Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • FA L L 2 0 1 8 78 Cobblestone School ABSAROKEE e Cobblestone School in Absarokee speaks to the in- genuity of Montana's pioneers. is area was originally the location of the Crow Indian Reservation. When the reser- vation moved further east, settlers moved in and the town of Absarokee was founded in 1883. Starting with a one- room log cabin schoolhouse, then a Sandstone Building in 1910 to accommodate school children, it became clear a separate high school was needed. e locals went to work raising money through dances, bazaars and bake sales. ey gathered stones from nearby fields and riverbeds and with volunteer labor and a $20,000 school bond, started work in 1917 on the Cobblestone School. e school, completed in 1921, saw the first five students graduate in the spring of 1922 with the help of three full-time teachers. e build- ing served as a high school until 1990. Today, the school serves as a gathering place for community events. Daly Mansion HAMILTON e sprawling Daly Mansion in Hamilton looks like something out of "Gone With the Wind." Originally the Anthony Chaffin homestead, Marcus Daly, one of Montana's wealthy "copper kings," purchased the property and farmhouse in 1886 to be used as a summer home for his family. e Mansion was completely remodeled over the years, first in 1889, again in 1897, and finally in 1910, after Daly's death but under the guidance of Mrs. Daly. Upon Mrs. Daly's death in 1941, the Mansion was boarded up for 40 years. In 1986, the State of Montana purchased the Mansion and open it to the public in 1987. e home has over 50 rooms, with 25 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, as well as seven fireplaces, five of which have imported Italian marble. Today, the Daly Mansion is a major attrac- tion in the Bitterroot Valley for guided tours and other public events. Copper King Mansion BUTTE e Copper King Mansion in Butte holds the distinction of being a museum by day and a bed and breakfast by night. is 34-room Victorian beauty was the home of William A. Clark, one of Montana's "copper kings" and a US Sena- tor from 1904-07. Construction started in 1884 and was completed in 1888 at the cost of around $500,000 (a drop in the bucket for the wealthy Clark). Clark's son inherited the Mansion which eventually was sold to the Catholic Diocese and used as a home for nuns for 17 years. e Cote family purchased it in 1953. To help with the upkeep of the Man- sion, Mrs. Cote rented out rooms. Her daughter inherited the mansion and turned it into a museum, furnishing it with antiques, including some of the original Clark furniture. Today, the grandchildren of Mrs. Cote operate the museum and the bed and breakfast.

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