Helena in Lewis and Clark County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Samuel Dempster House

Helena Historic District

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 15, 2021

1. Samuel Dempster House Marker

Inscription. Small dwellings along this stretch of West Main Street housed miners and other boarders from the mid-1860s. The first plat of the Helena townsite, drawn in 1868, designated this former mining claim Block Number 1. Scottish immigrant Samuel Dempster may have been the home’s first occupant. In 1881, Gertrude Weggenman purchased the property. She and her husband Joseph, a blacksmith at Blackfoot Miles City, moved here. Joseph died of consumption in 1883 leaving Gertrude with six children. She married Samuel Dempster in 1885. The Dempsters moved next door to 488 West Main in 1890 while Gertrude’s two older children, Joseph and Mathilda Weggenman, continued to live at this address. Like most of its neighbors, the modest dwelling is built into the hillside. At the back of the property there is an entrance to the original mine and a root cellar that provided even temperatures year round for food storage. The 1860s two-room north portion, built of rubblestone, features the original door, a porch with chamfered posts, and wood-framed windows. The south wing was added by 1888, probably to accommodate the large Weggenman-Dempster

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family.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Buildings • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Montana National Register Sign Program series list.

Location. 46° 34.923′ N, 112° 2.77′ W. Marker is in Helena, Montana, in Lewis and Clark County. It is at the intersection of West Main Street and Carriage Lane, on the left when traveling north on West Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 480 W Main Street, Helena MT 59601, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically entral Montana in Gold West 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: Elisha and Joseph Poad House

Samuel Dempster House and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 15, 2021

2. Samuel Dempster House and Marker

(within shouting distance of this marker); 488-490 West Main Street (within shouting distance of this marker); B.K. Tatem House (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Last Chance Gulch (about 600 feet away); Kluge House (about 600 feet away); Lawrence and Amanda Beaver Residence (approx. 0.2 miles away); Reeder's Alley (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named Reeder's Alley (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Helena.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 5, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 5, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 327 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 5, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.