IXL Building – 2707 Montana Avenue

[Home to the Bailey & Billings Bank]

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Block 109, located on Montana Avenue between 27^th Street and Broadway (28^th Street) had 24 lots for cash sale by MMLIC. Most of these lots were resold, and the new investors constructed permanent buildings on the premises. The original owners are listed in the diagram below. There were several changes to the buildings over the years, and the ownership path becomes very cloudy as time progresses. There is no apparent direct link to establish the construction of the (Grissell?) IXL Building that was used in part as the Bailey & Billings Bank. The originally assigned street addresses for Montana Avenue locations are shown on the bottom of the lots. There was one address for each lot. The earlier buildings erected between 1883 and 1900 across the assigned addresses are shown in color in the second plat. Although the lots were originally established as shown, by 1903 buildings were erected across various lot boundaries, and thus three new lots on 28^th Street were created from lots 8-12 when the Belknap Block building[1] was erected. Each lot was 25-feet wide, alleys were 20-feet, and streets were 80-feet.

J.E. Hendry & C.S. Fell compiled a complete “Residence and Business Directory” for Billings in 1883. Reynolds & Hammond of Minneapolis was the publisher. There were almost 2,000 persons listed. This directory, along with the Sanborn Maps helps to identify persons and locate businesses in the city. If there were building permits issued in 1882-1883, they are not evident in City files. In October 1882, Six months after the town was founded) 300 structures existed for both residences and businesses. In 1883, the town of Coulson was incorporated into the Billings townsite, along with other city additions. The actual descriptions of these first few additions were not passed on to the City files; only their existence was noted. Some Billings businesses, as of March, 1883 that were prominently displayed in the directory were:

·         D. Holzman, “The Leading Clothier”

·         Mrs. J. D. Russells, “Ladies’ Bazaar”, advertised, Gents’ Furnishings and a full line of hosiery and corsets.

·         Woolfolk & Hersey, “The City Drug Store”, opposite of the Headquarters Hotel, advertised, “paints, oils, glass and putty, toilet articles and fancy goods, wines, liquors and cigars.”

·         H. H. Bole, “H. H. Bole & Co.”, between 26^th and 27^th Street, advertised, “Prescriptions carefully compounded at all hours, day or night.”  They were wholesale & retail druggists.

·         R. J. Anderson, “Windsor Hotel”, advertised, “First class house in every respect.” Located opposite the depot[2] at Montana Avenue & 27^th Street Boasted that it was located in the heart of the city.

·         D. Goldberg, “Park Hotel”

·         King & Camp Bros. “General Hardware”

·         L. H. Fenske. “Wholesaler of wines, liquors and cigars.”

·         Mrs. M. T. Rooney. “Millinery and Dressmaking.”

·         Mrs. Lemartine, “Dyer and clothes cleaner”

·         Mrs. F. M. French. “Millinery and Dressmaking.”

·         Charles Klambeck. “Mason & builder.”

·         H. H. Mund. “”Stebbins, Post & Mund.”

·         John W. Martin. “Printer, stationery and books.”

·         J. J. Nickey. “Real estate.”

·         Benton, Wells & Co. “Real estate.”

·         John Tinkler. “”United States Land Office, deputy clerk-district court.”

·         H. S. VanCl;eve and P. L. VanCleve. “Van Cleve & Wadsworth.”

·         George D. Rice. “Real estate and general contractor.”

·         Joseph Ryan and J. N. Hannigan. “Ryan & Hannigan, saloon.”

Sale of the lots in block 109 didn’t occur until a year after the first blocks were released for sale. Since over 5,000 lots were sold within six weeks of the original offering at the new townsite, it seems strange that this particular block was withheld from sale for a year. After the lots were sold, there was some restructuring of the lots by the new owners to better accommodate their needs and business interests. Building permits apparently were not required, nor issued for these early structures. In 1884, the Sanborn Fire Insurance Company started creating maps of the city buildings. These are available in Helena at the Montana Historical Society.

 

13 Mattie Rumley – 12-3-1885					Alley	19 F. B. Kennard – 10-29-1883
Mattie Rumley – 12-3-1885						F. B. Kennard – 10-29-1883
Mattie Rumley – 12-3-1885						George B. Hulme – 10-26-1885
M. C. Kimberly – 11-5-1883						Henry W. Rowley – 7-24-1883
Walter Matheson – 4-19-1886						J. B. Clough – 6-14-1883
18 Eugene V. Smalley – 4-19-1886						24 J. B. Clough – 6-14-1883
Alley
Anderson 6-11-83                   Lot 12   2723	Anderson 6-11-83                       2721	Mund 8-13-83                     2719	Mund 8-13-83                     2717	Lape 9-28-83                     2715	Ferrell 6-25-83                   2713	Mitchell 6-12-83                   2711	Garrison 5-23-83                     2709	Comer 7-10-83                   2707	Clough 6-14-83                     2705	Clough 6-14-83                     2703	Clough 6-14-83                   Lot 1 2701

Montana Avenue

The transfer of ownerships for the Montana Avenue lots started quickly, and after the dust was settled, brick buildings started to emerge, as noted in the 1903 Sanborn Map shown below (Parmly Library Holding). The 1894 street scene is from Haynes.[3] This shows the IXL Building, sandwiched between the original Losekamp Building (on the left), and the three-story hotel & business building on the corner of 27^th street. The Losekamp building became part of the Belknap Block complex after he acquired Lots 8 – 12. The corner building became eventually the Billings Gazette building. During the ensuing years some of the storefronts were changed, and the only real evidence of the buildings is viewable from the alley behind the structures.

 

The changes that occurred during the first few years are as follows. Please note, that to fully understand the transaction events, the reader must refer to the listed documents. This is only a partial compiled listing, and a full linkage of the owners was not recorded in the land-deed record books.

 

Lots1, 2 & 3 (Col. J. B. Clough)

Lots 1 & 2 on this corner eventually became the Billings Gazette Building (34-feet tall), which expanded into the adjacent two buildings, and then became a parking lot. Clough sold Lot 3 on 28 August 1884 to Edward H. Lee[4], and then Lots 1 & 2 to John McGinness, who took out a mortgage from the First National Bank to pay for the property, on 27 February 1885[5]. It is unclear as to what exactly happened here, since Robert J. Anderson claimed ownership of Lots 1 & 2 in 1884[6]. He sold them to John McGinnis on 12 June 1884.[7] At that time construction of the corner building on Lots 1 & 2 commenced. Col JB Clough was division engineer in charge of construction for the NPR track section between Glendive and Livingston. Choice residential lots in 1882 were on the flats at the south edge of the city, and this northern area proved to be virtually useless for immediate financial growth. On 9 October 1886 Lee transferred Lot 3 to Laura C. Lee.[8]

In 1886 the 2-story corner building housed a bank, drug store, general merchandise sales, a post office and rental rooms. Lot 3 had a small dry goods store on the west half of the land in 1884; the eastern half was vacant. By 1886 the vacant lot was converted into a storage facility.

Lot 4 (James A. Comer)

A small grocery store was originally erected on the lot after purchase. Comer was a barber by trade, and left for Spokane Falls, Washington Territory soon thereafter. He paid $188 for the lot, which had its tax base stated effective as of 10 April 1882. On 21 July 1885 Comer, who was living in Spokane at the time, sold the lot to Peter Larson for $1600, including the improvements, which were not specifically denoted.[9]  In the following year, Bailey and Billings evidently leased the structure and started their bank in that facility. Larson later sold the property and building to the Yellowstone Bank of Billings on 1 Jan 1892.[10]

Lot 5 (Neelie Garrison)

This Lot had many anxious owners and partners. On 14 August 1883, OD Garrison sold the lot to Thomas Mallon.[11] One-half of Lot 5 was then transferred from Thomas R. Mallon to Hiram Backus on 31 December 1884, the remaining half was sold to Backus on 2 April 1885.[12]  After having sold the lot to Backus, there evidently was a judgment, and Mallon probably re-acquired the property and transferred it on 19 January 1896 to Maggie Mallon[13],[14].  Backus still claimed ownership and sold the property to Omar Hoskins on 28 September 1887.[15] Hoskins sold 1/3^rd of the lot to Thomas Mallon on 22 April 1887, and 2/3-rds to Thomas Mund on 26 September 1887.[16]

Lot 6 (Abram P. Mitchell)

Abram transferred the property on 22 May 1884 to himself and his wife. Immediately thereafter he assigned the land by Decree to himself[17]. He then sold the land on the same day to Elsie N. Mund.[18]

Lot 7 (H. Ferrell)

Not researched.

Lot 8 (F. Lape)

Lape sold the lot to Peter Larson on 19 March 1885; Larson in turn sold the lot to Henry Belknap on 21 August 1885.[19]

Lots 9 & 10 (H. H. Mund)

Mund sold the lots on 16 May 1884 to Henry Belknap.

Mund arrived in Billings in 1882, and first established a banking firm in Block 111, Lot 12. He was a banker, and when the NPR made its first arrival passing through Billings, August 22, 1882, flags were draped over the bank building to honor the occasion.[20] He established the first bank in Billings, pictured here, starting with $15,000 cash[21], a branch of the Stebbins, Post & Mund Bank headquartered in Deadwood.

 

Thomas McGirl, a stockman from Huntley, made the first deposit into the bank. McGirl had a flowing beard and was powerfully built. When he arrived he was fully armed and called out for the banker, causing a great fear in Mund’s mind that he was about to be robbed! McGirl stuck out a sack of gold and asked that it be deposited. (Photo by Haynes, NPR photographer, from YGF Files). This view shows four structures in 1883, looking east on Montana Avenue. The buildings shown were built on lots 9-12. These buildings had false fronts applied to make them more imposing. The corner one is the Mund bank, to the east is Tully, Hart & Freese Hardware, and next is The John D. Losekamp’s first clothing store, followed by the Farmers Hotel (originally named the International Hotel until mid-1883.) Losekamp had a large sign painted onto the vertical rimrock surfaces on Sacrifice Cliff (across from Coulson), which read: “J. D. Losekamp Clothing, Hats, Caps, Boots and Shoes.” When he closed his business, the Yegen Brothers took over the sign, and replaced Losekamp’s name with “Yegen Bros” and added “We Buy and Sell Horses” to the sign. Portions of the red lettering for the large sign are still visible today. In May 1883, the bank constructed an underground vault so as to better protect their deposits and records[22]. It was a good thing that the vault was constructed since all buildings within the block were destroyed in the 3 May 1885 fire that started in the Farmer’s Hotel.

“LEWIS R. ZAHM, cashier of the bank of Stebbins, Mund & Fox, Central City. This bank was organized February 17, 1880, with a cash capital of $20,000. Mr. Zahm came to Central City in December 1879, and engaged in the banking business. From 1863 to 1868, inclusive, he was employed in the Union National Bank of Chicago, Ill. He went from there to Seneca, Kansas, where he opened and took charge of the banking house of Lappin & Scrafford, until he came to Dakota. He was born in Monroeville, Ohio, January 29, 1845. He was educated in Lockport, N. Y.; he took a preparatory course and passed examination for Yale College, when he enlisted July 1861, and became Adjutant of the Third Ohio Cavalry. He was mustered out as First Lieutenant in February, 1863.[23]”

 “WILLIAM A. REMER came to Deadwood, Dakota, in 1880. He was born in Penn Yan, Yates Co., N. Y., in 1855; was raised and educated in his native county. Mr. Remer is cashier of the Bank of Stebbins, Fox & Co., of Sturgis, having the same officers as the Merchants’ National of Deadwood, Dakota; it was opened Tuesday, July 17, 1883, for business. They do a general banking business.” 

“J. F. SUMMERS, cashier of Stebbins, Fox & Co.’s bank. This bank was opened for a general banking business December 18, 1882. The capital employed equals $15,000. Mr. Summers came to Deadwood in February 1877, and was connected with the Merchant’s National Bank of that city four years. He was born in Liberty, Bedford Co., Va.”

“A. FOX, cashier of the Merchants’ National Bank, came to Deadwood in July 1877, and engaged as a clerk in the bank of Stebbins, Post & Mund, until he became cashier of the Merchants’ National. He was born in Essex County, Ontario, Canada. The Merchants’ National Bank was organized April 1, 1880, succeeding the bank of Stebbins, Post & Mund, W. R. Stebbins, president; Seth Bullock, vice-president; A. Fox, cashier. The directors are, S. Bullock, W. R. Stebbins, A. Fox, D. McLaughlin, F. Jensen, F. M. Allen, W. E. Adams, J. Deetken and J. A. Harding. The capital is $100,000, surplus and undivided profits, $70,000. They do a regular banking business in all of its details.”

W.R. Stebbins started the banking firm in Cheyenne, and then the First National Bank of Deadwood. In 1880 he sold this bank, and along with Mund and others organized the Merchant’s National Bank of Deadwood. He also owned banks in Central City, Sturgis, Spearfish, and one in Buffalo, Western Territory. On August 1, 1883, Ppost sold his share of the bank to Stebbins, and the name was changed to Stebbins, Mund & Co. This team also had banks in Miles City and Livingston.

Lots 11 & 12 (A. Anderson)

Robert J. Anderson acquired the lots and transferred them to Emma A. Anderson (A. Anderson)[24].  A. Anderson sold Lot 12 on 11 June 1883 and then Lot 11 on 21 August 1883 to Belknap.[25]

Henry Belknap now owned five lots 8-12. These eventually became the Belknap Block, which housed the Belknap building. Construction started in May 1883, ahead of the final sale of the land[26] (currently the building location is a parking garage). The IXL Building was erected c1883 on Lot 4. Adjoining it were two other buildings

Construction of the IXL Building Complex

When Bailey & Billings opened their bank on Lot 4, the building was listed as housing a grocery business. In the adjoining Lot 3, the building erected on the west ½ of the lot housed a dry-goods store with separate storage facilities, and a fruit stand. The original buildings on lots 3 & 4 were separated by about a distance of about a foot or more. A meat market was adjacent in Lot 5. It was built tight against the Comer building. The building view (below) shows the false front across these two building lots. The IXL bank building itself was 25 feet wide, and initially extended partway into the lot. The front encapsulates three windows on the second floor, between the small buttresses. The adjacent buildings architectural design was created to match, and from the front it appears as one building. After the building was merged with the one on the corner (Gazette Building) the façade was changed, and all evidence of the IXL trademark contained in the shallow well at the top, was destroyed. From the available records, it appears that the IXL brand and the future name of the Frank Grissell ranch on the Powder River area was only used by him. For some unknown reason this name was applied to this structure’s façade. There was evidence that Comer or Larson had an affiliation with the Lancers. The IXL is a registered trademark, although it is also an archaic way to denote “39.”  More research is required to establish the complete origination of the name.

Frank D. Grissell was a Captain with the 9^th Bengal Lancers Cavalry Unit, when India was under British rule. Their unit was called IXL (meaning 9^th Lancers), thus the name apparently chosen for the building false front constructed on Lot 4. It is unknown how Frank became involved with the building, but afterwards he bought 156.12 acres of ranchland in the Powder River area, near Sheridan, WY under a cash sale on March 18, 1891. Construction of the false front requires more research before this can be verified. So far, he is the only person known to have been in the area, and was a former member of the 9^th Bengal Lancers.

In May 1885 the building was occupied (in-part) by the “IXL Clothing Store” and managed by Mr. Robertson. According to the May 22^nd edition of the Daily Gazette, he was an artist in decoration. Passer-byes remarked about his ability. Shortly before the Bailey & Billings Bank was opened, the IXL Clothing Store fell on hard times, Sheriff King under orders (from the court) turned over the assets to Joseph Hanauer, pending litigation of Hanauer versus Robinson & Crippen (former managers of the store.) Notices were published in the Daily Gazette that the firm of Robinson & Crippen was “unknown”, and anyone having business dealings with them should be aware not to pay any debts owed to that firm[27]. On May 26^th the Daily Gazette reported that Billings & Bailey are putting in fixtures for their new bank in the IXL Building, and they will open in a few days. “This is a temporary arrangement as they will erect a brick or stone building more suitable for the purpose.” On the 27^th, E. H. Walker, cashier for the bank, arrived with the firm’s money. On the 29^th Bailey and Billings received a desirable lot of horses from their ranch near Fort Maginnis for disposing[28]. On June 1^st, EG Bailey went to Park City to conduct business, and on June 2^nd, Parmly went west on the morning train.

 The building had a combined 50-foot frontage and was originally divided into three units with addresses of 2705, 2707 and 2709. Adjacent to it on the east is one other building with two units facing Montana Avenue; 2701 and 2703.These became the Gazette. Adjacent to the IXL to the west was a vacant ½ lot. Over time the storefront and door locations changed to accommodate the various business ventures located there. Currently the building is empty, boarded shut, and the upper façade structure is falling away from the building. By the 1900’s the building was extended in size, and fills about 90% of the lot. It was a two story building.

Parmly & Bailey then established the “Bailey & Billings” bank in that building[29]. The bank opened on May 26, 1886, with funding support from Frederick Billings. Parmly, the first child of Frederick Billings, was born in Vermont[30] on 6 February 1863; and died in Chicago 25-years later, on 7 May 1888 after completing an exhausting mining trip in the severe cold. Edward Bailey, 1^st cousin of Parmly, was then sole owner of the bank. (Photo on left from Gazette files) Oddly, on 10 June 1889, Parmly received his 480-acre Coal Patent mining claim from the US Government.[31]

The picture is a cropping from the original picture filed in the Western Heritage Museum (photographer unknown). It identifies Parmly & Edward standing in front of their door on opening day. The small clothing business shown on the left of the bank hasn’t been positively identified, but evidently has a 2709 address and should be the IXL Clothing store; the bank would be at 2707.

On June 4^th, 1886 the firm placed an ad in the Daily Gazette that advertised their business as BANKERS. [“Transact a General Banking Business. Special attention given to collections. CORRESPONDENCE INVITED. Also agents for the Minnesota and Montana Land and Improvement Co.”]

 

In 1891 the Billings & Bailey Bank was succeeded by the Yellowstone National Bank, and maintained offices at the same location on Montana Avenue until 1922. In 1903, the bank shared the building with the Golden Rule department store (address 2705 Montana Avenue, Claude N. McCracken, proprietor). Shortly after 1912 the Golden Rule department store became the Golden Rule Bankruptcy Company, managed by Carl Friedman. The store was a sales outlet for various household furnishings and clothing. It then changed hands and became the Golden Rule Clothing and moved two doors west into a much larger space formerly occupied by a billiard parlor at 2709 Montana Avenue. This left the entire IXL building available for the banking business.

In 1918-1919 the Yellowstone National Bank[32] moved to the corner property on the northwest corner of Montana Avenue and Broadway (28^th Street) and operated from that location in the former Donovan & McCormick Building (2803-2805 Montana Avenue.) Shortly before 1922 this bank merged with the Merchants National Bank (SE Corner 1^st Avenue North) and jointly became the “Yellowstone Merchants National Bank[33].”

In 1923 this bank re-organized as the Midland National Bank, and remained at the office location on Montana Ave and 28^th St until 1955. The building at that location was named the “Midland Bank.” In 1943 there was a fire in that building complex, and the second floors, which were used primarily by the Elks Club, were destroyed. The bank temporarily moved into the Northern Hotel while the building was being reconstructed.

Shortly after the bank moved from the 2707 location, various enterprises occupied the building on Lot 4 for short periods of time, including Panos’ Billiards, Jacob McKiniva’s Barbershop, Wright’s Red Top Cab service, and numerous others. In the 1950’s the building was un-occupied for a while. In 1922 “The Model”, a clothing store occupied part of the site; in 1925 the “Louis Melnick” clothing store was located in part of the building. After that, the Billings Gazette, which had offices on the corner (2701 Montana avenue), in the Gazette Building, took over the entire local complex of buildings. For most of the time, the address at 2709 was split into 2709 and 2709-1/2.

Partial listing from 1922 through 1982 for the Montana Avenue two-building complex[34]: