The ranger/cowboy at Grant-Kohrs Ranch suggested we spend the night at Georgetown Lake.

Bonner had one of the state's first large sawmills. The town was named for E.L. Bonner, an early settler in Missoula and first president of the Missoula and Bitterroot Valley Railroad (1888). Bonners Ferry, Idaho was also named for this Montana lumber magnate.

The consensus in Bonner was that we shouldn't miss Anaconda. Anaconda was established in 1883 by Marcus Daly, one of the three "Copper Kings" of Butte, Montana, as a site for a new smelter to treat ores from his Anaconda mine. The town was originally to be called Copperopolis but that name was already in use by another Montana town so the name Anaconda was settled on (it would grow to be one of Montana's most important cities).

Backed by the powerful San Francisco syndicate of Hearst, Haggin, Tevis (a Tahoe connection), and Marcus Daly who built the world’s largest smelter between 1883 and 1889.

The Washoe Smelter at Anaconda continued to expand capacity over the years. In 1919, a new 585-foot tall smokestack was added that today is recognized as the tallest surviving free-standing masonry structure in the world (the Washington Monument could be placed inside, with room to spare).

A 1922 newspaper article describes the construction of the smokestack:

"There are some smokestacks that are unbelievably big—too big to be true —but the one recently completed for the reduction works of the Anaconda Copper Mining company, at Anaconda, Montana, sets up a new world record.

The concrete base on which this gigantic structure stands, required 118 cars of crushed rock, 50 cars of sand and 20,800 sacks of cement to complete and weighs approximately 9,250 tons. The stack proper is constructed of specially shaped blocks or bricks about two and one-half times the size of the ordinary brick and it took 2,404,072 of these larger units to complete the job."

Tired of exorbitant freight rates, Daly decided to build his own railroad in 1892 to haul ore from the Butte mines to his Anaconda smelter. Daly envisioned the Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railway extending to the Pacific Ocean. Instead the railroad ran twenty-six miles between Anaconda and Butte. By 1900, the BA&P was said to carry “more tonnage to the mile the year around than any other railroad in the country.” This earned it the moniker “The Biggest Little Railroad in the Nation.” Most of the freight was copper ore from the Butte mines with a destination of the Anaconda smelter. In 1913, the BA&P converted from steam to electric-powered engines, becoming the first electrified railroad in the country to haul heavy freight. Two factors allowed the BA&P to electrify affordably: access to inexpensive hydroelectric power and the fact that the Anaconda Company supplied the necessary copper wire from its own mines. The BA&P’s early success in electrification became a model for other railroads. The modern age of electricity fueled demand for copper from 1892 through the 1920s. Notably, the BA&P transported more than half of the nation’s supply during this era. Cool headquarters, too.

And how about this architecturally impressive landmark and the gateway to Anaconda’s east side. The Washoe Brewery (1905) symbolizes the private enterprise that flourished in this company town. The imposing Italian Renaissance-inspired brewery with its signature corner tower is a bold reminder of an industry important to Anaconda’s residents.

Our next, too brief of a stop was in the über darling town of Dillion. 

Here we had the most delightful brunch. I had the Monte Cristo Breakfast Sandwich which blended egg, ham, and swiss cheese and was served on cinnamon swirl French toast with a side of huckleberry jam. I'll still drooling.

The town, rich in history, was created on September 13, 1880, when a group of businessmen purchased a 480-acre ranch. It wasn’t incorporated until 1884 and, at that time, named for the railroad's president Sidney Dillon. It was selected in part owing to its proximity to gold mines in the area.

A stunning building, which we had to explore, was the still being used as a public library, Dillon's 1902 Carnegie Library.

As early as 1888, the Reverend and Mrs. Sidney Hooker of the Episcopal Church launched a book club, laying the foundation for this impressive public library. A town meeting in 1890 established a library association, and soon contributions of books, time, and money for the “free library” yielded a modest collection. The books were housed in a variety of settings: a Masonic Lodge room, a grocery store, a bank, and finally, in 1894, the parish house of the Episcopal Church.

In 1896, the mayor appointed the first library trustees. Among them was Mrs. Hooker, the grandniece of author Harriet Beecher Stowe, who served as chief librarian. Distinguished Helena architect C. S. Haire designed the Romanesque Revival structure, completed in 1902. A steep gable, octagonal tower, semicircular arches, and carved faces lend a medieval quality to this dignified library built with such civic pride. One of seventeen Montana libraries constructed with Carnegie funds, the Dillon City Library is a tribute to the townspeople who supported its creation and to those who continue to nurture it.

"... the grand tour is just

the inspired man's way of heading home."

-Paul Theroux