By 1890, Butte boasted 10,723 inhabitants, more than eighty operating mines, and an extensive electric streetcar (trolley) system. As demand for copper soared and the population tripled over the next decade, multifamily residences and apartment buildings filled most vacant lots, especially in the west- and south-lying neighborhoods. Jesse Wathey, superintendent of the Butte Consolidated Street Railway, commissioned this classic brick duplex in 1890. Colored multipaned windows in the living room, a second-story porch, and a decorative parapet (roofline) added charm to the middle-class, two-bedroom units. Jesse and his family lived in a small house nearby on an adjoining lot facing Porphyry Street. They rented the apartments to an ever-changing array of skilled mine workers and young professionals. Jewish immigrants Simon and Rachael Witofsky purchased the building by 1913. Simon operated the Butte Trunk Manufacturing Company, and Rachael raised their children and managed tenants. When the couple divorced in 1916, Rachael gained full ownership and continued living in No. 326, renting out rooms until 1922. Her son Mendal and family lived next door in No. 328 from 1923 to 1931.
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