Miner's Union Hall

Built in 1890 at a cost of $23,000, this three-story building was once the social center of a bustling mining town. Its first floor was constructed of native granite, with a cast iron front holding 6 large windows and small colored glass panes. The upper stories were brick, the roof was covered with sheet metal, and the interior walls and ceilings were plastered, with elaborate molded pine trim artificially grained to look like hardwood. Lighting was by oil lamps, one of which weighed 400 lbs. The second floor housed union offices, a library, and a large hall with an 18ft. ceiling, wallpaper, a special maple spring floor for dancing, and a stage at the back, while 500 folding chairs provided seating for concerts, operas, and theatricals. The first floor served as a recreation hall for miners, with billiards and card tables, and the third floor contained a meeting room used by clubs and secret orders. In the 1890s, buildings along Main Street included saloons, rooming houses, and restaurants, while across the street stood the newspaper office and in the gully below were Chinatown and the red light district.

Montana · United States