Livingston in Park County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Murray Hotel
Livingston Commercial Historic District
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, July 24, 2021
1. Murray Hotel Marker
Inscription.
Murray Hotel. Livingston Commercial Historic District. Antique furniture, red oak doors, a towering lobby, and 700 square feet of marble make this historic hotel a timeless ambassador of the “real West.” Built circa 1904, the Murray began as the Elite Hotel (locally pronounced EE-light) when Livingston was a busy tourist hub. Its unassuming brick façade reflects the great age of American hostelries and their inevitable link with the railroad. In 1922, the Senator James E. Murray family of Butte financed expansion to four stories, but foreclosed on owner Josephine Kline in 1925 and renamed the hotel. The popular Murray contained the town’s only elevator (which is still in use) and its lobby was a favorite rendezvous. The demise of rail travel figures into the Murray’s decline in the 1960s. Recent owners breathed new life into its seasoned rooms and suites, where celebrity outlaws such as Sam Peckinpah and Jack Palance have hung their hats. And the likes of Robert Redford, Peter Fonda and Whoopi Goldberg, to name just a few, have patronized the Murray’s Art Deco bar.
Antique furniture, red oak doors, a towering lobby, and 700 square feet of marble make this historic hotel a timeless ambassador of the “real West.” Built circa 1904, the Murray began as the Elite Hotel (locally pronounced EE-light) when Livingston was a busy tourist hub. Its unassuming brick façade reflects the great age of American hostelries and their inevitable link with the railroad. In 1922, the Senator James E. Murray family of Butte financed expansion to four stories, but foreclosed on owner Josephine Kline in 1925 and renamed the hotel. The popular Murray contained the town’s only elevator (which is still in use) and its lobby was a favorite rendezvous. The demise of rail travel figures into the Murray’s decline in the 1960s. Recent owners breathed new life into its seasoned rooms and suites, where celebrity outlaws such as Sam Peckinpah and Jack Palance have hung their hats. And the likes of Robert Redford, Peter Fonda and Whoopi Goldberg—to name just a few—have patronized the Murray’s Art Deco bar.
45° 39.7′ N, 110° 33.742′ W. Marker is in Livingston, Montana, in Park County. Marker is at the intersection of West Park Street (U.S. 89) and North 2nd Street, on the left when traveling west on West Park Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 201 West Park Street, Livingston MT 59047, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 29, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 29, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 123 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on January 29, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
