Hamilton experienced a building boom after 1905 as irrigation water flowed and orchards bloomed on the benchlands between Missoula and Stevensville. Mary Toole, widow of Bitter Root Development Company President William R. Toole, built this Queen Anne “Free Classic” style home as a rental property in 1910. The style, popular after 1890, combined both Victorian and Classical-era motifs. The home’s cross-gable roof and carved eave brackets represent the Queen Anne style, while the pedimented porch entry, smooth porch columns, and cornice returns evoke the Classical style. Warham M. Noble, purchasing agent for the Bitter Root Valley Irrigation Company, lived here with his family from 1910 to 1912. Isaac N. Welk, Hamilton Flour and Cereal Mill manager, rented the home from 1914 until 1916 when Mary Toole and her sons George and Frank relocated here from South Eighth Street. After George and Frank were drafted into World War I, Mary left Hamilton, selling the house to department store owners William and Anna Westergren in 1919. The Westergrens remained in residence until 1935.
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