Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-10-30
Story Home at Bohemian Which Cost
100000 in 1886 May Be Raced Soon
By WALTER ED TAYLOR

~ the new ATG1kAAlu county
~ school nears completion BOZe-
@ what i IS to become Of a0a the So
year-old Story mansion, Mon
tana landmark which now stands on
school property. There are those who
believe the historic structure should
be preserved as a museum and mementO
Of frontier days. The austere, one-time
residence of a famous Montana cattle
king was once known as "the finest
home on the route of the Northern
Pacific between st. Paul and Seattle"
When rich Nelson Story announced
that he was going to build new house
in Bozeman back in 1885, the scattered
population Of the Montana OF that day
paid little attention. People thought he
was going to build an ordinary house.
They expected, of course, that Nelson
Story would erect a more pretentlouS
home than that Of the average Mon
tanan, for he was rich IN the treasures
OF the passing frontier. However, no.
body expected that an elegant Struc-
tire unrivalled west of st. Paul and
north of San Francisco was to rise IN
Bozemans west Main street. Nelson
Story had built a house in Bozeman
befOre-a log cabin, also in Main street,
but at the other end. He had built
that first little cabin when he arrived
in the town in the sixties.
Nelson Story was born IN BungtoW1,
o., in 1903, and the great migration to
the west was reaching its zenith Wnen I
he grew to manhood. He decided to join
the adventurous throng heading toward 4
the gold mines of the Rocky mountain I
region, but first he took time out to
get married. He and his bride spent
their honeymoon in covered wagon
on the great plains between Missouri
and Denver, Colo. In 1886 they arrived
in Bozeman and, after building the log
cabin home. the young bridegroom set
out to make his fortune.
This he did in a very systematic
fashion as a freighter, miner mer-
chant and finally as a cattle king and
landowner. His method was the same
as that used by w. A. Clark and other
Montanans who got rich. He began OPP
erations by buying goods at high prices
and transporting them to isolated set
Elements to be sold at thrice their
cost. He held many government con-
tracts for hauling supplies and also had
a hand in the erection of many govern
ment buildings in Montana.
During the years that marked his
rise from poverty to riches, Nelson
Story and his growing family occupied
several houses in various parts OF Mon
tana territory There was the first log
cabin in BoZeman a ranch house at
the mouth Of Bridger canyon in the
Gallatin valley; a lowly sod-roofed
cabin in Alder gulch, Virginia City.
One old-timer, who knew Mrs. story
turing the time she lived in Alder
rulch has written: she was Just as :
much a dignified lady when she lived :
n a log house with dirt roof as she ;
vas when she became mistress OF a :
100000 mansion. She was the most :
pleasant and sociable woman in the :
erritory."
The Storys had occupied cottage at a
he corner of Main and Templer streets I
n Bozeman for 19 years and the Story
children were already grown when r
Nelson decided to build the new home :
which was to make building history in +
Montana. 1t has been said that he built :
o elegantly because he wanted to out !
10 several other well-to-do residents OF
sozeman who were building new homes i
{ that time. Nelson Story was cattle =
ing and he intended having y
palace" n
AT that time it was the custom of =
ich Adontanans to have the plans for !.
heir homes drawn by eastern archi- o
ects. Not so Nelson Story; he gave the y
ONE boys a chance. A Byron Vreeland d
( Bozeman was given the contract to 6
raw plans for the Story house.
Soon small details of the plans of
he new house began to be whispered z
bout It was to have three floors and =
Mansard roof. There were to be To- =
Dot ceilings and a kitchen big enough 4
Or hotel. On May s. 1885, the Boze- :,
ian Weekly Chronicle announced that y
the plans for the Nelson Story house 2,
ere completed by architect Vreeland :.
lst week and were at once accepted - -
y Mr.. Story, who, in company with =
Ir. Vreeland, went east to purchase ~ ~
ne necessary hardwood finish. The =,
uilding will cost over $4,000 and will :,
E the finest residence in the north 2,
est. Mr. Vreeland had added large ~
.ather to his architectural cap in the :, y
1mpletion of this fine design" E
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