![[Remembering the 168]Today marks the 109th anniversary of the Granite Mountain-Speculator Mine Disaster in Butte, Montan...](https://img3.photography1000.com/061/462/1615179760614627.jpg)
06/09/2026
[Remembering the 168]
Today marks the 109th anniversary of the Granite Mountain-Speculator Mine Disaster in Butte, Montana.
If you’re from Butte, you’ve heard the number your entire life.
168.
It’s engraved on memorials.
It’s taught in our schools.
It’s woven into the story of our town.
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But every year, I find myself thinking less about the number and more about the empty chairs.​
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168 places at dinner tables that were never filled again.
168 families whose lives were suddenly split into a before and an after.
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For us, in 2026, it’s history.
For the people of Butte on June 8, 1917?
It was not.
It was their reality.
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It was wives waiting for news.
Children wondering when Dad was coming home.
Families gathering on front porches, hoping a name wouldn’t appear on a list.
And as the hours turned into days, hope slowly gave way to heartbreak.
…..
When I think about that day, I often think about Manus Duggan.
Accounts differ on exactly how many men he saved. Some sources say 25. Others say 28.
What everyone agrees on is that when smoke and deadly gases filled the mine, Manus used his knowledge of the underground workings to lead other men to safety.
As conditions worsened, he helped build makeshift barriers from whatever materials could be found.
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The men he led survived.
He did not.​
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Rescuers later found his body deep underground.
His wife was pregnant at the time.
Their only child would be born a month after his death.
…..
Stories like his are why this tragedy still feels so personal, even 109 years later.
In 2017, on the 100th anniversary of the disaster, I photographed a remarkable scene beneath the Orphan Girl Mine at the World Museum of Mining.
168 candles.
168 people underground.
Among them was Manus Farren, the grandson of Manus Duggan.
When I pressed the shutter, history suddenly didn’t feel very distant.
It felt present.
Real.
Human.
…..
That photograph eventually became one of my most meaningful pieces of artwork because it represents something larger than a single moment.
It represents remembrance.
It represents sacrifice.
It represents a community that still honors the men who never came home.
168 Candles, 168 People Underground (2017)
Right now, I have (1) Large and (1) small matted print in stock, you can get them (or order custom sizes) here: ​https://timetravelart.com/collections/100-year-anniversary-of-the-granite-speculator-fire-mining-disaster-butte-montana
Thank you for helping keep these stories alive.
