Anaconda in Deer Lodge County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Wills Residence

Butte-Anaconda Historic District

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 6, 2022

1. Wills Residence Marker

Inscription. 401 East 3rd Street, Anaconda, Montana Rapidly increasing demand for copper ore in the 1890s brought an influx of more than 5,000 new residents to the Smelter City between 1890 and 1900. To house them all, a fleet of carpenters built hundreds of cottages and multi-family units. This brick boardinghouse, built in 1897, stands out from its Queen Anne cottage neighbors. The house’s hipped roof, wide fascia board, and segmental arch window frames reflect the Italianate style, popular in the West beginning in the 1870s. Advertisements for the rooms boasted electric lights and bathrooms, luxurious amenities at the time. Initially, working-class men and young families lived here. In 1900, smelterman J.C. Brennan and family and streetcar driver Michael Kilcoyne, his wife, children, and two brothers-in-law shared the house. By 1906, two women, fourteen smeltermen, and a policeman crowded into the residence. Grocer Marko Hotti, an immigrant from Albania, and his Czech wife, Louisa, lived here after 1924 and rented out rooms. Hotti’s Grocery was a fixture on Park Street until 1945. The house remained in the Hotti family through

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the 1990s.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Montana National Register Sign Program series list.

Location. 46° 7.648′ N, 112° 56.938′ W. Marker is in Anaconda, Montana, in Deer Lodge County. It is at the intersection of East 3rd Street and Cedar Street, on the left when traveling west on East 3rd Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 401 East 3rd Street, Anaconda MT 59711, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically outhwest Montana, in Gold West Country, in Mining 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: 321 East Third Street

Wills Residence and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 6, 2022

2. Wills Residence and Marker

(a few steps from this marker); Imperial Meat Market (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Schmidt Plumbing (about 500 feet away); 408 East Park Avenue (about 500 feet away); Barich Block (about 500 feet away); Davidson Building (about 500 feet away); MacCallum and Cloutier Block (about 500 feet away); Thorsen Brothers Grocery (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Anaconda.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 8, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 8, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 188 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 8, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.