Joshua and Martha Armitage House

By editor

Helena, Lewis and Clark County, Montana, July 2021

The western gold rushes not only lured miners but entrepreneurs seeking business opportunities, which is a polite way of saying that where there is gold, there are men willing to sell shovels at a premium. Armed with blacksmithing and wagon-making skills, adventurer Joshua Armitage and his wife Martha arrived at Alder Gulch in December 1863. They moved to Helena in 1867 where the multi-talented Armitage was a placer mining engineer and taught singing. It is a rare man who can calculate the yield of a gravel bed and then lead a chorus in perfect harmony, but the frontier demanded versatility.

In 1870, the Helena vigilantes appointed Armitage to the jury that convicted Joe Wilson and Arthur Compton of attempted murder. The two were the last of a dozen men hanged on Helena's infamous Hangman's Tree. It was a rough sort of justice, the kind that leaves a man dangling from a branch to serve as a warning to others who might consider a life of crime. Armitage then served as Blackfeet Indian agent under President U. S. Grant and later as Helena's police magistrate. As the population boomed with the advent of the Northern Pacific, Armitage rose to prominence in real estate.

In 1889, he built this comfortable home in the Montana Avenue Addition he helped to plat. With its steep terrace and commanding view of the Helena valley, the Neoclassical style home reflects conservative taste during a time of Victorian flamboyance. Martha Armitage, a devoted mother of nine and renowned practical nurse, filled this home with music and laughter. But adventure continued to beckon, and the Armitages moved on in 1896. After several owners, Herman Lindstrom bought the property in 1918. A Swedish emigrant, Lindstrom was a skilled carpenter whose sons followed in their father's footsteps. Their home, too, was filled with music, laughter, and family gatherings. The Lindstroms' seventy-year tenure established a pattern for the home's careful preservation. In 2005, daughter Marian Lindstrom Larson returned the original stained glass transom to the current owners. Thus the legacy continues today.

It is a curious thing how a house can absorb the character of its inhabitants. The Armitage house, with its solid construction and commanding view, seems to stand as a monument to the practical, hard-working people who built it and lived in it. It is a reminder that the history of the West is not just a story of outlaws and gunfights, but also of families, communities, and the quiet, steady work of building a civilization out of the wilderness.

"The western gold rushes not only lured miners but entrepreneurs seeking business opportunities." This simple statement from the historical marker captures the essence of the frontier experience. It was a time of boundless optimism and ruthless pragmatism, a time when a man with a strong back and a sharp mind could carve out a place for himself in a new and unforgiving land. Joshua Armitage was such a man, and his house stands as a testament to his success.

But let us not forget Martha Armitage, the devoted mother of nine and renowned practical nurse. It is often the women who are the true heroes of the frontier, the ones who hold the families together and provide the care and comfort that make life bearable in a harsh environment. Her legacy is as much a part of the house as the bricks and mortar.

The story of the Armitage house is a microcosm of the history of Helena itself. From its chaotic beginnings as a gold camp to its emergence as a prosperous and respectable city, Helena has always been a place of opportunity and enterprise. The Armitage house, with its elegant design and rich history, is a fitting symbol of that transformation.

As we look back on the lives of Joshua and Martha Armitage, we are reminded of the enduring power of the human spirit. They faced the challenges of the frontier with courage and determination, and they left behind a legacy that continues to inspire us today. Their story is a reminder that the true wealth of the West is not found in its gold mines, but in the character of its people.

The house stands today, a quiet observer of the passing years. It has seen the horse-drawn carriages give way to the automobile, the dirt roads paved over with asphalt. It has witnessed the growth and change of a city, yet it remains a steadfast reminder of a bygone era. It is a place where the echoes of the past can still be heard, if one only takes the time to listen.

In the end, the story of the Armitage house is a story of resilience and endurance. It is a story of a family that built a life in a new land, and of a house that has stood the test of time. It is a story that deserves to be remembered and celebrated, for it is a part of the rich tapestry of our shared history.

See also

• Joshua and Martha Armitage House at Helena, Lewis and Clark County (Montana Historical Society, erected 2021)
• Helena Historic District for more on the city's architectural heritage