The Horrific 1917 Killing Of Frank Little In Butte, Montana

A Shocking Piece of Montana Labor History

I’ve said it before: I wasn’t born in Montana, and I didn’t grow up learning Montana history, so there’s a lot I’m still learning as I go.

Maybe you already know this one; maybe you don’t, but one of the most infamous labor-related killings in American history happened right here in Montana.

Butte’s Copper Kings Ruled Montana

Of course, this all took place in Butte, back when the Copper Kings basically ran the city and effectively controlled much of the state. On June 8 of 1917, Butte miners endured the deadliest hard rock mining disaster in U.S. history, the Speculator Mine disaster, which killed 168 men.

This came at a time when demand for copper was sky-high because of World War I, which pushed workers harder than ever. The Anaconda Copper Mining Company was thriving, but the workers weren’t seeing any of that profit, so tensions were already high.

Then in July, Frank Little showed up in Butte. He was an organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), which was considered a pretty radical union at the time, but it had a strong following, including some Butte miners.

Two weeks later, Frank Little was dead.

The Murder Of Frank Little In Butte

On the night of August 1, six masked men broke into his boarding house, kidnapped him, and dragged him through the streets of Butte behind a car. He had already been beaten, his skull fractured, before they hanged him from a railroad trestle on the Milwaukee Bridge at the edge of town.

They left a note pinned to him that read, “First and last warning.”

No one was ever arrested. No one was found responsible, although many people suspected the Anaconda Copper Mining Company.

Labor conditions didn’t change overnight, but moments like this helped plant the seeds for reform and improved life for miners over time. Eventually, Butte became one of the strongest pro-union towns in the country.

Even today, people still visit Frank Little’s gravesite in Butte, remembering what happened and what he came to represent.

Source: Story Of Butte