The Melchert Bakery Building exemplifies the popular use of masonry façades throughout the Central Business Historic District. The structure retains its original decorative brick façade. Lawyer Roy E. Ayres paid for the construction of the one-story, flat-roofed building in 1916. Prominent in local politics, Ayres served two terms in the U.S. Congress and was elected governor of Montana in 1937. The first native-born Montanan to achieve this office, Ayres helped establish the State Unemployment Compensation Commission. William A. Melchert is more commonly associated with the building’s history. Melchert arrived in Montana in 1912 and became an active part of Lewistown’s downtown development. Melchert’s Bakery opened in 1914 and moved to this location in 1916, where it remained until 1925. In conjunction with owning and operating the bakery, Melchert served as city alderman and acting mayor of Lewistown. Melchert retired in 1956 after approximately forty-two years as a local merchant and baker.
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