Missoula in Missoula County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
906 Worden
Northside Missoula Railroad Historic District
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 21, 2019
1. 906 Worden Marker
Inscription.
As Hellgate trading post grew into Missoula after 1860, farms sprouted north of the city center. The 1883 arrival of the Northern Pacific railroad brought residential construction to the Northside. The new neighborhood housed mainly railroad workers, many of them immigrants who came via the Midwest. Among them were Swedish-born John and Johana Swanson, who farmed in Wisconsin before buying this lot in 1897. They built this wood-frame, gable-front-and-wing house (with kitchen under separate roof in case of fire) that reflected the vernacular National Folk style. This style proliferated in the late nineteenth-century with the advent of balloon framing and the spread of railroads (which made lumber affordable). It proved popular on the Northside: larger versions often occupied corner lots. John and Johana also built a small alley house, presumably a rental, a common neighborhood feature. A railroad family, the Swansons raised seven children on John’s railway wages, two of whom also worked for the railroad. In 1918, eldest daughter Emma Strothman moved home from Spokane after her husband, also a railroader, died. Emma, a rural
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mail carrier, lived here until her death in 1969.
Erected by Montana National Register Sign Program.
Location. 46° 52.833′ N, 113° 59.849′ W. Marker is in Missoula, Montana, in Missoula County. It is on Worden Avenue near Kennett Avenue, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 906 Worden Avenue, Missoula MT 59802, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Western Montana and in Glacier Country. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 613 North Third Street West
Credits. This page was last revised on January 16, 2020. It was originally submitted on January 16, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 261 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on January 16, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
