Livingston in Park County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Grabow Hotel
Livingston Commercial Historic District
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, July 24, 2021
1. Grabow Hotel Marker
Inscription.
Grabow Hotel. Livingston Commercial Historic District. German immigrant William Grabow settled in the Livingston area in the early 1880s. There he established a flour mill and helped introduce the manufacture of brick. Between 1908 and 1911, William built this prominent corner building, where he and his wife, Elizabeth, established the Grabow Hotel in 1911. It was soon recognized as one of Montana’s leading hostelries. Guests at the Grabow enjoyed “every known convenience,” including hot and cold running water in each of the thirty rooms and a fine European style restaurant. William died at the height of the 1918 flu epidemic and Elizabeth, six feet tall and eminently capable, ran the business until 1936 when the hotel fell victim to the Great Depression. The once-popular hotel was sold at sheriff’s sale and later converted to offices and apartments. In 1998, William and Elizabeth’s grandchildren, sisters Patricia Grabow and Bonny Grabow Milligan, brought the building back into the family and began its restoration. They burned the 1936 sale document, the source of three generations of family grief, over the graves of their grandparents.
German immigrant William Grabow settled in the Livingston area in the early 1880s. There he established a flour mill and helped introduce the manufacture of brick. Between 1908 and 1911, William built this prominent corner building, where he and his wife, Elizabeth, established the Grabow Hotel in 1911. It was soon recognized as one of Montana’s leading hostelries. Guests at the Grabow enjoyed “every known convenience,” including hot and cold running water in each of the thirty rooms and a fine European style restaurant. William died at the height of the 1918 flu epidemic and Elizabeth, six feet tall and eminently capable, ran the business until 1936 when the hotel fell victim to the Great Depression. The once-popular hotel was sold at sheriff’s sale and later converted to offices and apartments. In 1998, William and Elizabeth’s grandchildren, sisters Patricia Grabow and Bonny Grabow Milligan, brought the building back into the family and began its restoration. They burned the 1936 sale document, the source of three generations of family grief, over the graves of their grandparents.
Location. 45° 39.728′ N, 110° 33.514′ W. Marker is in Livingston, Montana, in Park County. Marker is at the intersection of East Callender Street and South B Street, on the left when traveling west on East Callender Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 204 East Callender Street, Livingston MT 59047, United States of America. Touch for directions.
The marker is in the window to the right of the main entrance.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 31, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 250 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on January 31, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
