Born in 1841 to tenant farmers, Marcus Daly came from rural Ireland to New York as a boy. Having learned the big city’s harsh lessons, he traveled west to the gold and silver mining camps of California, Nevada, Utah and Montana. Then, a spectacular discovery in the Anaconda mine made him one of Montana’s famed Copper Kings. Yet his early life remained shrouded in myth. Daly was famed for his machinations in state politics and shaping Butte into the “Richest Hill on Earth,” but his path from farm boy to mining king has been overlooked.

For the first time, author Brenda Wahler brings his secretive and formative early years to life. Marcus Daly’s Road to Montana covers Daly’s life from 1841 through 1882. In its pages, she describes his path from Ireland to Montana via New York, California, Nevada and Utah. She also writes about some of the colorful characters he knew, including George Hearst, Mark Twain, and of course W.A. Clark. Originally intended to be a single book, it is now the first of a multi-volume biography about Daly and his descendants. The book will be released on March 6.

Brenda Wahler is a fourth-generation Montanan with a lifelong interest in horses and history. She and her husband live near Helena, Montana with assorted horses and house pets. Join the Butte Archives on Wednesday, March 8, for a Brown Bag lunch to meet the author. The presentation will begin at noon and run about an hour at the Archives, 17 W. Quartz. Guests are encouraged to bring a sack lunch. Coffee and water will be provided. There will also be an evening reception at the Archives from 5:00 to 7:00. Refreshments will be served.

Brown Bag Lunches are held the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month. Upcoming lectures will focus on topics of local interest. For more information, contact the Archives at 782-3280.