Lowell 1925

From ENHLDWiki

On October 11, 1898 one hundred and twenty acres were set aside to R. M. Cobband and formed into the Summit Valley Placer Mine. Over the next twenty years the property changed hands several times and has been owned at least partially by such notables as A.J. Davis, Montana's first millionaire, and Patrick Largey, president of the First National Bank who was assassinated in 1898.

Alice Cobban Fleetwood purchased the entire block (block 6) of the George Cobban Addition on August 1, 1906. S.F.C. Cobban purchased lots 11 and 12 for one dollar on December 24, 1907. An interesting part of this transaction was the name of the notary Jno. S. Dutton (same last name as the current owners).

Smith and Sheve Corporation purchased the lots on April 4, 1914 and sold them to R.L. Merritt on June 8, 1914. According to the 1917 Butte City directory, Merritt was a building contractor and built the home located at 1925 Lowell in 1917. This home is a California style bungalow and was initially sold to Melvin and Letittia Smith for $2,000.

The Smiths were the first family to reside at this location. Unfortunately Melvin passed away that November and did not even get to spend his first Christmas in the home. Melvin owned Smith's Machine shop at 401 S. Wyoming (ad on back cover of 1917 Butte directory).

Letittia continued to live in the home and remarried William B. Barraugh a miner at the Leonard Mine. From 1 December 1, 1934 until September 1940 the title was in her son's name, Leonard L. Smith and was turned back to her one day prior to its sale on September 5, 1940, to Clarence and Clarice Ostenberg.

Clarence was the shop foreman for Barclay Motors, a Ford auto dealership. In 1972 Clarence passed away at age 72 and his wife passed away five years later at age 76. Both are buried in Mt. Moriah Cemetery. Their son, Herbert, a mechanic, sold the home on September 1, 1978, to John and Donna Keskitalo for $29,800. John was medically retired from the U.S. Army with multiple sclerosis. He was divorced from his wife shortly thereafter and continued to live in the home until his death in 2005.

Some original features of this 1917 craftsman style bungalow include clapboard and cedar shake siding, front porch with pillars, and fir built-ins and paneling. The Duttons bought the home in December 2005 and moved into it in November 2006 after interior work was restored by them.

Owners, land changes, costs, and dates have all been derived from the original abstract. Jobs of other owners were found in the City Directories.

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