At 610 First Ave. W. stands a fine example of an early 20th-century, cross-gable Queen Anne home. With its distinctive fish-scale siding, pedimented front porch, and steep roof, the home was welcoming to all – and home to many notable residents as well.
The home was built in 1905, the same year Xerxes Kemp Stout leased here. Xerxes was formerly the secretary of the Montana State Senate. Among his notable deeds, Xerxes administered the oath of office to the first governor of the state of Montana, Joseph Kemp Toole – his uncle.
In 1913, the house maintained its political affairs as Sidney H. Butler rented the home. Coincidentally, Butler was appointed a notary public of Missoula County in February 1891 by Gov. Toole. Butler also served in the first and third Montana legislative assemblies.
Moreover, Butler first came to the Flathead Valley in 1884 and has often been regarded as the “Father of Flathead County.” After all, he had been greatly responsible for the legislation to carve it from Missoula County. Butler was the first to read the bill during the third legislative assembly in 1893, namely House Bill No. 26: “A bill for an act to create the County of Flathead.”
In 1924, the residence continued to attract and house men of prominence and importance as Dr. Locious A. Harris purchased the home. Harris is responsible for the fine maintenance and many of the improvements of the home as he was a resident of the home the longest.
Perhaps having not found much to improve upon inside the home (with its built-in cabinetry, fine maple-wood flooring in the dining room, an arched breakfast nook and other fine amenities), Harris turned his eye toward improving the attached garage. He piped in steam heat so his car would start more readily during the cold winters – a time when his osteopathy patients were most likely to suffer sore joints and aching bones.
Aside from raising her three daughters and keeping house, Eleanor Harris was a charter member of the Tuesday Study Club in Kalispell. She likely used the home on occasion for their gatherings and book readings, as well as entertaining many acquaintances from the other civic and church groups to which the Harris family belonged.
In 1954, tragedy struck the Harris family as their daughter Mildred (Brust) and grandson Charles were murdered in Lancaster, Calif., by their son-in-law Oscar Brust. Dr. Harris retired from practice the following year and enjoyed his retirement at the residence.
In 1960, Eleanor unfortunately passed away at the age of 75. She had been a resident of Kalispell since she married at the age of 19 and lived in the house for more than 35 years. Dr. Harris survived her until he died in March, 1966, at home – the place he had lived for 42 years.
During his life, Harris must have fostered a sense of caring and a sense of permanence, as his daughter Bernice (Teigen) remained in the home until 1981, preserving its lineage and also its character for us to appreciate today – and imagine the ambitions and recollections that took place within its walls.
Jaix Chaix is a writer who appreciates history and architecture. Share your ideas and historical facts with him at [email protected]. Also visit facebook.com/flatheadvalleylandmarks. Jaix is also the author of the upcoming book series “Death in the Valley: Odd Tragedies in the Flathead Valley, Montana, 1887-1917.”