Copper king Marcus Daly’s Bitterroot Development Company originally owned this and the surrounding blocks. From the 1890s to the early 1900s, the first modest residences began to shape the character of the neighborhood as Daly sold the lots. From 1898 to the 1930s, this property changed hands many times as homes filled in the spaces around it. Construction of the Rocky Mountain Laboratory in 1927 increased the demand for rental housing in the 1930s. Howard N. Bates, who had worked construction and owned a successful fuel business, purchased this lot in 1936 from Ravalli County. Bates was likely the primary builder of this 1938 cottage, designed as a rental. A projecting gable roof and bays at the front and back interrupt the simple square plan. Small concrete stoops, an arched entry doorway, and the continuation of the curving front roofline creates an archway leading to the side yard. These attractive features distinguish the later cottage style as it was adapted after World War I. Five-time Hamilton mayor Frank Cash and his wife, Josephine, were subsequent longtime owners.
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