Filed Under Glendive

Chamber of Commerce

Merrill Avenue Historic District

Early Glendive businessmen took great pride in their town, so when the Glendive Independent reported in 1911 that the rival town of Sidney was “putting on metropolitan airs,” merchants rose to the competition by forming committees and promotion groups. They formally organized as the Glendive Chamber of Commerce in 1914 with Frank Hughes as president, E. A. Shabel as vice president, and R. H. Watson as treasurer. The group hired C. A. Rasmussen as paid secretary and built this building circa 1915 on land owned by the Northern Pacific Railroad. The one-story frame building reflects both the heightened activity of the homestead boom during the 1910s and the local significance of the railroad. Contemporary with much of Glendive’s historic architecture, this small ambassador first stood to the northeast facing the tracks and in front of the yard master’s office. By 1929, it had been moved to the present location where it continues to represent the Glendive Chamber of Commerce, cordially welcoming visitors.

Images

Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce Chamber of Commerce (PAc 91-51 Glendive R04 F18). Front view of the building, facing east to southeast on North Merrill Avenue near the intersection of North Merrill and West Towne Street. B&W. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office from the Photograph Archives at the Montana Historical Society Creator: Suzanne Hackett Date: Apr. 1987

Location

200 North Merrill Avenue, Glendive, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “Chamber of Commerce,” Historic Montana, accessed March 29, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/293.