Rocky Fork Town and Electric Company sold this lot and the one next door to F. P. Musser for $84 in 1896. Immediate resale to real estate agent T. P. McDonald for $177 netted Musser a handsome profit. This four-square cottage was either moved or built here by 1898 when the property again changed hands. In 1899, Frances Harney moved into the cottage with her small son. The 1900 census lists her occupation as “landlord.” Mrs. Harney, who was either widowed or divorced, took boarders into her home and after 1912, rented out a small dwelling on the alley as well. Red Lodge businessman Frank Lyle, a longtime boarder, inherited the property in 1937. This cozy cottage is contemporary with a number of similar four-square cottages in the neighborhood. Charming Craftsman style elements including the sunporch and wings added circa 1930 illustrate the changing architectural tastes of Hi Bug residents.
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