Lady Of Butte Brings Hope, Tourists To Town

For 10 years, a white madonna has perched majestically atop Butte’s East Ridge, overlooking the town that before her arrival was beset with economic despair.

In 1983, the Anaconda Co. had announced the closure of its Butte mines - leaving nearly 1,000 people out of work and the city searching for an economic boost.

But, many say, the faith and hope of Butte was restored when only two years later a 90-foot iron statue was placed atop the Continental Divide.

“We had been down and the town had really suffered. Here we were trying to get our feet going again,” recalls Connie Kenney, former news director at KBOW radio.”I really think that the (economic) turnaround happened right after that.”

Thousands of work hours, donated dollars and supplies brought a 1979 idea to reality on a cold December day in 1985 - six years after Bob O’Bill of Butte promised to construct a 5-foot Virgin Mary in thankfulness for his wife’s recovery from a serious illness.

The idea of a small tribute soon turned into one of the largest statues in the nation.

Joe McCarthy, Bill Dorr and local equipment contractor Joe Roberts, all of Butte, spearheaded the planning, and secured the plot of land called Saddle Rock. And they convinced local welder Leroy Lee to begin plotting for the structure from a 10-inch figurine.

“Leroy Lee was simply a welder and he thought ‘You guys are out of your stupid minds,”’ recalls Vince Fischer, president of the Our Lady of the Rockies board of directors.

“I thought they’re going to just have to find someone else, because I don’t know what I’m doing,” Lee says.

But at church one Sunday, Lee says, he prayed to the Virgin Mary - telling her that if she wanted him to build it, she had to show him how.

After that, he says, “It just flowed into me.”

So, Lee began the artwork. By 1983, he had finished the front of the face; by 1984, he had finished three more sections; by 1985 he had completed the project.

The cost of building the Lady is unknown because so much of the work was donated. But, organizers say, architects have estimated its value at about $3 million.

However, the construction of the Lady was not without its critics. No organized opposition ever formed, but throughout, environmentalists raised concerns about defacing the Divide, and others opposed the idea of creating a religious symbol of that size.

Today, those involved contend the Lady is not a Catholic shrine, but a nondenominational symbol of motherhood for people of all religions to enjoy.

Four months of negotiations with federal officials allowed organizers to successfully secure a Skycrane helicopter from the Nevada National Guard. The military troop took four days to put the four-part, 80-ton monument in place.

Kenney says that final day, Dec. 20, 1985, was the highlight of her radio career.

About 8,510 feet above sea level, welders and ironworkers alike sipped champagne and cried basking in the glory of the accomplishment.

Today the legacy still continues. Donations of equipment, labor and money continue to come in, and projects are under way and on the drawing board to expand the tourist attraction.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Future improvements Organizers have begun constructing a 3,300-square-foot, hexagon-shaped chapel/ observatory atop the hill to pay tribute to women who have died in Silver Bow County since 1980. The chapel is expected to be finished next year. Its cost, not including donated supplies and labor, is estimated at about $125,000. Also in the works is a plan to build a tramway to and from the statue - an estimated $3 million dollar project that is expected to be completed within the next few years. The tram would be located on the east side of Interstate 15, and organizers hope it will provide about 50,000 visitors access each year to the Lady. It would have two cars, each with a maximum seating capacity of 25 - transporting some 225 people per hour. To meet the initial start-up costs, Fischer said, the foundation will seek donations or a private grant. After that, $10 ticket sales would meet maintenance and operating fees, said Bill Bermingham, coexecutive director of the Our Lady of the Rockies Foundation. - Associated Press