As the Northern Pacific Railroad made its push across the upper tier of the western states in the early 1880s, Livingston grew to serve its passengers and crews. Convenient to the shops and yards, the Eastside especially was home to the many blue collar workers the railroad employed. Carpenters and speculators built modest houses, often two or three at a time, to sell or rent to the large work force. Proximity to the railyards, safely accessed via an underground walkway, prompted many workers to settle along Callender Street. This home on its prominent corner has a square plan and a hip roof like its two nearest neighbors, reflecting the repetition common throughout Livingston’s working-class neighborhoods. These simple cottages allowed owners to individualize them, adding awnings, or porches, or rear additions. By 1910, engineer Hilery J. Burchett was in residence here with his wife Esther and two-year-old daughter. Subsequent occupants included machinist Daniel Shawver in 1920 and fireman Charles Mikesell in 1930. All were employed at the Northern Pacific yards, underscoring the importance of the railroad to Livingston’s economy.
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