Lewistown in Fergus County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Bon-Ton
Lewistown Central Business Historic District
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 17, 2019
1. Bon-Ton Marker
Inscription.
Bon-Ton. Lewistown Central Business Historic District. 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.
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.
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Location. 47° 3.914′ N, 109° 25.588′ W. Marker is in Lewistown, Montana, in Fergus County. Marker is on West Main Street (U.S. 87) near 3rd Avenue North, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 312 West Main Street, Lewistown MT 59457, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 19, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 11, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 181 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on December 11, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
