Nestled in the forested mountains of the Clark Fork River valley, this early-twentieth-century church recalls the era when prosperity rode the rails of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company. As the tracks of the “Milwaukee Road” were the lifeblood of the town’s economy, this simple church served spiritual needs. The Methodist congregation came together circa 1912 to construct the simple one-story gable-fronted building. It was built on a rectilinear plan and typifies early churches that often doubled as meeting halls in rural western communities. The square belfry, sided with wood shingles and louvered vents, perches off-center atop the roof. Placement of the bell tower to the side was a common signal of denominational affiliation; bell towers on Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, and Congregational churches were most often centered on the roof. Beveled clapboard siding and windows with orange translucent glass add to its quaint turn-of-the-century charm. The tenacious little town withstood electrification of the Milwaukee Road in 1917 and consequent loss of its division point status, but the townsite never progressed beyond “first phase” frame building. That is why the few buildings that remain from the early period are especially precious. This is one of two churches established in Alberton during the town’s prosperity, and the Methodist congregation continues to hold its services here.
]]>Established in 1910, this is one of Alberton’s earliest businesses. Joe Boileau, a former foreman of the planing mill at Lothrop, moved to the recently platted Alberton and opened a meat market. The original two-story, western false-fronted commercial building features a simple cornice with brackets and is finished in clapboard sheathing with vertical board corner trim. A 1915 addition widened the structure and continued the false-front motif but at a lower elevation. A second addition, lower in height than the previous, occurred before 1925. For many years, the west second floor served as Alberton’s first Masonic hall and provided meeting space for the Masons, Eastern Star, and Odd Fellows. William A. Bestwick purchased the property in 1912 and operated a meat market, grocery store, and frozen foods locker until the late 1950s. Bestwick immigrated from Alstonefield, England, to Canada in 1909, arriving in the Missoula area shortly before coming to Alberton. In 1915, he married Beatrice Eddy and together they raised three children. Committed to civic involvement, Bestwick served as mayor, as deputy stock inspector for the Nine Mile Stockmen’s Association, as county chairman of U.S. Savings Bonds, as Red Cross director, and was a member of the Alberton Masonic Lodge. The double recessed entrance, a unique feature for a single-business facility, the large plate-glass display windows, intact wood frame, and preserved false-front still retain the feel of Milwaukee Road-era commercial architecture.
]]>Alberton came to life when the tracks of the Milwaukee Road were laid through this valley in 1908. Soon in need of a school, the town built its first frame schoolhouse in 1910. Fire claimed the wooden structure in 1916. As classes were held in private homes scattered around town in 1917, the student population of Alberton School District #2 grew to the largest in Mineral County. The community rallied, laying plans for a new facility. Just before completion, the Chicago, Milwaukee and St Paul Railway discontinued its division point facilities at Alberton. Residents, however, realized the importance of a safe and adequate school for their town and vicinity. Despite the town’s hard hit economy, the $70,000 brick school opened in 1919, symbolizing Alberton’s transition from railroad boom town to permanent community. Completion in the wake of financial hardship demonstrates the solid commitment to education and faith in the town’s future that kept Alberton viable through adversity. The school, designed by acclaimed Montana architect Ole Bakke, reflects the Collegiate Classical Revival style. This substantial brick building dominates the landscape with its fine detailing, classical proportions, and pleasing symmetry. Kalispell architects Fred Brinkman and Percy Lenon designed the visually separate gymnasium addition, built in 1957. From 1919 to 1960, Alberton School was the only high school in forty square miles. It continues to serve local children today. While few of Montana’s vintage schools have escaped remodeling, this outstanding community landmark survives virtually unchanged from its original period design.
]]>The first of the Milwaukee Road’s steam locomotives rumbled through this valley in 1908, bringing sure stability to the young settlement of Alberton. The town noisily came to life as a division point along the route, where fresh crews waited and engines were serviced. The Milwaukee Road Depot anchored the early community. Machine shops, repair tracks, and a roundhouse occupied the town’s busy center, where four passenger trains made 30-minute stops daily. The depots “beanery” fed both workers and travelers; local businesses thrived. In 1917, railroad officials cast a pall over Alberton when electrification of the line between Harlowton and Avery made this and other division points like it obsolete. The wood-frame depot continued to serve for the next 65 years, but the town’s growth had been arrested at a developmental peak. Consequently, its main street buildings were never rebuilt in more substantial brick. In 1980, salvage crews pulled up the tracks, boarded up the depot and the valley became silent, its heritage apparently forgotten. By 1983, it seemed as if Alberton would become a ghost town. Determined residents, however, refused to write its epitaph. Rehabilitation grants turned the railyards into a city park and refurbished the 1908 Craftsman style depot, sparking community enthusiasm to preserve Alberton’s railroad roots. Now housing a senior citizen center and town offices, the splendid depot is more than the symbol of a once-vibrant economy. It is again the heart of the community.
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