Heritage Museum

   If the town of Libby, Montana seems familiar it’s probably because of a series of news stories written by a Seattle journalist in 1999. Vermiculite, which is used as an insulation, was first mined in Libby in 1919. The type of vermiculite in Libby mines is contaminated with asbestos but the miners and townspeople were never told to take any precautions. Mining waste was used in playgrounds, backyards, gardens, roads, and the school running track. Work clothes were washed in family homes. An estimated 400 Libby residents have died and almost three thousand became sick from diseases caused by the asbestos.

   The mines closed in 1990 but cleanup did not begin until 2002 when the town became a Superfund site. $425 million has been spent to remove contaminated soil, mine waste, and attic insulation. The asbestos infiltrated the entire area, including the forests, and it will never be possible to clean it all up. People still live there. :-(

   The asbestos story is kind of buried in a back corner of the museum and features a timeline of asbestos mining in Libby and videos with the personal stories of Libby residents and how the contamination affected them. Other exhibits cover the history of Libby including railroads, steamboats, logging, mining, and Native Americans. One of most interesting exhibits explains the culture shock young men from Harlem felt when they joined the Civil Conservation Corp and were shipped to camps in the wilds of Montana. Farming and mining equipment, and historic buildings are located on the grounds outside.

   The museum is accessible except for the small room of the second story and one exhibit that has a steep ramp. The outside exhibits are not accessible due to lumpy, uneven ground.

   The parking lot is large enough for any RV. Museum 48.37223, -115.54363