{"id":3531,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-07-10 22:30:57","latitude":46.24262644009152012358754291199147701263427734375,"longitude":-114.157881438732147216796875,"title":"Louis Peterson Home","subtitle":"Hamilton Southside Residential Historic District","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/932bb632cd7ec66795c346b5b4111b17.jpg","address":"500 S 3rd, Hamilton, MT","all_locations":[],"zoom":18,"creator":["Montana Historical Society"],"description":"Swedish immigrant Louis Peterson—regarded as one of Hamilton’s foremost businessmen and developers—built this Vernacular style cottage circa 1896, living here until his death in 1937. The house likely began as a gable front and wing cottage, but over the years Louis made multiple improvements, adding four gabled additions and an open porch with Doric columns. He owned the Hotel Hamilton, Scandia Saloon, ice houses, and co-owned the European Hotel with twin brother Andrew. Louis served on the First National Bank board and spent nearly two decades as an alderman. He worked to improve public spaces and fought liquor restrictions—a defining issue in local politics. When Ravalli became Montana’s first dry county in 1904, Louis and other saloon owners tested the law’s effectiveness. Once arrested and tried, they immediately appealed to higher courts. By November 1905, The Western News claimed prohibition had cost the county over $25,000, and voters soon repealed the law. Nevertheless, the city forced Louis and other saloon owners to consolidate twelve saloons to five in 1914, which decreased city revenue and forced cuts to the police.","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"private","lede":"","website":"","related_resources":["<a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/c6eaa3c4-7bfc-4a2c-aa8f-33f7a9396e5a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read more about the Southside Residential Historic District</a>","<a href=\"npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/c2415d71-dcb1-4e5a-999d-f966f5b61677/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">See photos of Hamilton Southside Residential Historic District</a>"],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/932bb632cd7ec66795c346b5b4111b17.jpg":{"id":5825,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Louis Peterson Home","description":"Google maps image of Louis 500 S 3rd St, 2022. | <a href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/@46.2425944,-114.1580932,3a,75y,77.39h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sAHs8xFq-bjpEzPwpFyAqcQ!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DAHs8xFq-bjpEzPwpFyAqcQ%26cb_client%3Dsearch.gws-prod.gps%26w%3D86%26h%3D86%26yaw%3D77.38658%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu\">Google Maps Link</a> | 2022 | Google","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/932bb632cd7ec66795c346b5b4111b17.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/b37f894ee33cbd9a0fd66ba5c88d7029.jpg":{"id":5823,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Petersons, 1910","description":"Louis Peterson, bottom right.<br />\r\n | 1910 | Owner","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/b37f894ee33cbd9a0fd66ba5c88d7029.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/679377a277fb62d84c34ed18e911151c.jpg":{"id":5824,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Alderman Peterson","description":"Article in the Ravalli Republic. | <a href=\"https://mthspublic.newspapers.com/\">Access newspapers.com articles through the MTHS Portal</a> | 27 April, 1900 | Ravalli Republic","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/679377a277fb62d84c34ed18e911151c.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/original/d1d9c5fdd7b2293cf44488ba2e1b35cd.pdf":{"id":6559,"mime-type":"application/pdf","title":"Hamilton Southside Residential Historic District","description":"Nomination Documentation. This document is an accessible remediation of the original 1988 scanned nomination form. | <a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/c6eaa3c4-7bfc-4a2c-aa8f-33f7a9396e5a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NPS Hamilton South Side Residential Historic District Nomination</a> | 2026 | Montana Historical Society","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/d1d9c5fdd7b2293cf44488ba2e1b35cd.jpg"}}}