. In 1983 the smelter site was placed on the federal Environmental Protection Agency's National Priorities List (also known as Superfund). Soil reclamation and cleanup of the smelter site was begun in 1992 and was completed by 1997. Surface runoff and ground water studies and mitigation have continued since 1997. The Butte, Anaconda & Pacific still serves loading sites in the reclamation area.
Montana Union Railway Operations
The Montana Union Railway was organized on June 28, 1886 as a joint company of Northern Pacific and Union Pacific. The company leased from Utah & Northern Railway 44.64 miles between Silver Bow and Garrison, and the 13.09 miles between Silver Bow and Butte, along with 9.8 miles between Stuart and Anaconda from Montana Railway. (Union Pacific Railway and Auxiliary Companies, 1886, page 86; Google Books)
August 1, 1886
Montana Union Railway operations started between Butte and Garrison, Montana on August 1, 1886, when the Montana Union lease of the U&N between Butte and Garrison went into effect. The joint line consisted of the 51 miles of standard gauge trackage (newly converted from three-foot narrow gauge) between Butte and Silver Bow on the south end and between Silver Bow and Garrison on the north end. Silver Bow was where MURy connected with the still-narrow-gauge Utah & Northern, and Garrison was where a connection was made with Northern Pac