A sense of place is what keeps the long-time residence of Butte, Montana optimistic about it's landscape and what it holds in the future. Although the landscape is leaving residence little avenues for survival, "the local landscape of production created during the mining era become key venues for the expression of common experiences and meanings."
             In the late 1800's Butte was a huge mining town. The discovery that the town was laying on one of the best copper veins in the west had a lot to do with it. The demands of copper in the common household sent Buttes industry of fate skyrocketing. Butte Hill, as the locals called it, was covered with smoke stacks and headframes. Mining housing was placed right up against the mines and other local land uses associated with mining occurred as well. And right next-door, uptown Butte blossomed as the mines kept putting out copper.
             Now that the mining boom is past, you can find that the landscapes have decoupled from their original meanings. And although mining seems to be less significant for the communities well being the origin of their fruits are still very evident within the community. The symbols of the past are everywhere celebrating a past and hoping for a future. This is why Butte is known as the "Can Do City". The optimism and pride of the community is unprecedented.
             Many structures that have survived from the mining era are still used and mean a great deal to the residence. Long time saloons and bars still celebrate the roots of the town. The Western Federation of Miners was born here and explains the towns pride in unionism.
             Many symbols used today represent the mining era. Streets named after substances that were mined, local businesses like the Gold Rush Casino, Red light Antique Mall, the "Headframe" barber shop, and the 'Brookly Pit" bookstore are all named after significant things from the mining era. Playground equipment bears
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