Many of us Butte Rats think we know Marcus Daly, the famed Copper King whose likeness is immortalized in a statue that sits on top of West Park Street.

Well, Brenda Wahler really knows Marcus Daly. She probably knows him as well as anybody currently alive, anyway.

Brenda has written two books about Daly. Her first book, “Marcus Daly’s Road to Montana,” was released in 2023. Her next book, “Marcus Daly’s Montana Empires,” will hit the book shelves next Tuesday, March 3.

Together, these are the first comprehensive biographies of Daly since 1956.

In the books, she details the complex life of man who was both beloved and feared. They are a must read for anyone interested in the history of Butte, Montana or well beyond.

Brenda will be in the area to talk about her book several times over the next month. She will do a reading at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 6, at the Montana Hotel in Anaconda. On March, 11, she will give a talk at the Butte-Silver Bow Archives Brown Lunch series.

Then she will be part the Butte-Silver Bow Public Libray’s First Friday series on April 3. She also plans an upcoming talk the World Museum of Mining.

Brenda, a Helena attorney when she is not researching and writing about history, was born in Great Falls and raised around horses. She previously published a book titled “Montana Horse Racing: A History.”

Earlier today, I caught up with Brenda over Zoom for a fun conversation.

Listen as she talks about researching the legendary Copper King and explains his complicated life. Listen as she talks about how he went from a poor Irish immigrant to a Gilded Age magnate.

Listen in to hear about how she would probably rather have a beer with Daly instead of William Clark.

Listen to hear how Brenda got into history and some of the great historians she learned from along the way.

Today’s podcast is presented by Thriftway Super Stops. Download the TLC app and start saving today. It is also available on YouTube: