THE COSMOPOLITAN HOTEL



1878 newspaper ad for the Cosmopolitan

The Cosmopolitan Hotel, located at 37-39 South Main, was for many years Helena's finest hotel. It was ideally situated at the hub of banking and commerce during the boom years, and attracted all the movers and shakers of the era. During its peak, the Cosmopolitan was operated by Sam Schwab and Ed Zimmerman.

Beginning about 1920, the building housed the store of C. J. Bausch & Sons, retailers of stoves and ranges. The two upper floors were removed after being damaged in the 1935 earthquakes, that damage being caused in part by a large heavy sign which had been mounted on the front of the building.


The Cosmopolitan Hotel after the 1935 earthquakes.
THE WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION




THE GRANDON HOTEL

The Grandon Hotel, southwest corner of 6th Ave. and Warren. Built in 1885, it was destroyed by fire on March 14, 1968. Three lives were lost in the blaze. The building was notable for the single granite column supporting the northeast bay.



Footprint of the Grandon Hotel superimposed on a recent satellite image.



The site of the Grandon, March 2007. COURTESY OF DEREK EVERS



Ad for the Grandon Hotel - COURTESY OF SCOTT NELSON - THE BRIDGEWORKS CONSERVANCY

 

 

 

1890s view taken from Warren St., looking across 6th Ave.

UNIDENTIFIED HELENA HOTEL, ABOUT 1910

Lobby of an unknown Helena hotel, 1910. Probably not the best accomodation in town.

 




HOTELS AND BOARDING HOUSES NEAR UNION DEPOT

Hotels and boarding houses in the 1500 block of Railroad Ave., ca. 1900. These establishments were directly across from the Union Depot. Hap's Beer Parlor is located on this block today.
THE WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION



 


THE PLACER HOTEL

The Placer Hotel (or Hotel Placer), southeast corner of Last Chance Gulch and Grand St.
Completed in 1913, the Placer was for many years Helena's finest hotel; it has now been converted to apartments. As an unofficial headquarters for Montana legislators and lobbyists, the Placer was the scene of much political intrigue over the decades. COLLECTION OF KENNON BAIRD

 

Another version of the previous view. Many postcards of this era had manipulated images which didn't always depict reality. THE DAVID HULL COLLECTION

 

 

 

1940s view of the Placer. Note the stylish and welcoming Cheerio Lounge sign.





Gold beneath the Placer Hotel, 1948.



A 1950s view. THE DAVID HULL COLLECTION

 

 

 

The clubby Placer Hotel lobby.

 

 

The Placer Hotel lobby from the mezzanine.

 

 

 

The Placer Hotel Cafe.

 


The Placer Hotel Ballroom COLLECTION OF NANCY GOODSPEED

 

 

The Placer Hotel Barbershop THE DAVID HULL COLLECTION



1930s Air Mail envelope

 




Luggage sticker and trade tokens.

 


Placer Hotel Matchbook



 

 


THE HARVEY HOTEL

The Harvey Hotel, 10 N. Main, 1930s.

 


Looking south toward the Harvey Hotel, early 1950s.

 

 

Passkeys from the Harvey Hotel COURTESY OF INEZ SLAYMAN, WHO WRITES...

My mother in law was Lillian Slayman. She was a maid at the Harvey up
until the time it caught fire and burned. I'm pretty sure the pass keys
were hers. My husband's father also was the manager for several years at the hotel.

My husband is Wally Slayman and he said he was about 6 years old when it burned, so that may have been about 1965. He used to hang around the hotel sometimes until his mom was done working, and the Woolworth store that was just down the street
.

 


Stationery from the Harvey Hotel COURTESY OF INEZ SLAYMAN

 

 

House rules, from a 1960s in-room directory COURTESY OF INEZ SLAYMAN

 

 

1953 Fire at the Harvey Hotel. The Harvey was no stranger to fire when it was finally destroyed in a huge blaze around 1965. On May 19, 1953, faulty wiring sparked a fire in the basement of the building. It spread rapidly upward inside enclosed walls and framed pillars between the hotel and the cafe annex. About $100,000 damage was done (around $730,000 in today's money), and several Helena firemen were injured. One hotel resident had to be brought out of the building by ladders, over the top of the Eddy Bakery on Edwards St. Adjacent business suffered smoke and water damage.

 


TREASURE STATE COURT

Cabins with no toilets? Well, at least you had a choice. Treasure State Court, probably 1940s. This postcard was very cheaply printed. Located at 910 N. Main, Treasure State Court became the site of the Main Motel, which was "modern" in every respect.

 

MAIN MOTEL

The Main Motel, 910 N. Last Chance Gulch, 1950s. Attached was a 4-B's Cafe, one of several in Montana, owned by the Hainline family. They're still in business, but not in Helena.

 

 

Main Motel, 1950s, with Carroll College in the background.


 

Pre-demolition phase of Main Motel buildings, 2004. On the right can be seen the former Gertie's Drive-In building and the former Armory. COURTESY OF JEFF SHERLOCK

 

SUNRISE MOTEL

The rather bleak-looking Sunrise Motel, which was located on the east side of Helena, on 11th Ave.

 

CAPITAL AUTO COURT - CAPITAL MOTEL

Located on the northwest corner of Montana Ave. and 11th. Every Capital Auto Court cabin had a cowboy silhouette above the door.

 



BELL MOTEL

Bell Motel, 40 E. Lyndale. Pictured here in the late 1950s, it was in operation by 1940 under the name of Treasure State Cabins. In 1952, it was renovated and the name changed to the Bell Motel. At that time, it was owned by Mr. & Mrs. W. L. Bompart. Helena newspaper classified ads from the era show that many of the units were rented on a weekly or monthly basis.

The operation was expanded, and by 1953 there were three seperate Bell Motels in Helena: The one pictured here at 40 E. Lyndale, 1900 11th. Avenue on the east side, and 1805 Euclid on the west.

 


JORGENSON'S

Concept rendering of what would become Jorgenson's Holiday Motel and Restaurant, at 1714 11th Ave. The origin of the "Sentry" name is unclear, but to my knowledge it never operated under that name. Note the menacing 30-foot-tall armed British "sentry" signs, which were never built. Although the original buildings are gone, the enterprise is still operating as Jorgenson's Inn & Suites.

 

 

 

The story goes that the builders of the Holiday Motel, Gene Billerbeck and his wife, chose the distinctive color for the buildings after seeing a "Cameo Coral" 1954 Ford Skyliner at a Helena dealership. This is probably the Billerbecks, with said Skyliner, posing for a Ford Motor Company promotional magazine photo.



 

The sign had rows of chasing lights on the yellow arc, which would run up, over and down into the "Holiday", ending in a colorful splash.

 

 

 

Another earlier view.

 

 

 

Jorgenson's Restaurant - which has seen at least one addition, and now includes a casino -- of course.



LAMPLIGHTER MOTEL - FORMERLY HELENA CABIN CAMP

The Lamplighter Motel (formerly the Helena Cabin Camp) 1006 Madison Avenue. They're still in business, but let's hope they've scrapped the crushed-velvet decor.

 

IMPERIAL 400 MOTEL

The Imperial 400 Motel, 524 N. Last Chance Gulch, ca. 1970. During the 70s, the motel lounge had a reputation as a gay rendezvous. Indeed, it was listed as such in at least one national gay guidebook of the era. It's now a Budget Inn Express, sexual orientation unknown.

 

IF YOU HAVE PHOTOS OR EPHEMERA RELATING TO THESE ESTABLISHMENTS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
HOTELS
BRISTOL HOTEL - COURTLAND HOTEL - THE DAWN HOTEL - GRANDON HOTEL - HARVEY HOTEL - MARTHA HOTEL - NASH HOTEL - PARK HOTEL - TEMPLETON HOTEL
MOTELS
BELL MOTEL - CAPITOL MOTEL - GRAND VIEW MOTEL - HELENA CABIN CAMP - KOZY MOTEL - LOG CABIN MOTEL - MAIN MOTEL - STAR MOTEL - TOWER MOTEL - SUNRISE MOTEL - JORGENSON'S HOLIDAY INN - LAUREL MOTEL