Blue collar railroad workers were the backbone of the Livingston community and many settled in this area opposite the Northern Pacific shops. Between 1900 and 1910, housing for workers began to fill this neighborhood to accommodate the railroad’s expanding services. This cottage, built in 1907, is of balloon-frame construction, a method that replaced timber framing and made house construction much simpler. Cottages like this one could be built quickly. The wood siding in this case is covered in stucco while its basic four-square plan mirrors its neighbors. In 1910, newlyweds Iva and Milton Shadoan were tenants. Like many of his neighbors, Milton worked for the Northern Pacific. The John Topp family eventually owned this property as well as the other two homes on the half block, and rented them to family members. The railroad brought a diverse population and many immigrants made their homes in this neighborhood. Italian families especially put down roots here on Livingston’s Eastside. Their descendants, including a longtime owner of this home, maintain their Italian heritage here in “Little Italy.”
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