In this MSU Wonderlust Friday Forum presentation from February 14, 2020, Dale Martin discusses the history of miners and their sense of identity and pride in their work; mining communities and the boom-and-bust impact of mining on their economies; contemporary issues and controversies. Martin also discusses examples of three mining projects in Montana past, present, and future:
- the Libby mine with its asbestos-laced deposits of vermiculite,
- the electric power generating coal mines at Colstrip,
- and the proposed Black Butte copper mine on a Smith River tributary.
Martin is an adjunct professor of history at MSU and longtime MSU Wonderlust presenter on the history of Montana, the First World War, 20th century Middle East, and technology. He is also a mining and railroad historian of Montana and the West.
It was presented at the Bozeman Public Library.
