Bunker Hill Smokestack Demolition Marks 30 Years in Silver Valley History
Tuesday, May 27, marks three decades since the iconic Bunker Hill smokestack in the Silver Valley came down, a moment that signaled the close of a defining chapter in Shoshone County’s industrial heritage.
The towering stack, long a physical landmark of the Silver Valley’s mining and smelting era, was demolished on May 26, 1996. For generations of residents in Kellogg, Smelterville, and the surrounding communities, the structure stood as a daily reminder of the Bunker Hill complex that once anchored the region’s economy and workforce.
The Bunker Hill operation had been one of the largest lead and zinc smelting facilities in the United States before its closure in the early 1980s left thousands of workers without jobs and set off decades of environmental remediation. The smokestack’s demolition came years into that cleanup process and remains one of the most vivid collective memories for longtime Silver Valley residents.
The anniversary arrives as the Silver Valley continues to balance its deep mining heritage with its evolving recreation and tourism economy.