A Story Of Love And Community: Our Lady Of The Rockies

Our Lady Of The Rockies

Since 1985, it's pretty hard to miss the lady sitting high on top of the Continental Divide that watches over Butte, Montana, Our Lady of the Rockies.

Everyone in Montana knows about the statue, but do you know the heart-warming back story that's behind it?

Youtube//Lorens Hartingers

Plans For The Statue Started In 1979

From Wikipedia, Only In Your State, Our Lady of the Rockies:

Butte resident Bob O'Bill promised his wife that if she survived cancer, he was going to build her in his wife's honor. Thankfully she survived, then Bob had some work to do.

The venture was built on money, materials, and labor from locals in Butte. A retired engineer from the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, Laurien Eugene Riehl, designed the statue, and the land was donated by Guy Ossello.

Work started on December 29, 1979. It wasn't until December of 1985 that the statue was airlifted to Saddle Rock. The statue was airlifted in four pieces by the Army National Guard's 137th Aviation Company. There are 400 tons of concrete at the base of the statue.

There Has Been Plenty Of Controversy Around The Lady

Separation of Church and State. The cries could be heard all over Butte that the statue, although on private land, was a public site, and the religious undertones may be bothersome to some residents of the area
Job Corps had to stop working on a chapel at the site because the Freedom From Religion Foundation filed a letter of complaint stating that federal funds were being used for religious purposes
In 2005, some Butte residents sued and won to block a tram to Our Lady of the Rockies that was going to utilize private roads

Youtube//Lorens Hartingers

Interesting Stats For Our Lady Of The Rockies

4th tallest statue in Montana
90 feet tall
48 feet wide
Open June through October (weather permitting)

Check out this bird's-eye view of Our Lady Of The Rockies ⤵⤵⤵

Our Lady of The Rockies, Butte, Montana

Our Lady of The Rockies

Gallery Credit: Tammie Toren

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Gallery Credit: Devon Brosnan