The origins of the Butte St. Patrick's Day parade

BUTTE, Mont. — The Butte St. Patrick's Day parade has deep roots dating back to the late 1860s, a time when Irish migrants faced discrimination and struggled to secure employment in America. The story of this parade begins with Marcus Daly, the Irish-born founder of the Anaconda Mining Company, who sought skilled laborers from Ireland's copper mines.

Aubrey Jaap, director of the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives, explained the impact of Daly's recruitment efforts.

"You had these skilled men who were coming over, needed work, and Butte had the place for that work. Their skills transferred beautifully to copper mining here. They quickly settled, created fraternal organizations and really built a culture here that had a really strong relationship back to Ireland," said Jaap.

These fraternal organizations, particularly the Ancient Order of Hibernians, played a significant role in starting the first St. Patrick's Day parade in Butte in 1882. Over time, the parade evolved into a political statement, as noted by Jaap.

"In 1916, there's the Easter Rising in Ireland. People are fighting for a free Ireland that's independent of British rule. [In} 1918 they were banned from having a parade because of that, there was already a lot of unrest here in Butte that had been bubbling up," said Jaap.

For several years, the St. Patrick’s Day parade was absent from Butte. However, since the 1980s, it has consistently brought the community together. Jaap emphasized the local enthusiasm for the event.

"Butte loves its parade. The people here love its parade. I'm not Irish, but it truly is a day where I get to celebrate with my friends who are and we all kind of bond over that and celebrate and with each other," said Jaap.