Comments on: Western Heritage Center http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/ I'm physically incapable of making a long story short - and I've been making short stories long for years. Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:19:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Guusje http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/#comment-3134 Fri, 24 Nov 2006 02:44:32 +0000 http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/#comment-3134 I want to go visit this library! I want to go visit this library!

]]> by: Montannie http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/#comment-3125 Wed, 22 Nov 2006 16:47:47 +0000 http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/#comment-3125 My guess is that the old photo was taken from the roof of the Gruwell Building, which stood where the parking lot is today at the northwest corner lot of the intersection of Montana Ave. and N. 29. I had to do some Sanborn map research to get this information. The Gruwell building was erected in 1899, and was still standing as of 1958; the digital Sanborn maps for Billings don't go past that time, but I'll be the Library has more information. The 1903 map shows a bowling alley in the back of the Building, which was split into 2821 and 2823. In later years, it was a hardware store, and a hotel. I think at some point, Chappel Drug was in the building, maybe on the corner. I'm betting the building burnt sometime after 1958. I can't remember what was on the lot when I went to the library as a child. What fun history is! My guess is that the old photo was taken from the roof of the Gruwell Building, which stood where the parking lot is today at the northwest corner lot of the intersection of Montana Ave. and N. 29. I had to do some Sanborn map research to get this information.

The Gruwell building was erected in 1899, and was still standing as of 1958; the digital Sanborn maps for Billings don’t go past that time, but I’ll be the Library has more information. The 1903 map shows a bowling alley in the back of the Building, which was split into 2821 and 2823. In later years, it was a hardware store, and a hotel. I think at some point, Chappel Drug was in the building, maybe on the corner.

I’m betting the building burnt sometime after 1958. I can’t remember what was on the lot when I went to the library as a child.

What fun history is!

]]> by: Jon http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/#comment-3124 Wed, 22 Nov 2006 14:58:23 +0000 http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/#comment-3124 Do you know what the original vantage point was, and is it still there? Do you know what the original vantage point was, and is it still there?

]]> by: Teri http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/#comment-3122 Wed, 22 Nov 2006 03:37:31 +0000 http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/#comment-3122 I must be getting old--I still remember when it was the library. It was an impressive library to go into when I was in junior high. I must be getting old–I still remember when it was the library. It was an impressive library to go into when I was in junior high.

]]> by: Laurie http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/#comment-3121 Wed, 22 Nov 2006 02:05:09 +0000 http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/#comment-3121 Nice picture Karen! Hope you are well. Nice picture Karen! Hope you are well.

]]> by: Kirk (& Sheba) http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/#comment-3119 Wed, 22 Nov 2006 00:17:29 +0000 http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/#comment-3119 When I went there several annums ago (it was my first time, and I had lived in Billings the first 22 years of my taking up space on the planet), there were exhibits on irrigation, a mockup of a post office fronm the early 1900s, a Crow teepee, or tipi, depending on who's spelling one uses (there's a photo of it on my flickr site), and down in the basement there was a display of a dude ranch house. Since then, they've moved J.K. Ralston's log cabin studio onto the property (old J.K. was a regular customer that the Buttrey's store I worked at on Grand and 13th West in the mid-70s). Other interesting places to go in Billings (if you're a history buff) are the County Historical Museum (the log building at the airport next to the steam locomotive -- what a locomotive is doing next to an airport puzzles me -- and the staute of The Range Rider -- modeled by silent film star William S. Hart), Yellowstone Kelly's grave on Black Otter Trail just east of the airport (which has the best view of the entire Yellowstone valley), and the Moss Mansion on Division Street, between Clark and Yellowstone Avenues. When I went there several annums ago (it was my first time, and I had lived in Billings the first 22 years of my taking up space on the planet), there were exhibits on irrigation, a mockup of a post office fronm the early 1900s, a Crow teepee, or tipi, depending on who’s spelling one uses (there’s a photo of it on my flickr site), and down in the basement there was a display of a dude ranch house. Since then, they’ve moved J.K. Ralston’s log cabin studio onto the property (old J.K. was a regular customer that the Buttrey’s store I worked at on Grand and 13th West in the mid-70s).

Other interesting places to go in Billings (if you’re a history buff) are the County Historical Museum (the log building at the airport next to the steam locomotive — what a locomotive is doing next to an airport puzzles me — and the staute of The Range Rider — modeled by silent film star William S. Hart), Yellowstone Kelly’s grave on Black Otter Trail just east of the airport (which has the best view of the entire Yellowstone valley), and the Moss Mansion on Division Street, between Clark and Yellowstone Avenues.

]]> by: Leesa http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/#comment-3118 Tue, 21 Nov 2006 23:13:11 +0000 http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/#comment-3118 Great building.. I'd love to see the inside :) Great building.. I’d love to see the inside :)

]]> by: michael erickson http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/#comment-3117 Tue, 21 Nov 2006 20:51:49 +0000 http://www.karbonkountymoos.com/2006/11/21/western-heritage-center/#comment-3117 Karen, Do take the time it is actually really neat inside and time well spent.... Karen, Do take the time it is actually really neat inside and time well spent….

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