Kalispell in Flathead County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Lee/O'Neil House
West Side Historic District
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 20, 2020
1. Lee/O'Neil House Marker
Inscription.
Lee/O'Neil House. West Side Historic District. Rural families who valued education faced a dilemma when their children graduated from the local one-room school. Many students simply ended their studies after eighth grade. A lucky few, like Mercedes Lee, moved into town for the winter to attend high school. Some came alone and boarded with Kalispell families; Mercedes came with her parents, Hamilton and Martha Lee, whose older children cared for their Milk River ranch during the winter. In 1906, the Lees completed this seven-room home, conveniently located two blocks from the new county high school, which graduated its first class in 1902. Wide eave returns, a full-length front porch, a pedimented entry, and clapboard siding add character to the Colonial Revival style residence. Because of its location, the house retained its connection to education long after Mercedes graduated from high school. In 1930, printer Ernest O’Neil lived here with his wife, Frieda, their four children, and two female boarders, both of whom were teachers.
Rural families who valued education faced a dilemma when their children graduated from the local one-room school. Many students simply ended their studies after eighth grade. A lucky few, like Mercedes Lee, moved into town for the winter to attend high school. Some came alone and boarded with Kalispell families; Mercedes came with her parents, Hamilton and Martha Lee, whose older children cared for their Milk River ranch during the winter. In 1906, the Lees completed this seven-room home, conveniently located two blocks from the new county high school, which graduated its first class in 1902. Wide eave returns, a full-length front porch, a pedimented entry, and clapboard siding add character to the Colonial Revival style residence. Because of its location, the house retained its connection to education long after Mercedes graduated from high school. In 1930, printer Ernest O’Neil lived here with his wife, Frieda, their four children, and two female boarders, both of whom were teachers.
48° 11.508′ N, 114° 18.951′ W. Marker is in Kalispell, Montana, in Flathead County. Marker is on 3rd Avenue West near 6th Street West, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 617 3rd Avenue West, Kalispell MT 59901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
The marker is to the right of the stairs, behind the bush.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 20, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 29, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 74 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on November 29, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
