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Marcus Daly
Marcus Daly was an Irish immigrant who left an indelible mark on the history of Montana. The influence of his legacies continues to be woven into the events of present-day life in Montana.
According to the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives, Marcus Daly was born in Ireland in 1841, and immigrated to New York at the age of 15. When he was 20, Daly headed to California where he started his mining career, eventually went to Nevada, and then in 1876 Daly went to Butte, Montana where his legacy truly began.
Daly bought the Anaconda Mine in 1880 with the help of financial backers hoping to find silver but discovered a wealth of copper ore.
Daly’s copper mine, The Anaconda Copper Company, helped to give Butte the title, “The Richest Hill on Earth.”
Photo portrait of Marcus Daly
Marcus Daly was one of the three “Copper Kings” of Butte, alongside William A. Clark and F. Augustus Heinze. Numerous books and articles have been written about the War of the Copper Kings and the fact that Butte supplied 25% of the nation's copper, a mineral vital to the electrification of the US.
By 1900, the rich copper mines made Butte the largest city between Chicago and San Francisco with a population of 100,000. While Butte’s population is about half of that currently, uptown Butte is the nation's largest historical district.
Marcus Daly Monument, Butte, Montana
View of the Marcus Daly Monument in Butte, Montana, showing a statue of Marcus Daly sitting on a concrete pedestal surrounded by a concrete wall and steps with a flagpole with an American flag behind the statue. Three men stand to the right of the monument.
Marcus Daly eventually turned his attention to the Bitterroot Valley, south of Missoula. Daly, along with his wife Margaret, purchased 22,000 acres that had a farmhouse on the property.
Remodeling of the house began almost immediately. The home was enlarged and remodeled by 1889, and then remodeled again in 1897 to a Victorian style. The home was intended to be a summer residence and was often a place of entertainment. (https://www.dalymansion.org/history-and-preservation/)
Marcus Daly home, near Hamilton, Montana. (Circa 1900)
In Bitter Root Valley - Daly Ranch, 22,000 Acres.
View of horse-drawn carriage parked near Marcus Daly's house at the 22,000 acre Daly Ranch in the Bitterroot Valley, Montana, with trees and bushes in foreground. Note on back: 1909-1910 - built present house. N.E. of Hamilton erected in 1909-1910 by Mrs. Margaret Daly, widow of Marcus Daly. Abandoned after her death in 1942.
Pretty Home of Mrs. Marcus Daly, Bitter Root Valley., The
View of the Daly family mansion in the Queen Anne style prior to its enlargement and renovation to the Georgian Revival style, which was completed in 1910. Verso of card includes a stamp that reads, 'N. A. FORSYTH, 1105 W. Granite St. Butte, Agent For Mont. Views.
One of Marcus Daly’s other hobbies was owning racehorses. Daly owned 1,200 horses. (https://www.dalymansion.org/history-and-preservation/)
Stables at the Daly farm, Hamilton, Montana. Photograph shows white building with arched entrances. Grassy area visible in foreground with three sheep visible in right of photograph.
His favorite was a thoroughbred racing horse named Tammany. In 1893, Daly arranged a race with Tammany running against a rival horse from the east coast. Daly is quoted as saying, "If Tammany beats Lamplighter, I’ll build him a castle.” Tammany won by four lengths and Daly kept his word.
View of man holding bridle of a horse, Tammany, the Kentucky Derby winner, in front of brick arcade of stud barn on Marcus Daly's ranch near Hamilton, Montana. Vintage negative number: Fee '99 61, H9976. (1899)
Tammany Castle was completed in 1895 and the road that leads to the stables is named Tammany Lane.
Marcus Daly's horses, Tammany and Hamburg, in their stable.
View of two horses, each being held by a groom in an elaborate brick stable with elk and deer mounts on the wall. The stable was known as Tammany's Castle. (Between 1895 -1900)
In 1900 Marcus died at the age of 58 from complications of diabetes and a bad heart. In 1910 another remodel to the Bitterroot mansion was begun to create a more Georgian-Revival look to the home.
In the years after her husband’s death, Margaret Daly continued to use the mansion primarily during the summer months and stayed actively involved in local causes. She donated land for a library in Hamilton and built the Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital. Margaret died in 1941.
Front view of Marcus Daly home near Hamilton, Montana. (1925)
In a July of 2021 interview with Daly Mansion Director Darlene Gould and archivist Maureen Liska they said that they wanted people to know that Marcus and Margaret Daly were benefactors to many people and causes. Daly took care of his workers more than most mine owners. If a miner was killed, Daly made sure that the family was provided for.
Gould pointed out that after Daly died, the Anaconda Company was taken over by Standard Oil, and that’s when things changed from what Daly had established and those are the stories that most people are familiar with.
North side of the Marcus Daly home (Daly Mansion) near Hamilton, Montana. (1925)
Marcus Daly’s wealth went to his wife and three children and generations after. In 1986, the final heir deeded the mansion and grounds to the state of Montana in exchange for the inheritance taxes owed.
The Daly Mansion Preservation Trust was founded, and the mansion was opened to the public in 1987. (https://www.dalymansion.org/history-and-preservation/)
Today, the mansion and grounds are open for tours and used for numerous local events including outdoor concerts, Christmas craft shows and the Bitterroot Celtic Festival.
Marcus Daly home, near Hamilton, Montana. (Circa 1910)
Snapshot photo of Marcus Daly seated on a log fence shortly before his death in 1900.
Marcus Daly shortly before his death
Snapshot photo of Marcus Daly seated on a log fence shortly before his death in 1900.
Exhibit Author: Doug McConnaha
Bibliography
Daly Mansion. "History of Marcus Daly." Daly Mansion History and Preservation. June 18, 2024. https://www.dalymansion.org/history-and-preservation/
“Marcus Daly.” Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives. December 16, 2020. June 18, 2024 https://buttearchives.org/marcus-daly/.
"Marcus Daly Family Papers, 1883-1996." Archives West. June 18, 2024 https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv49604#overview
Photo Credits
Montana Historical Society Library and Archives
University of Montana Mansfield Library
