0329. Charles T. Meader (1857 - 1929) Gender: M
Born: 1857
Died: 1929
0329. Charles T. Meader (1857 - 1929)
Charles T. Meader, son of Charles T. Meader (1818-1909) [0194] and Sarah Bliss (1818-1883), was born in California September 2, 1857 and died there in del Norte County October 14, 1929. He was married twice.
The following article from a Butte, Montana newspaper was published in late October, 1950:
“Charles T. Meader, for whom Butte's famous suburb [Meaderville] was named, arrived in this section of the country when Butte was nothing more than a budding and rather uncertain mining camp.
“He was a ‘forty-niner' who went to California via Cape Horn. While there he heard thrilling stories about Butte and the opportunity afforded for a man who ‘knew something' about the mining and smelting game. He had received his smelting training at Swansea, Wales, so the story goes, and he had had practical experience in gold mining in California. His fortune, however, was swelled but little with his stay in California, so he followed his ‘urge' to Butte, coming through Nevada and Utah after a long trek.
“It was the summer of 1876 when he arrived here.
“That was the year Marcus Daly arrived and W. A. Cark followed soon afterwards and the activities of these industrial giants played an integral part in the history of the state and also of copper production. Meader became acquainted with both but was associated more with Daly because of his knowledge of smelters and smelting.
“On the east slope of the Butte hill there were a number of undeveloped mining claims. Meader secured these and they eventually netted him a fortune. A community had sprung up in the center of the claims which, at the start, was known as "Gunderson," casually called such because a man by the name of Gunderson was the first to operate a grocery store in the place. However, not long after Meader secured his claims and they became producers of copper, the town became known as Meaderville.
“Meader, according to some old-time residents who are conversant with much of the history of this camp, and Daly were associated in several mining ventures and Meader built for Daly the old Bell smelter north of Bell Creek on Harrison avenue. Previous to that time the copper ore from here had been shipped to Swansea, Wales, for treatment. This smelter proved a success. It was erected in 1860 and torn down in the early 90s. Meader is said to have left Butte for the coast in the late 80s, but came back on rare occasions, one of which was in 1900…
“Of the development of Butte during the early days when Meader was a figure in the mining industry, Stout's History of Montana, among other things, has the following to say:
‘In the year of 1882 came the discovery of the great copper body of the Anaconda mine, and the effect was revolutionary. It was this event that finally and completely established the permanency of the camp of Butte. Both the western and eastern slopes of the hill (lying adjacent to the Anaconda) were now the subject of the most careful scrutiny, and many mines sprang into existence. At the eastern extremity of the hill had sprung up the town of Meaderville, named for Charles T. Meader...'
“The Bicentennial Edition of The Montana Standard, July 5, 1976, also carried an article on Charles T. Meader. It reads in part:
‘Meader came to Butte in 1876 and purchased the undeveloped East and West Colusa claims. He formed the New York Copper Co., which operated a smelting plant.
‘This plant produced a silver-copper matte which was sent East for final treatment. R. K. Williams of the Gagnon Company beat Meader to the punch with a smelting plant, but the Gagnon plant collapsed before it began operating, reportedly because of bad fire brick.
‘The Gagnon plant was bought by the Colorado-Montana Co., which imported fire brick from Europe and still beat Meader's plant opening. Both plants were started in the fall of 1879, but a bad winter held up construction.
‘Meader opened the Bell Smelter in 1881.
‘He later moved to Washington, where he engaged in mining at age 82 at Chewelah.
‘Meaderville, noted for its gambling and fine eating houses, including Teddy Treparish's Rocky Mountain Cafe, was phased out after December, 1955 when stripping of overburden began for the Berkeley Pit. The latter was named for the old Berkeley Mine. Meader's East Colusa mine was part of the first open pit mining in 1955. An earlier pit was started in the area in 1953.' ”