Great Falls in Cascade County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Anaconda Company Manager's House
Northside Residential Historic District
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 19, 2019
1. Anaconda Company Manager's House Marker
Inscription.
Anaconda Company Manager's House. Northside Residential Historic District. The Boston and Montana Consolidated Copper and Silver Mining Company, later acquired by the Anaconda Company, chose a treeless bluff overlooking the river to locate its smelter and refinery in 1892. Among the seventeen managers’ houses built at Black Eagle in the mid-1890s, this Queen Anne style home was the largest. Although built circa 1893, its first resident manager was Charles W. Goodale (1902 to 1913). A later manager, Al Wiggin (1918 to 1941), had many trees planted on barren Smelter Hill, transforming it into a pleasant, shaded neighborhood. Managers continued to use the residence until the refinery closed in 1980, jeopardizing the future of the company houses. Most were saved and moved to new locations. This home, weighing 120 tons, was moved to its present site by Richard and Carol Ecke in 1983. The lovely vintage residence features oak floors, carved ceiling beams, and rain gutters of copper, a material readily available at the refinery. Mahogany trim and original pewter and crystal fixtures hint at the refined lifestyle of a high-ranking company official.
The Boston and Montana Consolidated Copper and Silver Mining Company, later acquired by the Anaconda Company, chose a treeless bluff overlooking the river to locate its smelter and refinery in 1892. Among the seventeen managers’ houses built at Black Eagle in the mid-1890s, this Queen Anne style home was the largest. Although built circa 1893, its first resident manager was Charles W. Goodale (1902 to 1913). A later manager, Al Wiggin (1918 to 1941), had many trees planted on barren Smelter Hill, transforming it into a pleasant, shaded neighborhood. Managers continued to use the residence until the refinery closed in 1980, jeopardizing the future of the company houses. Most were saved and moved to new locations. This home, weighing 120 tons, was moved to its present site by Richard and Carol Ecke in 1983. The lovely vintage residence features oak floors, carved ceiling beams, and rain gutters of copper, a material readily available at the refinery. Mahogany trim and original pewter and crystal fixtures hint at the refined lifestyle of a high-ranking company official.
Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.
Location. 47° 30.523′ N, 111° 18.144′ W. Marker is in Great Falls, Montana, in Cascade County. Marker is at the intersection of 3rd Avenue North and 3rd Street North, on the left when traveling west on 3rd Avenue North. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 301 3rd Avenue North, Great Falls MT 59401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 19, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 26, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 179 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on December 26, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
