On March 21, 1889, the Western Montana National Bank, Missoula’s second bank, was chartered. Originally located on the corner of Higgins Avenue and Main Street, it moved to the Montana Block (now called the Montana Building) on Broadway and Higgins in 1910.  A year later, it was the site of Teddy Roosevelt delivering a speech to thousands of Missoulians.

It was a cold, rainy day when Teddy Roosevelt, on a speech making tour across the nation, arrived on April 11, 1911, in Missoula. He was escorted to the Florence Hotel by a parade of citizens, cowboys, Spanish War veterans, and a contingent of Flathead Indians led by Chief Martin Charlo. That morning, Roosevelt gave a speech to a group of elementary school children and University of Montana students. According to a Daily Missoulian article,“at 2:30 o’clock, Mr. Roosevelt made his principal address. He spoke to the largest audience that ever heard anyone in this city.” A reception at the Missoula Club followed the speech, as did a formal banquet at the Florence later that evening.

A year later, on September 8, 1912, Roosevelt returned to Missoula. This time, he was running for president under the Progressive Party, better known as the Bull Moose Party. He arrived via the Northern Pacific Railroad, and, because of his short stint in town, delivered his speech from the back of the caboose at the depot. During his speech, Roosevelt praised Senator Joseph Dixon, of Missoula, whom he had selected to lead the party.

Although the Montana Building was the site of presidential campaigns, it has also served downtown Missoula as a commercial centerpiece for many decades, housing the Western Montana National Bank until the 1960s and other businesses. The original façade has been modified over time, and the bank is no longer there. The Montana Building has been converted to office and retail spaces, and efforts appear to be underway to restore the façade to its original look.

Credits and Sources:

Cohen, Stan. Missoula County Images, volume II. Missoula: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1993.

The Daily Missoulian, April 12, 1911.

Koelbel, Lenora. Missoula, The Way It Was: A Portrait of an Early Western Town. Missoula: Gateway Publishing and Printing, 1972.

National Register of Historic Places, “Missoula Downtown Historic District,” Missoula, Missoula County, Montana.

Historic photos courtesy of Archives & Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.