The Empire Land Company constructed many of Judith Place’s most fashionable residences, including this one- and-one-half-story Craftsman style home circa 1914. Reflecting the Progressive Era’s emphasis on efficiency, the company adopted the relatively new “systems approach” to building, which used standard-sized studs and joists to expedite construction. Advertising themselves as “Lewistown’s Home Builders,” the Empire Land Company promised to “furnish plans, use first class materials and guarantee workmanship.” Despite its commitment to standardization, the company varied details to give each home an individual flare. In the case of this house, a full- length porch tucked under the upper attic story, exposed rafter tails, a W-truss tracery, and decorative barge boards distinguish the exterior. Attorney W. R. Kirk briefly owned the home before selling it in 1916 to Charles and Daisy McClave. The McClaves lived here with their two children, a maid, and Daisy’s mother through the early 1920s. The now defunct town of McClave was named for Charles, who served as president and manager of Montana Flour Mills. His company’s slogan, “It’s the wheat,” reflected his connection to area farms.

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

The 240 was designed and first built in 1941. It was used extensively in WWII in Europe and in the Pacific. It was also used in Korea until the ammo supply ran out. More recently, the 240 was in service in the Republic of China. None are now known to be in the active Army inventory. The 240 was the largest field piece used by the US except for Naval ordinance. The only larger howitzer built for the US Army was the 280 atomic cannon which was never put into action.

In the late 1950's, the Department of Army established Army Reserve units nationwide. Lewistown had one of those units. The 743rd Field Artillery was a Regular Army unit and included the local reserve unit which consisted of about 50 to 60 local young men. Training was conducted on a 240 mm howitzer but the gun was never fired locally. After a short time of having the 240 as a training aid, the Montana Army Reserve units received 155mm howitzers to replace the 240. This 240 was donated to the City of Lewistown in 1957 and was placed on display here in 1959.

Specifications:

240 millimeter (9.4") bore • 360 pound projectile • 22 man crew including the drivers of the two wagons (The barrel came off for moving and was carried on its own wagon). • Six men on the loading tray (this is for lifting and placing the projectile to the breech of the gun). Four men on the rammer staff to shove the round into the breech. • Range of about 14 miles • Muzzle velocity - 2300 feet per second. • Weight - 64,700 pounds. • Barrel length - 27'6"

The loading operation was somewhat similar to a muzzle loading rifle except that it was loaded from the breech. The projectile was loaded followed by the powder bags. The fuse to ignite the powder was a blank cartridge screwed into the breech.

"Someday, not too distant, there can come streaking out of somewhere-we won't be able to hear it, it will come so fast-some kind of gadget with an explosive so powerful that one projectile will be able to wipe out completely this city of Washington."

General H.H. Arnold.

Erected by Lewistown Historic Resources Commission.

In March of 1914, four hundred local business owners protested locating Lewistown’s new post office on this site, claiming that the call for bids was not properly advertised. Most favored housing the post office in the Masonic Temple building. Nevertheless, the Fergus County Realty Company, one of the two bidders, won the five-year lease. Lewistown architects Wasmansdorff and Eastman drew the plans and construction commenced immediately under federal supervision. Uncle Sam occupied part of the storefront while businessman A. H. Smurr and attorney W. R. Kirk leased the remaining space. Smurr and Kirk’s enterprise included a confectionery/ice cream parlor, a factory for the manufacture of their “delicacies,” and a billiard room/bowling alley catering to the “the highest class of the trade.” The post office remained in the building until the construction of the federal building in 1931. This historic building has been carefully restored to its original appearance and, since 1958, has housed one of Montana’s longest running newspapers, the Lewistown New-Argus.

Erected by The Montana

National Register Sign Program.

In the 1870s, ranchers and prospectors looking for gold in the Judith Mountains clamored for military protection as they settled a region recently controlled by the Blackfeet. In response, the federal government constructed Fort Maginnis in 1880. Garrisoned by three cavalry and three infantry companies in 1882, the fort was home to five hundred men and ten women. Meanwhile, more Euro-Americans settled in the region, including Abraham Hogeland, who first traveled west as a surveyor for the Northern Pacific Railroad. According to his great- granddaughter, the author Mary Clearman Blew, Abraham loved the Judith Basin: "having seen no better country between Pennsylvania and Montana, (he) decided to make it his." Hogeland established a ranch on Spring Creek; his wife Mary and their oldest child joined him from Pennsylvania two years later. In 1895, the Hogelands purchased two officers' quarters from the recently closed Fort Maginnis. He had the buildings dismantled and moved twenty miles to Lewistown. This gable-front-and-wing residence was the larger of the two, reassembled as closely as possible to the original design. The Hogelands used it for a "city house," occupying the residence during the school year, so their children could receive an education. As time passed, Abraham and Mary, while still continuing to ranch, spent more time here. Abraham became increasingly involved in the Lewistown community, serving as superintendent of schools and justice of the peace as well as county surveyor. As of 2007, family members still own and maintain the property.

Erected by Montana Historical Society; Department of the Interior, National Register of Historic Places.

During World War II, the Army Corps of Engineers built almost 1,300 airfields. These rapidly constructed facilities followed standardized plans, all of which included an All Purpose Shop. The unassuming one-story buildings served as the bases' much-needed maintenance centers. In Lewistown, as at other satellite airfields, flimsy construction material, quick assembly, and heavy use made for a busy maintenance crew. As "all purpose" as the shop that served as their headquarters, the crew built shelves, tables, and benches and fixed broken toilets and broken windows. They efficiently repaired damage to the airfield's buildings, whether caused by weather or by the hundreds of men who temporarily made their home here. As the military undoubtedly anticipated, the young, reckless airmen were not the most careful of tenants. Among other equipment, the shop housed table saws, drill presses, and hand tools for woodworking. During Lewistown's notoriously harsh winters, the crew relied on two coal-burning stoves to warm their workshop, whose single-pane windows and uninsulated lathe and tarpaper walls did little to retain the heat.

Erected by

The Montana National Register Sign Program.

Sand-filled “Blue Beetle” practice bombs with a five-pound black powder charge were loaded here for placement in the B-17s’ bomb bays. The practice bombs were later dropped in 1,000-foot circles during the daytime and on lighted targets at night. The bombing range was near War Horse Lake, 12 miles northwest of Winnett. The top secret Norden bombsight, later used to drop the uranium bomb “Little Boy” on Hiroshima from the B-29 Enola Gay, played a major role in the training at Lewistown. Navigators gained critical practice flying at night, invaluable experience since Montana’s few visual checkpoints mirrored conditions over blacked-out England in 1943. Gunners practiced working, loading, and un-jamming their guns in all conditions including freezing weather, day and night. As the war progressed, B-17s gained fuel capacity progressing from the E and F models to the ultimate B-17 G. Sixteen B-17 Gs and their crews trained at Lewistown from July 6 to October 6, 1943, then flew directly to the front in England.

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

Dr. Frederick F. Attix came to Lewistown in 1901 where he set up one of the first local medical practices. Dr. Attix traveled 70,000 miles in his horse and buggy visiting patients in mining camps, often operating by lamplight in bunkhouses. On April 6, 1917, the same day the United States entered World War I, he and Dr. Frank Davis opened the Attix Clinic. Lewistown architects Wasmansdorff and Eastman designed the brick building, which was originally planned to carry five stories. Restrained brickwork, rusticated corner quoining, and a classical pediment at the roofline reflect the transition in western commercial architecture from the showy Victorian era to the less flamboyant twentieth century. Dr. Attix, who delivered some 1200 Fergus County residents, died in 1948 at St. Joseph’s Hospital where, in 1909, he had performed the facility’s first major operation. Although expansion of this building never occurred, the Attix Clinic continued to serve the community until 1955.

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

Kent and Bell, designers of the Montana State Capitol, drew the plans for this Renaissance Revival/Beaux Arts- inspired building of sandstone and brick, completed in 1904. The bank was Lewistown’s first, founded in 1887 by S. S. Hobson, James H. Moe, and merchant prince T. C. Power. Remodeling in 1915 added terra cotta window facings, pilasters, columns, and horizontal moldings intended to complement the design of the adjacent 1914 Judith Theatre. These embellishments demonstrate a shift along Main Street from the use of local materials to those imported by the railroad. The original wainscoting, high ceilings, and brass-trimmed swinging doors within reflect the wealth of a bygone era.

Erected by Montana Historical Society; Department of the Interior, National Register of Historic Places.

Barbed wire encircled this double-compartment storage building and a 24-hour sentry kept armed guard. The top secret Norden bombsight, a mechanical analog computer, was accessed through bank vault doors, removed carefully for training missions, and returned under armed guard. The 50-pound instrument was used to determine the exact moment a bomb should be released. The bombsight contained 2,000 precision parts. Its accuracy depended upon the bombardier’s ability to correctly calculate speed, altitude, temperature, barometric pressure, and the “bomb curve.” Setting the instrument required such precision that one reporter likened it to playing a violin. Wearing silk gloves so that his fingers wouldn’t stick to the metal and breathing pure oxygen in temperatures reaching 40 degrees below zero, the bombardier crouched in the Plexiglas nose of the aircraft, the worst seat in the house. This is the only identifiable Norden bombsight building still standing in the United States.

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

Built around 1893, the Bon-Ton is one of four remaining pre-1900 masonry structures in the Central Business Historic District. The term bon-ton means “a good or elegant form or style; regarded as fashionably correct.” This structure is an excellent example of early brick remodeling on stone and its construction likely supported the Croatian stonemasons who settled in Lewistown towards the end of the nineteenth century. The Bon-Ton serves as an excellent example of early commercial building design. The building originally housed the Carson Saloon. William A. Carson tended the bar and operated a boarding house on the second floor. A former lodger of Carson’s, Charles Williams, opened the Bon-Ton Confectionery in the building in 1908 featuring an early soda fountain. Mrs. Florence Williams took over operation of the Bon-Ton Rooming House in 1912. The Williams family operated the business continuously for over seventy-six years. The Bon-Ton building has served Lewistown continuously since the late nineteenth century and remains a vital part of the commercial district as the city embarks on the twenty-first century.

Erected by

Montana Historical Society; Department of the Interior, National Register of Historic Places.

The United States Army Air Force (USAAF) trained its field maintenance crews in camouflage painting to make aircraft difficult to distinguish from the ground. Constructed in the spring of 1943, this building was designed for teaching and facilitating aircraft camouflage techniques. A catwalk, unique among Lewistown Airfield’s buildings, allowed students to lay out their designs and provided instructors a bird’s eye view to evaluate them. While American allies used elaborate camouflage, USAAF heavy bombers never widely adopted it. This building more frequently functioned as an auxiliary hangar for base utility aircraft shuttles that carried payroll and mail between Lewistown and the main base at Great Falls. It also may have housed the small twin engine AT-6 “tug” used in target practice. The plane towed a windsock-like target over the gunnery range north of Grass Range. The B-17 gunners fired painted, color-coded bullets so the instructor could determine who hit the target. Vintage pinup posters and calendars decorate the “camo” building’s main walls, colorfully recalling the years the building saw active use.

Erected by

The Montana National Register Sign Program.

Lewistown's first library opened in 1897 with 269 books in a corner of Mary Hanson's millinery shop. When Mrs. Hanson left town two years later, the collection moved to the office of Elizabeth Peeples, county superintendent of schools. In 1905 Lewistown received a $10,000 grant from industrialist and library patron Andrew Carnegie for this sandstone building, constructed by Lewistown's famed Croatian stonemasons. Carnegie, who funded over 1,600 libraries nationwide and 17 in Montana, encouraged communities to erect modest buildings, but Lewistown wanted a symbol of civic pride. Contractor T. J. Tubb designed and oversaw the library's construction. Praised as a "public benefactor," Tubb lost money on the project, adding many embellishments at his own expense. Despite Tubb's generosity, the building cost more than Lewistown could afford and the city found itself without funds to install a heating plant, electrical fixtures, and furniture or hire staff. Begun in 1905, the building finally opened to the public in 1908. Notwithstanding this rocky start, the library grew and flourished, becoming the civic monument and ""temple of learning"" its founders had envisioned.

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

In 1879, Metis—people of French and Chippewa-Cree descent—homesteaded in this area, near the army’s Camp Lewis. Many street names memorialize these settlers, who included Francis A. Janeaux and Paul Morase. But open range cattle ranching, nearby gold discoveries, and the growth of the sheep industry quickly made Lewistown a regional supply center. Fergus County was created in 1885 with Lewistown as its seat. The district reflects the maturing of the town as a governmental and business center. C. E. Bell, one of the Montana Capitol’s architects, designed the 1904 stone jail. The elegant stone Carnegie library was built in 1905. The brick Fergus County Courthouse followed in 1907. The Lewistown Art Center is housed in what was once the Charles Lehman Bunkhouse. Lewistown’s first junior high school, built in 1921, is one of the later civic buildings in the district. Residences important for their historical associations and distinct designs cluster around these public buildings. Attorney William Blackford’s residence was built with materials such as finely milled lumber brought in on trains. The two David Hilger residences, one moved here from Fort Maginnis before 1900 and the other built of brick in 1913, recall the sheep rancher who participated in many important community projects.

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

The mechanics that kept the heavy four-engine bombers, known as “flying fortresses,” aloft and the crew chiefs that coordinated the efforts of their teams had offices in this building. The squadrons that trained at Lewistown, Glasgow, and Cut Bank and at army headquarters in Great Falls were engaged in regular training flights monitoring the accuracy of the navigators and promoting teamwork among the crews. Each man had to learn his own job and that of his fellow crewmembers to ensure effective mass tactics. A corporal succinctly stated the mission of the airfield: “This is a place where we will learn to work together, play together, live together, fight together, and if necessary die together.”

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

Fort Maginnis, the last army post created in Montana, was built about 8 miles north of here in 1880. This country was great buffalo range before that time, but cattlemen were bringing in stock from the western valleys and the Texas longhorns were being trailed in from the southeast. There wasn’t room for both cattle and buffalo, so the latter had to go. The soldiers were to protect the cattle from being mistaken for buffalo by hungry Indians, to encourage settlement of the Judith Basin west of here and to patrol the Carroll Road to keep supplies rolling between Carroll (near the mouth of the Musselshell River) and Helena. By 1890 the post was no longer needed, the threatening Indians having been relegated to reservations, and the fort was abandoned with civilian blessings.

There were also quite a number of pale-faced parties who were handy with running iron and prone to make errors as to brands and ownership. Such careless souls were known as “rustlers”. Sometimes the cattlemen called on these pariahs with a posse and intimated that they were unpopular. Usually such a visitation cured a rustler or two permanently.

The airfield’s immense hangar dominates the flight apron and appears much as it did when World War II vintage B-17s roared down the runway. Construction of the airfield began in July 1942. The original hangar plans were soon modified, increasing the height and length of the building, likely to accommodate the larger B-29s. Crews at Lewistown, however, trained exclusively on the various models of B-17s. Hangar construction crews laid out the lumber for the bowstring trusses on site, assembled them for fit, and then took them apart to cut the grooves and glue and spike the pieces together. The airfield accommodated one squadron in training at a time with nine B-17s to a squadron; five of the hangar’s six bays could accommodate five of the huge planes, stacked in like sardines. Before a training mission, the B-17 crews would line up outside the hangar to await the bombardier. Armed guards escorted him to the Norden bombsight shelter to retrieve the top-secret device and then escorted him to the hangar and the plane. The process was repeated upon the crews’ return.

Erected by The Montana National Register

Sign Program.

Welsh immigrant Archibald Hopkins settled in central Montana in the 1870s, where he raised produce for sale to local markets. Hopkins watched Lewistown grow from a small trading post to an established community before linking his fortunes to the town. He purchased this Main Street lot after voters named Lewistown the county seat of the newly created Fergus County in 1899. The following year he and his sons hired a crew of masons to construct this one-story building, distinguished by its cut sandstone façade, curved pediment, and dressed stone incised with the year "1900." An abundance of local sandstone and skilled masons made the decision to build in stone a logical one. So did the lack of a local brickyard. Hopkins and Sons sold groceries, crockery, and kitchen furnishing here until the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railway completed its line to Lewistown in 1908. That year, with the town booming, the Hopkinses moved their business into the large commercial block they had built next door.

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

Rubble stone construction with brick veneer became Main Street’s preferred design after 1909. The elegant façade of this business block is an early example of the newer style, constructed before 1911 when locally produced bricks became available. Ground-floor businesses offered food and libation at the Montana Buffet or pool and billiards next door at Spring and Eldred’s. Upstairs, dance enthusiasts “tripped the light fantastic” at charity and dress balls, weekly dances, and dance classes. In 1914, Professor Oswald of Seattle taught the latest steps like the Hesitation Waltz and the tango. The exaggerated height, arched windows, and decorative sheet metal cornice of the upper floor appear today as they did in 1909.

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

Two distinct buildings of different origins but with a shared purpose rest companionably side by side on this site today. Pioneer merchant Charles Lehman constructed the handsome stone segment in the 1890s as a rooming house for his unmarried male employees. By 1908, a rubblestone addition had doubled the size of the original cut stone building. The residence also served rural students who boarded in town while attending the county high school. The old Lehman property was purchased by the Lewistown branch of the Montana Institute for the Arts in 1970. When the new art center needed additional space, the turn-of-the-twentieth-century two-story frame building was literally rescued from the bulldozer and moved here in 1977. Large doors reveal its former function as the carriage house of local district judge Rudolph Von Tobel. The few exterior alterations, including beautiful stained glass from St. Joseph’s Hospital incorporated into a window and a main entry linking the two buildings together, have little altered the original appearances. The complex now serves the community as an art center and as an inspirational model of adaptive reuse.

Erected by

Montana Historical Society; Department of the Interior, National Register of Historic Places.

In the dark days following the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, Congress appropriated massive defense appropriations. The US Army selected Great Falls, Montana, as the site of a major air base. Concurrent with its construction were satellite airfields at Cut Bank, Glasgow, and Lewistown. On October 28, 1942, the first Boeing B- 17 Flying Fortresses roared over Lewistown’s Main Street with their bomb bays open, buzzed the treetops, and landed at the Lewistown Airfield. Crews trained day and night combining navigation, bombing, and gunnery practice. The men familiarized themselves with all aspects of the B-17 and trained with the top secret Norden bombsight, a computerized aiming device that reportedly could “put bombs in a pickle barrel.” After one to three months of instruction, aircrews then flew directly to join the air war in Europe. Nearly 1,000 GIs trained at the Lewistown Airfield. They became a welcome part of the community, married local girls, and won the hearts of the townspeople. Many never came home. B-17s carried 4,000 pounds of bombs and served in every World War II combat zone, but casualties among bomber squadrons were horrific. A single mission over Germany in October 1942 claimed 60 B-17s and 600 lives. The Lewistown Satellite Airfield was deactivated after eleven months of service. As the US Department of Defense systematically removes “temporary” World War II buildings, this Airfield is a rarity and its intact Norden bombsight storage shelter is the only known identifiable example remaining in the United States.

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

Located at the geographical center of the state, the Lewistown area was the center of many significant events during Montana's formative years. The Blackfeet, Crow and Lakota knew the area as one of their last great buffalo hunting grounds. In 1874, after the establishment of the Carroll Trail by the Diamond R. Transportation Company, Alonzo Reed and John Bowles opened a trading post in the area. At about the same time, the U.S. Army built Camp Lewis, named for Major William Lewis, a few miles away at the present site of Lewiston. The camp, which housed infantry and cavalry companies during the summer months, protected travelers on the Carroll Trail. Reed and Bowles were an annoyance to the soldiers as the unsavory partners sold liquor to the Indians, until a knife fight ended their partnership in 1880. Camp Lewis became the foundation for a new community in 1881. Lewistown became a thriving trade and transportation center in the Judith Basin graced by substantial sandstone buildings built by Croation (sic, Croatian) stonemasons.

Erected by Montana Department of Transportation.

At this airfield, US Army Air Force airmen trained to fly and fight with the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress during the darkest days of WWII. Heavy bomber crews completed final proficiency phase training here before being assigned to aerial combat in Europe and North Africa. The combat squadrons polished the vitally important skills of formation flying, precision bombing with the top secret Norden bombsight, aerial gunnery and navigation.

The Montana airbases were constructed in record time by the US Army Corps of Engineers. By the first anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, B-17 aircraft were landing at this airfield. The 49th, 548th, 570th, and 615th Bomb Squadrons all preformed crucial Organizational Training Unit missions in Montana. B-17 training bases were also located at Cut Bank, Glasgow, and Great Falls.

The Montana-trained squadrons flew a total of 1263 combat missions, dropped 71,128 tons of bombs, lost 548 aircraft and shot down 1018 enemy planes without ever turning away from a mission. They earned Presidential Unit Citations for valor and fortitude over Leipzig, Oscherslaben, Regensberg, Schweinfurt, Steyr and Zwickau.

Assigned to the Mighty 8th and 15th Air Forces, the unwavering courage and unbowed bravery of airmen from this Montana airfield shines as this nation's bright pride.

Erected by Montana Department of Transportation.

Rail transportation in the early twentieth century brought homesteaders to Fergus County and cemented Lewistown’s role as a regional commercial center. The General Brokerage Company of Grand Rapids, North Dakota, financed this stunning warehouse for the Great Northern Railway in 1916. The local architectural firm of Otto F. Wasmansdorff and George Eastman, whose architectural palette included stone masonry and the masterful use of brick, designed the building. Plans called for an innovative design unlike other early nineteenth- century warehouses. It was intended to be an eye-catching addition to Lewistown’s Main Street. The Democrat News, December 17, 1916, reported that the attractive building greatly enhanced the depot area and was an indication that the wholesalers had great optimism for Lewistown as a jobbing and distribution center. The $30,000 grocery warehouse featured up-to-date refrigeration for fruits and vegetables and the most modern system for cooling, humidifying, and ripening bananas. Large peanut roasters, special rooms for candy and nuts, and tempered fresh air ventilation for employees’ offices offered ideal conditions for both produce and workers. The railroad considered this warehouse the best of the sixty it owned at this time. The Lewistown Brick and Tile Company provided the brick, expertly laid to enhance aesthetic appeal. Precast concrete adds contrasting ornamentation. The utilitarian dark red brick forms handsome pilasters at the corners and entry. A grand parapet with precast concrete coping accents the roofline. A “ghost sign” for the Central Feed Company attests to the building’s later conversion to a feed mill.

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

Manufacturer: Boeing

Height: 53 feet 8 inches

Years in Service: 1961-1969

In the late 1950s, the U.S. public perceived there was a "missile gap" between the United States and the Soviet Union, meaning the Soviet Union was pulling ahead of the United States in terms of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) technology. Although this proved to be untrue, the Air Force created the Minuteman program in 1958 to increase the ICBM deterrent force. The Minuteman I became the testing ground for new missile technologies. They were the first solid-fueled, three-stage missiles in the U.S. Inventory.

Minuteman I proved invaluable to American foreign policy. President John F. Kennedy referred to the Minuteman missiles as the "Ace in the Hole" during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Minuteman I was first deployed in 1962 and provided deterrence from Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota, Minot AFB in North Dakota, F.W. Warren AFB in Wyoming, Whiteman AFB in Missouri, and Malmstrom AFB in Montana. In 1966, a modernization program was implemented, upgrading the entire arsenal to Minuteman II or III.

The Minuteman I-B missile on display here was to commemorate the placement of 50 Minuteman III missiles in the area around Lewistown. Underground silos containing these nuclear-warhead missiles are spread across northern Montana. The missiles were placed in their silos in the early 1960s and in late 1966, the Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee considered obtaining a minuteman missile for display. It was noted that the Lewistown area was the hub of the missiles deployed in this area. Installation of this missile was completed on November 5, 1968 and a dedication ceremony was held at this site on May 17, 1969.

In 2015, the missile was refurbished with a new coat of paint and new decals. This work was spearheaded by the Lewistown Historic Resources Commission. Members of the commission and the Sons of the American Legion and other veterans groups did the restoration work on the missile.

Erected by Lewistown Historic Resources Commission.

Constructed during the 1911 half-million-dollar Lewistown building boom, the $20,000 Mackey Building sits directly over Big Spring Creek. A blend of Romanesque and Classical Revival styles, the structure maintains much of its original façade, including the original Mackey Building sign in the colorful exterior checkerboard masonry work. Mrs. Pearl Bloom accommodated borders in the Mackey Rooming House on the second floor until 1922 when it became the Spokane Hotel. Along with a clean room, guests could enjoy a game of billiards and a cold drink at the Rialto Pool Hall. The Blue Goose Saloon operated here in conjunction with the Rialto until 1916. Prohibition forced the Blue Goose’s closure in 1918. Joseph Alweis ran the Hub Clothing out of 202 1⁄2 West Main from 1914 to 1916, and again from 1918 to 1941. The Montana Tavern opened after Prohibition. Patrons can still view Spring Creek through an opening in the floor.

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

The beautiful blending of brick and handcut stone in this 1905 business block serves as a fine example of Lewistown’s distinctive architecture. Romanesque Revival arches, Renaissance Revival wall layering, and an Italianate cornice speak to the exuberant eclecticism of the period. Built by local contractor George Wells for Charles McDonald and John Charters, the building originally housed a land office and the Lewistown Bakery whose specialty was “Mother’s Bread.” The Knights of Pythias met in the second-floor lodge hall. Now an integral part of a three-building unit, the narrow cut stone first-floor entry hall and upper-floor façade retain their 1905 appearances.

Erected by Montana Historical Society; Department of the Interior, National Register of Historic Places.

This elaborate six-story brick structure represents a visible sign of the stability and prosperity in Lewistown in 1916 and stands as the architectural anchor of the Central Business District. The construction of this mixed Neoclassical and Revival style building signaled the end of the town’s greatest period of growth. Designed by J. G. Link and C. S. Haire, the building reflects the construction methods and materials of the period, reinforced by the stunning white terra cotta Beaux Arts style façade. The Montana Building originally housed the Bank of Fergus County and the Montana Hardware Company. Drought and depression created a period of anxiety for building owners and the county eventually acquired partial ownership in lieu of taxes. A massive homestead exodus in 1924 led to the bank’s closure. In response, the First National Bank was established and opened in the building in December 1924. Montana Hardware relocated in 1960 and the bank expanded to occupy the entire first floor. The Montana Building is an excellent example of this period and a monument to the community’s optimism.

Erected by

Montana Historical Society.

Planning and scheduling of the training missions took place in this one-story T-shaped building during an eleven- month period in 1942-1943. After November 1942, when the first of the four-engine B-17 bombers roared down the airfield, they filled the skies over Central Montana. Despite the secrecy and censorship surrounding activities at the airfield, the Army publicized and marked off practice bombing ranges because the use of live ammunition and bombs made public safety a concern. One range in Blaine County was used for the high altitude precision bombing proven successful in Germany; another in northern Chouteau County served as a gunnery range. Two lines of Japanese “Zero Plane” silhouettes served as targets for strafing practice. The men frequently flew in precise formation under simulated battle conditions, “...when ships must be so spaced as to cover one another with guns.” Even routine training flights over Central Montana experienced casualties. One B-17 crashed near Fort Benton in September of 1942 killing all ten aboard; another crash in December of 1943 south of Musselshell claimed ten crewmen and a cook hitching a ride.

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

One of four remaining pre-1900 masonry structures in the 300 block of Main, this structure at 322 and 324 West Main Street originally housed a restaurant and drug store. “Prescriptions our Specialty” proclaimed an early advertisement for the Phillips Drug Company, which proprietor Horace G. Phillips began operating out of this facility in 1910. Phillips Drug Company served as Lewistown’s leading drug store until around 1920. Throughout the years many different drug stores and pharmacies have occupied this space. The Alta News Depot opened at 322 West Main in 1914 and continued to serve Lewistown for the next decade. Various other businesses occupied the area adjacent to the drug store, including a bookstore, a confectionery, and offices. This one-story commercial building retains much of its original façade, including the decorative brickwork above the awning. Light brick, arranged in a “sawhorse” pattern, adorns the parapet area. Three diamonds accentuate each “sawhorse” giving the structure an unusual and eye-catching appearance.

Erected by Montana Historical

Society; Department of the Interior, National Register of Historic Places.

Possibly one of the first architect-designed stone buildings along Main Street, the Power Mercantile Building is the most visible example of Lewistown’s stone architecture. Merchant Francis Janeaux became indebted to supplier T. C. Power and lost his buildings, merchandise, and some lots to cover his $5,096 debt. The Power Brothers established the Power Mercantile Company in 1883 and dispatched N. M. Erickson to run the operation. Erickson petitioned for a post office designation for Lewistown and became the city’s first postmaster on March 10, 1884. Erickson remained managing partner of Power Mercantile until his death in 1894. W. D. Symmes filled Erickson’s vacant post and ultimately became sole proprietor of the mercantile. Active in Lewistown’s development, Symmes served two non-consecutive terms as mayor. The well-established business moved into this larger stone facility in 1901. The mercantile continued to flourish, expanding with a matching addition in 1913. The addition connected the store on Main Street with the warehouse on Broadway. Eventually Power Mercantile occupied most of the 300 block of Main Street.

Erected by

Montana Historical Society; Department of the Interior, National Register of Historic Places.

Local businessman Harrison Green established Lewistown’s first airport at this location in 1928, intending to sell it to the city or operate it as a private enterprise. The city, however, established its own airport in 1933 just across the road from Green’s runway. When airmail and air passenger service began in 1933, it quickly became obvious that the city’s airport was inadequate. It was too close to power lines and its runway was too short. After several close calls, the city negotiated relocation of its airport to Green’s facility. In 1937, this became Lewistown’s municipal airport. In 1941, the WPA improved the facility, paving the runways. This hangar first appears in aerial photographs during these improvements. It served as a hangar-field maintenance facility for private aircraft and Inland Air Lines—the commercial company serving this region—just prior to World War II. The World War II airbase sprang up around the hangar. Inland Airlines, and perhaps private pilots, likely continued to use it throughout the war as an airport utility-maintenance hangar for smaller aircraft.

Erected by

The Montana National Register Sign Program.

Caring for the squadrons of men who trained at the airfield was no easy task. It required a permanent host crew of approximately 150 to keep the base running smoothly. In addition to providing the actual training, members of the host crew assured that the plumbing functioned, the lights turned on, the bunks had sheets and blankets, the roofs did not leak, and the mess hall served up "three squares" each day. Key to an efficient operation was convenient access to necessary supplies. These two large warehouses were devoted exclusively to storing canned and dried food, construction materials, plumbing supplies, clothing, and almost everything else needed to meet the airmen's daily needs. Measuring 32-by-95 feet, the wood-frame buildings were more solidly constructed than most of the buildings on base. Heavy timbers provided the structural support necessary for a conveniently open floor plan and the placement of large garage doors in the buildings' load-bearing walls. The doors opened onto either side of two drive-through bays, making it possible for four trucks to pull inside the warehouses simultaneously, speeding up deliveries.

Erected by

The Montana National Register Sign Program.

Essential for maintaining morality and morale, the Recreation Building was one of the busiest spots on base. A host of activities provided wholesome entertainment to occupy the airmen's off-duty hours. Events included amateur nights on Mondays, movies on Tuesdays and Thursdays, dances on Wednesdays, boxing on Fridays, and religious services and sing-alongs on Sundays. Saturday dances, held downtown at the Civic Center, and regularly scheduled athletic competitions between the airmen and local high school teams filled out a recreational schedule designed to keep the men busy and out of trouble. Lewistown families, many of whom had sons serving overseas, embraced the young airmen and answered the Air Force's call for donations to furnish the Recreation Building's ""clubroom."" Young women of certified good moral character, escorted by senior USO chaperones, rode buses to the base on Wednesdays for the dances. Elsewhere known as ""Victory Belles,"" in Lewistown these patriotic dance partners dubbed themselves the ""bomba-dears."" Far from home, anticipating deployment into grave danger, and eager for distraction, the airmen welcomed such tangible signs of the community's support and goodwill.

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

"Location and remnant of Reed and Bowles Stockade, Trading Post and Station on Carroll Trail 1875-1880. Dedicated by Julia Hancock Chapter Daughters of Am. Rev. September 17, 1940."

Erected 1940 by Julia Hancock Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution.

Lewistown’s first Catholic church was a small frame structure built in 1888. Visiting priests from distant St. Peter’s Mission, Great Falls, and Fort Benton celebrated mass for the French-Canadian, Indian, and settler congregations. The first resident pastor was appointed in 1893. Less than fifteen years later, Lewistown experienced the beginning of a population boom that extended to 1917. When the Catholic population reached a peak in 1915-16, the need for a new Catholic church became critical. The resident pastor, Reverend Victor J. Van den Broeck, and his building committee chose the well-known firm of Link and Haire to design the new church. Despite the architects’ concerns that the site was too swampy, work on the new church began in July 1915. Bishop Mathias Lenihan of Great Falls dedicated the new structure on November 12, 1916. The design of St. Leo’s Catholic Church incorporates a blend of Italian Early Christian and Romanesque styling on a Roman cross plan. The campanile, or bell tower, rises to a height of 95 feet. Blind arcading, exterior buttressing, rose windows, and intricate brickwork with terra cotta highlights complement the integrity and nobility of this magnificent building. During renovation of the interior in 1991-92, the original tabernacle was restored to use and the earliest confessionals were re- fashioned into the present altar.

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

The seven large residences that comprise Lewistown’s mansion, hence “silk stocking,” district were built during the city’s period of greatest prosperity, from 1904 to 1919. In this small neighborhood, central Montana’s major entrepreneurs, whose fortunes represent historic area resource development, built their homes. In 1904, J. T. Wunderlin, a partner in the Barnes-King gold mine at Kendall and an organizer of the Empire Bank and Trust of Lewistown, built his home here. Rancher George Wiedeman built his home in 1905, better able to follow his interests in the Montana Hardware Company and the Lewistown Brick and Tile Company. In the following years, homes were also built by Weymouth D. Symmes, owner of Power Mercantile and a Lewistown mayor; by John Waite, pioneer sheep rancher, banker, and state senator; by department store owner E. C. Swietzer; by rancher- businessman Fred Warren; and by banker T. T. Taylor. Many of these homes were designed by architects. Note the variety of styles—Roman Revival, Shingle style, Arts and Crafts, and Georgian. They attest to the exuberance of this special era in Lewistown’s history.

Erected by

Montana Historical Society; Department of the Interior, National Register of Historic Places.

This replica of the Statue of Liberty was obtained in about 1950 to help celebrate Boy Scouting, which was established in Great Britain in 1908. The Boy Scouts of America soon followed. J.P. Whitaker, then scout commissioner of the Kansas City Area Council, originated the Statue of Liberty replica program to celebrate scouting's 40th anniversary. Lewiston purchased one of the more than 200 Liberty replicas.

In 1984, Bryan McConnell, with the LDS Troop 366 of Lewiston, restored the local replica and placed it in this area of Symmes Park.

The full name is the Statue of Liberty-Liberty Enlightening the World. It was the idea of Edouard Rene de Laboulaye, president of the French Anti-Slavery Society. He inspired his friend, sculptor Frederic Bartholdi, to design the copper statue. Constructed by Gustave Eiffel, it was dedicated on that is now Liberty Island in New York harbor on October, 28, 1886.

The statue was a gift to the United States from the people of France. Since 1886, it has welcomed immigrants to this country. The statue has been renovated three times, in 1938, 1984-86, and 2011-2012. Since 1933.

It had been maintained by the National Park Service.

Although the people of France paid for the statue, Americans had to pay for the base on which it stands. To help raise funds, Emma Lazarus wrote a poem which is graven on a tablet within the pedestal on which the statue stands.

After McConnell restored the replica in 1984, he added a plaque at the site that gives the best known line from Emma Lazarus's famous poem: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."

Erected by Lewistown Historic Resources Commission.

The railroad era in Lewistown ended in 2003. Subsequent to the end of rail service, the BNSF Railway Company negotiated an interim trail use and rail-banking agreement for the transfer of the rail corridor to the City of Lewistown. A Rail-banking agreement allows the railroad to reclaim use of the corridor if needed. The Rail-banking and Bargain Sale Contract was entered into between the BNSF and the city on December 11, 2006. On August 17, 2007 a quitclaim deed and a bill of sale were filed. The salvage of 14.47 miles of track already been completed by the end of 2006. The 150 feet of track you see here remains as an historical reminder of the glory days of Lewiston's railroads. The remaining corridor was converted into a trail for non-motorized recreational use.

Previous to the coming of the railroads, freight was hauled by wagons and people arrived on foot, horseback and stagecoach. The first railroad to reach Lewistown was an extension of a line originating in Lombard, MT. Locally known as "The Jawbone," it was owned and operated by the Montana Railroad Company. The legend behind the name Jawbone came about because the advocate and builder, Richard Harlow, was known for his excessive verbal promotion of the line. The first train arrived in October 1903. Subsequently, from 1907 - 1910, the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad purchased the Montana Railroad. The CM&StP went through several name changes and was most commonly referred to as "the Milwaukee Road."

The Great Northern Railway (GN) decided to expand into smaller communities in central Montana, The GN completed a branch line from Moccasin to Lewistown on November 20, 1912. In addition to the track itself, a handsome, brick depot along with other facilities were constructed in Lewistown. Construction of a line eastward from Lewistown, intended to each New Rockford, ND, was underway by 1913. The roadbed, for this line, was completed to Grass Range but, the track was never laid. The World War I years brought a halt to railroad construction and along with Montana's poor economy during the 1920s discouraged thoughts of reviving the project. Evidence of the partially completed roadbed can still be seen from the highway east of Lewistown.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee was also expanding its presence in central Montana. The company built a branch line from Lewistown north to Hilger in 1912 and extended it to Winifried and Roy in 1914. Also in 1914, track was laid from Lewistown east of Grass Range and 137 miles northwest to Great Falls. Two years later, the Great Falls line was extended to Agawam. In 1917, the Grass Range line was extended east to Winnett. Along these routes were many stations, some with water and coaling facilities, for the steam locomotives and section crews to accommodate the numerous passengers and freight trains. As a side note, steam locomotives were the only power used until the late 1940s when diesel locomotives began appearing. By 1955, all locomotives were diesel. Lewistown's Milwaukee depot was the hub of the Northern Montana Division which originated from the Milwaukee's main line at Harlowton and provided connections to Chicago and Seattle.

Both GN and the Milwaukee built and maintained good-sized terminals in Lewistown. The Milwaukee constructed their Lewistown depot building in 1913. It was used as the passenger depot and office until 1955. The abandoned depot was purchased by the Lewistown Community Hotel Company in 1963 and was renovated as part of the Logo Inn. The former GN depot, located near the junction of 1st Avenue North and Highway 191, was last used by local businesses. The Harlowton, Lewistown, Great Falls passenger service on the Milwaukee line ended in 1955. The GN's Lewistown, Great Falls passenger service ended in 1966.

Freight traffic had decreased on many branch lines by the 1960s. In addition to declining revenues, there were problems with deteriorating tracks and infrastructure. Over the span of 10 years, 120 miles of line were abandoned. In 1970, GN merged with other railroads to become the Burlington Northern (BN), then Burlington Northern and Santa Fe, and finally the BNSF. The 74-mile segment between Lewistown and Geraldine was assimilated by the BN following the Milwaukee's failure. Following 99 1/2 years of continuous railroad service, no more train whistles could be heard in Lewistown.

However, railroading did not end in central Montana. Central Montana Railway (CMR) was organized in 1984 and the next year began hauling grain on state-owned tracks between Geraldine and Spring Creek Junction. Eventually, it connected with the BNSF at Moccasin. BNSF continues to serve huge grain elevators at Moore and Moccasin. In the late 1980s, five miles of new track near Moore and nearly one mile at Kingston Junction (just west of Spring Creek junction) were constructed to augment BNSF and CMR operations.

An excursion dinner train, called the Charlie Russell Chew Choo, operates over a portion of the former Milwaukee's Great Falls line. This exciting and memorable railroading experience is operated by the Lewistown Area Chamber of Commerce and CMR.

Be sure to visit the former depots; Milwaukee and BNSF freight house located near the intersection of 1st Avenue South and Brassey Street; the brick "sand house" which is all that is left of numerous Milwaukee Road structures in what is now called the Brewery Flats; the Spring Creek trestle near Hanover and the railroad museum at Geraldine and Harlowton. Several of the former Milwaukee depots survive including Geraldine, Grass Range, Roy and Winifred.

Erected by Lewiston Historic Resources Commission, BNSF Railway Company, Central Montana Foundation, Central Montana Historical Association.

Lewistown’s population tripled between 1900 and 1910 and the booming building trade attracted stonemasons and craftsmen, many of them Croatian immigrants, who settled here. The upper façade of this 1908 one-story commercial building, revealed during restoration in 1990, exemplifies the fine stonework of these Old World artisans. Also uncovered was the original sign for The Hub clothing store, located here for many years, and the motto (which is repeated on the sidewalk) of proprietor Joe Alweis. A respected early day resident and local property owner, Alweis is fondly remembered by “old timers” for his big-hearted generosity during the hard times of drought and depression. If a customer couldn’t afford clothing, he had to “just pay the freight.”

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

The Judith Basin occupies a central place in Montana's history. For centuries, the lush grasses of the region attracted large numbers of buffalo, antelope, and deer. The abundant game, in turn, drew Indian hunting parties to this area. But the late 1870's, the Indians had been confined to reservations outside the basin and most of the buffalo were gone. Montana cattlemen moved into the area in 1880. By 1885 cattle grazed in this valley. Outfits active in the area were the Judith Cattle Company, the renowned Davis-Hauser-Stuart (DHS) Ranch, and Conrad Kohrs and Nick Bielenberg. Artist Charlie Russell, who gained much of his early experience as a cowboy here during the 1880's, later captured the area's rich and colorful history in some of his most famous paintings. After the cattlemen came the homesteaders, many of them drawn to this agriculturally fertile area by the marketing of the Great Northern and Milwaukee Road Railroads.

Erected by Montana Department of Transportation.

For thousands of years the fertile Wallowa Valley was home to many Nimiipuu, or Nez Perce people. A treaty in 1855 affirmed Nez Perce ownership of this homeland. Competition for land, grazing and hunting opportunities, and the discovery of gold in 1860 resulted in a renegotiation of the 1855 treaty. The new treaty of 1863 reduced the reservation to 10% of the original homeland. Ultimately, General O. Howard ordered the peaceful Nez Perce bands, no longer protected by treaty rights, to move to the reservation near Lapwai, Idaho, in May of 1877.

The Wallowa band sadly gathered their belongings, livestock and horses, and headed for the reservation. They crossed the Snake River, swollen with spring runoff, and gathered at Camas Prairie near Grangeville, Idaho. Agitated by past events, a few young Nez Perce men attacked several white settlers. In the aftermath of their attacks, there was no option but to flee.

In June 1877, nearly 800 men, women, and children with over 2000 horses began the flight that took them over the Bitterroots, through the Rockies, and onto the high plains of Montana. They survived sweltering heat, dangerous mountain passes, and attacks by five different US Army Regiments. The Nez Perce families were within 40 miles of freedom at the Canadian border before being surrounding by U.S. Army soldiers just as the winter snows began to fall.

For five days, the Nez Perce endured cannon fire, freezing temperatures and starvation. When it became obvious the people could survive no longer, Joseph negotiated a settlement that would allow the people to return to Idaho. Unwilling to trust Colonel Miles, Chief Whitebird led his people on a nighttime escape to Canada. Chief Joseph stayed with the remaining people. On October 5, 1877, Chief Joseph walked across the wintry plain and surrendered to Colonel Nelson A. Miles.

"From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever." -- Chief Joseph (Hein-mot Too-ya-la-kekt)

Trading Post at Lewistown

In September of 1877, 5 bands of Nez Perce, under the leadership of Poker Joe (Wahwookya Wasas - Lean Elk) who led them from the Big Hole Battle Field until after crossing the Missouri River, crossed the Musselshell River and entered the Judith Basin. The 5 bands consisted of about 300 warriors and 200 women and followers along with 1000 horses and camp equipment. They had distanced themselves from General Howard and Colonel Samuel Sturgis in their memorable flight in attempting to reach the Canadian border and escape the pursuing army. Having successfully evaded and out-maneuvered the army during 800 miles of almost continuous fighting, the Nez Perce passed through the basin from Judith Gap to Cow Island Landing on the Missouri River.

The Nez Perce felt at home in this country since this was their ancestral hunting grounds, which they came to from their home west of the Rocky Mountains. On Friday night, September 31, 1877, they camped near the stockade of Reed and Bowles Trading Post on the Carroll Trail about one mile below the present site of Lewistown, Montana.

The combination trading post and station was built by two outstanding characters of that time, Alonzo S. Reed and J.J. Bowles. They operated the trading post from November 1874 to 1880. The Nez Perce visited with Alonzo Reed, relating to him the incidents of the fights and boasted of their many successes, the escapes and the punishment they had given Col. Samuel D. Sturgis during their last encounter.

The Nez Perce covered the distance of more than 75 miles from the Reed and Bowles Trading Post to Cow Island on the Missouri in less than 36 hours. Cow Island was, in the period from 1860 to 1885, an important unloading point for steamers unable to continue to Fort Benton. It was also one of the primary crossing of the Missouri River for Indians of all tribes. Interestingly enough, General Alfred Terry and the Sitting Bull Commission arrived at Fort Benton only a few days after the Nez Perce crossed at Cow Island, which was the final skirmish prior to the siege at Bear Paw.

The Exile

"Let the nation in its glory Bow with Shame before the story Of the hero it has ruined and the evil it has done." -- Harpers's New Monthly, 1879

Chief Joseph accompanied his people into exile, first in the unhealthy lowlands of Kansas and later in the windswept prairies of the Indian Territory in what is now Oklahoma. The exiled group included 79 men, 178 women, and 174 children.

The group was initially transported to Fort Keogh in the Montana Territory, then on to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where they spent a miserable winter in squalid conditions. In the spring they were moved to Baxter Springs, the Quapaw Agency and finally the Ponca Agency in Oklahoma. During this time of continued death and deprivation, Joseph took every opportunity to publicize their plight to advance their return to the beloved homeland.

Finally in 1885 Joseph's persistence, coupled with a sympathetic press, strong public support and pressure from the Presbyterian Church, convinced the government to allow the remaining 268 survivors to return to the Northwest. Of that group 118 Nez Perce went to the reservation at Lapwai. Chief Joseph and others who would not renounce their traditional religious beliefs were sent to the Colville reservation near Nespelum, Washington. The tribe was never allowed to reclaim its Wallowa Homeland. Chief Joseph, the most famous of the Nez Perce leaders, died and was buried in Nespelem in 1904.

The Nez Perce removal and exile remains one of the darkest chapters in American History. The 1800 mile journey of 800 brave men, women and children wanting to live and believe as they chose stands as one of the most courageous stories in our nation's past.

The old mining camp of Maiden, now a ghost town, is located about 10 miles east of here. She roared into existence in April 1880 when "Slookum Joe" Anderson, Frank McPartland, and Dave Jones discovered placer gold in the heart of the Judith Mountains. Jennie Connely named the camp after her daughter, called "Little Maiden" by the bullwhackers who brought them to the new mining camp.

At its height in 1884, over 1,500 people called Maiden home. The mining camp's narrow main street snaked through the gulch, leaving barely enough room on both sides for businesses and homes. In 1882, the camp boasted of several general merchandise stores, a meat market, hotel, restaurant, a clothing store, and eight saloons. Maiden boomed for five short years and then began a long slow decline that ended when a fire leveled the camp in 1905.

"Skookum Joe" and Dave Jones located the first hard rock mine, the War Eagle, high in the mountains above Maiden in 1881. Others soon followed, including the Spotted Horse, the Maginnis, and the Collar. Miners considered the ore "high grade" and found it in pockets throughout the mountain range. The Maiden area mines produced over $5 million in gold and sliver before mining ended their in the early twentieth century.

Erected by Montana Department of Transportation.

Stone buildings constructed by skilled Croatian stonemasons are intrinsic to Lewistown’s unique personality. Peter Tuss, who built this home with Anthony Weingart in 1902, was one such prominent craftsman. Constructed for Citizens’ Electric Company president John L. Bright, the home’s roughly coursed sandstone reveals the stonemason’s art and skill of its builder. The cubic form, low-pitched roof, wide overhanging eaves, and open porch with massive tapered columns define the newly emerging Prairie style. In 1905, Rufus B. Thompson, a prominent sheep rancher, Fergus County legislator, and president of the Empire Bank and Trust Company, acquired the deed. Thompson, his wife Immergene, and their five children used the residence as an “in-town” home. The addition at the back housed the Thompsons’ caretaker, Bill Freeman, whose parents were freed slaves. Bill’s family adopted the name “Freeman” after the Civil War. Rufus Thompson was a large man weighing in at 325 pounds. When he died in 1914, the entire community mourned his great heart and exceptional good humor. Ownership of the property remained in the Thompson family, passing to relatives Ronald and Helen Lewis in the 1940s. From 1943 to 1948, the residence served as the Church of Christ. Since 1948, it has been home to members of the Lewis family. Today, the gracious interior survives with details intact. Lincrusta wainscoting, wood trim with its original finish, paneled staircase, colonnades separating the parlor and dining room, a green marble fireplace, butler’s pantry with built-in china closets, and vintage light fixtures preserve the home’s period ambience.

Erected by Montana Historical Society; Department of the Interior, National Register of Historic Places.

During World War II, many aircrews came to Lewistown for the final phase of their training. Here they logged an average eight hours of ground school for every hour of flying time. In this building the men studied aircraft identification, learned first aid and emergency procedures, listened to veteran combat pilots’ experiences, and viewed government training films featuring stars like Ronald Reagan and Allan Ladd. The building also housed three Link Trainers, fully equipped simulated cockpits. Edwin A. Link invented the first simulator in 1928 to lessen expensive flying time while students learned visual skills on the ground. After U.S. airmail planes suffered a series of crashes in 1934, the Army Air Corps began requiring all pilots to take Link training. On the trainers, pilots learned to rely on instruments while flying. The Japanese Imperial Navy also used the Link Trainer, which meant that pilots on both sides of the conflict trained to fight each other using the same system. Most other airbase buildings had outside facilities, but because the men spent so much time here, the training building had it own inside restroom.

Erected by

The Montana National Register Sign Program.

A man of vision and foresight, Austin W. Warr contributed to the financial development of early Lewistown. Warr established many of Lewistown’s founding companies, became a key figure in the development of Central Montana, and helped ensure the financial growth of Lewistown. This 1904 richly decorated building originally housed the United States Land Office. The second in a pair of office buildings designed by Helena architect John Kent for A. W. Warr, the U.S. Land Office building features a Beaux Arts style façade containing elaborate terra- cotta ornamentation. The dressed stone and flamboyant flattened arches accentuate the building’s exterior in a visual sign of Lewistown’s growth and development. Many different businesses called the Warr Building home, including the Lewistown State Bank from 1912 to 1913 and the Big Bear Saloon from 1916 to 1918. The Central Meat Market and The Lewistown Meat Company operated out of the building for nearly two decades. The Victory Barber Shop opened in 1941.

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.

In 1969, this Viet Nam Appreciation Memorial, one of the first in the nation, was dedicated. The memorial was the result of the desire of the central Montana youth to honor their friends and neighbors serving our country in the Viet Nam War. When a local Marine lost his life the spark turned to a fame and, with the leadership of dedicated adults, the youth went to work. Young people from 12 to 19 years old became involved in local fund raising projects to construct the memorial you see here. Bake sales, dances, and other fund raising events gathered the dollars needed to construct the memorial. Though the task wasn't alway easy, the concept eventually won out and a memorial to those who served their country in Viet Nam was finally a reality.

The memorial was dedicated on July 4, 1990 and reconstructed in 2016. Veterans listed on the memorial were an integral part to the rededication and reconstruction along with some of the former youth and their leaders who made it all possible.

The veterans listed on this wall owe a debt of gratitude to those who worked so hard to make it all possible. "THANK YOU." "It mattered not what politicians argued. I mattered not what history would reveal. We had no expectation but to serve where duty called us. We asked for not reward except a nation's thanks." - Col. Albert J. Nahas, USA, Retired.

Erected by Lewistown Historic Resources Commission.

Austin W. Warr employed renowned architect John H. Kent—one of the architects for the Montana Capitol Building—to design the Warr Building. Warr organized the Lewistown Telephone Company in 1899. Upon completion of this new office building in 1904, Warr relocated the Telephone Company here. The Lewistown Telephone Company remained in this structure until 1912, when Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph purchased the local telephone companies. The Fergus County Argus then operated out of this facility for several years. In 1941, the Lewistown Pharmacy opened its doors to the public and continues to serve Lewistown from this location. The second floor served as a rooming house beginning in 1918. A cast-iron column separates the residential entry from the storefront. Lewistown became known as the City of Stone due to its reliance on stone as the primary building material. The façade features alternate cut and dressed stone and flamboyant arches, exemplifying the craftsmanship of stone masonry prevalent in buildings erected in Lewistown during the early twentieth century.

Erected by The

Montana National Register Sign Program.

The banner year of 1913 saw close to $1.5 million spent in Lewistown on construction. Two thirds of that sum went toward new, elegant business blocks. The city’s rapid growth—from approximately a thousand people in 1910 to over five thousand in 1914—predicted a market for commercial space. Entrepreneurs stepped forward to fill the need, among them the founders of the Lewistown Commercial Company, whose principals included local businessmen Austin Warr and James Lane. The company invested $25,000 to construct the three-story Warr-Lane Building, which offered commercial space on the first floor, offices on the second, and two apartments on the third. Renowned Montana architectural firm Link and Haire designed the Beaux Arts style edifice; the firm had a branch in Lewistown, a testament to the community’s sophistication and growth. The architects relied largely on terra cotta to ornament the building. Imported from large, out-of-state manufacturers, the lightweight and easily produced material brought big-city glamour to central Montana. In the Warr-Lane’s case the flamboyant terra- cotta façade features lion heads, Grecian urns, and other ornamental motifs.

Erected by Montana Historical Society; Department of the Interior, National Register of Historic Places.

As Lewistown’s population doubled between 1910 and 1920, the community found itself short on living space. According to the paper, newcomers had difficulty procuring “even the most indifferent dwelling accommodations.” G. R. Wiedeman capitalized on the tight housing market by constructing this two-story business block, which featured retail space on the first floor and apartments on the second. An energetic businessman and Lewistown booster, Wiedeman was a principal in the Montana Hardware Company and one of the founders of the Lewistown Electric Light Company and the Lewistown Brick and Tile Company. His brickyard’s distinctive “Lewistown red” lines the 1916 building’s façade. Much of the rest of the building is of rubble stone, salvaged from the original Montana Hardware Co. building. Wiedeman and his partners razed that early Main Street building in 1916 to construct a larger, more sophisticated business block. As a result, both Main Street and Broadway—whose development lagged substantially behind Main—became more elegant. After a 1943 fire, the Wiedemans converted the mixed-use building into eight apartments, two of which were occupied by Wiedeman sons Art and Bill.

Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.