Unusual for Montana, Butte has some visible
signs of ethnic minorities. Lots of Chinese worked
on the railroad and in the mines. Strict laws kept
the Chinese off the streets after dark, and labyrinthine
passageways were dug beneath Butte to facilitate
a second (literally "underground") city. Opium was the
drug of choice. Tours can still take you into some of the
tunnels, while others have filled with highly toxic waters
from the abandoned open pit mine. The roads (and
presumably some of the buildings) are in constant danger
of falling into this dug out underworld.

There are still a few Chinese restaurants, like Mings, in
operation today.