BUTTE — Within the walls of the old Butte Fire Department is a wealth of information ranging from historical texts, legal documents, newspapers, photographs, and even small objects like a delicate brass crown that was used in ceremonial practices of the Pythian sisters, a paternal organization that was present in Butte in the 20th century.
"There are stories in every place and it’s kind of fun because we’re finding these stories all the time," says Aubrey Jaap, the director of the Butte-Silver Bow Archives.
Jaap is standing at her desk, sifting through a set of business letters from one of Butte's famous Copper Kings. She has a staff of six and an army of volunteers who help organize, catalog, and generally celebrate the rich history that seems to trickle into the facility on a regular basis.
The letters are between a mining company in another town and William Clark, a small window into the daily activities of a rich and powerful man who left an indelible mark on the city.
"We all here know a lot about Butte history but no one can know everything, and so every day we are uncovering kind of a fun thing that we didn’t know about a building or a place or a person," says Jaap.
On her way to a vault on the first floor, she passes a tiny vintage Halloween costume that one of her employees is photographing so it can be added to storage. A classic pattern of pumpkins in black and orange float through the design that looks a little like a clown suit, or perhaps, it was used as a scarecrow costume?
The archive came to life after a bond was passed nearly 20 years ago with overwhelming support from the Butte community to rehabilitate the historic fire station located on West Quartz Street. An addition to the facility includes two temperature and humidity-controlled vaults.
"So it stays at about 65 degrees and about 30 percent humidity in here and that is the happy place for paper," says Jaap. She cranks the wheel of a row filled with collections from individuals and institutions.
Archive guests include high school and college students researching history papers, families from near and far researching their past, and visitors from foreign lands looking for clues about what happened to immigrants who left their homelands.
Aubrey pulls a giant book filled with naturalization papers from the 20th century. A man named Sweeney is identified and a description is given: blonde hair, blue eyes, six feet tall.
"Sometimes people back in those days didn't have photographs taken so this is the only way to know how a grandfather looked," says Jaap.
Jaap says she finds it interesting when people from other countries stop by: "It's a little like they are researching the future because when people from their town left, many were not heard from again. So these documents are a link to what happened in the new world."
But she says you never know what you might find when you start digging.
"It can be challenging because it is emotional and some people get quite touched," Jaap says. "Sometimes it’s quite upsetting too. Sometimes people’s lives didn’t always end up wonderful. And so it’s, I think, pretty special that we get to connect people that way."
The archive is hosting a genealogy event on Oct. 16 from 5p.m. to 7 p.m. on West Quartz Street in Uptown Butte.
