Shooting in Anaconda

Hammsolo said:
As many of you know, I grew up in Anaconda. My brother and I grew up hanging out with friends in the government subsidized housing. We had multiple friends that lived there.

Montana State Mental Hospital is in neighboring Warm Springs, and my Dad was a psychologist there. Montana State Prison is in Deer Lodge, and he was also a psychologist there. When people were released, where do you think they went? My friends that lived in the homes Dad was institutionalized there due to PTSD, Agent Orange and more from Vietnam.

We played pick up hoops and football with Michael (Mike) and his brother William (Bill) at the Homes. I wasn’t friends with them, nor was my brother so we didn’t know them very well.

Bill murdered Phil Nebeker in 2003. I have attached a document. They came from a rough background, both struggled with mental illness. I don’t remember their parents. Mike was known to be schizophrenic and if you read the court documents about Bill he clearly has similar traits.

Anaconda was a wild place to grow up in the 80’s. It was filled with addiction, mental illness, poverty and violence. Between the toxins in the environment and the collapsed economy it was almost dystopian. It was eat or be eaten. “Scraps” were part of the accepted culture. When I tell people stories they’re shocked. I love giving my students reality checks with stories of torn out earrings and/or teachers encouraging fights and watching as a student is bloodied in PE and just yelled at to go clean up after.

Mike was known for wild stories and being unhinged. Why do I share this? I’m not sure. Sadly, I’m just not really surprised at what happened.

State vs. Brown 2003
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Dang , what a wild town to grow up in. I cant imagine the things you've seen as a juvenile.
 
isu22andy said:
Dang , what a wild town to grow up in. I cant imagine the things you've seen as a juvenile.
Click to expand...

I’ve talked about starting a “stories” page forever. We didn’t realize how strange it was until we moved away.

I vividly remember walking through the dark dingy basement of my friends decrepit house. His Dad, Chuck, had lost his mining job and had innumerable deer hanging in his basement that he was processing. My friend told me they were for friends and family. I was 6 or so.

The first place I ever had lobster was in a filthy apartment where all my friend had was a mattress and a pile of clothes. It was the first of the month.

The funny thing is that I can see the glow of the lights in the dark central grassy area of Mount Haggin Holmes. It was our Americana, laughing and playing tackle football until exhaustion sent us into the apartments at God knows what hour. We felt safe, and were filled with joy. Oh, and yes, there were plenty of problems solved through scraps.

I pray Mike is found in a safe manner, not for him, but for others.
 
Hammsolo said:
I’ve talked about starting a “stories” page forever. We didn’t realize how strange it was until we moved away.

I vividly remember walking through the dark dingy basement of my friends decrepit house. His Dad, Chuck, had lost his mining job and had innumerable deer hanging in his basement that he was processing. My friend told me they were for friends and family. I was 6 or so.

The first place I ever had lobster was in a filthy apartment where all my friend had was a mattress and a pile of clothes. It was the first of the month.

The funny thing is that I can see the glow of the lights in the dark central grassy area of Mount Haggin Holmes. It was our Americana, laughing and playing tackle football until exhaustion sent us into the apartments at God knows what hour. We felt safe, and were filled with joy. Oh, and yes, there were plenty of problems solved through scraps.

I pray Mike is found in a safe manner, not for him, but for others.
Click to expand...
Do you think it has changed that much?
 
In the house in which I grew up, there was a wall map next to the toilet in the downstairs hallway. Like all normal human beings prior to the smartphone, I would sit and look at that map and fantasize what my escape route would be if I were ever imprisoned in Deer Lodge and managed to jail break. Now I still won't reveal that plan just in case, but he does have good country to work with.

In all seriousness, it's sad as hell. Reading the posts of community members on social media there's genuine fear and frustration. Hopefully resolved soon.
 
SAJ-99 said:
Do you think it has changed that much?
Click to expand...

I think it has changed quite a bit, but remnants reside. I know people in the school system, and it has definitely improved. At least I don’t think teachers at Lincoln Elementary are taping kids into garbage cans, or 8th Graders are stomping 7th Graders for walking by A Square to come to school each day.

The drug problem is apparently atrocious.

The economy is fluctuating, but has definitely improved from then. Miners of that earlier era road the boom and bust cycle like a river boat gambler. When it was good they would buy boats, and when it was bad they’d sell them for cents on the dollar. This was still going on in Butte when I was in my 20’s. I had friends that dropped out of college to mine. The mine had at least started financial courses to try to train them. I don’t know if it helped or if it still goes on.

As I’ve mentioned, it’s crazy to think of the confluence that occurred in the 80’s. Mental Health care was slashed. Post-prison support was nil. The mine was shuttered. I remember a released patient from Warm Springs showing up on our doorstep on Christmas Eve as a kid. He was my Dad’s former patient, and my Dad took him to the Greyhound Station. He bought the former patient a ticket and I believe gave him some cash. Lord knows why he was at The Springs.
 
Anaconda & Butte were very sketchy in the 70's. Some good hard working folks and nuts.
I wonder how I got back to Basin at times after a trip for a game or foosball tourney. Been to the Owl,or one named Owl. It was old & wood then.
Drinking was a major past time. Drugs were trending.
 
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