Marcus Daly’s Road to Montana

by Brenda L. Wahler

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.

192 pages, Paperback

Published March 6, 2023

About the author

Brenda Wahler is an attorney, historian, and horsewoman. A lifelong Montanan, she digs into the deeper stories behind the myths of the American West. Her newest book is Marcus Daly’s Road to Montana. She is also the author of Montana Horse Racing: A History.

Reviews

[R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the book interesting and informative. Daly is an important figure in Montana history and this provided a good outline of his life and business dealings.
The author was confronted with a significant challenge: Daly's wife destroyed all of his personal papers after his death, so there is little first-hand material to research. Consequently, there's a bit of guesswork and supposition in the book: creating Daly's story from the words/actions of those around him.