A Little History on One of Livingston's Founding Fathers
In 1957, Sterling and Jody Fink, purchased their home at 222 South 6th, for $7,900.00. Later on, when Jody passed away in 1999, this 5 bedroom, 3 bath home was sold, and today is valued in the $300,000's.
The home was built by one of Livingston's founding fathers, AW Miles. AW was the nephew of General Nelson Miles, who came east with General George Custer, (who made a name for himself, but not in a good light....) Miles City Montana is named after General Miles, and the 'why' of his nephew coming to Livingston and settling here - is unsure.
In addition to the home at 222, AW built a similar home at 226, and one at 230, for each of his children; Dan Miles and Betty Jane Miles. Each home was built as a 'kit house' and then individually modified to suit AW's taste. The home at 222 has a wrap-around porch, while the same kit house has a larger upstairs on the back, and the house at 230 is the smallest version of the 3 - from the kits. A number of homes on the west side of town are kit homes. These kit homes were ordered from Lumber yard catalogues and then transported by rail to Livingston, and unloaded at what is now - the Rib and Chop House, and the families would come with their horses and wagon and load the kits and take them to the designated addresses and build the home on site.
The above photo is from the winter 1957 when Finks first resided in the house, and youngest daughter Lindie, is standing on a cement stoop, which was used for passengers in carriages - to step down to the main sidewalk. Sterling Fink took Lindie's picture on the stoop - before removing it, because of heavy parking traffic in front of the house, when a neighborhood grocery store was directly across the street from the house, and customers complained about the nuisance of the stoop being in the way, as well as their banging their car doors on the stoop, so Sterling decided to remove this piece of local history....
AW also formed the AW Miles Lumber and Coal Company, which was located on Park street - which was at that time - the main highway ( Hwy 10 and also Hwy 89) running through Livingston, between D and E streets - which is now home to the one block strip mall businesses- from the 49'er Diner all the way to the Northwest Chemical Dependency office.
AW also built a Mercantile store further north - in Clyde Park.
Also - the AW Miles building downtown on 2nd street housed a Hardware store and a clothing store, as well as Women's Apparel and Fabric shop, with an exclusive women's hat millinery, called the Rose Room, with the Upstairs being developed in to the Park Hotel.
The Miles Ranch still exists today - on the way to Bozeman - on the south side of I-90, and is still family owned and run, by one of AW's great grandsons.
Also - the AW Miles building downtown on 2nd street housed a Hardware store and a clothing store, as well as Women's Apparel and Fabric shop, with an exclusive women's hat millinery, called the Rose Room....
The Miles Ranch still exists and operates today - on the way to Bozeman - on the south side of I-90, and is still family owned and run, by one of AW's great grandsons.
