The Montana Power Company was founded in 1912 by
John D. Ryan, then president of
Anaconda Copper Mining Company, as a consolidation of several hydroelectric plants in Montana. In the 1960s there was a split, culminating in Anaconda Co. resisting an MPC rate hike. In 1959 MPC bought coal mining rights at
Colstrip, Montana, with plans to develop coal-fired electrical generation plants there. Litigation over the company's assets continued until early 2013, when a settlement was reached offering shareholders 29 cents per share. The shares were once worth $65. ==See also==