The Benton weekly record., 1883-10-06
The OVERLAND.
A Few Remarks About am Old Land
mark.-When it Was Built and
Who Has Owned 1t

| The removal of John Hunsbe. ger to the
Grand Union hotel virtually wound up
J! the career Of the Overland as hotel, al
though his lease does not expire until
Monday next. While the building will be
occupied by other parties for other pur-
poses, the old-timer can no longer recognize
it as sthome" as they have done SO many
years. Its humble walls have sheltered
the hardy pioneer for almost two decades,
and the scenes of hilarity and excitement
which have taken place there would fill a
volume. 1t was the pioneer hotel of Fort
Benton, and as such enjoyed
the patronage of almost every one in the
community until the population became
sufficiently large to warrant other and
more pretentious buildings. At the time
Of its construction the population of Fort
Benton was mostly composed of wolfers
and trappers, who made the town their
headquarters in summer and spent the
winter on the prairies and streams in
search of furs. During the summer busi-
ness was lively and, at $1.25 a meal in gold
or 81 80 in greenbgcks, the Overland did a
lucrative business; in the winter it barely
existed. The permanent population
gradually increased, however, until
business became quite good during the
winter months and more than excellent
in summer The old hotel has been al
ways crowded of late years and retained
the confidence and patronage of all who
visited it. 1t was headquarters for all old
timers and if the walls could talk The
RECORD would never want for reminis-
cences hereafter. The gang that made the
place so famous, however, have become
gradually scattered and lost and it is only
fitting that the hotel should pass away
with them.
| Previous to the erection of the Over
land the only public house was the Coun-
Gil House restaurant, run by the Healy
brothers (now JOS Sullivan's harness shop).
so called because treaty with the Black
foot Indians was concluded in the build
ing in November, 1865, by Acting Govern
or Meagher and Indian Agent Upton.
Healy bro hers were meeting with great
success and were scarcely abe to supply
the demand upon them Seeing their
prosperity led Jacob Smith to conceive the
idea of erecting frame hotel which should
supply all needs. He purchased the ma
terial for his proposed house in Helena,
had it almost entirely framed there and
brought it to Fort Benton early in the
spring of 1866. Very little time was oc-
cupied in it's construction and Mr.. Smith
soon had it running in full blast.
The building was 25x90 feet and
contained two rooms. 1t was run
as restaurant and hotel, guests who
desired lodging being compelled to sleep
on the floor as best they could. Smith
ran the house until the middle of the sum-
mer. when he sold out to Ben Stafford and
retired to ranch on the South Fork of
| Sun River where he is now successful
| farmer and stock raiser. Stafford had
| boom staan,hnat man and came lid the
river from st. Louis. He was quite an en-
terprising landlord and made some money,
running the house until the fall of 1867,
when he sold to F. C. Roosevelt, who
came to Benton as agent of Wells, Fargo
& Co.'S. Express Company. The accom-
modations of the house kept improving,
rooms being secured in other buildings,
which were let to dodgers at what would
seem nowadays very stiff price. Mr..
Roosevelt made popular bonface
and carried on the house until
the spring of 1870, when he sold out to
| Charley Rowe and r. r. Mills. Mr..
Roosevelt made start in the Overland
which has made him rich man and his
mammoth furni; ure house in Benton is
known tar and wide. In the spring OF
1873 William Rowe bought the interest OF
Mr.. Mills and the house became the prop
erty of the Rowe brothers, who still own
it. They ran the hotel personally until
| 1877, when it was leased to j. j. Healy
and John w. Tattan. These gentlemen
made good hotel men, being popular ano
affable, but having their eyes on higher
things, sold out their lease in October
1873, to John Hunsberger, who has
been landlord of the Overland ever since
When the Rowe brothers purchased the
property they doubled the building ir
size and thus provided comfortable
sleeping rooms on the first and second
floors. They also made other improve
ments, SO that during their regime and
those that followed the house was com
Portable, commodious and better paying
Mr.. Hunsberger took hold of it at time
when people had plenty of money and by
his uniform courtesy and care for the COM
fort of his guests made them spend it with
him. Helaid the foundation for a fortune
in the Overland, just as others had done
before him, and no man in the world en-.
vies him his success. From the first he
was popular, and his popularity grew
with him, until to-day it would be hard tt
find man whom people think more 0
than the last landlord of the Overland.
The building will not be destroyed a
present but will not be run as hote
again. Next year the Rowe Brothers
who own the property, will probably
erect a fire brick structure where it nov
L Il /. - A. .,aI -, n