{"id":3537,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-04-17 19:40:16","latitude":46.8632141217776592156951664946973323822021484375,"longitude":-113.9906215667724609375,"title":"Ross House","subtitle":"University Area Historic District","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/b04cf07974dfc7509f6eee833f05f9a8.jpg","address":"500 Eddy Ave, Missoula, MT","all_locations":[],"zoom":18,"creator":["Montana Historical Society"],"description":"The Missoula Woman’s Club purchased these corner lots for $10 in 1909, hoping to build a clubhouse. The club eventually built on the University of Montana campus, and in 1922, Kenneth Keith Ross and wife Gladys (Simerson) built this classic American Foursquare style home. The style name refers to its boxy yet practical design. Most Foursquares are cube-shaped with a hipped roof and a floorplan comprised of four, roughly square rooms on each floor arranged around a central hall. Kenneth was vice president of the Montana Logging Company and son of Kenneth Forbes Ross, general manager of Anaconda Company’s Bonner logging operations. The Rosses moved to California in 1925 and rented the home to the Alpha Xi Delta sorority, one of the oldest women’s fraternal organizations in the United States. About fifteen female college students shared rooms, studied, and entertained here with supervision from house mother Laura Corbley and later Barbara (Hayes) Higgins, widow of Missoula mayor Francis Higgins. Major Frank Milburn and wife Amanda (Bamberger) rented the home in 1928. Frank commanded the Army Reserve Officers&#039; Training Corps battalion and coached sports at the University of Montana until 1931.","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"private","lede":"","website":"","related_resources":["<a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/6c366039-f63c-4dfe-a00b-6e52513d1ad4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read more about the University Area Historic District</a>","<a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/27234b9f-e046-4d17-9a5f-697320e10a9d/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">See photos of University Area Historic District, Missoula, MT</a>"],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/b04cf07974dfc7509f6eee833f05f9a8.jpg":{"id":5811,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Ross House","description":"Photo of Ross House. | 2023 | Owner","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/b04cf07974dfc7509f6eee833f05f9a8.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/484ff59d2165c438f08424d030139b8d.jpg":{"id":5807,"mime-type":"image/png","title":"Ross House","description":"Historic view of Ross House in University of Montana yearbook. | Owner | Ca. 1926 | University of Montana","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/484ff59d2165c438f08424d030139b8d.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/2065496d0118b8d9b5789dce16d017c9.jpg":{"id":5809,"mime-type":"image/png","title":"University of Montana ALPHA XI DELTA yearbook page","description":"University of Montana yearbook page. | Owner | Ca. 1926 | University of Montana","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/2065496d0118b8d9b5789dce16d017c9.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/7b9f6a41fb4152d09b764f6c9fded2b0.jpg":{"id":5914,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"&quot;On the Campus&quot;","description":"Article in The Missoulian. | <a href=\"https://mthspublic.newspapers.com/image/348684340\">Access the newspapers.com article through the MTHS Portal</a> | 25 February, 1925 | The Missoulian","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/7b9f6a41fb4152d09b764f6c9fded2b0.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/a5433c9b5aacba700e3b525b58fa2777.jpg":{"id":5915,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"&quot;Gen. Milburn Dies; Native of Indiana&quot;","description":"Article in The Times.  | <a href=\"https://mthspublic.newspapers.com/\">Access newspapers.com through the MTHS Portal</a> | 26 October, 1962 | The Times","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/a5433c9b5aacba700e3b525b58fa2777.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/e8e3c3aecf66ba8baca879344471d0a2.jpg":{"id":5916,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"&quot;House Mothers Entertained&quot;","description":"Article from The Missoulian. | <a href=\"https://mthspublic.newspapers.com/image/349046237\">Access the newspapers.com article through the MTHS Portal</a> | 24 January, 1926 | The Missoulian","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/e8e3c3aecf66ba8baca879344471d0a2.jpg"}}}