In 1935, James and Helen (Iten) Thompson built the log home next door. The following year, they purchased this lot from their neighbor to the north, Sophie Roberts, who owned a successful downtown bookstore. Here the Thompsons built a second Minimal Traditional house that mirrored their first home almost exactly except for material. Both houses have exposed rafter tails and multi-paned windows (Craftsman style elements) and Colonial Revival door hoods. The Thompsons lived in this stucco and wood home, renting out the log house. James worked in the grocery business until 1943. In 1942, he helped found the Hamilton Elks Lodge and took the position as chief steward for the Elks Club in 1943. The couple had seven children, but three of them died at birth. Later, son William, a seasonal firefighter, died at twenty-three in the 1962 Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness wildfire. As the fire came under control, William sat down to rest, only to be killed by a boulder that rolled down the hill and hit him.
Images