Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-11-28
BACHELORS BUILT
CLIFF DWELLINGS
! ITALIANS ESTABLISHED SUCH
ABODES AFTER KLEIN MINE
WAS OPENED IN 1903

Chickens now roost IN Kleins fam
Gus cliff dwellings, where in the early
days Of the Roundup coal field chill
/ dren were born, families raised and
the fun cycle Of life. through death
was completed.
The houses we're built in 1910 In the
rock by four Italian bachelors who
came TO Klein shortly after the Klein
mine Of the Republic Coal company.
subsidiary of the Milwaukee railroad
was opened in 1903. The four men, who
co-operated In building the dwellings
were Dominic Finco, who now owns
that property and lives in a large log
house few feet from the cliff, Nick
and Dominic Stella and Christ Yes
cow
For the large crew working at the
Klein mine, or No. 2, as 1t Is also
known, 1t was difficult to find salts
factory living quarters. There was q
boarding house at Farreltown at that
time, but as Dominic Finco says, They
didn't give us enough to eat, and the
bread was like plaster, and we liked
our own cooking"
Because of this, the four bachelors
decided to take advantage of the start
that nature had given them when
large slabs of limestone rock had
fallen clearly away from the cliff. One
slab was used to form the floor and
one wall of one house and another
slab was used for the roof Of another
house. One house was partitioned into
two rooms-a kitchen and bedroom
and the other left with the one room. |
The four men completed their homes !
in a couple of days.
In 1912 Claude Raymond, who still |
lives at Klein, and his father, Pete |
built a room in the cliff, |
which they used as a bedroom and |
added a frame dwelling to it. The
lived in this house with
rock bedroom until the building was
destroyed by fire July 4, 1881.
In the fall of 1910, Mr.. and Mrs.
Frank Fievet moved into the two
DOM rock house There twin boys were
BORN to them, both dying shortly aft
II birth. Claude Raymond buried the
,wo children in an apple box in the
Did Miners cemetery Neldy Fievet
also was born there in 1913.
In 1912, Dominic Finco returned to
italy, where he was married. He re-
urned with his wife to FarreiUown In
914 and on his return arranged the
ock houses for their own use. There
I've members of the Finco family we're |
orn-Mrs. Erma Fargo Of Klein, AL {
red Finco and Gocond Finco Of New {
FORK and Ernest and Edwardo Finco. E
he Fincos built their present home {
l 1927. at which time they moved out
f the rock houses. G
When the houses were first built a /
O-foot well was dug by hand to FUR t
ish fresh water Facing the south S
nd sheltered from the elements, tenn S
in winter or summer never
-oubled the residents of the cliff
wellers," as the rooms we're alwayS4 q
arm in winter and cool in summer. T.
he rooms were much in demand Tor
lis reason, but as the workings OF the Z
lein mine expanded, more frame q
ouses were built for the miners and q
le housing situation was not so 81
cute.
The rooms are still in good repair 9
Id in liveable condition. The ingenu- !
y Of the builders is still evidenced . 4
? the door of one home, carved out =
the rock so the milknan could leave y
lie daily milk out of harms way In y
le room a chimney was carved out =
the rock. -
The cliff dwellings" as they we're 4
idely known, established a consider q
Die reputation and they were long a
show point that people pointed out Il
visitors. Although they are not In
;e now, the cliff dwellings" have r
zen recorded In many rolls of pic G,
res taken by tourists, although as ii
ominic Finco says, 81 posed for 81
lndreds of pictures and they all said Il
ley would send nae one, but I never .,
1t any" n,