Montana Historian 2013

Issue 5 2013-2014

IN THIS ISSUE yellowstone PARK historic tourism Virginia city'S 150th Anniversary

Photographs courtesy of Donnie Sexton and the Yellowstone Historic Center Museum

2013/2014

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Skis • Bikes • Gear for the Outdoors • Casual Clothing

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Montana Historian

406-995-2939 • 888-807-9452 (toll free) w w w. g r i z z l y o u t f i t t e r s . c o m Located in Big Sky Town Center B i g S k y, M o n t a n a 5 9 7 1 6

To Advertise • Joseph Spinelli 406.599.3679

Treasures: A Retail Collectible Boutique An Exciting New Addition to the Mountain Mall

By Elizabeth Severn-Eriksson There’s an exciting new store in the Big Sky Resort Mountain Mall. Scott Redinger and Tom Elliott purchased the space, located next to the J& P Grocery store, in April and spent several months renovating. Treasures opened its doors for business on June 7th.

For Redinger and Elliott, the retail location was a natural progression after owning Treasures’ parent company, Concept Gems, a wholesale company selling gems, such as the Montana Sapphire and the Opal Royale, for over 15 years. Successful ventures selling sapphires to the previous owner of the retail location and loose and finished gems at makeshift tables set out in the mall over the course of this past winter prompted Redinger and Elliott to take the plunge and open a store.

Both men have substantive experience in the gem industry. Elliott, who lived in Seattle for over 18 years before moving to Bozeman two years ago, owned the North American Gemological Laboratory, which he started in 1998. With that success, he began Concept Gems. Hailing from Portland, Redinger has an impressive background in both business and gems, the latter having spanned the past 30 year in all aspects from development of product lines, retail, manufacturing and wholesale, to sales and marketing. He was a natural asset for Concept Gems. Redinger and Elliott work well together – their talents and skills complement one another and they share the same drive and passion for what they do. Both are currently in the process of moving to Big Sky permanently.

The warm, well-lit, attractive shop showcases a variety of jewelry, artwork and artifacts.

Many of the gems, like the sapphires, were obtained in Montana, but often those that weren’t have distinctly Montana features, such as the wire wrapping around some of the opal jewelry (done by a Big Sky resident).

Every piece of jewelry is handmade and none of it is mass-produced.

Treasures features turquoise, opals, sapphires, Black Hills gold, Montana garnets and agates as well as custom-made knives, artwork, Glacier Watches (beautifully set with Montana Yogo sapphires) and much more.

In essence, it’s a jewelry store with the best collection of art in the area.

The store also has an impressive selection of Montana sapphires, which come from three major areas across Montana. The Yogo Sapphire, from the Yogo Gulch near Lewiston, is considered by many to be the finest in the world. They are also the rarest in the world. They are mined 450 feet below the earth’s surface and can cost up to $6000. Yogos are world-renowned for their quality and color. Found in Tiffany jewelry and the Smithsonian gem collection, Yogos have the deepest blue color, often compared to a Montana sky, and are small in size. More rare than

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Montana Historian

diamonds, only five to 10% of all sapphires have the natural cornflower blue color.

Montana sapphires have the widest range of colors, from pink to blue to orange and yellow and are found in Rock Creek, or Gem Mountain, as it’s also known, near Phillipsburg. These sapphires aren’t nearly as rare or as expensive as the Yogos.

The largest sapphires, which come in pastel shades, hail from the Missouri River near Helena where they are found in the top five to 10 feet of topsoil. These, too, are not nearly as expensive as the Yogo. All varieties of sapphires can be found in Treasures.

Treasures’ jewelry all has a native accent so that it will appeal to both locals and visitors wishing to take something representative of Montana home with them. There are also loose stones, so that people can choose one they like and have it made into a piece of jewelry, often within 48 hours (custom-made pieces can take longer). Treasures has four master goldsmiths at their disposal that can assist with the design, cast, cut, set and finish of any piece of jewelry.

Elliott and Redinger hope to eventually have a gallery location up at the resort that will display local artists’ biographies and artwork. In the near future, they also hope to expand their business to include a mining experience for individuals and families whereby customers could purchase a bag of soil and mine it for sapphires.

Both Elliott and Redinger enthusiastically share their passion for their store and their business and feel that Treasures is a fantastic opportunity to expose people to artists and gems.“We are really excited about the store and the direction we are going,” says Redinger. “Big Sky is a great area and the people here are wonderful.”

Stop by Treasures the next time you’re up on the mountain. For more information, contact Redinger by email at scott@conceptgems.com or by phone at (971) 230-8126 and Elliott at tom@conceptgems.com or (206) 551-7006. Or call the store at (406) 595-8413. Summer hours are Monday through Sunday, 10AM until 6PM; winter hours are Monday through Sunday, 10AM until 7PM.

Treasures

* Mine Direct Pricing On Montana Sapphire * Handmade Jewelry From Big Sky and Montana Craftsman *Gallery Quality Prints And Paintings *Gemstones From Around The World * Handmade Native American Jewelry Located at The Mountain Mall at Big Sky Resort | (406) 995-3210 Summer hours: Monday through Sunday, 10AM - 6PM | Winter hours: Monday through Sunday, 10AM - 7PM

features

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Publisher Mike Rey

Editor Dave Reuss

General Manager Coco Nisbet

Design Jared Byerly

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Bozeman's First and Last Best Place

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Art Deco Jewels

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Welcome to Yellowstone

Bozeman's First and Last Best Place

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Fit for a King

The Original Governor's Mansion

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Happy Birthday!

Big Sky turns 40

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Julia Bennett

A Dude Ranch Pioneer

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Freight Depot Transformed

Montana Ale Works

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Architecture

History of CTA Group

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Do Not Disturb

The Haunting of the Dumas Hotel

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A Must-See Tour

Helena's West Side

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Building Bozeman

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The Life of Fred F. Willson

Reviving a Classic

Bringing Back the General Store

Virginia City

Queen City of the Territory

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Sarah Antonucci Ellen Baumler Jessica Bayramian Byerly Dave Berghold Robin Blazer Lauren Caselli Michael Fox Lesley M. Gilmore Ralph Heinz Lisa Hendrickson Babs Noelle Heidi O'brien Dave Reuss Elizabeth Severn-Eriksson Dale Williams

Tourism and America's First National Park

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Contributors

The Iconic Baxter Hotel

Montana Historian

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Ad Sales Mike Rey Coco Nisbet Joseph Spinelli

Published By Rey Advertising 3220 Hillcrest Drive Bozeman, MT 59715 406-539-1010 reyadvertising@q.com

On the Cover

Taking a break in a 1936 White Motor Company Model 706 fourteen-passenger National Park Bus, Y.P. Co. 395 Photograph by Frank Byerly

2012/2013

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a letter From The Editor Montana Historian 2013/2014 Just as the snow finally melts and the landscape turns a vibrant

was formed, be sure to check out the brand-new exhibit on

green, our state slowly starts to attract tourists. Love them or

Yellowstone’s history opening in September at the Museum

hate them, they flock here from every corner of the globe for

of the Rockies.

just a taste of what we’re lucky enough to experience every day. Even at a glance, it’s easy to see why people would want

Preserved architecture is one of the best ways to really

to come here—but it’s more than just mountains and rivers

experience history, so we analyze the mansions built into the

that make our state special. What really makes Montana so

hillsides in Helena. Dozens of towering mansions popped up

undeniably unique is our rich Western history. From dude

in our state’s capital near the turn of the century—and thanks

ranches to homesteading, moonshining to ghost towns, our

to countless hours of renovation work, many still stand as a

state’s rough-and-tumble past truly set us apart. The annual

symbol of life for the upper crust. And we look at the man

migration of tourists might slow down traffic on Main Street,

very much responsible for the look and feel of many towns

but it’s hard to really get that mad—if I didn’t live here, I’d want

across Montana: the famous architect Fred F.

to visit too.

Willson. Thanks to his keen eye and unmatched skill, over 1,000

In our fifth issue of Montana Historian, we take a look at

buildings across our state

some of the defining historical moments that have made our

proudly

state what it is today. To start, we go back to when Montana

exhibit

was little more than crudely drawn lines on a map and take an

his classic

in-depth look at the rise and fall of Virginia City. With millions architectural of dollars in gold hidden in its rolling hills, the “Queen City

style over 50

of the Territory” was one of the first major draws that lured

years after

people to Montana, and integral in transforming what was

his death.

merely a section of the Idaho Territory into a legitimate state.

The majority of the city has been preserved to look exactly as it But that’s just a did 150 years ago, serving as a must-see historical attraction for sample of what this Montana natives and out-of-towners alike.

edition has to offer—we cover everything from

Since an undeniable part of Montana’s beauty lies in its wild,

Montana’s colorful past to

open places, we profile the birth of Yellowstone—our nation’s

the people and companies

first National Park. Without a doubt, it’s one of the wildest and making history today. most scenic places in North America—and one of our nation’s greatest treasures. For an even deeper look into how the park

Enjoy the new issue.

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Montana Historian

- Dave Reuss, Editor

10 YEARS

It’s never “just another day” at Rocky Mountain Surgical Center for our team of dedicated and talented physicians, staff, administration, and partners.

After a decade of doing what we love best, we’re proud to say we’re still passionately committed to operating and maintaining a center of excellence in ambulatory surgical care. Although much is evolving around us in the health care arena, our vision remains focused and clear through this dynamic environment. We strive to promote health, wellness, and quality of life in our community.

During our 10-year anniversary, Rocky Mountain Surgical Center would like to thank everyone for allowing us to take part in

your health care. We’ve greatly enjoyed our service and we look forward to another successful and productive decade.

From the employees at Rocky Mountain Surgical Center, we would like to thank the physicians of Bozeman Foot and Ankle Clinic, Bridger Orthopedic and Sports Medicine, Shaneyfelt Gastroenterology, Bozeman Deaconess GI Clinic, Dr. Lowell Anderson, and the administrators at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital.

Your combined efforts have built a strong and remarkable organization that has provided opportunities and support for employees and our families.

The Iconic Baxter Hotel

Bozeman’s First and Last Best Place

Over 80 years ago, the foundation for a community center and gathering place was laid, brick by brick. Now The Baxter has once again solidified itself as a mainstay: an iconic building at the center of Bozeman’s downtown revival and a historic landmark proportional to the grandiosity that is Big Sky Country.

Opened on March 2, 1929, The Baxter was made possible by the committed efforts of Bozeman architect Fred F. Willson, who designed the building and its interiors; the Bozeman Community Hotel Corporation, a sixteen member board of Bozeman businessmen founded by Eugene Graf; and approximately 250 community members, including renowned rancher/entrepreneur

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By Jessica Bayramian Byerly

George Baxter, who named the hotel after his father and financed the final $50,000 of the $300,000 necessary for its construction.

At a mere 45.9 cents per cubic foot, Hotel Baxter, as it was first named, contains 590,000 cubic feet originally situated into 76 guest rooms (70% with private baths); eight apartments, a groundbreaking concept at the time; a lobby, lounge, dining room, coffee shop, barber shop, fountain room, banquet rooms, shops, and a pioneering work of mechanical genius—a dual elevator shaft perfected by Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Co. Completed largely by local artisans, Hotel Baxter was designed by Fred Willson, furnished and managed by Roberts-MacNab Company and

constructed (including electrical installation and painting) by contractor H. J. Hamill. D.H. Budd Company installed the heating and plumbing systems and Dixon Paint Shop hung the wallpaper.

Architecturally, Baxter Hotel is at once both cleanly ascetic and elaborately embellished. Stately masculine lines, evidenced most obviously in its façade which is virtually devoid of ornamentation, are seamlessly married to ornate flourishes and delicate Spanish and Italian influenced interior design elements. John Willy, author of The Hotel Monthly, reviewed Hotel Baxter in his February 1931 issue and had this to say regarding the lobby: The walls are an imitation travertine stone ending in an ornamental plaster frieze. The ceiling is heavily beamed with wood beams grained and stenciled.

Brilliant colors, blue, red, orange, and gold are extensively used in this work.

The floor and base are of terrazzo, stair, and balcony railings of ornamental iron finished in gold and black. The furnishings are modern thruout. Large comfortable overstuffed chairs and davenports in deep blues and greens contrast the vivid red and green leather and colorful upholstering of other furniture. Sunburst rugs, hammered iron stand lamps, ornamental electric fixtures, and beautiful window drapes harmonize with the architectural and decorative treatment of the room for an attractive lobby.

Many of these design elements and detail-oriented finishes, consistently spread throughout all seven stories of this magnificent and timeless structure, can once again be seen today, thanks to the committed efforts of current owner David Loseff whose passion for, and dedication to, this building couldn’t have come at a more critical time.

Over the years, Hotel Baxter has survived the ebb and flow of several periods of disrepair and renovation, economic prosperity, and decline, though some of the businesses it housed have not been so resilient or fortunate. Before dissolving and selling the building in 1980, the Community Hotel Association owned and successfully operated Hotel Baxter in its original intended form. However, after 53 successful years as a full-service hotel, The Baxter’s upper levels were converted to residential condominiums in 1982 and Hotel Baxter was officially no more. In the years following, businesses came and went—Robin Lounge,

Rocky Mountain Pasta Company, Outback, Melaque, and numerous incarnations of the Bacchus Pub—and although some lasted longer than others (namely the Bacchus Pub and Robin Lounge) businesses generally seemed to flounder in a space that should have guaranteed success.

Likewise, owners and investors moved through The Baxter offices, some affecting positive, if brief, change and others arguably reaping destruction in a seemingly constant wake of financial ruin. As tenants and businesses came and went, however, the stately façade and understated elegance remained, tenaciously awaiting the arrival of an owner that would see the sparkle beneath a rough visage and finally invest the time, energy, and dedication necessary to restore The Baxter to its former glory.

David Loseff is that owner.

Originally from Chicago, Loseff spent much of his investment career in Asia. He purchased a working ranch in Paradise Valley in 1989, which he visited over the following years as frequently as possible. In 2003, David moved to Bozeman, where he currently resides with his wife and two young children. Robin Choate, whose father Robin MacNab managed Hotel Baxter during her childhood, has warm memories of The Baxter and speaks fondly of Loseff and all that he does to restore her one-time playground.“Where other children had dollhouses, I had the Baxter,” reminisces Choate. Spending many days exploring back staircases, the dumbwaiter, the elevator, and any other accessible nook and cranny, Choate speaks of The Baxter as if of a first love. And Loseff is reigniting that lifelong affair.“He’s my hero,” states Choate simply.

“What he’s doing for the Baxter is simply remarkable.”

Pioneering a revival of the old within a space defined by so much new, Loseff is perhaps not just a hero for Ms. Choate, but also for the many Bozeman natives who have witnessed beloved old businesses flounder and disappear and newcomers looking for a small town that offers something different—something better than big box stores and strip malls. Hero or otherwise, Loseff intends for far more to come. The Hotel Baxter sign, a long extinguished glow remembered by few is enjoyed, once again, by many thanks to a creative team of local experts that completed the restoration project in time for the re-lighting ceremony on January 10, 2013. As Chris Naumann, Executive Director of the Downtown

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Bozeman Partnership, wrote in an article appearing in a January issue of the Business Journal,“The recent restoration of the rooftop sign represented an important step in a top-to-bottom revitalization plan that will soon include remodeling of the basement space.” Loseff’s “top-to-bottom” restorations have ranged from installing a new roof and rebuilding the elevator to refurbishing and repainting original sconces and elements of the interior design, upgrading and rewiring the building’s electrical and lighting and creating community meeting facilities and offices on the mezzanine level that retain the charming structure of their earlier life as hotel rooms. The current overhaul of the entire Baxter basement will pave the way for Loseff’s newest project: a highly anticipated bar boasting signature cocktails and classic charm. Previously home to a beauty parlor / barber shop and an antique store, the basement space is undergoing significant remodeling and restoration to prepare the cozy venue.

each made in the property and their respective success arguably turned the tide on The Baxter as a community hub and sought-after venue.

Likewise, the HOA’s increased interest in building improvements and investment into the property in recent years have helped to guarantee The Baxter’s success. Much like Loseff, the owners have focused on preserving the building’s history and are dedicated to ensuring its longevity. It was through the combined efforts and financial investment of the HOA and Loseff that the Hotel Baxter sign was renovated and future plans to restore residential floors were made.

As Chris Naumann remarks,“The Baxter always has been and will continue to be Main Street’s crown jewel and its ongoing redevelopment is a positive harbinger of downtown’s bright economic future.” During the hotel’s grand opening celebration in 1929, J.A. Lovelace, a community leader and member of Hotel Baxter’s board of directors, called for a toast, “To the Hotel Baxter, to pledge ourselves to cooperate in doing everything possible to make Bozeman the best town in America in which to live.”

Although locals have long thought of Bozeman as the best within the Last Best Place, the long-ago pledge by Lovelace and his cohorts was recently realized on a nationally recognized level: Bozeman’s Main Street was acknowledged as one of the 10 Great Streets in America for 2012 by the American Planning Association (APA). Arguably integral to the APA’s selection of Main Street, The Baxter was also recently honored with the “Inviting Public Space Award,” one of 13 beautification awards handed out by the Bozeman Beautification Advisory Board.

However, Loseff has done far more than simply spearhead cosmetic renovations, focusing rather on a revitalization of the spirit of community and gathering anticipated for The Baxter since its inception. Thriving businesses—The Bacchus Pub, Ted’s Montana Grill, and La Petite Châtelaine Chocolat Co.—now grace the ground floor; relaxed seating within the lobby and mezzanine levels invites community gathering and long chats over a glass of wine; live music abounds, including Bob Britten on the piano every Wednesday night; and special events, both community (Christmas Stroll, Bingo Nights, fundraisers) and private (weddings, parties, conferences), regularly fill the ballroom and lobby.“There’s always something going on,” remarks Amy McDonald, The Baxter’s General Manager.“David’s intent has always been to bring it back to the original community center it was intended for.”

Although Loseff has certainly led the way, he cannot take complete credit for The Baxter’s renaissance. Concerted efforts by Baxter tenants and the Homeowners’ Association (HOA) have also paved the way for the revitalized community center. At a time when The Baxter was considered a “restaurant graveyard,” Ted’s Montana Grill and Bacchus Pub owners took a chance on the location. As anchor tenants, the investments they

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105 Main Street

www.bacchuspubbozeman.com

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A long time ago, a young boy emigrated from Ireland. He made his way from Ontario, Canada, to San Francisco and eventually to the Gallatin Valley. He staked a claim on 80 acres northwest of Bozeman and, by employing groundbreaking irrigation methods, grew the Baxter Ranch to include 400 acres successfully producing wheat, barley, oats, and hay. Robert A. Baxter, The Baxter’s namesake, was a selfmade man, a man for whom these great United States were created and by whom it stands to this day. In its mere name, The Baxter holds both past and present. As the economy struggles to gain its feet once again, so do those hardworking men and women who have come from near and far with a dream and the drive to make that dream happen. In spite of its luxurious conception and intended purpose to draw the elite, the six-story Italianate/Art Deco hotel is, ironically, a hardworking man’s legacy. It is a stalwart presence, a seemingly immovable force. As all has changed around it, been updated and improved, the grand simplicity of The Baxter has remained, a reminder of the power of a dream and the impact of a committed few to bring history to life, once again.

For further information on The Baxter, visit www.thebaxterhotel.com.

Sources: Naumann, Chris. “Downtown: at the heart of Bozeman’s bright economic future.” Business Journal January 29, 2013: 23. Print.

Willy, John. “Hotel Baxter of Bozeman Montana. A Community Hotel of 76 Guest Rooms and one Floor of Apartments, Planned for Operating at Low Overhead and to Deliver Maximum of Service with Minimum of Pay Roll. The Floor Plans and a Pictorial Exposition of the Public Rooms.” The Hotel Monthly February 1931: 62-72. Print.

Russell, John C. “‘Hotel Baxter’ sign shines again.” Life is Downtown January 17, 2013: 10. Print.

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Montana Beauty Meets Swiss Precision

By Dave Reuss

Around the turn of the 20th century, you wouldn’t think the newly formed state of Montana and the tiny European country of Switzerland would have much in common. But despite both locations being over 6,000 miles away, one company used resources from both to produce incredible Swiss watches studded with gems from the Treasure State.

In the Rock Creek drainages about 20 miles outside Philipsburg, Montana, enterprising gold prospectors first discovered sapphires in 1892, and these mining claims were purchased by the American Gem Mining Syndicate almost a decade later. After building a water flume and stone-cutting facilities, the company continued to work its mines on Rock Creek, finding a considerable quantity of sapphires in the rolling hills. In 1911 alone, over 80,000 ounces of industrial sapphire and 384,000 carats of variably colored sapphires were produced in the state. The colors of the gems were stunning, and ranged from colorless to greenish blue, light green, yellow, orange, pink, and ruby red. The rough stones weighed up to eight carats, or roughly the size of a small marble. The bulk of the output was shipped to the company's factory in Geneva, Switzerland, run by Eugene Deschusses, for use in Swiss watches and chronometers.

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Montana Historian

The American Gem Syndicate then had to ship the precious stones halfway around the world to their factories in Switzerland—which was no small feat in the early 1900s. Once the sapphires were unearthed, sorted, and cleaned, they were first transported by stagecoaches, then loaded into a train car and hauled over 2,300 miles across the country to New York. After that, the gems were taken on a weeklong trip by boat to Europe, and then eventually transported to the tiny country of Switzerland—just to be precisely cut and placed in these remarkable timepieces. After they were meticulously assembled by hand, the watches were then shipped around the world.

To own your very own Montana-jeweled timepiece in 1912, it was no more difficult than picking up a massive copy of the Green Book Magazine and flipping to the back pages filled with mail-order offers. “Why Buy Anything But Genuine?” page 1101 asked in bold letters between offers for facial soap and ladies’ natural bust enhancement. “These have Gems of Quality and Refinement, beautifully diamond cut in our factory at Geneva, Switzerland. We guarantee them to be perfect in every detail.” The advertisement proudly proclaimed that the watches would, “…make exquisite presents for man, woman, boy or girl. Can you think of anything handsomer for a Christmas gift? They have Gems of fathomless radiance.”

Around 1936, the American Gem Mining Syndicate sold its property to another company, and once World War II was in full swing, the entire mining operation was shut down in 1943. The company may be gone, but these watches still exist around the country as a testament to the natural beauty of Montana and the watchmaking expertise of the Swiss.

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Art Deco Jewels A Sparkling Slice of History

By Babs Noelle

This year marked the release of the fifth big screen adaptation of The Great Gatsby. All mixed reviews aside, I have my own selfish reasons for devouring—if not the film—then the still photos from certain scenes. Specifically, the scenes showing all that fabulous Art Deco jewelry. I admit, without embarrassment, that I have certain websites bookmarked that continue to post new stills from the film.

I carefully view them, hopeful of a glimpse of an Art Deco jewel I have not yet seen.

Many people are familiar with some of the features that are hallmarks of Art Deco jewelry: rectilinear forms, geometric arrangements of diamonds and gems, bold color combinations, and architectural elements, among others. What most people do not know, however, is that the birth of Art Deco in all its forms could only have occurred when it did, because a confluence of remarkable forces dictated this new direction in art.

The influences of previous jewelry periods were primarily derived from the tastes of British monarchs, and were affordable only to the uppermost classes. In contrast, Art Deco jewelry was a physical embodiment of the Roaring Twenties, and was an inclusionary art form in terms of both materials and mass availability.

The diverse influences of music, women’s rights, social revolution, archeology, science, mechanization, and fashion are all visible in Art Deco jewelry. Moreover, these jewels were ultimately part of a complete idiom

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< Impressive collar necklace with a panoply of Art Deco stylings: Egyptian shape, marquise- and square-shaped elements, “aggressive” florals

for the Art Deco time period that encompassed all the decorative and fine arts, in addition to architecture, automobile and marine design, film, practical objects, and public works.

Art Deco swept through many nations, with each culture having its own spin on the movement.

To begin, the preferred female form was suddenly long and lanky rather than curvy, and both the fashions and hairstyles of women celebrated a certain independent boyishness tempered by a sensually naughty undertone. As a consequence, Art Deco was the antithesis of Art Nouveau. Art Nouveau’s flowing asymmetry and almost decadent celebration of life forms both actual and imaginary, were abandoned for commitment to simpler lines and the exciting themes that peppered the Roaring Twenties.

Everything in Gatsby’s 1922 world was new, newer, newest—from the concepts of modernization in production and design to newly available forms of speedy transport: faster trains and automobiles, large ocean liners, and transcontinental air travel were making the world a smaller and more readily accessible sphere. The excitement was palpable as people explored far-flung cultures previously too difficult to access.

Socially, Prohibition was a driving force that both directly and indirectly affected Art Deco jewelry design. Oddly enough, Prohibition led to the practical free-flow of alcohol, ultimately begetting a subculture that in turn begat the flapper girl on this side of the Atlantic. With her short-cropped

hair came the introduction of a new jewelry form, the bandeau. Replacing the tiara as the bejeweled headpiece of choice, the bandeau was worn low on the forehead, providing the perfect framing to the new shorter hairstyles. The cocktail ring was also an invention of this era that was all about the cocktail itself.

Not only did the flappers wear Art Deco designs and inspire new jewelry forms, they eventually became one of the themes of Art Deco jewelry, with flapper silhouettes gracing jewels and celebrating her stark contrast to the flowing-haired, corseted Gibson Girl of days gone by.

< Brooch with flapper silhouette

The themes in Art Deco jewelry were abundant and varied. Life forms were present, but highly stylized and aggressive in nature, rather than figuratively realistic and passant, as in Art Nouveau. Moreover, there were animals portrayed strictly in the Art Deco era: antelopes, borzois and greyhounds, elephants, leopards, panthers, and tigers.

There were strong Egyptian influences, courtesy of the discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun: snake chains and rings, scarabs, pyramidal forms, hieroglyphs. Other important cultural influences were Mayan and PreColombian patterns, symbols, and temples; African masks and symbols; mid- and far-Eastern themes ranging from Chinese to Indian to Arabic; and ancient Greek and Roman architecture.

In addition to incorporating ancient architectural forms, Art Deco jewelry designs resembling skyscrapers or machinery abounded. Long, linear earrings often resembled architectural towers or a series of mechanical cogs and wheels. Symbols of streamlining, speed, electricity and transportation were found in brooches, bracelets, and pendants. Newlydeveloped diamond cuts such as the marquise, asscher, emerald-cut and baguette (the latter three courtesy of the Cubist influence in the Art Deco period) furthered jewelers’ abilities to represent buildings in their designs.

Another way in which Art Deco jewelry honored mechanization was literal. Courtesy of Kōkichi Mikimoto, the process of culturing pearls brought masses of pearls to market. And boy, were there pearls! Multiple long strands of pearls were knotted carelessly around the neck and worn down the front or back to punctuate the styling of a particular dress; strands wrapped around wrists multiple times; pearls as dangling elements on pieces made of precious metal.

While there were certainly those who preferred their Art Deco jewelry be made of precious materials, the era saw a huge push towards “design before material,” with inexpensive materials such as rock crystal, Bakelite, and marcasite held in equally high esteem as more precious counterparts. The mechanization of industry therefore allowed everyone to partake in Art Deco jewelry, since pieces crafted from humble materials were not considered humble at all.

Art Deco jewelry holds a special place in my heart. It was the subject of one of my Master’s theses, and whenever given the opportunity by a client to inject one or more Art Deco features into a custom design, I jump at it. It was always my dream to have a collection of Art Deco pieces to offer those of my clients who are also Decophiles. I finally realized that dream in 2008, after being presented with a fortuitous opportunity to partner with a design house soon to reach its 175th anniversary.

Jewelry from the Art Deco era was designed by many artisans, but only one firm had the forethought to create metal molds of their designs.

Unlike rubber molds, which rapidly disintegrate, metal molds endure.

Hinged platinum bracelet with alternating turquoise and black jade, accented with pavé-set diamonds

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Thanks to the brilliance of Lluís Masriera of Barcelona, his Art Deco designs live on today, because his descendants have been able to continuously produce Art Deco masterpieces since that era, using the original molds. Each piece made from its respective mold is certificated and numbered, and the firm has maintained impeccable records outlining the history of the initial creation of each design. Production is strictly limited, despite the permanence of the molds, and distribution is controlled so that one will not see their piece on another person in North America. < Quintessential brooch of a speeding, diving bird with black enamel and white diamonds in platinum

In this way, one enjoys all the benefits of a “new” piece (no failing hinges, rings grown thin or chipped gems), but also the integrity of original design from the era, not a reproduction.

Lluís Masriera was one of the masters of the Art Nouveau era, with his pieces being exhibited alongside those of Lalique, Debois, and Boucheron at all the important international exhibitions.

Like Maison Boucheron, Masriera embraced the motifs of Art Deco and jumped into the new design direction that flew in the face of everything he had done for decades before. His undisputed excellence at enameling continued to serve him well as he put his own individual mark on Art Deco jewelry.

< Long drop earrings featuring cog-like shapes

And what does all of this Art Deco fuss have to do with today?

Well, when one casually refers to “contemporary” or “modern” design when viewing a piece of current jewelry, more often than not he is remarking on features that are rooted in Art Deco.

Art Deco jewelry, like the time in which it was created, was innovative and unlike anything before it, and very much the product of those heady, mindboggling times. These innovative pieces serve as long-lived artifacts, gorgeous “permanent records” of the days of Gatsby.

Pardon me… that reminds me that I have bookmarked websites to check.

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Rectangular ring with multi-tone enamel and diamond

< “Angry” moth pin made of square-cut and cabochon rubies, green enamel, pearl, and diamond.

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Welcome to Yellowstone!

Tourism and America’s First National Park

A New Exhibition opens at the Museum of the Rockies in September, 2013

by Michael Fox

On a beautiful spring day in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of a triumphal—if somewhat rustic—arch at the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park in the fledgling town of Gardiner, Montana.“This Park was created, and is now administered for the benefit and enjoyment of the people,” Roosevelt declared in his speech to the assembled crowd of nearly 4,000 spectators. His phrase “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People” was later chiseled into the stone tablet across the upper section of the arch, which was finally completed in 1905. For many visitors, this quote reflects Roosevelt’s feelings about Yellowstone and America’s national parks in general.

These words, however, were not originally Theodore Roosevelt’s, who is sometimes mistakenly seen as the founder of America’s first national park. As the president addressed the crowd on April 24, 1903, the park he was welcoming visitors to was already thirty-one years old.

His “benefit and enjoyment of the people” reference came from the text of the congressional act, signed

by President Ulysses Grant, that created the park in 1872, when Roosevelt himself was just thirteen years old.

While Roosevelt was not the first president to visit Yellowstone, the cornerstone-laying ceremony for the arch that bears his name in Gardiner was an important and historic event. It ushered in a new era of tourism to Yellowstone National Park because it highlighted the arrival of the railroad at the border to what was already one of the most important tourist destinations in North America.

In September 2013, the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman opens its groundbreaking exhibition about the history and adventure of visiting Yellowstone National Park. Welcome to Yellowstone! Tourism

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and America’s First National Park explores the rich history of people living in and visiting the region. The exhibition is chronological and traces the development of a tourist experience from the earliest concepts of a playground for the American people envisioned by explorers, politicians, local entrepreneurs, and railroad executives. The natural wonders of the park serve as the backdrop to this story, which begins long before Euro-Americans first saw them.

American Indians were familiar with Yellowstone for centuries before these newcomers happened upon the region. Groups like the Shoshone, Bannock, Crow, Blackfeet, Nez Perce, Salish, and Kootenai were regular visitors, as were peoples who traveled long distances to hunt, explore, and marvel at the thermal features. In fact, the National Park Service records that more than twenty American Indian tribes have creation myths, stories, or language components based on features within the borders of what is now Yellowstone National Park. While a few hardy natives lived year-round in the high elevations of the Yellowstone, most people—then as well as now—visited the area in the spring, summer, and fall when the daunting snowpack receded.

The history of American Indians in the park and the interpretation of their relationship with it over time are fascinating and somewhat controversial. Interestingly, while there was never any question that native peoples had visited and harvested the resources of the region for generations, later park interpreters from superintendents to tourism promoters actively shielded this knowledge from the traveling public. As Yellowstone was transformed from a wilderness to a tourist destination in the mid-nineteenth century, the story of American Indians in the park fell victim to the realities (and fantasies) of current events in the American West. While the national park was

founded in 1872, the Sioux wars of the 1860s and 1870s, followed by the Nez Perce War of 1877 worried park-boosters that potential visitors would be afraid to travel through the now formally seized Indian lands.

To allay these fears, western luminaries from Park Superintendent Philetus Norris to General Philip Sheridan published articles in nationally circulated newspapers, reassuring the would-be adventurers that American Indians were terrified of Yellowstone’s thermal features and made a strict point of avoiding the “bad medicine” that they indicated. Park interpreters would still be telling visitors this wholly fictitious tale 100 years later.

The story of American Indians in Yellowstone National Park is one of five primary themes that run throughout Welcome to Yellowstone!

Tourism in America’s First National Park. From the moment the park was designated as open to all visitors, the challenge of actually getting to Yellowstone became a concern for those seeking to promote the region. The importance of transportation and making the park’s features accessible to visitors constitutes another exhibition theme. The role played by individual entrepreneurs in the national park who offered visitor services from lunch counters to elaborate hotel accommodations was critical to this effort.

In 2009, Eleanor Povah of West Yellowstone, MT, presented the Museum of the Rockies with the single largest donation it has ever received. Mrs. Povah and her late husband Trevor operated the famous Hamilton Stores in Yellowstone National Park after taking the business over from her father Charles A. Hamilton in 1948. Together they amassed a magnificent collection of American Indian artifacts that had been displayed or offered for sale in the Hamilton Stores.

These items, along with a spectacular array of Hamilton Stores signage, documentation, architectural elements, and even vehicles, became the Hamilton-Povah Yellowstone Collection, which the museum gratefully accepted. This acquisition became the inspiration for Welcome to Yellowstone! Tourism in America’s First National Park.

While the Yellowstone region evokes much of the physical wonder that enchanted visitors in the mid-nineteenth century, the ways in which visitors experience the park has changed dramatically over the years. The exhibition transports visitors back to the time before anyone really knew what a national park was supposed to be. In the early 1870s, the Yellowstone region was largely unknown except to American Indians, a few fur trappers, prospectors, and members of a few government survey parties.

These early survey groups included interested locals, military officers, and later members of the scientific community. In 1871, Ferdinand V. Hayden, geologist-in-charge of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories, led a survey that brought scientists from many fields into the Yellowstone area to assess geological, atmospheric, and meteorological conditions and to conduct a broad investigation of the plants and animals that inhabited the region.

Because he was perhaps the nation’s most respected geologist, Hayden’s explorations were closely covered by the press and ensured that he and his party were well funded and provisioned. Realizing the national attention that his trip would garner, Hayden made sure to include artists, photographers, and topographical illustrators on his expedition.

Artists like Thomas Moran and William Henry Jackson recorded their impressions of Yellowstone, while master cartographer Anton Schönborn produced accurate maps of the party’s route for use by future travelers.

Hayden’s expedition report along with Moran’s paintings and Jackson’s photographs were presented to Congress later that year and became the basis for a push to create the national park.

The concept of a grand national park in 1872, however, was generally based on urban ideas of outdoor recreation. When most Americans thought of parklands, they pictured places like New York City’s famed Central Park. Yet the northern Rocky Mountains were a long way from Manhattan, and the animals that lived there were decidedly not in any sort of zoo. Americans’ ideas about parks would not just have to be

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adjusted—they would have to be completely reinvented.

The U.S. Department of the Interior was charged with management of the newly created Yellowstone National Park. The department, however, was primarily administrative, poorly funded, and ill equipped to operate a park that encompasses more than two million acres of some of the roughest terrain in the United States. After more than a decade of struggling along as poachers killed federally protected game and visitors complained about poor roads and park infrastructure, the few Interior Department employees in Yellowstone were joined by the U.S. Army in an effort to maintain law and order within the park’s boundaries.

During this period in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, visitation to Yellowstone grew steadily, and the need for more amenities for travelers became acute.

Independent operators ran concessions such as small log-cabin hotels and primitive lunch depots had been operating with the Interior Department’s blessing since the park was opened in 1872, but larger concessions requiring greater capital investments were important players in the tourist experience by the 1890s. Largescale investors like Harry Child, founder of the Yellowstone Park Company, built massive hotels at Yellowstone Lake, Old Faithful, and Mammoth Hot Springs. By 1903, the Northern Pacific Railroad delivered visitors directly to the park’s northern entrance (the scene of Roosevelt’s arch dedication), and the Union Pacific soon offered similar service through the west gate. Once inside the park, visitors traveled by stagecoach either to the park’s hotels or to one of the many privately operated permanent tent camps like those established by William W. Wylie, a Bozeman schoolteacher whose “Wylie Way” camps set new standards for services in the national parks.

In 1915, Harry Child’s one-time secretary Charles A. Hamilton entered the park concessioners’ group when he purchased the general store next to the Old Faithful Inn. His timing was excellent because this proved to be the final year that stagecoaches, wagons, and horses were the only means of transportation available in the park. In August 1915, a Ford Model T became the first automobile to legally enter Yellowstone

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National Park. Hamilton and his family would go on to operate every service station in the park. By 1917, the stagecoaches that had been ubiquitous within the confines of the park for more than 30 years were replaced with automobiles, buses, and touring cars. While wealthy visitors still flocked to the hotels, a new breed of tourist, driving their own car, now began to explore Yellowstone at their own pace. The park experience would never be the same.

The year 1916 also marked a major organizational milestone in Yellowstone. The Department of the Interior created the National Park Service, which took over the administrative duties that the U.S. Army had provided for thirty years. The new agency took the operation of the national parks in new directions, focusing on visitor services and tightening restrictions on private concessioners in the parks. Just as importantly, the National Park Service developed educational programs

that taught visitors about the plants, animals, and geology of the parks. These efforts, in concert with the work of scientists, scholars, and preservationists, brought the value of the parks to the attention of visitors like never before, imbuing them with a sense of stewardship and respect for these places that had been set aside “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people” and that were owned by those people themselves.

This national park ideal is the focus of the final theme running throughout Welcome to Wonderland! Tourism in America’s First National Park. Yellowstone’s establishment in 1872 was but the first step on a long journey of creating, preserving, and appreciating the special places that evoke the wonder experienced by everyone who visits it. As Ken Burns points out in his epic series The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, there is something very American about the idea of national parks. Today, such parks are located all over the world, and their management is largely based on the lessons learned and techniques employed in America’s national parks—especially Yellowstone. We at the Museum of the Rockies hope that our exhibition will inspire visitors to explore and celebrate America’s tradition of visiting national parks. And of course the best way to do that is by visiting America’s first: Yellowstone!

Welcome to Yellowstone! Tourism in America’s First National Park opens at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman on September 21, 2013 and runs through January 24, 2014.

Michael Fox is the Curator of History at the Museum of the Rockies.

Explore one of the country’s largest dinosaur collections at the Siebel Dinosaur Complex.

From our famed Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops and other fossils to the Martin Children’s Discovery Center, Regional History Center, Changing Exhibits, Living History Farm and state-of-the-art Taylor Planetarium, Lonely Planet describes MOR as “Montana’s most entertaining museum.” Come spend the day with us and experience MOR. For more information, visiting hours and directions, visit museumoftherockies.org.

600 W. Kagy Boulevard Bozeman, MT 59715 406.994.2251

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Original Governor’s Mansion

state house, family home

By Ellen Baumler

If walls could talk, the Original Governor’s Mansion in Helena would have plenty to say about its three private owners and nine resident governors. These men left their stories behind, each adding a layer to the mansion’s public and private past. Although it was a public building for much of its life, it was never just a house—it was always a home.

Legend has it that the gold rush bred more millionaires per capita in Helena than any other city in the United States. Copper kings and merchant princes left their marks upon the community in grand business blocks and beautifully appointed residences. But the gold rush was a boom and bust proposition. For every fortune won, another was lost. No rise and fall was more dramatic than that of William A. Chessman, the mansion’s first owner.

Chessman was a nineteen-year-old orphan when he left Massachusetts for the California gold rush in 1849. Mining there brought him little financial reward but he gained invaluable experience. Word of gold strikes in Montana drew the seasoned miner to Last Chance Gulch in 1865. In the new gold camp of Helena, Chessman acquired mining claims and valuable water rights. A decade later at forty-five, Chessman married Penelope Newhall and the

couple had two children, Frank and Susan; a third died in infancy.

Elected five times to the territorial legislature, Chessman’s fortunes multiplied as he invested in mines in Montana and Idaho. By the late 1880s, his many enterprises included four local hydraulic mining operations, rewashing the placer tailings at Last Chance Gulch. This industry pumped out hundreds of dollars in gold each day. When the gold was depleted, Chessman platted Helena’s Central Addition and sold the real estate. His water rights expanded and he began to supply water to Helena residents.

In 1887, the firm of Hodgson, Stem, and Welter of St. Paul and Helena designed the Chessmans’ stylish home. At a time when apartment living was a growing trend, many viewed the multidwelling lifestyle as the antithesis of domesticity.

As a result, large homes were intentionally designed with numerous smallish, cozy rooms to keep the family unit together. The Queen Anne–style, with its turrets and gables, balconies and tall chimneys, and uneven lines captured the fancies of the Victorian era and lent itself to the domestic ideal. The Chessmans’ beautiful grounds harmonized accordingly with the landscape.

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Completed in 1888, the mansion rests upon a prominent corner. Its graceful wraparound porch—meant to invite and merge with nature—is its most striking feature even today. The ample carriage house, spacious and turreted, set back from Sixth Avenue, housed the family’s vehicles and stabled their horses. Its upper level quartered the family’s coachman.

Inside, the twenty-room showplace reflects the finest craftsmanship.

Carved wooden columns, intricate latticework, and a grand curved staircase in golden oak welcome the visitor into the reception hall. There are two parlors, one finished in mahogany and the other in cherry.

According to contemporary taste, the furniture in each room matched the woodwork. A dining room with an exquisite semi-circular stained glass window, built-in china closets and sideboard, and a coffered ceiling rival the most expensive homes in the East. The third-floor ballroom had a billiard table that the Chessmans frequently removed for dancing.

Penelope Chessman’s studio was also on the third floor. In this room, she and her friends painted china, which was a common hobby of the time. Family bedrooms took up the second floor. Gas lit the home and central heating kept its rooms warm. Even so, seven fireplaces reinforce the Victorian concept of the ideal family home.“Art tiles” that surround four of the fireplaces reflect the artistic movement of the late nineteenth century.

The home’s major attraction—at least, in its day—was the second-floor bathroom, one of the first three in Helena. Chessman also pioneered home water delivery and his position as water company president no doubt justified this extravagance. The bathroom was equipped with a footed zinc bathtub and a marble washstand, both with hot and cold running water. The tub had a three-inch mahogany rail; the toilet sported a mahogany seat and a pull-chain flush. The Chessman’s son Frank recalled, “For several years whenever the legislature met in Helena, the wives and children would come and ask Mother if they might look at the bathroom, in that they had never seen one.”

In 1889, Chessman sold his assets and created the Helena Consolidated Water Company upon which his financial well-being depended. The Chessman family was at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 when the financial panic that ruined many Montanans hit. Personal debt and endless crises with his water company eventually forced the family to declare bankruptcy in 1900, sell their home and furnishings, and move to

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a flat in their apartment building across the street.

Wealthy railroad mogul Peter Larson purchased the Chessman home from the bank. Like Chessman, Larson was a self-made man, born in Denmark, who rose to prominence contracting with the railroad.

Mines, timber, flour mills, a brewery, and banks were among his diverse investments. The Helena community remembers Larson for his generous contributions toward the building of the magnificent St. Helena Cathedral. Margaret and Peter Larson and their twenty-two-year-old adopted daughter Mabel settled into the mansion in 1901. Mabel later married Charles B. Power, son of Senator T. C. Power, Montana’s wealthiest merchant prince. Larson sadly died at the mansion in 1907; he was only fifty-eight.

The home sold again: this time to Harfield and Kathryn Conrad in 1911.

Conrad was born into Montana’s wealthy elite. Son of W.G. Conrad, who made a fortune freighting at Fort Benton, he inherited his father’s wealth and came to Helena to oversee the Conrad Trust and Savings Bank.

During their brief residency, the Conrads added valuable pieces of art to the home.

In 1913, the State Legislature appropriated $30,000 to purchase the mansion for use as the executive residence. Territorial and state governors had previously supplied their own housing. Although the home was no longer in Helena’s most fashionable neighborhood, the state selected the Chessman house because it was close to the Capitol and elegant and roomy enough for small state functions. Governor Samuel V. Stewart signed the bill on March 4, 1913. There were no funds, however, for the state’s purchase, and the Conrads deferred payment for two years.

Governor Stewart and his wife Stella, a former teacher, had three small daughters: Emily, Marjorie, and Leah. Stella’s parents, William and Emma Baker, also lived with the family. The Stewarts and the Bakers, along with the service staff, made for a large household. According to the Stewart daughters’ written reminiscences, staff usually included a cook, a maid, sometimes a nursemaid, and a yardman. The household help lived in rather unpleasant basement rooms, and there was frequent turnover in staff.

The state allowed $3,000 for the purchase of furnishings from the Conrads.

These included the Tobey Furniture Company dining table and highbacked chairs with leather seats that still grace the dining room. It is likely

the same set Frank Chessman remembered from his childhood. Ornately carved men hold the table on their shoulders and animal heads with open mouths top the chair frames. Emily Stewart Stephens, the Stewarts’ oldest daughter, said that even though she knew she would be punished, those open mouths “made wonderful places to park a wad of gum.”

Marjorie Stewart Keeton, youngest of the daughters, was four when her father became governor. The girls loved to play outside with the neighborhood children. But their grandmother, a very proper southern lady, always reminded them that they had to look and act like ladies. As the daughters of a politician, they had a “position” to maintain. Their life in the house was very happy.“However,” Marjorie wrote,“we always had to dress up which annoyed us no end.”

Changes came about in the house during Governor Stewart’s administration. Remodeling turned the maid’s room on the third floor into a second bathroom and the ballroom became the girls’ playroom.

The Stewart girls kept their dolls and treasures there and entertained their friends. Stella Chessman’s former studio and other third-floor rooms became family and guest bedrooms.

The Stewarts’ middle daughter, Leah Stewart Brickett, had one unpleasant memory of the Chessmans’ early bathroom, still in use by the Stewart family. During a drought in 1917 or 1918, as Stella drew a bath for Leah in the footed tub, a worm came out of the tap. Stella removed the worm and ordered a screaming Leah to get into the tub. The struggles Chessman faced making Helena’s water system safe and sanitary were even at this date not resolved.

As the governor’s executive mansion, the first floor was public space for state functions and entertaining. The upper two floors were very much the family home. Stella Stewart was a loving mother and the daughters recalled with nostalgia that she would put “Schubert’s Serenade” on the Victrola in the upstairs sitting room. As the music filtered through the upstairs rooms, the girls knew it was time for bed.

Governor Joseph Dixon and his wife, the former Caroline Worden of Missoula, next occupied the mansion from 1921 to 1924. The Dixons had six daughters ranging in age from six to twenty-four. The John H. Erickson family followed. Grace Erickson wrote in her diary in 1932

that climbing through the second-floor bedroom window to hang the American flag over the porch was a terrible trial, and the flagpole had to be stored behind the governor’s bathtub. On warm summer evenings, when the porch served as an extra room, Governor Erickson was fond of staying outside in the swing until long after the household had turned out the lights.

Seven more governors occupied the mansion. In 1952, the local newspaper noted the once-red carpet had become nondescript and the mansion’s elegance had faded,“Heavy, ornate furniture that is probably as old as the house itself has become loose at the joints.” In 1959, Governor Hugo Aronson moved from the mansion to the present modern executive residence at 2 Carson Street. The old residence, for the first time in its history, had no family to fill its twenty rooms. Dark and shuttered, it sat empty or used as office space for a decade.

In 1969, with the support of the City of Helena, restoration of the mansion began. Since 1981, the Montana Historical Society, through its museum program, has administered the historic mansion as a house museum. Its beautifully restored and furnished rooms date to the time period of the Stewart family’s residency. Under the society’s museum director, the fourteen-member Original Governor’s Mansion Restoration Board helps preserve the building and grounds by providing opportunities for fund raising, mansion tours, and special occasions on the grounds.

As with any old house, there is always something needed. One restoration project, for example, entailed replacement of wall coverings in the guest bedroom. The replica fabric came from Italy at a cost of $10,000, raised by the Board through private donations.

The mansion, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is open for tours year-round. Its period rooms and furnishings offer a glimpse of another time and a window into the public and private spaces of Montana’s past. Governor Stewart’s executive secretary once wrote that the mansion is “a home of democracy…a plain American home, if you please.” While its beauty and grandeur speak to the wealth that gold could buy, family is at its heart.

Ellen Baumler is the interpretive historian at the Montana Historical Society.

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Little Bear Interiors

In September of 2004, a thriving Bozeman community welcomed Little Bear Interiors: a one-stop location for local, unique, refined rustic furnishings and accessories. Named for a small canyon area in the Gallatin Forest, Little Bear Interiors has doubled in size since opening almost 10 years ago. Owner Debra Young decided to leave the corporate world and open a retail store that caters to varied lifestyles, but still provided customers with many choices of furnishings. Working with crafts people and artists locally and regionally, Debra and her evolution of products and services have made Little Bear Interiors one of the most unusual and creative stores in Montana.

Customers visiting Little Bear Interiors are often heard saying:

“We always bring our company from out-of-state here it’s so interesting!”

“Little Bear is the only store my husband will actually come in and shop at.”

“This place is huge—it just goes on and on.”

“Where do you find all of these unusual things?”

one of the most unusual and creative stores in montana

Little Bear Interiors has amazing furniture, but they also have ready-made art, lamps and lampshades, antler chandeliers, table, bed-bath linens, permanent florals, pillows, rugs, and antique cabinets. All of these items are also available in a huge assortment of customized choices.

Design assistance is also available at Little Bear Interiors and is complimentary to our customers. Available services include space planning, paint and color selection, furniture, art placement, and total turnkey packages. And design assistance does not stop there.

Mary Wolf Interiors is located within Little Bear Interiors, and she carries the Kasmir fabric line exclusive to our area. She also has more cut fabric yardage available than any other fabric store in Bozeman. Mary provides custom bedding, draperies, pillows, and professional installation. The full Hunter Douglas line of blinds is also available from Mary Wolf Interiors.

Whether your home or business is in need of a cozy dinette table or a huge conference room table, Little Bear Interiors can assist you with any furnishing needs. Also, if your home or business needs rustic elegance, transitional, or traditional furnishings—or you just want the latest and greatest mountain contemporary—you must see Little Bear Interiors. If you like dealing with a full-service company that says “yes we can,” you will not want to miss the experience of Little Bear Interiors.

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By Dave Reuss In the 1970s, a brochure entitled “The Best of Two Worlds at Big Sky” asked readers: “Do you enjoy shining mountains towering over dark green conifer forests? Are you a nature lover who yearns for fresh air, sparkling water, clear skies, and the grandeur of unspoiled natural wonders? Or do you require all the modern comforts and conveniences of and a certain sophisticated flair along with your magnificent scenery? Big Sky offers you the best of both of these wonderful worlds… and in extraordinary abundance.”

More four decades later, these words still ring true—now more than ever. Over the last 40 years, Big Sky has transformed itself from humble beginnings to the world-famous mountain resort and community that it is today. It’s amazing to think how this gorgeous stretch of land in the Madison mountain range has strived to become, “the greatest thing that’s ever happened to Montana… bigger and better than Aspen, Vail, and Sun Valley,” as described by Chet Huntley in a newspaper interview.

Dude Ranch Beginnings

During the 1800s, three cattlemen named Frazer, Inabnit, and Sprague traveled to the Big Sky area, homesteaded, and raised their cattle in the location which would eventually become Meadow Village. In 1902, Frank Crail visited the Big Sky area while hunting for elk and fell in love with its beauty. He purchased the land from the original homesteaders and created the first cattle ranch in the valley meadow six miles from Lone Peak. In fact, the original Crail Ranch house still stands in the meadow area by the golf course.

Over the coming years, dude ranches were developed and started to grow in popularity, becoming the beginning of the tourist trade in the Big Sky area.

Lone Mountain Ranch, Elkhorn Ranch, Covered Wagon Ranch, and the Nine Quarter Circle Ranch were formed during that time and are all still in operation today.

Huntley Comes Over

The Big Sky we know today began to take shape after a visit from Chet Huntley in the late 1960s. For years, he was welcomed into the nation’s homes as the veteran newscaster of NBC’s “Huntley-Brinkley” nightly news program.

Born in Cardwell, Huntley had been raised in a string of small Montana towns during his youth, and now that he was nearing retirement, he was ready to move back home and “get these damn deadlines off my neck.”

Huntley became interested in the Gallatin Canyon in 1968, when he and his wife Tippy vacationed at the 320 Guest Ranch near Lone Mountain and were struck by the beauty of the area. Huntley had been looking for a project to keep him busy once he retired, and after meeting with advisors and surveying the area himself, he had envisioned the future of Big Sky: a small meadow village looking up to an alpine mountain villa at the base of Lone Peak.

By May of 1969, Huntley and his investors—Chrysler, General Electric Retirement Funds, Montana Power, Conoco, Northwest Airlines, and Burlington Northern—had arranged to buy property at the base of Lone Peak

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and six miles back down canyon: 8,714 acres for the price of $698,534—or $81 an acre. Though Huntley himself owned less that two percent of the project’s total stock, he was elected chairman of the board. To cap off the deal, then-governor Forrest Anderson gave the group permission to call the development “Big Sky”—a nickname that up until then had applied to the entire state.

Met with Opposition

But times were tough, and construction companies had underestimated the difficulty of building in the remote Montana wilderness, which saw over 400 inches of snow and temperatures that dipped far below freezing much of the year. Since the project needed the cash influx from people buying property, housing had to be put up quickly and without much oversight.

Big Sky’s partners had invested over $30 million in the project, yet by 1976 it was going broke, responsible in part to an oil embargo and a national recession. With the economy in the tank, jetting away on a ski adventure became a bottom priority for the majority of Americans. Nearly 200 Big Sky employees received pink slips, and the future of the resort looked grim.

Wildlife organizations spoke out against the development, and some feared that Big Sky’s growth would outstrip Bozeman’s, inflating land prices and otherwise destroying the environment. Cecil Garland, then-vice president of the Montana Wilderness Association, voiced the sentiments of the community when he asked: “what happens if we build Big Sky and lose the Gallatin Canyon to a billboard and neon jungle and to every conceivable kind of development?”

Thankfully, a ski-resort operator from Michigan named Everett Kircher came the rescue, putting down $1 million and assuming roughly $7.5 million in debt. All said and done, he had acquired the entire operation for 40 cents on the dollar. But turning Big Sky into a world-renowned ski destination didn’t happen overnight. In fact, Kircher’s company Boyne Resorts owned Big Sky for nearly 19 years before it turned a profit.

To help counter any opposition, Huntley donated $15,000 to the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce for planning a study to protect the quality of life in the canyon. Shortly after, a resolution was introduced in 1971, calling for full support of Big Sky. Business leaders touted the development as a clean way to add jobs and much-needed boost to the local economy. Once locals were more amenable to the idea, the project of building Big Sky began.

The ‘90s saw a new wave of development. In 1990, the resort invested $18 million in the Shoshone Condominium Hotel and the 43,000-square-foot Yellowstone Conference Center. As part of their aggressive lift expansion project, they began installing new chairlifts and renovating older ones. In total, 13 new lifts could now transport skiers and boarders to nearly any part of the mountain—except to the very top of Lone Peak, and the resort was intent on changing that.

The Opening

After years of preparation and construction, Huntley and his partners aimed to officially open the resort on March 23, 1973, which was the end of the ski season and months before the summer vacationers were due. They had arranged the opening so the ailing Huntley could preside over the affair, but sadly, he died of lung cancer just three days before the event.

Regardless, Big Sky Resort was open to the public, complete with a 64,000-square-foot enclosed mall and a 200-room luxury hotel. The snow was good, four different lifts let skiers enjoy 18 different runs, and an allday lift ticket sold for $7.50.

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Becoming a Bigger Big Sky

It was the $3 million Lone Peak Tram installed in 1995 that really put Big Sky on the map as a destination ski area.

“Pre-tram, this place was a very sleepy, going nowhere place,” Hans Schernthaner said, the snow sports school director, quoted in a local newspaper.

After years of planning and preparation, construction began—helicopters made over 3,000 trips to the top of Lone Peak, hauling concrete and supplies. When it finally opened December 23, 1995, the tram tripled the amount of expert terrain and expanded the mountain by 50%, adding some 1,200 acres. The new lift gave skiers 4,180 feet of vertical drop—the highest in the United States at the time. Skiing from the top of mountain to the bottom became an astounding six-mile run.

Capable of transporting 120 skiers an hour, the tram was an instant sensation. Over the next few years after the tram’s installation, skier visits jumped by 100,000.“At most American resorts, Lone Peak would be the view. Here they let you actually ski it,” gushed an article in a 1996

It was the $3 million Lone Peak Tram that really put Big Sky on the map

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issue of Skiing Magazine. With this newly accessible terrain and an influx of tourism, Big Sky slowly became the international skiing destination that it is today.

The turn of the century saw even more expansion. In March of 2000, Big Sky announced the Summit, a $50 million Euro-western luxury hotel condominium.

A year later in April of 2001, Boyne Resorts announced a 10-year plan which included making $400 million in improvements to the Village and ski terrain.

The Next 40 Years

Now celebrating the 40th anniversary of opening its doors, Big Sky is showing no signs of slowing down.

Currently, the resort’s services include 17 lifts that give visitors access to some 3,812 acres of skiing. And by pairing with Moonlight Basin, their “Biggest Skiing in America” ticket option allows patrons to enjoy 5,512 acres of snow—the most skiable acres in the country.

The last ski season was its best yet, seeing over 340,000 skiers.

With its recent expansions to the Basecamp, Big Sky is becoming a popular summer destination as well. And Big Sky is more than just a resort—the small meadow village envisioned by Huntley so many years ago has transformed into an actual community, complete with a school district, bus system, and even a softball league.

Today, people might debate over whether Big Sky is indeed,“the greatest thing that’s ever happened to Montana,” as Chet Huntley had dreamed it would be over four decades ago, but it would be impossible to deny that it’s pretty darn close.

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Big Sky at 40: References Bradley, Carol. "Big Plans, Big Problems." The Great Falls Tribune, December 12, 1999.

French, Brett. “A Lofty Feat.” The Montana Standard, February 2, 2006.

Ring, Ray. “Big Sky, Big Mess in Montana.” High Country News, March 31, 1997 Sterba, James. "Big Sky of Montana: Chet Huntley’s Controversial Legacy." The New York Times, March 31, 1974.

Building a Brand throughout the years. now the Biggest Skiing in america速 with 4,350 vertical feet and over 5,500 acres in the winter.

The Basecamp to Yellowstone Park with adventures from mild to wild in the summer.

1-800-548-4486 bigskyresort.com

Gallatin River Whitewater Then and Now By Dave Reuss

Cutting through the heart of Gallatin Canyon, the gorgeous Gallatin River has the finest whitewater in the entire state. Named after Thomas Jefferson’s secretary of the treasury Albert Gallatin, the first recorded interaction with this stretch of water comes from Captain William Clark as he ventured through the Gallatin Valley in 1806 on his way back from the Pacific. He wrote in his journal: “I saw Elk, Deer and Antelope, and a great deal of old signs of buffalo. Their roads is in every direction… emence quantities of beaver on this Fork… and their dams very much impede the navigation of it.”

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Clark never made it to the famous rapids that make this river famous— but if he had, the churning whitewater would have put his buffalo-skin boats through the paces. Some 200 years later, the Gallatin continues to entertain famous Americans: in 2010, the First Family and Vice President Biden braved the Gallatin’s rapids with Geyser Whitewater Expeditions.

For locals and visitors alike, the Gallatin continues to provide months of summertime entertainment, with sections like the Screaming Left Turn, the Hilarity Hole, and the Mad Mile. To really understand how these landmarks got their names, you’ll just have to find out in person.

A family-owned business for over two decades, Geyser Whitewater Expeditions not only offers rafting, but also ziplining in conjunction with Big Sky Resort, mountain bike rentals, an indoor climbing wall, and a combination rafting and horseback ride adventure. Find out more at raftmontana.com or call (800) 914-9031.

silver gas sign great falls, mt circa 1930s

Going to the Sun Highway & Tunnel Glacier National Park infrared • circa 1930s

AUTHENTIC PRINTS FROM ORIGINAL SLIDES & NEGATIVES

WWW.FRANKBYERLY.COM 2013/2014

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R A N C H MT. C O M Montana Values & Work Ethic Ingrained for Generations

We are proud to provide you service from one of the largest groups of predominately native Montanan real estate

professionals in the state. We specialize in farm and ranch properties as well as recreational and sporting properties.

Our lives are dedicated to working this land, through real estate, land stewardship and recreating under the Montana big sky. When you work with one of our Ranch & Recreational Group agents, you know that your real estate transaction will be represented by a professional who is deeply rooted in Montana's unique markets and communities.

MILL CREEK • BELGRADE, MT • $4,300,000

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719 acres • borders forest service land • Mill Creek runs through productive hay ground • water rights • 3,622+/- sf home • spectacular views Don Pilotte, Broker, GRI, RRS, SFR, (406) 580-0155

277+/- acres (170+/- acres irrigated hay land) • 4,000+/- sf home • barn • corrals Blue Ribbon trout fishing • Big Hole River runs through for ap. 2 miles Chance Bernall, Broker, (406) 925-1988

JEFFERSON RIVER • WHITEHALL, MT • $1,400,000

RIVER RUNS THRU • BOZEMAN, MT • $600,000

120+/- acres • bisected by the Jefferson River • end-of-the-road privacy 1,728+/- sf home • garage/shop • natural pond • sloughs • beautiful views Frank Colwell, Broker, (406) 596 -1076

11+/- acres • year-round spring creek with trout • lush hay pasture furnished 4 bedroom home • guest house • pole barn • mountain views Leah Olson, Broker, ALC, (406) 539-7665

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WHAT MAKES A COIN VALUABLE?

by Dale L. Williams

Determining a coin’s value requires examination of many factors. The two most important are rarity, which means how many of these coins exist, and grade, how much wear does the coin exhibit.

Let’s talk about rarity first. In 1893 the beautiful Morgan silver dollar, which was minted from 1878 to 1921, was struck at the Philadelphia Mint and the San Francisco Mint. Rarity depends on how many were struck at any given Mint that particular year. Using our example above, the 1893 Philadelphia Mint produced 11,150,000 Morgan silver dollars while the San Francisco Mint Morgan struck 293,000 silver dollars. It is obvious that the 1893 San Francisco Morgan silver dollar should be more valuable based on mintage alone and that indeed is the case.

To show how important mintages are in determining value, the 1893 Philadelphia Mint Morgan silver dollar in Mint State 65 condition is worth $4,000 while the 1893 San Francisco Mint Morgan silver dollar in Mint State 65 is worth $195,000. The number of coins struck at any given Mint is one important component it determining a coin’s value.

The second important consideration in determing a coin’s value is grade or condition of a coin. Most coins can be found in many grades, the highest

grades costing the most. Coin collectors have always had limited budgets with which they can afford to collect coins.

How much wear a coin exhibits determines not only its grade but helps in assigning a value to it as well. The nicer the condition of any coin the more valuable the coin becomes.

Let’s continue to use the 1893 Morgan silver dollars as our examples to show how grade or the amount of wear a coin received help determine its value in the market place. In the grades of GOOD (G) to ALMOST UNCIRCULATED (AU), there are 16 different grades! One might ask,“how in the world can anyone place so many grades on a circulated coin and then know exactly what grade coin that coin may be?” It takes experience and a trained eye. Dealers who have been in the business many years and literally have examined thousands of coins will be right 75% of the time or more. No one dealer can be perfect all the time.

To show how wear or the grade of a coin affects value, the 1893 Philadelphia Mint Morgan silver dollar coin in VERY GOOD (VG-8) condition is worth $250 while the San Francisco Mint Morgan silver dollar in VERY GOOD (VG-8) is worth $2,800. If you continued up the grading scale, the disparity in value grows and grows. One can now see how important rarity combined with the grade of a coin is in determining a coin’s value.

There are other factors which go into determining a coin’s value as well.

One of the first noticeable things one will see on a coin is strike. Is the coin well struck or weakly struck? A weakly struck coin has a negative effect and will lessen a coin’s value.

The New Orleans Mint produced the least desirable examples of Morgan silver dollars. Their examples are notorious for being weakly struck. A coin in pristine condition but weakly struck makes it less desirable to own from a collector’s point of view. It will also be a graded lower than a well struck example.

Another important factor which goes into determining a coin’s value is eye appeal. The easiest way to describe eye appeal is to say how pretty the coin is. Although “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is a cliché, coins fit that description. Comparing two coins in the same Mint State (MS) grade, one coin can be many times more valuable than the other. Color, luster, strike and toning are all factors contributing to the determination of what a coin is ultimately worth.

In summary, the best way to determine a coin’s grade is to have it professionally graded by PCGS or NGC. These third-party grading services charge a fee for their expertise and for encapsulating the coin.

This process makes the grades accepted in the marketplace and thus easier to sell at published prices. Collecting coins makes a wonderful hobby that can be enjoyed for a lifetime and even included as an activity with a grandchild.

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Julia Bennett

Dude Ranch Pioneer

By Lisa Hendrickson

Images courtesy of Sherry Merica Pepper

Julia Bennett was the first woman to singlehandedly build, own and operate a Montana dude ranch. Her story is one of grit, determination and the power of mind over matter.

Julia Bennett stood at the front door of the Northern Pacific Railway Office at Fifth Avenue and 46th Street in New York City on a chilly, late February morning in 1931.

Julia Bennett at the Diamond J She wore a fringed buckskin jacket, a silk neckerchief, and a riding skirt—a costume she hardly ever wore on At the same time these romantic stories of the West were attracting her Montana ranch. Since she was new to this bustling metropolis, she had added a pair of stylish dress pumps and red lipstick to adventure-seekers, novelists, and moviemakers, the railroads’ Western expansion was making travel more accessible. Ranchers were seeking new complete her ensemble. sources of income after the collapse of cattle prices, and many—to help make ends meet—branched out to accommodate guests seeking summers Although it was her first visit to New York, she was savvy enough to know that East Coasters would be enchanted by her cowgirl get-up. Back filled with hunting, fishing, and riding. By 1926, a group of ranchers had home, she wore canvas jodhpurs and a plaid flannel shirt when she hauled formed the Dude Ranchers Association to begin marketing their ranches to Eastern “dudes.” wood, pitched hay to her horses, or hunted elk, but here she knew that to be successful, she needed to deck herself out as if she were in a motionpicture Western.

After all, she was an attractive woman on a big-game hunt: an expedition to attract wealthy Eastern guests to her new dude ranch—the first in Montana to be built, owned, and operated by a woman. She knew that to find those guests, she had to personally convince them to choose her ranch, the Diamond J, over the many others who were chasing clients.

The West was big in the East. Placards on the sides of New York buildings promoted an upcoming rodeo at Madison Square Garden.“See real cowboys!” they proclaimed. The new motion picture “Fighting Caravans” starring Montana-native Gary Cooper was showing in New York City theaters that very month.

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Julia, however, was going it alone. She had only enough money to last in New York for a week—if she didn’t eat much. She was willing and able to work—she had been doing it all her life. She had been raised on a thriving cattle ranch by her parents, Benjamin Franklin “Doc” and Lulu Martin Bembrick, who were among the first settlers to make their home in the Montana Territory. Gradually the couple built a large ranch, raising their four children in the Crow Creek Valley of Montana.

But by 1931, Julia’s parents had died and she had divorced the straying husband her mother had arranged for her to marry. Now 51, with a grown son and a 17-year-old daughter, Julia had no job and no steady income. In desperation, she had borrowed money from her sister to buy a broken-down farmhouse and 190 acres of ranchland near the small town of Ennis (a place she had discovered during her annual hunting trip) for

Cover of a brochure promoting the Diamond J

$1,800, and then secured a $6,000 loan from Bozeman businessmen to transform her land into an upscale guest ranch.

She had designed and built the ranch herself, with the help of a few local out-of-work laborers. She put up a tent for a kitchen, and together the men felled trees and constructed a lodge, a barn, and six guest cabins. She knew her potential guests expected the finer things in life (albeit with a Western flair) so she ordered fine hickory furniture, china bearing the Diamond J brand, and authentic Navajo rugs.“No dime-store stuff,” she liked to say.

The businessmen who had loaned her funds, in a deal that involved no contract, had told her they would give her five years to pay them back.

Her lodge and cabins stood empty in the snow, awaiting guests. She was desperate, since the summer season would start in just a few short months.

She decided the only way to find these guests was to head to New York. Borrowing more money from a fellow rancher to finance her trip, she boarded the Northern Pacific train in Bozeman, putting finishing touches on a brochure the night before she left. Arriving in New York, she headed to the Northern Pacific ticket office, which was filled with people arranging passage out west. There, she left some of her brochures, hot off the press: “In the rugged peaks of the Madison-Gallatin range in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the Diamond J Ranch offers its guests every comfort in modern, rustic, log cabins,” it read.“We accommodate twenty guests.”

Of course, there had never been any guests, but Julia planned to change that as quickly possible—despite the fact that she had only one tenuous lead, a woman in Princeton, New Jersey, who had written to request a brochure.

Julia had nothing to recommend her but grit, determination, and faith. A devout Christian Scientist, she believed wholeheartedly in the power of mind over matter.

Within a few weeks, thanks to her single-mindedness—along with an ample amount of charm and innate marketing savvy—Julia had managed to convince the Princeton woman to put down a $1,000 deposit on a $5,000 booking for the summer. She also persuaded the young and notyet-famous country singer Tex Ritter, who was performing in a small role on Broadway, to sing at a picture show she had dreamed up to promote her ranch that would be presented at the posh Roosevelt Hotel.

“Through the shows and [the] Northern Pacific office, I booked eight more people, which was wonderful considering how tight money was then,” she wrote in a memoir.

Little did she know that waiting for her back home were the businessmen, who had decided they didn’t want to wait five years to recoup their investment. Moments after she stepped off the train upon her return, she learned that they had filed a lawsuit and were trying to sell her ranch.

“I made up my mind they could not stop me, so I went to the ranch to open up,” she wrote. And open up she did, even though the creditors had hired a man to stay at the ranch all summer to keep an eye on her.

The ranch survived, and Julia managed to keep the creditors at bay. But her story was far from over. She continued to struggle to make ends meet, traveling to New York each winter to find guests. While there, she managed to attract the attention of major New York newspapers, the Associated Press, and The New Yorker magazine, which published articles that resulted in bookings from as far afield as China and Norway—and even a long-distance marriage proposal.

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Over the years, her guests included two teenaged heiresses—daughters of one of the richest men in the United States; the ventriloquist Edgar Bergen; the famed Western explorer, painter and photographer William Henry Jackson; and the family of George Westinghouse III—son of the engineer and business magnate.

Despite her ability to attract well-to-do guests, the expenses of maintaining the ranch mounted, and she struggled to earn enough money to support her family year-round.

In 1936, she convinced Westinghouse to lease her his unused 300-acre estate in Tucson, Arizona, to operate a winter dude ranch, which she named the Diamond W and later purchased. She continued to run both ranches, driving her saddles and equipment back and forth until 1950.

Julia Bennett with her hunting partner Tom Lincoln

And every October, between ranch seasons, she continued to go on month-long hunting trips, riding up into the Spanish Peaks with her packhorse and tent. She shot her last elk at the age of 84. Julia Bennett died in 1971 at the age of 91.

Lisa Hendrickson is a writer living in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is currently working on a biography of Julia Bennett. She invites anyone with information about Bennett or the Diamond J or Diamond W ranches to contact her at lisahendrickson@me.com.

Big Sky’S FuLL SerViCe grOCery StOre Hand-cut meats • Fresh baked goods gourmet items • Beer & wine

Buy L O C a L t reSH EaF Delivery available – have your home stocked upon your arrival! 406-995-4636 Open 7 days a week | Winter & Summer 6:30am - 10pm | Off-season 6:30am-8pm Located in the Meadow Village Center next to Lone Peak Brewery

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B i g S k y R e a l E s t a t e . c o m | 4 0 6 9 9 5 - 6 3 3 3 | L o c a t e d i n B i g S k y To w n C e n t e r

elkridge 32 The Club at spanish Peaks, 5 bd, 7 bath, on the golf course/ ski-in/ski-out. gorgeous views. $3,485,000

moose ridge Condominium 3 bd, 5 bath, garage, 3,216 sq. ft. Centrally located, huge views, $669,000

Powder ridge 126 ski-in/ski-out, 5 bd, 4 bath, 3,064 sq. ft. fully furnished w/hot tub. top of the world views and ready for this ski season. $875,000

795 karst stage steps from the gallatin. Custom 3,800 sq. ft. main home and guest cabin. 3bd, 3 bath. $999,000

240 troPhy Bull top of the world views, 3 bd, 5 bath, 4,400 sq. ft.

20 acres, timber framed construction, gazebo. $1,799,000

BlaCk eagle Condominiums ski-in/ski-out, easy access to mountain Village shops and dining. 3 units to choose from. $865,000 and up.

This information is subject to errors, omissions, prior sale, change, withdrawal and approval of purchase by owner. All information from sources deemed reliable, but not guaranteed by Montana Living - Big Sky Real Estate, independent investigation is recommended. For properties being purchased at The Club at Spanish Peaks approval for membership is required prior to closing. If you are currently working with another real estate agent, this is not intended as a solicitation. Montana Living is a registered trademark of Newwest LLC.

Bozeman’s finest pet care facility with a great and caring staff

“Pets are members of your family and we treat them like they are members of ours.”

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We pursued certification to become the first AAHA certified hospital in Bozeman (of which only 12% of hospitals in America meet these standards.) We did this because we care about your pet and we continually strive to provide the highest level of care possible.

Services

Montana Veterinary Surgical Service MVSS is Montana’s most skilled and experienced small animal surgery referral service. Dr. Mark Albrecht is the only small animal residency trained surgeon in Montana. He is one of the first 50 surgeons in the world to be trained by Dr. Slocum to do Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomies (TPLO) and the first person in Montana to offer TPLO surgeries.

We are a beta test site for the Canine Unicompartmental Elbow Procedure (CUE)- a revolutionary treatment for elbow dysplasia.

Gallatin Veterinary Hospital GHV provides complete general and advanced pet care, including extended and Saturday hours.

• Acupuncture - Dr. Sara Hann, DVM,CVA (one of our new team members) is using acupuncture to provide complimentary care to treat arthritis, lameness, postoperative pain, nerve injury, back and muscle pain, GI problems, lick granulomas, allergies and general wellness.

• Advanced anesthesia care based on recommendations and consultation with a Board Certified Veterinary Anesthesiologist.

• Every pet that undergoes anesthesia has a dedicated anesthetist whose sole job is to make sure anesthesia runs smoothly and your pet is safe.

• Uniquely designed anesthesia recovery area and warming kennels help provide a smoother, gentler recovery after anesthesia.

• Experienced oncology (cancer care) for pets from surgery to chemotherapy.

• Dental care from prophylactic cleanings to advanced care. Dr. Kari Swenson, DVM has completed further training in advanced extractions and restoratives with Dr. Tony Woodward of Montana Pet Dental, a Board Certified Veterinary Dentist. Dr. Woodward also provides service to Montana at Gallatin Veterinary Hospital every month.

• Rehabilitation services with Jen Hill, CCRP and Kali Randall, CVT including laser therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, e-stim and customized at-home exercises.

• Laparoscopic surgery including minimally invasive spays - the least painful way to spay your pet.

• On-site laboratory services for fast results for critical care patients and special pricing from Antech for outside services allowing for advanced testing with great pricing.

Community Involvement

In the last year, we have made monetary donations (in conjunction with our wonderful clients) through projects such as our Holiday Pet Pictures and the Bozeman Canine Classic K9-9K. In addition, we have also donated services to the following shelters: Heart of the Valley (Bozeman) Stafford Animal Shelter (Livingston) Lewis & Clark Humane Society (Helena) Chelsea Bailey Butte

Siverbow Animal Shelter (Butte) Albert’s Angel Fund (Butte) Bitterroot Humane Society (Hamilton) Bassett Rescue of Montana (Missoula) For more information on our humanitarian projects, please give us a call at 587-4458. Or visit us at 1635 Reeves Rd. E., or online at gallatinvethospital.com.

• Digital Radiography (X-rays) along with digital dental radiography. This technology and our level of expertise allow us to better diagnose and then treat your loved ones. Digital images facilitate fast, easy consults by Board Certified specialists.

• Diagnostic ultrasound, with monthly visits from Dr. Brit Culver - one of only two Board Certified Small Animal Internists practicing in Montana.

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HOMESTEADING IN BIG SKY

just after the turn of the century

Members of the Crail family c. 1906 (l-r) Lilian Crail (on horse), Augustus Franklin Crail, Sallie Creek Crail, Sallie's father, Abraham Creek (seated)

Established as a homestead by Augustus Franklin Crail starting in 1902, and occupied by Crail family members for nearly 50 years, the Historic Crail Ranch remains as a tangible reminder of the life of the earliest settlers in the Big Sky area.

The Big Sky area and the Gallatin Canyon were first explored by nomadic tribes such as the Shoshone tribal band known as the "Sheepeaters," who made the Yellowstone Basin and Gallatin Canyon their home.

Beginning in the late 18th century, Spanish, French and British trappers left their mark on the area with place names like Spanish Peaks and Yellowstone (from the French roche jaune).

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After the establishment of Yellowstone Park in 1871 and the coming of the railroads to the Bozeman area in the 1880s, the first roads were cut up into the Gallatin Canyon to facilitate logging of pine trees for railroad ties.

By the 1880s, ranchers began moving herds of sheep, cattle, and horses into the meadows in what are now Big Sky, 320 Ranch, Taylor Fork, Daily Creek, and Black Butte drainages.

President Theodore Roosevelt, recognizing the value of preserving wild lands, set up the Gallatin National Forest in the Canyon, carefully leaving flat meadowlands, including much of what is now the Big Sky Meadow Village area, available for homesteading.

By the late 1890s, under the provisions of the Homestead Act, a few ranchers had begun the process of building cabins

and establishing 160-acre homesteads in the Big Sky area.

Augustus Crail was one of those pioneers.

Celebrate our ranching heritage VISIT

ORIGINAL SETTLERS’ HOMESTEAD & MUSEUM Big Sky Meadow Village 2110 Spotted Elk Road Across from the Community Park NEW HISTORY ANNEX Big Sky Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center 55 Lone Mountain Trail at US 191 Crail Ranch is open for free tours, Saturdays & Sundays during July & August Special events at Crail Ranch Summer 2013:

crailranch.org

July 4 July 7 July 13 July 27 July 27 Aug 18 Aug 25

• • • • • • •

KIDS FLYFISHING ARTISAN’S MARKET OLD FASHIONED GAMES DAY THE CRAIL RANCH BAKE SALE COLORS OF KYRGYZSTAN “YELLOWSTONE VIC” PORTRAYAL CRAIL RANCH HARVEST CELEBRATION

A project of the Big Sky Community Corporation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit entity created in 1998 to promote, acquire, preserve and maintain land, parks, trails and easements.

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Restoring History

Bayliss Architects

By Dave Reuss

One thing that makes Bozeman special is the classic architecture scattered throughout town: beautiful brick buildings with intricate details you can’t find anywhere else—and one company is helping Bozeman stay that way. Established in 1989, Bayliss Architects, P.C. is an architectural firm dedicated to providing the full range of architectural services, including historical renovation work. Throughout their time in Bozeman, they’ve received several “Excellence in Preservation” awards from the Bozeman Historic Preservation Advisory Board.

Often working closely with the State Historical Society, their projects have ranged from simple façade renovations to complete building restorations. Their work has also covered a variety of locations—from restaurants and attorneys’ offices to art galleries and retail shops—and each building has its own unique challenges and colorful history.“All of our projects have been interesting and fun, but one that stands out would be 135 E Main Street,” says Bayliss Ward, founder of Bayliss Architects. In the late 19th century, this was one of Bozeman’s first brothels.“When we first got in there, you could still see all the partitions for the cubicles.” After the property was intricately restored, that historically rich space became the home of Nygard’s Art Gallery.

When you look at their completed projects like John Bozeman’s Bistro or the Berg Law Firm, the beauty is truly in the details. What makes these renovations really stand out is the gorgeous ornamental work: limestone windowsills that are hand-carved with beautiful patterns, quartersawn fir floors, and original brick walls—all lending a classic, distinctive feel unique to our mountain town. “You just don’t see work like this happening at all anymore,” Bayliss says.“The level of craftsmanship in these buildings is just unmatched.” With less and less detail going into the newly constructed buildings around Bozeman, it’s more important than ever to preserve the historical spaces in our town. And thanks to the historical redesigns and renovation work from companies like Bayliss Architects, Bozeman can stay beautiful—both inside and out.

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We invite you to join us in turning your ultimate dream into a reality. Through our clients and our collective vision and inspiration, we will develop a design that will exceed expectations, break away for the normal and remain timeless.

Residential commercial ranch

Montana Ale Works

From Northern Pacific Freight Depot to Bozeman Gathering Place

Sitting on top of wind mill tower watching an old Denver train go toward Fort Worth. Wish it was taking me.

- Author Unknown

One summer night, after a pleasant dinner at Montana Ale Works, housed in the old railroad freight depot, I had a one-night stand with an iron horse. I rode the train from the defunct Bozeman passenger depot to Livingston. As the train climbed over Bozeman Pass, the cool air felt good, the motion exhilarating. I was leaving something behind, loosely drifting at a slight angle to the universe, toward the promise of arrival. Trains, as Hawthorne says,“give us wings.”

Beyond the windows, out on the landscape encircled by darkness, looking as real as life, floated projected images of running horses and riders, their shoulders thinly dusted with soil, buffalo charging across grasslands, and cowboys wearing dusters and gun belts standing on outcrops in the Bozeman Pass. The tone of the old west stretched further into the night with images of the great train robbery and stories narrated by a Native American. The evening, a one-night art performance, was unforgettable, and despite the uncomfortable awareness of the colonialist history of the railroad, the powerful mythology and mystery of trains wistfully prevailed.

A train’s seduction, at once industrial and beautiful, is one of promise and faith, gathering power and dreams, of mythical travel and adventure— passing by Italian fields filled with sunflowers, rolling through Colorado

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mining towns, the persistent darkness of tunnels opening up suddenly to a pillar of light—a portal to another time and place.

In 1864, at the height of the Civil War, through a government land grant policy, President Lincoln authorized the building of a railroad from the Midwest to the Puget Sound. In 1883, the first Northern Pacific passenger train pulled into Bozeman. At the time, Montana was still a territory, six years away from statehood, and Bozeman’s population was less than a thousand. Main Street was dirt or mud, depending on the weather, and horse drawn wagons lined the streets.

Symbolic of progress, train stations and depots were the hub of community activity, links between urban and rural areas, a gathering place where all social classes and characters intersected, and often shaped a town’s building patterns.

The two stations in Bozeman, the passenger depot on Wallace and the freight depot on East Main, now Montana Ale Works, had a large impact on Bozeman’s development. The freight depot, once the source of transporting wool and wheat across the country, is now the favorite Bozeman gathering place since opening in 2000.

Montana Ale Works keeps the dream and mystery of past and future alive. The building itself is symbolic of the character of Bozeman, highlighting its industrial past, and continuing the tradition of community gathering place. In the Ale Works parking lot, the train tracks and wooden ties remain, and from the bar, there’s a clear view of the grain elevator across the tracks with the rocky face of the Bridgers in the distance. The massive brick construction with its sturdy civic feel is characteristic of post-Civil War urban architecture that was informed by the exploration of the west, an expression of cultural independence. At the time, a new aesthetic was developing with the relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces—a characteristic that Ale Works accentuated in its redesign.

self-proclaimed car and train buff (he grew up on the Indianapolis 500 speedway), says,“I’d been driving by the building for six years and thought it would make a great restaurant. I saw it as a place where you could comfortably walk in in your ski boots or work boots; a bright, airy space that was an extension of the outdoors because that’s where I prefer to be.”

The partners agreed that they didn’t want Ale Works to be just another college bar, but instead, an affordable, classy bar and restaurant with an industrial chic feel and sense of history.“We wanted to stop ourselves in time,” says Cooper,“keep the design and feel consistent with history but at the same time create a lively modern vibe.”

We are drawn to Montana Ale Works because of the past, because, over a beer or dinner, equipped with our gadgets and modern conveniences, we are urged back in time, conjuring images and stories of those who came before us: Lewis and Clark, Sacajawea, John Bozeman, workers tossing wool into the freight cargo, men riding the length of main street on horseback, guns in holsters. We imagine the characters who passed through town: trappers and Native Americans, prospectors on their way to Last Chance Gulch, mountain men, cattle ranchers, and outlaws the likes of Isaac Gravalle who attempted to blackmail the railroads by blowing up train trestles between Livingston and Missoula. Sitting at the bar, we are catapulted into the future with talk of adventures that lie ahead, roughing out new plans on a napkin.

The Ale Works project was an organic extension of Bozeman’s history and the historical use of the building. The vision was a collaborative one, an effort between MacKenzie River Pizza Company founders Christin Cooper and Mark Taché and their partners, Pete Hendrickson and Steve Shuel.

Shuel left the partnership early, replaced by working partners Albert McDonald, now Director of Operations, and Roth Jordan, Executive Chef.

What the current team has in common is a love for Bozeman and the outdoors, creative minds, and a desire to create a sustainable, community-oriented business model.

Renovations maintained the freight depot history, keeping the 8,000 square foot open-warehouse feel, the original garage doors, transom windows, interior bricks and fir trusses. Later, when replacing the garage doors with a rail car to add more natural light, they kept an industrial feel rather than going with a plush boxcar design.“It was simple to bring the building back to a warehouse state because it was so well preserved,” says architect Jerry Locati, who designed the original interior. Adding the keg room and bathrooms utilizing historical materials like bead board, iron, and bricks, made the space feel fresh and new. “The biggest surprise,” Locati says,“was retrofitting the mechanical system because none existed.” The simple design exposes the ductwork while making it disappear at the same time, and the keg room was designed to be transparent so that the walls became invisible.

ARCHITECTURE INTERIORS AND PLANNING 3825 Valley Commons Drive Su 3 Bozeman, MT 59718 www.bechtlearchitects.com (406) 585-4161

Local developer Mike Delaney owned the building when the partners approached him about leasing it. Delaney’s original plans were to tear the building down, but he credits his wife, Ileana, with the inspiration for preserving the building. When asked about their collective vision, Hendrickson, a

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Although the Ale Works partners have kept the past intact, when it comes to a business philosophy, they’ve taken a modern, regional approach, one of sustainability and loyalty to employees, partners, customers, and community relationships.

According to the manager, Albert McDonald, the concept of sustainability began with offering local beer brewed in Montana. This philosophy expanded into an innovative “Cash for Carrots” program whereby Ale Works lent money for equipment and crop expansion to Gallatin Valley Botanicals, a local organic farm, in exchange for a dependable supply of produce. Their current project, McDonald says, is to develop a program with local ranchers that will allow Ale Works to serve natural, Montana-raised burgers exclusively.

Every year, the owners listen to feedback from clientele and take a sabbatical to travel around the country experiencing other restaurants in search of ways to improve. With that comes new inspiration, fresh ideas for both the menu and interior redesign. In the planning process are kitchen and wait-area improvements, a railcar redesign, and modifications throughout using natural wood. Architect Scott Bechtel, principal of Bechtel Associates Architects, Inc. in Bozeman, is heading up these changes. “Character brings meaning to a space,” Bechtel says, noting that the remodel will simplify rather than add complexity, emphasizing the best

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Billings

Bozeman

2270 Grant Road Billings, Montana 59102 406.656.0629

1019 East Main Street Suite 101 Bozeman, Montana 59715 406.585.3420

Montana Historian

qualities of the building and site.

When contemplating design and materials for the Ale Works remodel, Bechtel considers open space industrial materials that are natural to railroad warehouses, consciously noting that people come to Ale Works for the atmosphere and history. As Bechtel designs, he wonders: who else has been here? “A building takes on a personality,” he says,“and while an architect is a problem solver, he is also adding emotional quality that other people can experience, and that will come through if done right.”

True to history, like the coming of the railroad, Montana Ale Works has awakened the community and spurred positive growth in downtown.

With the new Bozeman Public Library across the street and new offices to the east, Montana Ale Works is the anchor that continues to shape the patterns of downtown. When asked about Ale Works’ role in the downtown expansion, Hendrickson says,“We looked at ourselves as stewards of an historic building and it was rewarding to be part of preserving Main Street and creating confidence for transforming the east end of downtown Bozeman.” The result of this creative effort has had a profound effect on the community, and as for a hip gathering place, it is a without a doubt a Bozeman favorite. In fact, as Delaney notes, the locals call Ale Works “their place.”

www.lan glas.c o m

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2320 N. 7th Ave, Bozeman, MT 59715

val@midwest-welding.com p: 406-587-5417 f: 406-587-5821

w w w. m i d w e s t - w e l d i n g . c o m

Montana is home to just about every type of industry, making someone who knows how to fix equipment a person Montanans want to know. Those who work in industry in the Bozeman area have known the experts at Midwest Welding & Machine since 1944.

The company was established in an old blacksmith shop at the corner of Mendenhall & Rouse.

Founder Fletch Hare ran the business in that shop until 1969 when he sold it to Chuck and Patty Westlake. They remained downtown until 1972 when they moved to a new building on North 7th Avenue, just north of the I-90 interchange. Back then, this was well out of town, but in the years since, Bozeman has grown up around the shop.

Montana Historian

Midwest Welding & Machine also grew with the town. During the 1980â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and 90s, the company began work for the Department of Defense and received many contracts.

Today, Midwest makes many fine products, small and large for the Bozeman area and across the

country. It now offers prototyping, production, manufacturing and steel fabrication in addition to machining, welding and repairs. In the Spring of 2013 they will begin Powder Coating services, offering a complete finish to all metal products.

Through the years, the company always remained a family business, passing down to Chris and Doug Westlake, Chuck and Patty’s son’s.

Val Lint, Patty’s brother, also began working with the company as an apprentice machinist while attending Bozeman High School in 1971. He was the first student placed through the DECA program and worked half days at the company during his senior year in high school. He joined fulltime following his graduation in 1972 and today owns and manages the shop.

One symbol of its connection with Bozeman is the giant anvil that sits on the lawn out front. One of the world’s largest anvils, it is an exact replica of the Hay Budden anvil displayed in the foyer of the shop.

Midwest Welding & Mathrough the years, each day chine obtained the anvil the anvil reminds everyone from a 90 year old retiring of the company’s values blacksmith in 1962. The and dedication to service. blacksmith had made his As Val says, “The success living on the anvil for his of the company is the reentire life, supporting his sult of the dedicated craftsfamily and raising his chilmen’s efforts dren. He agreed over the years. to part with it You can’t go after assurances anywhere in by the company the area withthat it would out seeing exnever be sold amples of their or abused, a “The success of the workmanship. promise they have kept company is the result We are excited to be a part of through the inof the dedicated this communitervening decraftsmen’s efforts ty and still the cades. go-to place for over the years.

The anvil is an welding and important symbol for the machining” that job has company. It signifies both always been critical to the the history of the welding success of Midwest Weldand machining business ing & Machine and its workand the company’s dedicaers and will continue to be tion to its community and far into the future. roots.

Though Midwest Welding & Machine has upgraded its equipment

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The History of CTA Group

by Lesley M. Gilmore

Wright Residence

On August 1, 1938, two Billings men signed an agreement that has affected the lives of many: “A co-partnership has this day been formed between Ralph H. Cushing and Everett O. Terrell for the purpose of conducting an office for the practice of architecture.”

While Cushing and Terrell are no Cushing (standing) and Terrell (seated) longer living, their legacy has flourished into Montana’s largest architecture and engineering firm—CTA Architects Engineers—employing over 1,350 people since that auspicious day.

CTA often reflects back on their beginnings, yet the observations at their 75th anniversary seem more poignant than ever. Many values of the original firm remain, such as integrity, high-quality design, integration

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Montana Historian

of disciplines, and client service.

Other aspects have changed dramatically, particularly in terms of growth geographically, expertise, and numbers. CTA now has fifteen offices: eight in Montana, and others scattered across Idaho, Washington, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, and Louisiana. Through these offices, CTA employs 380 staff members, 250 of whom are in Montana. The road to this pinnacle winds its way through residential, commercial, educational, hospital, industrial, retail, and governmental neighborhoods throughout Montana, the United States, and across the globe.

Cushing and Terrell understood early on that client relationships are the backbone of a successful business, so they focused on fulfilling—and exceeding—their clients’ needs. This prompted CTA to expand their services, which now include structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, fire protection, and refrigeration engineering; landscape architecture and land planning; audio visual design and installation; industrial hygiene and environmental design; interior design; graphic design; and historic preservation.

Cushing and Terrell’s first large client was the Billings School District.

CTA Offices, Missoula

Lake Store, Yellowstone National Park

Cohen Residence

CTA Milestones

Like many of CTA’s clients, this alliance is strong today and remains a prime example of a larger part of CTA’s work. CTA designed several subsequent additions to the high school, each reflecting the stylistic trends of the time, each embracing rich brick detailing. More buildings for Billings School District #2 soon followed, as did residential, hospital, and airport commissions. For the last twenty years, CTA’s work has been spread over the United States, with work for the National Park Service, the United States Geological Survey, General Services Administration, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, Dell Computers, Whole Foods Market, and dozens of other clients. The resulting project diversity has been a large part of CTA’s professional growth.

CTA’s interest in their own history extends to a passion for the history of Montana, and being part of it. Two of CTA’s buildings have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places: the Ruth Residence and the Dude Rancher Hotel in Billings. Several more are deemed eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places: Reid Hall at MSUBozeman; the Physical Education Building and the Academic Support Center at MSU-Billings; Highland and Washington Schools in Billings; and the Midland Implement Company building in Billings. A number of CTA’s offices are in historic buildings that CTA has renovated—in Billings, Bozeman, Helena, Great Falls, and Missoula.

CTA’s enjoyment in working on historic buildings and in historic districts

1938: Firm founded 1939: Cushing and Terrell supervise construction of Billings Senior High School 1950: Firm intensifies structural engineering capability 1953: CTA strengthens medical facility design 1958: Firm endorses design and planning excellence 1960: CTA owners take 6-month pay freeze 1966: Idaho office established 1969: Interior design department opened 1977: CTA starts providing energy conservation services 1994: CTA designs a building for the Atlanta Olympics 1995: Missoula office established 2000: Helena office established 2001: Kalispell office established 2002: Bozeman and Jackson offices established 2002: CTA promotes LEED and sustainability 2003: CTA’s Billings headquarters moves into the renovated Marshall-Wells Building 2013: Celebrate 75th Anniversary

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is evident. Their work for the new Old Faithful Visitor Education Center rose to the challenge of locating a building in one of the most iconic historic districts in the National Park system—and in an active geothermal region. Most visitors are unaware that the building is located above a crawlspace configured and treated to match the surrounding air; it was imperative that it affect the subsurface as little as possible. CTA has employed the same system at the much smaller Old Faithful Haynes Photo Shop, a 1927 frame structure that was moved onto a shallow foundation several hundred yards east of the Visitor Education Center.

The Haynes Photo Shop has been restored for use by the Yellowstone

Park Foundation, the Park’s official fundraising partner, and will be opening in July 2013.

As demonstrated by the images on these pages, CTA’s building designs do not have one signature style; the designs respond to the clients’ needs, the geography and topology, materials available, and the budget. The designs also demonstrate CTA’s thoughtful and creative approach to working with clients and expressing their visions in built form.

CTA has been extremely fortunate to call Montana home and to provide employment for so many Montanans. Each of the firm’s offices is engaged in its community and enjoys supporting various activities across the state. The commitment and strength of the staff—marked by their long-term employment (personal 25-year anniversaries are common)—has been embraced by the younger staff. The future leaders of the firm have benefited from the continuity of message, leadership, mentoring, and support provided by the current leaders. Their entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, and professionalism will define pioneering environments for another 75 years.

Lesley M. Gilmore, AIA, LEED AP, Associate Owner, is the Director of CTA’s Historic Preservation Services, located in the Bozeman office. More information about CTA is available at ctagroup.com.

Hamilton Store, Yellowstone National Park

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Montana Historian

CTA Founders: Ralph H. Cushing and Everett O. Terrell

Celebrating 75 years Ralph Cushing and Everett Terrell formed a partnership over a campfire on the Boulder River in 1938. Their vision was to forge one of the first integrated architecture and engineering firms, built on innovation, integrity and client service.

75 years later, CTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culture still embodies their vision of entrepreneurial spirit, high performance and providing the best client experience possible.

COLORADO | IDAHO | LOUISIANA | MONTANA | TEXAS | WASHINGTON | WYOMING

406.556.7100 www.CTAGROUP.com

PI E RCE FLOO R I N G & D E S I G N CO. M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T

To be the leader in our industry through our tradition of honesty and fairness to customers, employees and business partners.

O

ver the years the Pierce businesses have grown into a large Montana-family owned operation.

Pierce Flooring is recognized as one of the top 30 retailers in the United States, and all businesses have been cited for many awards and accomplishments.

largest RV, manufactured homes, leasing, and parts & service businesses in the region.

George R. Pierce came to Montana in 1913. He sold patented medicine on the road, traveling in a Ford Model “T”, often using a compass for direction. In 1916 he moved to Billings where he held various jobs in the automobile industry, including selling used cars and distributing for Willy’s Jeep.

In 1967, Pierce Flooring expanded its operations by establishing a retail store in Bozeman, located at 6th and East Mendenhall. Then a new store was constructed in 1971 across the street. In 1972, the Pierces purchased a building to be the Carpet Barn, a “discount” retail store in Billings.

In 1977, Missoula became the next location for Pierce Flooring, followed by Great Falls in 1984.

George always said, “No one works for me, they work with me.”

George Pierce was a master organizer and salesman.

However, a man once remarked to him “Your place is so dirty. How can you get people to stand still long enough to sell them anything?” George replied, “The joint is dirty, but we are sociable.” This became a new phrase in his advertising. Over the years, he employed many men and boys, often providing them meals and shelter during tough times. George always said, “No one works for me, they work with me.”

Ownership was about to undergo changes as well. George R. Pierce passed away in 1958. After a few changes, George L. Pierce’s family became the sole owner in 1971.

When George L. Pierce passed away in 1993, his sons Ron and Bill assumed ownership, until Bill’s death in 1998. At this time and into the present, Ron has assumed ownership of the Pierce companies.

Butte was selected as the next location for a flooring store in 1994. As business grew in Bozeman, the decision was made to build a new facility in 1995, at 1921 W Main Street, where it is located today. In 1996, further expansion took place in that same market, with the opening of Carpet Mill Outlet, located west of Bozeman on Huffine Lane. Like the Carpet Barn in Billings, it specializes in discounted and promotional inventories. In 1998, a new Billings Pierce Flooring store was opened.

Expect the exceptional at Pierce!

George R. started in the flooring business with linoleum around 1939. Used cars, used parts, automobile repair, and what little linoleum was available, carried on the show through World War II. After the war, his sons, John, Frank and George L. Pierce came home from the Army and joined in the business.

Shortly thereafter, he added carpet to his business.

Automobiles were handled on one side of the building, carpet on the other, with linoleum, tile, and paint in the basement. The business grew, making it necessary to purchase a used car lot. Later, travel trailers and mobile homes were acquired. This rapidly grew into one of the

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Montana Historian

The Homes and RV’s side of the company saw expansions and changes when a modular and manufactured housing location opened in Great Falls in 2001. Pierce Homes and RV’s moved to their new location next to the Zoo Drive interchange in Billings in 2002, and in 2006, Pierce opened a second location for RV’s, in Kalispell.

Our family of companies now employs over 230 people.

The businesses are based on hard work, honesty, trust, and taking extreme care of our customers, suppliers, and employees, while giving back to Montana’s communities.

I t is our goal to “Treat every customer in a manner that they will do business with us for the rest of their lives.”

- Ron Pierce

Billings • Bozeman • Missoula

Bozeman 1921 West Main 406-587-5428 PierceFlooring.com 2012/2013

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Montana Historian

The

g n i t Haun

of the

Dumas Hotel

By Ellen Baumler

Butte’s Dumas Hotel is as haunted a place as you can find. Its well-worn rooms, charged with generations of electric energy, witnessed the Mining City’s changing economies. As an active brothel from 1890 to 1982, it also witnessed violence and the darkest side of Butte. It’s little wonder that many believe ghosts wander about its forty-three rooms, moving in the shadows. In recent years, various groups have investigated its paranormal activity and the results are sometimes convincing—I can testify to that.

I believe that understanding the building is the key to understanding the spirits that linger in its shabby rooms and dim hallways. Nothing about its original architecture suggests that this was a house of ill repute, except for its location in the red-light district.

Patterned after rooming houses like those everywhere in Butte, the Dumas originally had formal parlors, a grand dining room, and spacious upstairs suites where Victorian beauties entertained copper kings. After 1900 when copper kings sold out to corporate managers, the building’s lower floors were converted to cater to a working-class clientele. Basement “cribs,” or offices, provided working space for women of the lowest redlight hierarchy. There they serviced the roughest customers to the ticking of 10-minute timers. At the rear of the building’s first floor, more cribs opened onto the notorious Venus Alley, a labyrinth of multi-storied cubicles. Federal law closed all cribs in 1943 to check the spread of venereal disease during World War II. The Dumas cribs lay sealed for more than half a century while “public women” continued to work around the clock in its other rooms.

The anonymity of most of these working women makes their stories impossible to discover. Prostitution was a dangerous profession, and its women were vulnerable to abuse, violence, heartache, and disease. Few used their real names. There are tantalizing glimpses into these mysterious lives: letters and pictures; a “hidey hole” concealed behind a dresser;

ancient wads of petrified chewing gum painted over in the window sills; a penciled list of debts incorrectly tallied. Most poignant of all is a vintage evening bag stuffed into a hollowed-out wall space. It held a small tin box, and in it lay the bright yellow body of a long-dead pet canary, lovingly wrapped in a piece of silk. All this energy and emotion, combined with the obvious sexual tension of the place, have left heavy, palpable impressions everywhere.

I became acquainted with the Dumas in the mid-1990s, drawn to its complicated history. My research, published as “Devil’s Perch: Prostitution from Suite to Cellar in Butte, Montana” in Montana The Magazine of Western History in 1998, was only the beginning. One day in 1999, long before paranormal groups became popular, I stopped at the Dumas to chat with then-owner Rudy Giecek. I happened to ask him about ghosts, and he told me about Elinore Knott.

It began with an incident a former Dumas employee had shared with Rudy. She had worked at the Dumas during the 1970s. One night she was alone in the locked building, upstairs in the bathroom. The door stood

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wide open to the hallway. A woman passed by the open door. She wore a small hat and carried a suitcase. Astonished, the employee called after her, followed her down the hallway, and watched her descend the stairs until she was out of view. She hurried after her, but the woman had vanished.

There had been several sightings of this woman with the suitcase, and Rudy speculated that it might be Elinore Knott. The second-floor front apartment had accommodated many madams, including Elinore who lived there while she ran the Dumas from 1950 to 1955. One cold February night, Elinore was about to embark upon a new life. She was tired of her women and their complaints, of the rude customers, and of Butte. She had packed her belongings in her suitcase and was ready to go.

Her lover had promised to leave his wife and come for her. They would start anew far from Butte. She waited and waited, but he never came for her. The next morning, Bonita Farren discovered Elinore’s body in the apartment. The coroner pronounced the forty-two-year-old woman dead of natural causes—but a ripple of disbelief spread among Elinore’s friends.

Some suspected that Elinore committed suicide by mixing alcohol and sleeping pills, but others believed that she was violently murdered and officials helped cover it up. There was no inquest, and Elinore was declared indigent; however, she had ample cash, expensive jewelry, a red Cadillac, and a new Harley Davidson motorcycle—but none of this surfaced.

Records show that Bonita and John Farren acquired the Dumas, and Bonita succeeded Elinore as madam. John, known for his bad temper, died in 1964 from complications of a violent fall down the stairs at the Dumas.

At least several psychics, unaware of these facts, claim to have relived the violence that took Elinore’s life. They point to jealousy as the motive and have implicated the Farrens in Elinore’s death. Collectively, they believe all

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Montana Historian

three spirits—as well as many others—linger in the Dumas.

In the mid-1990s, a visiting artist rented the madam’s apartment as a studio. She set to work, but each time she faced the canvas, she felt compelled to paint the face of someone she had never met. Over and over, the same haunting face somehow emerged. Canvas after canvas went into the trash until finally the artist went elsewhere to paint. Rudy salvaged one of the portraits. The fortyish woman wears a hat and the hint of a coy smile. Is it Elinore Knott? One psychic believes that the face is Elinore’s, but a masculine face is superimposed, and that is the face of Elinore’s murderer coming through behind her—it is a chilling theory.

I participated in several paranormal investigations at the Dumas conducted by Friends of Ghosts (F.O.G.), a professional Seattle-based group that is now defunct. The session on June 22, 2009, produced some remarkable evidence of paranormal activity. I had not been in the building since 2007. Damage from flooding and a leaking roof had taken a terrible toll. The building was very cold and dank, even on this June night. The stairway had collapsed and the constant drip, drip, drip of water cut the silence. Smells of must, mildew, and wet wood masked the usual cloying smell of the building that I so distinctly remembered. Armed with various still and video cameras, digital voice recorders, electro-magnetic field (EMF) meters, and temperature gauges, the team consisted of five investigators. Butte High School teacher Chris Fisk and I, as guests, rounded out the team. Chris was a skeptic and a widely proclaimed non-believer—until that night changed his mind.

As we stood in the damp hallway at the start of the evening, we all jumped as a radio suddenly blared. Checking the room, we discovered that the alarm was not set and there was no reason for it to have turned on. We began the investigation in one of the first-floor rooms, placing a flashlight on the bed, switched to OFF, but set so a touch could turn it on.

“If there is a spirit here, show us by tapping the flashlight to turn it on,” said one of the team. Nothing happened. The EMF meter spiked, however, in response to several questions. Then we asked,“Are you a customer here?”

The flashlight blinked on.

In the basement hallway, Rudy had photographed an ethereal fog several times, not seen by the naked eye. Some believe this type of photographic anomaly is evidence of a spirit. We took several photographs that include

this anomaly. Again, we placed the flashlight on the floor in the basement hallway, switched to OFF. In response to the question,“Is a spirit present?” the light blinked on.

my mind that the spirits were there, lurking in the hidden recesses of the building, gliding through the dingy basement, and floating up the stairs.

They showed themselves to us—I guarantee it.

Earlier in the evening, three of the investigators heard the eerie creak of footsteps overhead in the madam’s apartment. No one was upstairs.

Later, during an EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) session in the room where Elinore died, the recorder captured footsteps, validating those heard earlier.

Recorded whispers, knocks, giggles, male and female voices; the scent of lilac perfume; photographs of orbs (balls of light) and mist; and EMF meter spikes seemed to prove there are indeed spirits at the Dumas. And Chris Fisk has since cultivated flashlight communication in the building. View this yourself by searching “Tipsy Fisk at the Dumas.”

The best evidence, however, is the energy I could feel that night, and the real events that generated it. There’s no question in

Rudy took care of the building for more than twenty years and finally—thanks to a private donation—saw it receive a much-needed roof. He found new owners who care about its history and its preservation. The Dumas now has a chance at survival. And one thing is certain: as long as it stands on Mercury Street, ghosts will roam its forty-three rooms.

Upstairs, downstairs, along the hallways, and in the pockets of darkness, they wait and watch. Elinore, Bonita, John, and who knows how many more. They are at home there, keeping vigil, keeping their secrets.

Ellen Baumler, interpretive historian at the Montana Historical Society, explores many of Montana’s haunted places in her books Spirit Tailings, Beyond Spirit Tailings, and Montana Chillers.

Better Body Fitness of Montana, Inc.

Fitness Equipment Sales & Service

1-866-348-3434 • 406-449-4672 • www.betterbodymontana.com

Sales • Consultation • Room Design • Flooring • Installation • Service 2013/2014

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Discovering Helena's Handsome

West Side

By Ellen Baumler

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Montana Historian

Montana’s capital city sprang from golden roots. On July 14, 1864, four prospectors down on their luck discovered a rich vein along a remote stream they called Last Chance. Other prospectors soon joined the discoverers and the ground was quickly churned, the landscape was stripped of trees, and cabins and sluice boxes were scattered along the once-verdant gulch.

As the digging dwindled, commercial houses and business blocks grew along the claims. By the 1870s, Helena set its sights on a lofty future.

The capital moved from Virginia City to Helena in 1875, the Northern Pacific arrived in 1883, and by 1890, men who traced their vast fortunes to freighting, real estate, mining, cattle, and banking had invested hugely in flamboyant business blocks and stunning mansions worthy of a capital city. Legend has it that Helena had more millionaires per capita than any other town in the United States. While that is likely fiction, deposits in Helena’s financial institutions exceeded those in Portland, Seattle, Spokane, Salt Lake City, and Tacoma.

Upon Montana’s statehood in 1889 and with Helena’s designation as its permanent capital in 1894, luxurious homes of the state’s movers and shakers began to grace the city’s western limits. The West Side today boasts homes of astonishing architecture and artistry.

While once referred to as the Mansion District where many home sprawled over entire city blocks, the term has become anachronistic. Today, the stunning neighborhood is not only home to mansions, but also to charming smaller homes. Cottages, bungalows, and larger residences have gradually filled in open estate-like spaces. Inviting old-growth trees—reminiscent of the “City Beautiful” movement of the early 1900s—form a canopy over brick-lined sidewalks; hitching posts and carriage houses recall another time.

Helena’s unique West Side invites you to drive or stroll along its avenues and boulevards. See if you can peel back the wonderful historic layers that visually express its journey through time.

You might begin a tour on Power Street heading west from North Benton Avenue. One of the first West Side homes will be on your right at 604 Dearborn Avenue. When Stephen and Luella Fergus Gilpatrick built this residence in 1875, their friends protested that the location was too far out in the country. The neighborhood grew around them while Gilpatrick served the community as city commissioner, county sheriff, county assessor, and school board chairman. On New Year’s Day 1931, the couple celebrated their sixtyfourth wedding anniversary; Luella died just weeks later.

The next owner, John Root, remodeled the Gilpatrick’s original Victorianera home, transforming it into a stylish Cotswold cottage. Although its original footprint, roofline, and window placements remain intact, the updated style reflects architectural trends of the twentieth century.

Traveling west up Power Street on the southeast corner of Power and Harrison, the home on the left at 531 Power is a stunning example of Helena architect George Appleton’s work. With dozens of homes to his credit in the late 1880s and early 1890s, Appleton creatively modified pattern book plans. This one, built in 1890 for real estate merchant William E. Cox, features a grand hall, oak stairway, and dining room of paneled oak that showcase the wealth of its owner. The complicated roofline, gables, and towers are hallmarks of Appleton’s work. The next owner, Irish immigrant John Henry Longmaid, was a successful mining engineer who moved his family from Marysville to Helena around 1902 after his first wife died of typhoid.

Take a right, and on your left is the West Side’s showplace at 600 Harrison Avenue. Rose granite, Romanesque-style arches, and cast terra cotta details are fitting expressions of the wealth and influence of merchant prince Thomas C. Power who served as one of Montana’s first two senators. Power freighted goods out of Fort Benton and became one of Montana’s wealthiest men. The covered entry allowed guests to step directly from their carriage into the house. Tiffany light fixtures and cherry wood carved in place grace the interior. The carriage house, now housing an architectural firm, is nearly as large as the main residence. The Power family donated the property to the Helena Catholic Diocese. At different times, it housed several bishops and orders of Catholic sisters and now it is privately owned.

At the north end of this block on your left at 626 Harrison, the stylish cream-colored 1907 bungalow exemplifies the fine houses that succeeded those of the first-generation of wealthy elite. Banker Thomas Marlow was a self-made, civic-minded man who invested heavily in Helena. He is well remembered as the major benefactor of the Marlow Theatre, demolished during urban renewal in the 1970s. The Marlow hosted many movie premiers; locals Gary Cooper and Myrna Loy were among its famous guests.

On your right, pioneer attorney Samuel Word’s elaborate mansion, built in 1887, sprawled over this entire city block. It is now filled in with smaller bungalows and cottages. Word helped finance Sidney Edgerton’s trip to Washington D.C. in 1863 to plead for territorial status. Gold dust and nuggets, sewn into Edgerton’s clothing for safekeeping, helped convince Congress to create the Montana Territory. Word practiced law here in Helena. His lavish home featured its own electric generator. In 1903 when the Montana Club burned, members moved to the Word Mansion and bartender Julian Anderson never missed pouring a drink. Much of the stone wall that encircled the mansion remains.

Cross Gilbert Street, and on your left is a pair of similar homes, illustrating Helena’s coming of age as the Queen City of the Rockies. 702 Harrison

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Avenue, built circa 1893, recalls Helena’s wealthy philanthropists. Wholesale food distributor George Tracy built the elaborate three-story home. Its large front porch, bay windows, three-story tower, and Palladian windows are reminiscent of the Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles. Distinctive upper-story cladding characterizes the more unusual Shingle style. Past residents include Sarah E. Power, sister to U.S. Senator T. C. Power and major donor to Helena’s charities; sheep rancher Jos. E. Bower and his wife, Leonora, a leading Helena philanthropist; and Thomas C. Power, grandnephew of Senator T. C. Power and Sarah Power.

Locally quarried blue-gray granite and a shingled upper story make this residence at 706 Harrison Avenue and its near twin next door stellar examples of the eclectic Shingle style. The two façades mirror each other. Inside, refined and luxurious features have been beautifully restored. Intricate parquet flooring, imported Italian tile fireplaces, and exquisite stained glass showcase the level of artistry available in Helena in the 1890s. E. C. Babcock, proprietor of an elegant “gentleman’s furnishings” business, was in residence by 1898. William and Ellen Nichols purchased the property circa 1915. Mrs. Nichols was the daughter of Harry Child, whose

company provided early tourist transportation in Yellowstone National Park. Nichols long served as the company’s president.

Turn right onto Harrison. On the left corner, the stunning contrast of gray granite, dark timber, pale stucco, and graceful gothic arches make this Tudor-style home at 529 Flowerree stand out among its neighbors. Take a

Great Northern Town Center. The up side of downtown

Whatever your taste in dining, shopping, art and family entertainment, you’ll find an extra portion here.

Helena Great Northern Hotel • www.gnhotelhelena.com | Great Northern Town Center • www.gntowncenter.com Food • Furniture • CoCktails • Clothing • iCe Cream • art • entertainment • giFts • CoFFee Carousel • movies • miCrobreWs • Classes • sCienCe museum • salons • suPerb serviCes

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right on Flowerree to enjoy the full view. Benjamin and Lydia Tatem came west as newlyweds in 1869, settling in Helena where Tatem managed the Unionville mining claims for Philadelphia investors and operated the Helena Iron Works. In 1901, President McKinley appointed Tatem U.S. Assayer of Helena’s federal office. Built circa 1895, exquisite interior woodwork and a magnificent paneled stairway recall the wealth and taste of Helena’s pioneer elite. Small dorm rooms tucked around the grand third-floor ballroom later accommodated Carroll College students.

Traveling east on Flowerree, next door on your right, where Madison Avenue intersects, is the expansive 1887 home of wealthy cattle baron Charles W. Swett. Upon completion of this expansive early home at 642 Madison Avenue, Swett traveled with his architect to St. Paul to buy household finishings and furniture. When they left Helena, Swett had a slight cold which turned to pneumonia. He died in St. Paul and never lived in the home. His widow married another cattleman, William J. Bickett, and they made their home here for a time. Like a number of Helena’s large mansions, the Catholic Church was a later owner and the home functioned as a dormitory housing Carroll College students.

Again on your right, going east on Flowerree where Dearborn Avenue intersects, you’ll find the stately home at 642 Dearborn Avenue which was built in 1887 for Shirley Carter Ashby. This residence cost him $28,000 to build and covered an entire city block—ample evidence of the success of Ashby’s farm-implement business. Thomas H. Carter, Montana’s first congressional representative and later U.S. senator from 1895 to 1901,

was the next resident. Charles B. Power, son of Senator T.C. Power, and two successive generations of the Power family then were the longtime occupants. Spacious rooms, beautiful fireplaces, and fine woodwork speak of the highest level of craftsmanship. In the 1910s, the Powers hired famed interior designer Marshall Field of Chicago to redo the décor and much of it remains today.

Turn left onto Dearborn. Gray Purcell, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, and his partner George Elmslie drew the plans for the 1916 Prairie-style home on your left at 712 Dearborn Avenue. Designed for successful merchant-turned-cattleman Louis Heitman, the architects blended Prairie-style elements such as bands of windows and horizontal siding with an atypical steeply pitched roof, intended as reminiscent of Heitman’s native Germany. In 1928, Eddy O’Connell purchased the home.

O’Connell was a true self-made man who owned a chain of bakeries. The Eddy’s Bakery cornerstone on Park Avenue recalls his humble roots. It reads: Eddy’s Bakery S.F.N. The initials stand for “Start From Nothing.”

Take a left on Stuart, and immediately on your right is the Conrad Kohrs Home on the corner at 804 Dearborn Avenue. Miner Joseph H. Russell built this home circa 1887 after he sold his Rimini mining claims. His luck turned and he lost the home to H.A. d’Acheul, who rented it to cattle baron Conrad Kohrs of the Grant-Kohrs Ranch at Deer Lodge. Mrs. Kohrs so loved the Queen Anne–style home that her husband bought it for her in 1900. In 1911, Teddy Roosevelt was a guest. It has been beautifully maintained and many original features remain intact, including

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pocket doors, original light fixtures, brass hardware, and oak woodwork.

Heading west on Stuart, next on the corner of Madison Avenue to your right is the 1886 home of Albert Seligman at 802 Madison Avenue.

Wealthy New York banker Joseph Seligman sent his nephew Albert to Helena to manage his mining properties. Albert, a mining engineer, built this twenty-two-room home where he hosted elaborate receptions.

Nationally renowned architect Cass Gilbert of St. Paul, Minnesota, designed the huge Queen Anne–style residence very early in his career.

Gables, turrets, and porches are hallmarks of this popular Victorian-era style. Gilbert returned to Helena to design the present Montana Club after the original club burned in 1903. From 1905 to his death in 1928, pioneer physician Dr. Oscar Lanstrum made his home here.

Across Stuart on the left is the Samuel T. Hauser Mansion at 720 Madison Avenue. Pioneer entrepreneur, financier, and territorial governor Samuel T. Hauser built this twenty-nine-room residence, one of the first on the West Side, in 1885. Gables, dormers, and porches embellished with carved wood; windows trimmed with locally quarried porphyry; and exquisite stained glass highlight the fine design.

Between 1913 and 1935, it was home to four Catholic bishops. When the 1935 earthquakes displaced the Sisters of Charity in Helena, the home became their convent. In 1969, former Governor Tim Babcock and his wife Betty completely restored the mansion.

Finally, on your left on the southwest corner at 724 Harrison is the castle-like Alex C. Johnson Home. T.C. Power hired Johnson as chief clerk at his Fort Benton mercantile in 1879. Both moved to Helena in 1890 and Johnson rose to direct Power’s American National Bank and its successor, the First National Bank of Montana. Johnson believed in earning the trust of his depositors and his home, built in 1894, mirrors the image he cultivated for his bank: strong, fortress-like, and invincible.

The Episcopal Diocese purchased the house in 1956 and it was home to several Episcopal bishops. The “9 Cross” in the wrought ironwork on the porch is the registered livestock brand of the Episcopal Diocese and recalls this past owner.

Ellen Baumler is the interpretive historian at the Montana Historical Society.

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By Heidi O’Brien Launched in November of 2012, the Historic Helena Walking Tour app allows users to explore Helena with the incredible knowledge of historian Ellen Baumler only a smartphone swipe away. Simply search “Helena Montana” on the iTunes Store or on Google Play and look for the Helena application by Madden Media. Download the interactive app and Ellen’s book “Historic Helena Walking Tours” is at your fingertips.

The app divides historic Helena into three sections: Central, Downtown, and the West Side. As you walk through an area, the phone will buzz with an alert that an historic location is close by. The map feature can also track locations using real-time Google map technology, allowing users to

visually follow a route. The app helps the out-of-towner navigate historic Helena and find not only all Helena’s hidden treasures, but also the stories that make them fascinating.

The walking tour app also includes several sample hikes that are popular in the area, as well as a guide to Helena’s many galleries and museums.

Several restaurants are also included in the tour when you need a recharge.

The Helena Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID)/Helena Tourism Alliance undertook this extensive project to offer guests an interactive way to experience Helena’s fascinating history, and they hope visitors and locals alike will utilize the app to discover Helena.

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BUILDING BOZEMAN

THE LIFE OF

FRED F. WILLSON

By Dave Reuss

If you really want to get to know any city in the world, just walk downtown. On the main drag, you can find soaring, intricate buildings that demonstrate the heart and soul of the place you’re visiting. And if you walk down Main Street in Bozeman, you’ll see a half-mile stretch of classic brick buildings with inviting entryways and detailed facades that create its historic streetscape.

Nearly any direction you look, you’ll be admiring the handiwork of the famous architect Fred F. Willson.

As the designer of such iconic buildings as the Baxter Hotel, the Gallatin Country Court House, and dozens of beautiful period homes scattered throughout town, this humble, hard-working man was largely responsible for the look and feel of Bozeman—as well as for scores of other buildings across the state.

Frederick Fielding Willson was born to Lester S. Willson and Emma Weeks Willson in Bozeman, Montana, on November 11, 1877. As a decorated Civil War General, Lester Willson was a pillar of the Bozeman community—after his death, Central Avenue was renamed Willson Avenue in his honor.

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Once he completed high school, young Fred Willson enrolled in Montana State College.

During his junior year, he transferred to Columbia University in New York, eventually graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in architecture in 1902. After graduation, Willson returned to his home state, taking a job with C.S. Haire in Helena, and became the first native son of his state to practice architecture.

In the winter of 1904, he traveled across the pond with his parents to spend two years in Europe touring Italy, Germany, and England in an effort to diversify his

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architectural palette. He admired the gorgeous, centuries-old buildings that dotted the continent’s landscape, and the styles he observed would eventually come to influence much of his later work. While in France, he continued his studies at the foremost architectural school in the world: the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris.

He traveled back to the mining boomtown of Butte in 1906, to begin work for the well-known firm of Link and Haire. In early 1910, he moved back home and began working under his own name, becoming the first professionally trained architect to work in the tiny town of Bozeman. Not long after his return, he wrote in his journal,“Bozeman [was] glad to see me.”

Originally a farm town easily overshadowed by the urban metropolis of Butte, Bozeman has Willson to thank for its development as a thriving city.

In the early 20th century, the famous architect designed a lot of firsts for his small hometown, which had barely more than 5,000 people when he first

moved back. He built its first $300,000 art-deco high-rise with the Baxter Hotel, its 800-seat Ellen Theater (which was heralded as “the best in the state” by The Bozeman Chronicle), and its first jail—despite the fact that the first prisoners held there managed to escape through a tunnel that led to the courthouse. Willson’s daughter Virginia Kippen wrote in her memoirs,“… the first night they put eight prisoners in, they all escaped. I don’t remember what happened, but my father took a lot of teasing about it.”

Over the next few decades Willson worked tirelessly, designing hundreds of projects around the state, including the classic Club Moderne in Anaconda, high schools in Columbus, Livingston and Manhattan, and federally funded projects in Yellowstone National Park that promoted the rustic architectural style of the area. With such a heavy workload, it wasn’t uncommon for Willson to put in 18-hour days, often returning to the office after dinner and not coming home until 1am.“Guess I still have a family,” Willson wrote in his diary in 1935,“but I see very little of them.” If he ever found free time, he loved to box, ice skate, and go to the theater. He also played the piano, cello, and organ; as an accomplished musician, he was often called on to perform or accompany artists performing around town.

Most unique to his work as an architect was his method. He realized that no two problems are the same—whether it was a school, a courthouse, or a church, he felt he needed to become intimately acquainted with the people involved. He tried to walk in the shoes of the future owners and determine their ways of living. By analyzing exactly how the building would be used,

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he could get the maximum usable space—while still keeping it attractive, both inside and out. In that era, architects did a lot more than just draw up blueprints—they were responsible for the design of the building’s interior, exterior, and its engineering as well.

“He was a genius,” said Ann Butterfield, former assistant director of the Pioneer Museum and currently pursuing her master’s degree in historic preservation with a focus on Fred Willson.“An absolute genius. I’m always astounded by the amount of detail that he put into his projects— it’s incredible.”

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Willson’s dedication to usable space coupled with beauty in the details was present in so many of his buildings, as well as his words. In his 1954 speech to the MSU group “Quest for Knowledge,” Willson shared his architectural philosophy with promising students: “Few people realize the care and thought necessary to secure the maximum of useable space and still have an attractive interior and exterior. He must have knowledge of balance, proportion, scale, and harmony. There is a fundamental reason for every feature embodied in a structure. It must have refinement, simplicity, beauty, and good taste.

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Two years after he gave this speech, on August 13, 1956, Fred Willson died of a heart attack. The entire state mourned the loss of one of its

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“most useful and highly beloved citizens.” His touching obituary in the Chronicle reminded the people of Bozeman that while he would be missed by his church, his professional groups, and his community, “His architectural monuments, attesting to his excellent understanding of design, that dot Bozeman, Montana State College campus, and the adjacent valleys, will ever remind us of the artist he was.”

Even up until his death, he continually strived to do the right thing— whether professionally or personally. And through everything he did, he was calm and even-tempered.“There was never a disparaging word about anyone,” Butterfield said of the diary that he wrote in nearly every day of his life.“No matter who stormed into his office and made demands about their project, he never wrote a single bad comment.” Willson’s daughter Virginia remembered her father as a wonderful man.“I never heard him raise his voice or show anger to anyone,” she wrote.

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Throughout his architectural career, Willson collaborated on over 1,500 projects and personally designed over 300 different buildings around western Montanaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;many of which are now on the National Register of Historic Places. Montana was lucky to have Fred Willson, and while he may be gone, his 46-year architectural legacy lives on, down nearly every street of Bozeman and hundreds of buildings across the state he loved.

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The History of

Mountain Sheet Metal

By Dave Reuss

The equipment in the shop of Mountain Sheet Metal could be in a museum. Huge metalworking machines—the stomp shear, the Pittsburgh machine, the brake—they all have handles and bars warn smooth as marble from thousands of jobs and years of daily use. It’s the very same shop equipment that Corky and Lois Johnson bought back in the late ‘70s, and even though it doesn’t look fancy, all the gear can still do the job—and do it well. In fact, their machines can easily outpace brandnew, expensive versions.

“There’s no reason to buy new equipment. If it’s built right, it’ll last,” says Corey Johnson, owner of Mountain Sheet Metal.

It’s this same mentality that’s seen the company through three depressions, thousands of jobs, and over thirty years of satisfied customers. Corey’s company has been built right—and it’s lasted.

Mountain Sheet Metal was founded by Corey’s parents Corky and Lois back in 1977.“I was seven years old—it was right around the time the first Star Wars came out,” Corey laughs.

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They started by running the company out of their garage, and built their shop outside Four Corners two years later.

But almost immediately, the company fell on hard times. A severe economic recession hit in the early ‘80s, and businesses suffered across country. Worst of all, the heating and air conditioning industry has always been notoriously impacted by the economy.“When times are good, people do all the recommended service and upkeep,” Corey says,“but when times are tough, they just don’t call—or they wait until things fail.” Undeterred by the chilly economic climate, Corky and Lois diversified their company and ventured into restoring antique cook stoves—a late 19th-century “Frost Killer” potbelly stove still sits proudly in their office as a reminder of the company’s history.

Thankfully, the economy slowly came back, and by the late ‘80s, the company was going strong. They saw years of solid

work and their staff expanded.

In 2002, the company built an addition, expanding their building and doubling the square footage. Governmentbased incentives on furnace replacements helped when the economic crash of 2008 hit, but by this time Mountain Sheet Metal was well versed in adapting to a fickle economy.

Whenever times were tough, the company would spend more time focusing on different jobs, like sheet metal work or chimney installation.

In 2011, Corky was ready to retire, and his son Corey and his wife Meredith bought Mountain Sheet Metal to continue the business. But Corey never felt pressured to carry the family torch.“Actually, I begged my dad to work here during college,” Corey says.“But he wouldn’t let me.

He’d always say,‘I don’t want my kids to work as hard as I did.’”

Now celebrating Mountain Sheet Metal’s 35th anniversary, Corey and his staff are still going strong. After spending 15 years as a licensed architect, Corey uses his knowledge of designing homes to give his customers the very best, focusing on efficient heating and cooling systems. “In this industry, it’s all about synergies between aspects of the home,” Corey says.“Windows, insulation, furnaces, and nearly everything work together to keep the home comfortable and running efficiently.” But to Corey, it’s more than just relationships between the components in his clients’ homes—it’s about building relationships with his clients. When his staff runs into questions on projects, Corey likes to ask,“How would you do this for your grandmother? That’s the kind of service that we want to give our customers.”

You can find Mountain Sheet Metal at 6693 Lynx Lane near Four Corners or at mountainsheetmetal.com.

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One Montana family’s fresh take on an old tradition

By Lauren Caselli

Katy Martin is a ball of energy, dashing from the register to the deli, rearranging her seasonal display, and greeting customers as they enter the store on her way in between. It’s only noon in Fishtail, and Katy is already seven hours into her day.

Along with her husband Bill, the Martins have been running Montana’s oldest continuously operating general store—only the Cooke City General Store has been open longer, though it is only open seasonally— since 2000. Over the years, the Martins have learned what it means to operate a general store in a small town, and are making strides to preserve the unique heritage of Fishtail General Store, while ushering it into the 21st century.

Fishtail: Then and Now

Driving southwest from Columbus on Highway 78, the familiar green and white sign for Fishtail is hard to miss. Once a destination for gold prospectors looking to strike it rich, Fishtail today boasts a saloon, coffee shop, post office, art education center, and of course, its fabled general store—not a far cry from the Fishtail at the turn of the century.

Built in 1900 by Stressley Tunnell, Fishtail General Store became the anchor of this fledgling farming community before the town of Fishtail was officially established in 1901. As residents weren’t keen to travel—a journey to the closest big city of Billings would have been at least an overnight affair—Fishtail General Store had a responsibility to stock its shelves with everyday staples, like meat, flour, eggs, and bread, which was vital to the sustainability of the tiny town.

On the surface, the construction of Fishtail General Store meant residents had a place to get supplies, but its presence in town meant they also had a place to gather. To talk about business or the weather. To get the latest

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Montana Historian

information about crop prices. To gossip about who was getting married and who was having babies. To keep up with neighbors and friends who lived out of town, without having to make the ride out into the country to see them. The general store in Fishtail became the beating heart of this tiny town, and the customers of the store the lifeblood.

As the century wore on, the store continued to serve as the town’s gathering place. Fishtail’s post office was in the store, giving neighbors the chance to chat about news and, during times of war, send letters to loved ones overseas. Fishtail General Store even managed to stay afloat during the Depression, indicating how vital it was to the community.

The Martins Take A Chance

Longtime residents of Fishtail, Katy and Bill never expected to own a general store—let alone one with so much history. But in 2000, when the owners at the time were considering selling or shutting it down forever, Katy and Bill offered to take over to preserve the history of this local legend.

“We never imagined it would be a real job!” exclaimed Katy, when asked about their acquisition of the store.“When it came up for sale, we weren’t sure about owning a general store, but we loved it so much that we didn’t want it to go away.”

One of the things that Katy and Bill loved most about the store was its presence in the community.“It’s a lot more than just a grocery store; it’s a chamber of commerce,” Katy says.“We’ve done first aid on people who have fallen off of their bikes, we post flyers for people who have lost their animals. We’re really here to help our community. [The store] is the pulse of what’s happening, and that’s what excites us the most.”

In order to stay true to the Fishtail General Store that they grew to know and love, the Martins knew that they wanted to honor the history that made it so unique—and that meant a few infrastructure and inventory changes.

To bring back the charm of the interior, the Martins searched for a traditional pot-bellied stove: a staple of general stores around the country at the turn of the century. Not only did they find one, but they were also lucky enough to find the original stove that served the store in the early 20th century. The Martins also removed all the old shelving and outdated flooring, choosing to replace both with Montana wood variations, replicating the antique, rustic feel of Fishtail General Store.

To better serve their customers, they’ve modified their product selection too. An armory of fishing and camping gear line the shelves in one a corner of the store, servicing the needs of out-of-town weekend warriors and Fishtail residents alike. The expansive hardware section has been moved into its own space out back and creamy cheesecakes fill the bakery cases.

And as a nod to the community feel of general stores, they now offer 50cent ice cream cones to kids.

“We only ID for three things— cigarettes, alcohol, and ice cream,” says Katy with a laugh.

A Day in the Life

responding to the unique needs of their community (the store’s motto is “a little bit of everything since 1900”). A mix of seasonal summer tourists and steady local residents, the Martins manage to create a balance of inventory that caters to both sets of customers. It helps that Katy is a stickler for excellent customer service and staying on top of trends in the market—not a small feat in a town of fewer than 500. For the Martins and their staff, this often means early mornings, late nights, and many, many inventory changes.

A typical day at Fishtail General Store looks like this: the lights flicker on around 4:30am, so that coffee is brewed and fresh for the Stillwater Mining teams to grab a hot cup and a breakfast burrito before driving up to the mine. After the morning rush is over, the staff tidies the shelves, begins slicing, dicing, and assembling lunch sandwiches (another busy time for the store) and helping out customers coming in to shop for everything from staples to souvenirs, fishing rods to cinnamon rolls. Katy is at the store daily, whether running the register, greeting her customers with her famous wide grin, or chatting in the aisle with longtime residents and friends. And while most businesses in small-town Montana are shutting their doors before dinner, Fishtail General stays open until 8:00pm, greeting the Stillwater Mining night crew, wishing them a good shift as the last pots of coffee are brewed for the day.

At some point during the 15 hours that the Fishtail General Store is open, Katy finds time to audit her inventory, making sure she stocks her shelves with the items that are on her customer’s shopping lists. Though they no longer butcher meat in-store as did the Fishtail General Store of the early 1900s, they now offer a whole section of gluten-free fare and dairy-free products, drawing customers from neighboring small towns with their unique product selection.

Like the Fishtail General Store of old, Katy and Bill take pride in

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The Future of Fishtail General Store

communities in the area using Facebook and their monthly e-newsletter.

The landscape of Fishtail has changed dramatically since the turn of the century. Today, weekenders from the cities drive through Fishtail on the way to hike to the headwaters of the Stillwater River. Adventurous peakbaggers stop through the store to grab supplies and talk weather before heading to the Granite Peak trailhead.

While it’s important to Katy and Bill to preserve the legacy of the Fishtail General Store, it is even more important to them that the spirit of the community remains intact. And they’re not stopping with the other 476 residents of Fishtail. Just as the Martins have solidified the general store as a mainstay for Fishtail’s residents, they’re also reaching out to other

And residents are responding nostalgically to the store’s foray into all things social media.“My 5th & 6th grade school days were in Fishtail and I was in the Fishtail General store daily. [I] still remember the smell of treated saw dust that was used to clean the floor in the store,” recounts Elmer Kraft, via the store’s Facebook page.

Still, the Martins are looking forward. Plans for the future include expanding the store’s reach via their monthly newsletter and adding vintage themed chalkboard signs around the store. And with demand for their deli sandwiches, fresh cheesecakes, and farm-style sausages growing, they’ve expanded to add a wholesale arm to the retail business.

“If you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward,” says Katy about all the changes they’ve rolled out recently.

From organic produce to fresh-baked goods, to small-town charm and apple-pie personality, Fishtail General Store truly does have a little bit of everything.

For more information on the Fishtail General Store or to request one of their famous cheesecakes, visit them at www.fishtailgeneralstore.com

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“A Little Bit of Everything Since 1900” Fishtail, Montana fishtailstore@montana.net 406.328.4260

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Montana Roots

By Sarah Antonucci

My Montana roots began in 1903 when my great-grandfather, Doctor Charles Hiram Steele, came to Montana. He was originally told there was a shortage of doctors in the Hamilton area. Upon his arrival, however he found they didn’t need any more doctors there. The family packed up and headed east toward Lewistown. Charles’s brother-in-law was already homesteading in the area and they decided to stay. They made a claim on a piece of land at Dry Buffalo Creek in 1904. Their sons and daughter were old enough to run the homestead while Charles delivered babies and doctored the sick. His doctor’s bag is on display in the Central Montana Museum in Lewistown. Times were tough and the family had to do anything they could to earn money. The boys milked cows and their mother Emma made butter. She would keep the butter fresh in the creek until father could make a run into town (18 miles on horseback) to sell butter and eggs to the restaurants in Lewistown. Restaurants would wait for their delivery because their butter tasted the best.

My grandfather, Earl Steele claimed a Homestead in 1912 northwest of Forest Grove, Montana. They later moved to Alaska Bench and built the house shown here.

In 1914, my great-grandfather, Levi Leonard Greene, came to Cut Bank, Montana, to homestead. His mother, brother, and sister all applied for Homesteads together and each were given 320 acres of desert to improve in order to receive title to the land. Levi and his wife Gertrude Elizabeth Reiner were both schoolteachers. They used their teaching income to make the necessary improvements on the homestead. They fenced the land, built a house, dug a well, plowed their fields, and planted crops. A devastating drought hit the area in

1918-1919. Then a terrible winter finally got the best of the family. They sold or gave away what livestock they could and in 1921 they turned the horses loose, left everything where it was, and loaded their four kids and whatever else they could into the Model T. The family set out for Lewistown where Levi hoped he could get a teaching job. During this depressed time, Levi took a job with the Forest Service to survey and cut the first trail to Crystal Lake in the Snowy Mountains.

Another great-grandfather, Zenas Hugh Lewellen, also came to Montana in search of land. He settled near the present-day ghost town of Giltedge, Montana. His first house was the old officer’s quarters from Fort Maginnis.

Fort Maginnis was constructed in 1880-1881 during the time the government was trying to track down Chief Sitting Bull.

The fort was abandoned in 1886, which allowed Zenas in 1915 to disassemble the structure and build his house. The original house has been moved and is still standing in Lewistown today.

These are my Montana roots… let me help you plant yours!

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our limitations; I cannot fathom why anyone would want scope blocks on a classic Sharps Rifle or for that matter a recoil pad.

When it comes to the cost of our rifles, the customer receives more for his money than any other similar rifle produced in the world.

Producing actions and parts from solid steel is more expensive than casting; we do it because the end product is superior in material, strength, and accuracy. We use Badger Barrels with cut rifling and hand-lapped only because they are the best in the marketplace; we could produce a button rifled barrel for 25% or less of the cost of a Badger Barrel, but it would be considerably less in quality and performance as well as material.

We use all air-dried walnut. Kiln-dried walnut is more available and less expensive; however, it is also much more fragile and has a greater tendency to split with age. Wood is not a perfect product at its best, but you will never see plastic or laminated stocks on our rifles; yes, we have had requests for just that.

We do not offer antique finishes simply because the Sharps Rifle Co. did not have such a finish. Buffalo hunters, target

shooters, sportsmen, as well as the US Military, all received new rifles with a new finish. If Quigley would have ever been, he would have owned a new rifle and done his best to keep it in that condition simply because it was the most expensive rifle of its time and you can bet it was cared for. Antique finish came about after many decades of neglect and lack of care. Hollywood doesn’t always get it right.

The craftsmen at C. Sharps Arms are among the best you will find anywhere in this country; their pride in their work, attention to detail, their willingness to teach our younger workers and be an example of showing our best is the least they tolerate.

Our custom rifles have stood among the finest ever produced since we started our custom shop in 1979 and C. Sharps Arms are without a doubt the rifles most copied because we are simply the best. Other producers of similar rifles may have more rifles in the marketplace, but our goal is not to produce the most just simply to produce the best.

I often do record searches for customers and in completing the search I give the original price: one such rifle shipped in 1989 sold for $995.00 new, purchased used in excellent condition for, $1850.00 in 2005 and current replacement cost would be approx $2300.00.

What else could you have purchased new, that would have appreciated accordingly? Certainly not gold, a computer, or a video camera.

The only thing that comes to mind is a Rolex watch- do you think quality has much to do with that? We have often said in our marketing, “Quality doesn’t cost- it pays” and we can prove it.

John Schoffstall President C. Sharps Arms

First Sergeant Ryan The 7th U.S. Cavalry at The Little Bighorn

By Ralph Heinz

On the afternoon of June 25, 1876, five companies of cavalry under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer were annihilated in what has become perhaps the best known and most controversial battle in American history: “The Battle of the Little Bighorn” or “Custer’s Last Stand.” Although five companies were destroyed, the greater part of Custer’s command survived. Three of these companies, under the command of Major Marcus Reno, had forded the Little Bighorn River and attacked the Indian camp, but were soon forced back across the river and up onto the bluffs in a disastrous retreat. They were joined by three other companies under the command of Captain Frederick Benteen, and Company B escorting the pack train. For a time, the Sioux and Cheyenne forces diverted their attack away from this hilltop position and united to repulse the threat that Custer's command represented to their villages further to the west. After the defeat of Custer, they returned in force to press their attack upon the troops under Reno and Benteen on the bluffs for the rest of that day and all of the next day, June 26th.

In this cramped and exposed position, the troops were very hard-pressed.

They repulsed several sharp attacks on their position but it remained a tenuous one—they had no cover, no water, and only a few spades for the entire command with which to try to dig positions. Some men scraped away at the hard earth with their pocketknives and tin cups to try to improve their defensive position. None of them knew or even suspected what had happened to Custer and they expected to be relieved by Custer’s command at any time. They were surrounded in this position and unable to get water, even though the river was only a few hundred yards away. On the second day of the battle, some men were able to make the perilous trip down to the river and bring back a little water tor the wounded.

For some cover to shield them from Indian fire from around their position, troopers improvised breastworks using dead horses, saddles, ammunition, and hardtack boxes and any equipment that could be piled in front of them. A little earth was scraped away to lower their positions as much as possible and in a few places, the spades were used to actually dig shallow trenches. The entire area was covered with tall grasses and sagebrush, though this worked more to the advantage of he Indians allowing them to crawl quite close to the troop’s positions.

First Sergeant John Ryan of Captain Trench’s M company recorded his

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observations of the battle tor the Hardin Montana Tribune some forty-seven years later: "We had been in this position but a short time when they advanced in great numbers from the direction in which we came. They made several charges upon us and we repulsed them every time. Finally they surrounded us. Soon the firing became general all along the line, very rapid and at close range. The company on the right of my company had a number of men killed in a few minutes. There was a high ridge on the right of our lines and one Indian in particular I must give credit for being a good shot. While we were lying in this line, he fired a shot and killed the fourth man on my right. Soon afterward he fired again and shot the third man. His third shot wounded the man on my right, who jumped back from the line, and down among the rest of the wounded. I thought my turn was coming next. I jumped up, with Captain French, and some half a dozen members of my company, and, instead of firing straight to the front, as we had been doing up to the time of this incident, we wheeled to our right and put in a deadly volley, and I think we put an end to that Indian, as there were no more men killed at that particular spot.”

On the second day of the battle, the united commands of Reno and Benteen had some very anxious moments. In the early morning, the Indians made a very determined effort to break through the lines of the surrounded troops. Captain Benteen’s company was particularly troubled and Captain French’s M Company was withdrawn from their part of the line and rushed to assist Benteen’s Company H. Both companies made a charge which drove the Indians back down the hill. First Sergeant Ryan took part in this action and recorded: “Private James Tanner of Company M was badly wounded in this charge, and his body lay on the side of the bluffs in an exposed position. There was a call for volunteers to bring him down, and I grabbed a blanket with three other men, rushed to his assistance, rolled him into the blanket, and made tracks in getting him from the side of the bluffs to where our wounded lay. Fortunately none of the rescuing party received anything more than a few balls through their clothing. After placing Tanner with the rest of the wounded, he died in a few minutes. Late in the day the fire of the Indians slackened, except on the point of a high bluff in the direction in which it

was supposed that Custer had gone. Here the Indians put in a few welldirected shots that laid several of our men low. I do not know what kind of a gun one of those Indians used, but it made a tremendous noise, and in fact those Indians were out of range of our carbines, which were Springfields, caliber .45.

engagement, and the boys put up quite a cheer.”

Captain French of my company asked me if I could do anything with those Indians, as they were out of range of the carbines. I told the captain that I would try, and as I was the owner of a 15-pound Sharps telescope rifle, caliber .45, which I had had made in Bismarck before the expedition started out, and which cost me $100 I fired a couple of shots until I got the range of that group of Indians. Then I put in half a dozen shots in rapid succession, and those Indians scampered away from that point of the bluff, and that ended the firing on the part of the Indians in that memorable

“When they moved, the captain of my company, Thomas H. French, and I fired into them while they remained in range of our two guns, and those were the last shots fired in the Battle of the Little Bighorn. That was well known by every man in Reno’s position.”

Shortly thereafter, the Indian village began leaving the little Bighorn Valley and the encirclement of the troops on the bluffs was over. Ryan and Captain French fired the last shots of the battle:

The next day, June 27th, the besieged troops were relieved by General Gibbon’s command under General Alfred Terry and first learned from them the awful fate of their comrades and General Custer.

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history of the

Gem Gallery

By Dave Reuss

After nearly two decades of serving customers in Bozeman, The Gem Gallery has moved west—12 feet and 11 inches west, to be exact. But by moving just three paces across the hall in their same building at 402 East Main, the company can now enjoy nearly 1,000 square feet of more space. And along with all that open space comes a river rock fireplace studded with garnets, platinum, fool’s gold, and Yogo sapphires; original hand-hewn fir floors; cherry display cases made right here in the Gallatin Valley; and a 44,000-pound walk-in vault—just to keep his inventory safe at night.

For owner Don Baide—a fourth-generation Montanan— gemstones and precious metals have been nothing short of an obsession ever since he was a child.“I still remember my cousin showing me a pill vial of Yogo Sapphires—I was mesmerized, and I made a vow to figure out where they come from,” Don says. After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Metalsmithing from MSU in 1979, he spent two years traveling the globe, fulfilling his childhood goal and finding out exactly where gems and stones come from.

For many years after he settled back in Bozeman, Don ran his gemstone-importing business out of his home. He opened his first downtown shop at 107 North Grand and was met with great success. Orders kept coming in, and things really took off once he saw a “For Sale” sign in the window of the newly built Blackwood building on east Main. When he finally signed the papers and opened his doors at the new location in 1994, The

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Gem Gallery was an overnight hit, capitalizing on the solid clientele base Don had established over the years.

For all the years of hard work, travel, and research, Don really has the Yogo Sapphire to thank for all his success in Bozeman.

“Honestly, The Gem Gallery was truly built by Yogo Sapphires—we’ve got one of the most major collections in the state,” Don says. He owns two digging claims at Yogo Gulch outside Utica, Montana and spends time every summer mining for these little blue pebbles. Don frequently teaches classes on them, and more than a few people around the state consider him the leading authority on these precious gems found only in the Treasure State.

With mining claims in Montana and even more projects across the globe fighting for his attention, Don has slowly started to think about retiring from the store. Thankfully, he’s planning to keep The Gem Gallery as a family-owned business, with his son Jason eventually taking over operations.“Really, I’m expanding into the new store so my son can one day run the place—once he’s out of college and through gemology school,” Don says. But until he hands the keys over to Jason, he’ll enjoy their new location on the corner of Rouse and Main, imagining all the precious stones that the next twenty years will bring.

To find out more, visit Don at 402 East Main or at gemgallery.com.

by Dave Reuss

Nestled just outside the rolling green plains of Madison Valley, Virginia City looks just like any other small town in Montana—the highway rolls right through Main Street, and you can be back to cruising speed in no time. But if you slow down on the town’s main drag and look around, the history and beauty of Virginia City instantly springs to life. You can see battered storefronts weathered by countless Montana winters. Peek in the windows, and you can see antique barbershops, dance halls, and hotels, complete with plaques describing the rich history of each building. Just walking around, you can almost feel the energy left from the thousands of people drawn by the excitement of a new life and untold fortunes.

This year is the town’s 150th anniversary—exactly a century and a half since six lucky miners first found gold at Alder Gulch, uncovering the richest strike in the Rocky Mountains. At today’s gold prices, the amount collected from around Alder Gulch translates to nearly one billion dollars.

Of all the mining towns that have sprouted on the Montana landscape over the decades—Bagdad, Summit, Highland, Central City, Adobetown, and Junction City to name a few—only Virginia City has stood the test of time.

Its rollercoaster existence is a proud chapter in Montana history—nearly becoming Montana’s capital, then withering into a ghost town years later, only to be saved from the brink by an enterprising handful of people. Today, it stands preserved as a nearly perfect snapshot of life in the Wild West era, and one of the most dynamic and historically rich towns in the West.

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Finding Gold

Virginia City’s story begins with the booming expansion of Americans into the West. Up until 1840, the stretch of land from the lower Missouri to the Pacific Coast was just land to cross, not settle in—but the discovery of gold changed all that. Though there had been scattered accounts of finding gold throughout Montana, the first real strike that resulted in a permanent mining settlement was in the town of Bannack during the summer of 1862, very near a spot that Lewis and Clark had camped just 60 years before.

Late in May of 1863, a group of weary men rode into a gulch in the Tobacco Root mountains: Thomas Cover from Ohio, Barney Hughes from Ireland, Henry Edgar from Scotland, along with Bill Fairweather, Harry Rodgers, and Bill Sweeney, all hailing from New Brunswick.

Hungry and exhausted, they’d braved a harrowing run-in with an irate group of Crow Indians and just barely escaped with their lives.

The Indians had captured the men with intentions to kill them, but after Fairweather had stuffed a rattlesnake in his shirt without harm to convince the Crow that the prospectors had powers from the spirit world, the six men were released. The possibility of attack from Indians itching for white men’s scalps still fresh in their minds, the group was beating a hasty retreat into the woods.

So after setting up camp in an alder-choked gulch, Fairweather famously said, “Now go and wash that pan and see if you can get enough to buy some tobacco when we get to town.” Down at the stream, the men dipped their pans in, scooping out water and mud, expertly swirling it to remove the gravel and dirt. They ended up finding more than enough for tobacco—a lot more. Dozens of shiny specks of bright yellow gold looked back at them. At Bannack prices, they had found nuggets worth about $2.50—the equivalent of finding $100 today. As the sun began dipping low into the mountains, they realized they had a massive strike on their hands. After facing so much hardship over the last few weeks, the group was ecstatic. By the time it was too dark to pan any longer, a grinning Henry Edgar was quoted as saying,“… and a more joyous lot of men never went more contentedly to bed than we.”

When the group made a supply trip to Bannack a few days later and began making purchases with bright nuggets of new gold, the other miners in the town followed them around and treated them like royalty— they wanted to know where this new strike was hiding. As the group headed back to their claims on June 2, over 200 other men followed them out to claim a piece of their own fortune. After agreeing the six original prospectors could get the best claims, the herd of other miners began dividing up the area.

When signing a deed for water rights, Edgar looked upstream at a dense growth of alders, and signed “Alder Gulch” at the top of the paper.

The race for gold was officially on, and within a week, development of the area began at a rapid-fire pace. Hundreds of tents, brush huts, and log cabins had been erected across the hillsides in no time. Some men just slept under their wagons, far more concerned with finding gold than preparing decent housing for the impending winter.

Virginia City is Born

So just three weeks after Fairweather’s group discovered gold in Alder Gulch, Virginia City was created, incorporated by a miners’ court. After making sure the ground was completely devoid of gold, 320 acres a mile south of the gold fields were claimed as a townsite. On June 16, 1863, the township was initially formed under the name of "Varina”—meant to honor Varina Howell Davis, the first and only first lady of the Confederate States of America formed during the Civil War. The men responsible for

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naming the town were Confederate sympathizers, and they wanted to honor Jefferson Davis, who was essentially the Abraham Lincoln of the South.

On the other hand, Dr. Giles Bissell, the man elected as the town’s judge, was a loyal supporter of the North’s cause and was aghast that his new town might be named after individuals who supported slavery. According to legend, when handed the deed to establish the townsite of “Varina,” he slammed his fist on his desk and exclaimed,“I’ll be damned if I’ll sign it that way.” He quickly substituted in the name “Virginia,” then signed and filed the documents.

sold cheap bottles of rotgut on the street, and gambling halls and tent stores popped up to cater to the newly rich. When Lincoln’s treasury office came through, they estimated that between $300,000 and $400,000 worth of gold was being extracted every single week. The town was in full swing, and all roads led to Virginia City.

By the time the leaves began to show their fall colors in 1863, the city was home to over 10,000 people. The entire district—including Summit, Highland, Pine Grove, Central City, Nevada City, Adobetown, and Junction—had a population of nearly 35,000 hardy souls that stretched out for some 14 miles.

The town quickly rose to become the territory’s social, commercial, and transportation hub. In 1865, the territorial capital of the newly formed Montana Territory was moved from Bannack to Virginia City, and she became known as “The Queen City of the Territory.” Regular stagecoaches transported goods and passengers to Salt Lake City, the recently formed newspaper The Montana Post kept the population informed, and one dollar of gold dust could buy you a dance with a pretty girl. While some stories about gold towns across the West were exaggerated, all the extravagant rumors about Virginia City were true.“Truth and the marvelous go hand in hand,” Missouri miner James Morley wrote,“when Young America finds a good gold gulch.”

Glory Days

Vigilante Justice

The amount a man could make mining gold in one season was equal to working back home for over a decade, and people flooded in from every direction. The streets were crowded with people and buzzed with excited voices speaking Russian, German, and Chinese—the air was heavy with dust from horses and wagons racing down the streets. Booze peddlers

But as always, a huge influx of easy money brought with it violence and crime. All across the West, swindlers, gamblers, convicts, and other men of ill repute seemed drawn to whatever western town was producing the most gold—and that was now easily Virginia City. The wild conditions were captured succinctly in the Reminiscences of Alexander Toponce:

“A Step Back In Time”

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“The discovery of Alder Gulch attracted the greatest aggregation of toughs and criminals that ever got together in the west. They came up the Missouri River on steamboats by the scores, deserters from the Union and Rebel armies, river pirates and professional gamblers and sharpers.”

Before the lawful could organize in Virginia City, the lawless thugs beat them to it. Headed by Bannack’s corrupt sheriff Henry Plummer, the Innocents banded together nearly the same time that Virginia City itself was officially organized. The outlaws used the password,“I am innocent,” and shaved their beards down to a mustache and goatee to identify each other. Under the direction of Plummer, the group hijacked wagons of men trying to bring their hard-earned riches back home to their families.

As time went on, the Innocents became bolder and more violent, and it’s estimated that they were responsible for over 102 murders and the theft of over $250,000 in gold.

Outraged by one string of violent murders after another, the lawful in the town organized under the name “The Vigilantes” to combat the relentless terrorism. To notify suspects that they were under the watch of the Vigilantes, they marked the criminals’ tent or front door with the secret motto “3-7-77.” No one is quite sure what it meant—some think it indicated that the criminal had 3 hours 7 minutes and 77 seconds to leave town. Another popular interpretation is that the numbers represent the dimensions of a grave: 3 feet by 7 feet by 77 inches. Regardless of what the motto actually stood for, you can still find “3-7-77” on the shoulder patches of Montana Highway Patrollers to this day—a nod to the law’s beginnings in the Big Sky state.

Over four short months, the self-proclaimed lawmen hanged some 24 men (including the Innocents’ ringleader Plummer), flogged criminals in the streets, and banished many more from Virginia City. Historians may argue over whether the Vigilantes’ justice was necessary or cruel, but the creation of the Territory of Montana, on May 26, 1864—the first anniversary of the Alder Gulch discovery—brought in a federal presence and ended most of the Vigilantes’ hangings. It wasn’t until the townspeople of Virginia City posted a warning threatening to hang five Vigilantes for every man slain that the killings finally stopped.

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Decline

As quickly as the whirlwind of excitement, people, and gold had arrived, it was destined to leave. In the summer of 1864, four desperate men from Georgia decided to take one last chance in mining a nearby creek they were traveling past on their way back to the East Coast. They struck gold, and dubbed the area Last Chance Gulch, which would eventually become the town of Helena (only after bouncing between several other less-thaninspiring names, such as Crabtown, Pumpkinville, and Squashtown). When word of the massive strike got out, over half of Virginia City’s residents packed up and headed 120 miles due north to try their luck at Last Chance.

Within weeks, Virginia City became known as “Old Virginia,” and every other building in the neighboring town of Nevada City had a “For Rent” sign in the window.

Over the next few years, Virginia City’s population deflated steadily, never to recover. The town’s first census in 1870 numbered the inhabitants at just under 900, and an observer was noted saying,“Virginia looks like a large town minus the people.”

Renovation

Interest in preserving and memorializing the history of Virginia City was solidified in 1899 at an annual meeting of the Montana Historical Society.

The town began to operate as a tourist destination, and as the popularity of automobiles grew in the 1920s, more tourists began to make their way to Virginia City—but this slight influx of visitors wasn’t enough to sustain

Rediscover

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Alder Gulch Short Line Railroad Train Ride

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the small town. A few decades later, World War II took its toll, and many residents left to join the armed forces to help the Allied cause. When precious metal mining was deemed “non-essential” to the war effort and Congress passed the Gold Mine Closing Order, the population of Virginia City fell to only 380. Things looked grim—the buildings of the town had fallen deep into disrepair, and many faced demolition.

The fate of Virginia City didn't turn around until the fall of 1944 when newly elected Great Falls legislator Charlie Bovey and his wife Sue visited the area. As wealthy ranchers from Great Falls, they immediately fell in love with the town’s storied history and classic Old West charm. When Bovey bought his first Virginia City house in 1945, he initiated the first major privately funded preservation program in the nation. Over the next three decades, he began the meticulous restoration of his properties.

While he loved the work, he eventually determined that Virginia City’s renovation was like “chewing a tough steak”—the more that got done, the bigger the job became. Regardless, without Bovey’s time, passion, and expertise, it’s safe to say that the history of Virginia City might have been only in stories and textbooks—not preserved in its buildings and streets.

Sadly, Charles Bovey died in 1978, and his wife passed in 1988. Bovey’s children, unwilling to continue his massive project, placed a multi-million dollar price tag on the properties. After years of deliberation, the state of Montana was authorized to buy Bovey’s restorations thanks to House Bill 14. The state purchased more than 250 buildings in 1997 and created

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the Montana Heritage Commission to manage them. The majority of the city is now owned by the state of Montana and is designated a National Historic Landmark operated as an open-air museum.

Virginia City Now

Today, Virginia City thrives as a tourist destination, seeing approximately 70,000 visitors every year. And while the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current population may be a far cry from the prodigious numbers of the glory days, Virginia City has approximately 150 year-round residents and about 300 in the summerâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;they run the bars, the candy shop, the museum, and otherwise keep the town humming along nicely from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

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And no visit would be complete without a trip down Jackson Street to see the massive granite monument commemorating the birth of this spectacular chapter of Montana history.

If you walk down to the water trickling through Alder Gulch, you can still see sparkling flecks of color in the streambed—the twinkle is probably only fool’s gold, but it’s impossible not to feel that same buzz of excitement and possibility those six lucky miners felt some 150 years ago at this very spot.

Virginia City: References Dick, Pace. Golden Gulch. Virginia City Trading Company, 1970.

Sievert, Ken and Ellen. Virginia City & Alder Gulch.

Farcountry Press, 1993.

Grant, Marilyn. Montana Mainstreets, Vol. 1: A Guide to Historic Virginia City. Montana Historical Society Press, 1998.

Barsness, Larry. Gold camp: Alder Gulch and Virginia City, Montana. Hastings House, 1962.

Baumler, Ellen. “Virginia City: Where the Footprints of the Past Meet the Present...” Distinctly Montana, June 2006. distinctlymontana.com/montana-town/virginiacity-history (accessed May 15, 2013).

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Willie’s Distillery

By Robin Blazer

The Wild West was named so for good reason: lawlessness, corruption, and shady business practices abounded.

Moonshining in particular was a profitable enterprise—notably in the Madison Valley and Alder Gulch. During the gold mine rush of the 1860s, brothels, saloons, and other sundry shops popped up all over what is now Madison County.

Virginia City was named the capital of Montana, and with no formal law enforcement, vigilantism took over. To keep up with the alcohol demand of the miners, many locals opened distilleries that sold to the saloons.

With quality crops easy to come by and the pure spring water of the hills, the spirits of Montana became famous among the miners throughout the West.

When prohibition hit, commercial distilleries went out of business—but that did little to dampen Montanans’ love of spirits. Those who once legally made and sold alcohol were driven to basements and caves to craft their liquors. Bootlegging was rampant. Notably, CJ Manley, a notorious Ennis moonshiner, had a still up Shell Creek to take advantage of the naturally softened water. His moonshine was known in every corner of the valley as the best in Montana. Another moonshiner, Oscar Clark, set up shop in Corral Creek, and Clark’s original still can be viewed in the Madison Valley History Museum, just a few miles west of Ennis.

When Prohibition was repealed, commercial distilleries were still scarce.

Taxes were prohibitively high, distribution was difficult, and the remoteness of Montana made it hard to market and sell to other states. Large-scale moonshining and bootlegging eventually died off when cheap, quick liquor was brought into newly legal bars and stores.

Fast forward to 2007, when Robin and Willie Blazer decided to open their own distillery. Wanting to take advantage of Montana’s rich agriculture and history of blazing their own trails, they took a gamble that Montanans were

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Willie’s Distillery was originally built as a livery stable in the 1890s to board horses while thirsty and weary riders had a few drinks and took respite in Ennis.

still just as crazy about Moonshine as they were nearly 150 years earlier.

After researching their options, they had found that the taxes had recently been relaxed and that the State of Montana was very receptive to new distilleries forming.

From May through Christmas, the tasting room is open seven days per week, and the rest of the year it’s open from Wednesday through Sunday.

Stop in and have a sample, try a cocktail, or take a tour. The friendly and knowledgeable staff will make sure you experience Ennis from a local point of view.

That’s when Montana Moonshine, Montana Honey Moonshine, and Bighorn Bourbon were born.

Robin was born and raised on a cattle, wheat, and barley farm between Toston and Three Forks, Montana, where they sold their grains to a major brewery in Colorado. The jug brand seen in the Willie’s Distillery logo is the same one that was burned into the hides of hundreds of cattle through three of her family generations.

Willie hails from western North Carolina, in the heart of moonshining country. His grandfather visited Twin Bridges on a fishing trip with a friend in the 1940s, and always talked about how he would like to go back someday. His friend stayed in Twin Bridges.

When Willie had the opportunity to attend school in Missoula, he took it and stayed in Montana.

Willie’s Distillery was originally built as a livery stable in the 1890s to board horses while thirsty and weary riders had a few drinks and took respite in Ennis. The facility now has a full tasting room with samples, a cocktail menu, and tours. The warm, inviting atmosphere transports guests back to a saloon in the Old West. With its rustic wood and metal décor, the distillery is a window into the past. 130-year-old original woodwork and rafters frame the industrial copper and steel that are the workhorses of making traditional moonshine and whiskey.

Now with a full line of spirits—Montana Moonshine, Montana Honey Moonshine, and Montana Chokecherry Moonshine (to be released fall 2013), as well as several brandies, Bighorn Bourbon Whiskey, and a Chokecherry Liqueur—Willie’s Distillery is taking full advantage of its surrounding resources and Montana grains.

SPIRITS WITH A WESTERN FLAVOR ´TAKE A TOUR´HAVE A SAMPLE´SIP A COCKTAIL´ SEE THE SIGHTS AND TAKE IT ALL IN

MONDAY-SATURDAY 10AM-8PM SUNDAY NOON-6PM 312 E MAIN STREET, ENNIS MT WWW.WILLIESDISTILLERY.COM 2013/2014

105

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Montana’s history is rich with remnants of its booms and busts. These gems of western history were built by gold seeking settlers, ambitious miners and hard working ranchers. Take a walk back through time at one of the Treasure State’s ghost towns.

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Shown with optional accessories. ATV model shown is recommended for use only by riders 16 years and older. Yamaha recommends that all ATV riders take an approved training course. For Shown optional accessories.

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Forthe your safety: surfaces.

Never ride take an approved training course. For safety and training information, see yournever dealercarry or call the ATV Safety 1-800-887-2887. can be hazardous operate. your safety: Always avoid paved surfaces. Never ride on public roads. Always wear a helmet, eye protection protective clothing; passengers; neverInstitute engage inatstunt riding; and alcohol/drugs don’ttomix; avoidFor excessive speed; helmet, eye and protection and protective clothing. ©2012 Yamaha MotorridingATVs on public roads.

Always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing; never carry passengers; never engage in stunt riding; riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix; avoid excessive speed; MOST and be particularly careful on difficultCorporation, terrain. Specifications subject torights changereserved. without notice. *Based on ADP competitive comparison study of CVT belt components reported in warranty and MOST U.S.A. Alldifficult • yamaha-motor.com OFF-ROAD and be particularly careful on terrain.

Specifications subject©2012 to change without notice. *Based U.S.A. on ADPAllcompetitive comparison study of CVT belt components reported in warranty and non-warranty repair order records for 2007-2010 model year CVT belt-driven 4x4 ATVs 400cc and above.

Yamaha Motor Corporation, rights reserved.

• yamaha-motor.com OFF-ROAD CAPABLE non-warranty repair order records for 2007-2010 model year CVT belt-driven 4x4 ATVs 400cc and above. ©2012 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. • yamaha-motor.com CAPABLE

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Bannack - Bannack State Park: 406-834-3413 your hunt for the ultimate Out here, don’t take chances.

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Need Check out the Grizzly 450 EPS or 550 EPS. Yamaha Grizzly ATVs. WorldGrizzly Tough.ATVs. To getReal youWorld thereTough. and back, hunt hunt, after - Elkhorn State Park: 406-495-3260 EPS or 550 EPS.Real Yamaha To get youafter there andyear back, huntyear. after hunt, yearBoulder after year.

Clancy - Lump Gulch: 800-743-5362 Drummond - Garnet Ghost Town: 406-329-3914 Elliston - Greenhorn Gulch (Austin): 800-743-5362 Helena - Rimini: 800-743-5362 THE Lewistown - Giltedge: 406-535-5436 IN PROVEN DURABILITY*

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Shown with optional accessories on private property. Always protect the environment and wear a seat belt, helmet, eye protection and protective clothing. ©2012 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. • yamaha-motor.com

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Kendall: 406-535-5436 Maiden: 406-535-5436 Yogo Gulch: 406-535-5436 Marysville - Marysville: 800-743-5362 Missoula - Coloma: Mystery Camp

of Garnet Range: 406-329-3914 Philipsburg - Granite Ghost Town

State Park: 406-542-5500 Saltese - Taft: 406-649-6400 Townsend - Hassel (St. Louis): 406-266-4101 Virginia City - Alder Gulch: 800-829-2969

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and Landusky: 406-654-1776

Shown with optional accessories. ATV model shown is recommended for use only by riders 16 years and older. Yamaha recommends that all ATV riders take an approved training course. For Shown optional accessories.

ATV model shown is recommended only bytoriders 16 years andsafety: older. Always Yamahaavoid recommends that all Never ATV riders safety and training information, see your dealerwith or call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887.

ATVs can for be use hazardous operate.

For your paved surfaces. ride take an approved training course. For and training see yournever dealercarry or call the ATV Safety 1-800-887-2887. can be hazardous operate. your safety: Always avoid paved surfaces. Never ride on public roads. Always wear a helmet,safety eye protection andinformation, protective clothing; passengers; neverInstitute engage inatstunt riding; ridingATVs and alcohol/drugs don’ttomix; avoidFor excessive speed; on public roads.

Always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing; never carry passengers; never engage in stunt riding; riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix; avoid excessive speed; and be particularly careful on difficult terrain. Specifications subject to change without notice. *Based on ADP competitive comparison study of CVT belt components reported in warranty and and be particularly careful difficult terrain. subject©2012 to change without notice. *Based U.S.A. on ADPAllcompetitive comparison study of CVT belt components reported in warranty and non-warranty repair order records for 2007-2010 model year CVT on belt-driven 4x4 ATVsSpecifications 400cc and above.

Yamaha Motor Corporation, rights reserved.

• yamaha-motor.com non-warranty repair order records for 2007-2010 model year CVT belt-driven 4x4 ATVs 400cc and above. ©2012 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. • yamaha-motor.com

301 N Main St • Livingston, MT 59047 406-222-1211 Shown with optional accessories. ATV model shown is recommended for use only by riders 16 years and older. Yamaha recommends that all ATV riders take an approved training course. For safety and training information, see your dealer or call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety: Always avoid paved surfaces. Never ride on public roads. Always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing; never carry passengers; never engage in stunt riding; riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix; avoid excessive speed; and be particularly on difficult terrain. Specifications subjectmodel to changeshown without notice. *Based on ADP competitive study of belt components reportedand in warranty and Shown withcareful optional accessories.

ATV is recommended forcomparison use only byCVTriders 16 years older. non-warranty repair order records for 2007-2010 model year CVT belt-driven 4x4 ATVs 400cc and above. ©2012 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. • yamaha-motor.com

Yamaha recommends that all ATV riders take an approved training course. For safety and training information, see your dealer or call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety: Always avoid paved surfaces. Never ride on public roads. Always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing; never carry passengers; never engage in stunt riding; riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix; avoid excessive speed; and be particularly careful on difficult terrain. Specifications subject to change without notice. *Based on ADP competitive comparison study of CVT belt components reported in warranty and nonwarranty repair order records for 2007-2010 model year CVT belt-driven 4x4 ATVs 400cc and above. ©2012 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. • yamaha-motor.com

106

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