Born in Quebec, Exzelia Pepin followed his uncle Simon Pepin—Havre’s town founder—to Montana in 1888, a year after the Great Northern Railway reached Fort Assinniboine. Not long after, the Great Northern decided to build a division point at what was…

A large circular portico with surrounding Ionic columns dominates the facade of this grand residence, constructed in 1906 for Cornelius “Con” Kelley and his wife Mary for the then princely sum of $20,000. Butte architect W.A. O'Brien's…

Constructed in 1907 during a period of robust city growth, the Babcock replaced the original Billings Opera House, which was destroyed in a catastrophic fire. Owners first planned a four-story commercial block, then a seven-story building, but only…

On October 15, 1892, the federal government opened the land around Absarokee for settlement. The area had been part of the Crow Indian Reservation, but a year before, Crow tribal leaders bowed to political pressure and ceded the coveted territory.…

For one dollar copper king Marcus Daly and J. H. Leyson donated the land to construct this massive brick and stone civic building. Local builders Shackleton and Whiteway won the bid for the $279,000 building, and ground-breaking took place in…

Scandal and intrigue surrounded the construction of Rosebud County Courthouse in 1914. Rosebud County citizens recognized the need for a new courthouse when they passed a $125,000 bond issue in 1911 to fund the building. To design a suitable…

George May and brother Albert entered the sheep and cattle business here in 1892, leasing Fort Owen where George lived and where his children were born. As the business succeeded, he continued to purchase land, including in 1899 the plot where this…

This enduring landmark was the fifth and final contribution to the campus by renowned Missoula architect A. J. Gibson. A work of exquisite craftsmanship and the university’s only example of Neo-classical architecture, the dramatic classical portico…

Missoula architect A. J. Gibson designed this grand Neo-classical style landmark for progressive politician Joseph Dixon. Dixon married Caroline Worden, daughter of Missoula founder Frank Worden, in 1896 and the couple made their home here. Dixon…

Missoula’s evolution from trading post to railroad center, university town, and federal government hub is revealed in this distinctive downtown residential neighborhood. Francis L. Worden, among Missoula’s most influential early merchants and…