To the Stack and Back

Published: 2020
By Kimberly D Richardson

Nestled within 741 square miles of forest, lakes, mountains and recreational places stands the world’s tallest masonry structure. The 585-foot smokestack overlooks a population of 9,104, where 22.2% are over the age of 65 and 2.5% are foreign-born. The smelter stack proudly salutes 776 United States veterans living in Deer Lodge County. Beneath the expansive shadow of the smelter stack lies 77 farms that report close to 6.5 million dollars in revenue in their agricultural enterprises, ranging from cattle and sheep operations to crops, fruit trees, and eggs. Just west of the nationally-registered historic stack is the county seat, Anaconda, also known as smelter city. Smelter city is comprised of small, local businesses, numerous non-profits, and a profitable tourism and recreation industry highlighting a Jack Nicklaus golf course and blue-ribbon trout streams. The monumental stack’s first brick was placed in May 1918, the last brick was put in place November 1918, the first smoke that went through the stack was in May 1919, and the stack was closed permanently in October 1980. In April 1985, through the preservation efforts of the constituents of Deer Lodge County, the iconic stack became a Montana State Park, and on April 9, 1987, the stack was inducted into the National Registry of Historic Places.