'It's priceless': Historic copper anode stolen from Discover Anaconda
The anode had been mounted into a metal stand at the southwestern corner of the building. Leader photo: James S. Rosien
Ruth Moen with Discover Anaconda looks on in dismay at the space where a roughly 450 lb. copper anode – one of the last to come off the smelter before its closure – had stood outside the Visitors Center until its theft, most likely over the weekend. Leader photo: James S. Rosien
A Google Earth view of the Discover Anaconda Visitors Center (formerly the Anaconda Chamber of Commerce) shows the rectangular shape of the anode, middle right, as it had stood for decades. Google graphic.
A historic photo shows the copper anodes being poured at the smelter. Photo courtesy of Copper Village Museum and Arts Center.
Anode from smelter's last pour had been in front of Visitors Center building for decades
A priceless and likely irreplaceable piece of Anaconda's history has been stolen, as the roughly 450-lb. copper anode that stood outside the Discover Anaconda Visitors Center (formerly the Anaconda Chamber of Commerce) for decades was taken, most likely over the weekend.
Ruth Moen, the Visitors Center director, made the shocking discovery on Monday morning after arriving for work. As she walked out the door facing Cherry Street, its absence hit her immediately.
"You could see the drag marks from it," Moen said in an interview Thursday after Discover Anaconda made the decision to go public about the theft. "It hit hard. It truly is unbelievable."
Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement were contacted and the matter is being investigated – unfortunately without the assistance of the Visitors Center's surveillance video as the cameras weren't working, Moen said – but the economic development and tourism agency is hoping that by bringing the matter to the public's attention it will encourage someone to come forward with information about the theft, or better yet to return the anode.
"Please give it back. The history of it, it's invaluable. It's part of our heritage, it's part of our story – it's who we are," Moen said, noting that this particular anode was from last pour of the smelter before it was shut down. "Because of the copper ore there's monetary value, but because of the last pour, it's priceless."
Anodes were the final product that came out of the Washoe Reduction Works, with the copper at about 97% purity. They then were sent to the smelter at Great Falls for final refinement before being turned into copper wire or other products. Untold thousands of them were cast over the years, but this particular anode, all approximately 450 lbs. of it, had stood in a metal base outside the building as a testament to Anaconda's smelting past.
Yet it wasn't bolted down, as the sheer size and weight of the object would've presented a deterrent to theft. Yet the person or persons who stole it had to have been able to lift it out of the stand and drag it away, as Moen noted with the drag marks that extended to Cherry Street, as well as a broken board in its path. While Moen said it's possible the theft could have occurred before the weekend, she felt the drag marks and broken board would have been noticed if it had occurred prior to that.
Moen said Discover Anaconda put out an email blast to steel and recycling businesses in the area to be on the lookout for a copper anode or anyone attempting to sell it. Anyone with information pertaining to the anode theft is asked to contact ADLC Law Enforcement at (406) 563-5241.
Editor's note: The information we were given as to the anode's weight was incorrect; it weighs approximately 450 lbs. Thank you to Carl Lanes for correcting the record. A printed correction will appear in the Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025 Anaconda Leader as well.
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