A rear door big enough to drive through hints at this building’s original purpose. Rancher, banker, and businessman Joshua P. McCuistion initially intended to construct a one-story automobile dealership and repair shop, but the demand for office space led him to add a second story. McCuistion purchased this lot in April 1913, and almost immediately Miles City contractor Charles Weston began construction of the two-story garage and office building. Arthur Sickler sold Fords, Hudsons, and Franklins here and ran the Main Street Garage, which advertised itself as a “Tourist’s Headquarters,” offering “Everything for the Auto Traveler.” Automobile tourism was new and entailed some risk. In 1916, a young man caused a fire when he stopped at the garage for gas. After the attendant began filling his tank, the “tenderfoot” lit a match over the gas tank to check the progress. Luckily, the fire only damaged the car itself. Forsyth gained its first stand-alone filling station in 1923, and Stickler sold his business to McCuistion in 1924. However, automobile dealerships continued to sell cars from this building until 1950.
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