Glendive in Dawson County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Dion Building ⎯⎯⎯ Exchange Bank
Merrill Avenue Historic District
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 10, 2020
1. Dion Building / Exchange Bank Marker
Inscription.
Dion Building, also, Exchange Bank. Merrill Avenue Historic District. Fire swept through Glendive’s wood-frame businesses in January of 1886, destroying Henry Dion’s saloon and general merchandise, established on this corner in 1881. Dion constructed a kiln and built a more substantial fire- resistant brick building, completed later that year. The striking Gothic style building was featured in an 1889 issue of The Northwest Magazine. Dion’s businesses occupied the two storefronts while the Glendive Club, the center of the town’s social life, shared upstairs space. The club opened to ladies one day a week and hosted frequent dances in its handsome quarters. Remodeling of the building in 1929 included a new façade of better quality brick accented with marble and limestone panels. The original “Glendive brick” may still be seen in the elevator foyer. Dion served as Dawson County’s first sheriff and in many other public offices. He was president of the Exchange Bank established here in 1901 and retained presidency of the Exchange Sate Bank when it was founded in 1911. While many financial institutions failed during the 1930s, this bank remained solvent thanks to the private funds of its stockholders.
Fire swept through Glendive’s wood-frame businesses in January of 1886, destroying Henry Dion’s saloon and general merchandise, established on this corner in 1881. Dion constructed a kiln and built a more substantial fire- resistant brick building, completed later that year. The striking Gothic style building was featured in an 1889 issue of The Northwest Magazine. Dion’s businesses occupied the two storefronts while the Glendive Club, the center of the town’s social life, shared upstairs space. The club opened to ladies one day a week and hosted frequent dances in its handsome quarters. Remodeling of the building in 1929 included a new façade of better quality brick accented with marble and limestone panels. The original “Glendive brick” may still be seen in the elevator foyer. Dion served as Dawson County’s first sheriff and in many other public offices. He was president of the Exchange Bank established here in 1901 and retained presidency of the Exchange Sate Bank when it was founded in 1911. While many financial institutions failed during the 1930s, this bank remained solvent thanks to the private funds of its stockholders.
Erected by Montana Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment
Location. 47° 6.267′ N, 104° 42.812′ W. Marker is in Glendive, Montana, in Dawson County. It is at the intersection of South Merrill Avenue and West Bell Street when traveling south on South Merrill Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 102 South Merrill Avenue, Glendive MT 59330, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Montana’s Missouri River Country. It is also in the American Mountain West, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, on the prairies, on the Great Plains, and specifically on the Northern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, 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.
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 10, 2020
2. Dion Building / Exchange Bank Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 27, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 354 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on December 27, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
