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Butte-Silver Bow council approves naming former armory for Don Peoples Sr.
Summary
The council concurred with Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher’s request to rename the former National Guard Readiness Center the Don Peoples Senior Complex, citing Peoples’ leadership during Butte’s economic crisis of the 1980s.
The Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners voted 9-0 Wednesday to concur with Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher’s request to rename the former National Guard Readiness Center the Don Peoples Senior Complex.
Chief Executive Gallagher submitted the request to “honor Don Peoples, Sr.” and asked the council to place the communication on file. In remarks read to the council, Gallagher said Peoples “shaped our community with the vision, resilience, and dedication” that helped guide Butte through “some of the most challenging chapters in Butte’s history.”
Longtime local official and community member Mike Kamich offered historical context during the meeting, saying Peoples was appointed in 1979 and later elected chief executive. Kamich recounted economic shocks in the early 1980s — including the smelter closure and widespread job losses — and credited Peoples with leading local economic recovery efforts, including formation of an economic futures program and a mining development committee that helped preserve the Clyde E. Weed Concentrator.
Commissioners voiced support before Commissioner Thatcher moved to concur and place communication 2025-5484 on file; the clerk recorded a 9-0 vote in favor. The council did not receive further public testimony on the naming at the meeting.
The renaming will apply to the former armory on Sampson Street; the council’s action was to concur with the chief executive’s request and place the communication on file, preserving the record for future administrative steps.
