Western
Life Insurance Co.
Formerly Montana Life Insurance Co.
Circa 1924 View of 404 Fuller Ave.
| This familiar
and handsome Greek Revivial building was built in 1923 by the
Montana Life Insurance Co., which was founded in 1910. The exterior
is finished in white terra cotta... |
Architectural
Detail, South Side, 2011
PHOTO
BY KENNON BAIRD • CLICK ON IMAGE TO
OPEN A BIG VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
Under
Construction, 1923
COURTESY
OF KATHRYN FEHLIG • CLICK ON IMAGE TO
OPEN A BIG VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
|
The Montana
Life building under construction, 1923. It was built by general
contractors Frank Jacoby & Son.
The company
was renamed "Western Life" in 1938 because it then
represented a larger area than Montana, also selling insurance
in California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and
North Dakota. Its central office was in Helena until 1957,
when it moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, following merger with
the St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co.
This building housed the agency from 1923 to 1956, when it
moved into a new building at 600 N. Park.
|
404
Fuller, 1938
COURTESY
OF THE DAVID POOR COLLECTION • CLICK
ON IMAGE TO OPEN A BIG VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
Building renamed
for Western Life
Company
Seal
Western Life Company Picnic, ca. 1955
Lions
Sunshine Camp, South of Elliston, Montana
COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD •
CLICK ON IMAGE TO OPEN A BIG VERSION IN A
NEW WINDOW
New Headquarters in 1956
COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
|
Western
Life erected this familiar building on N. Park Avenue from
1954-1956. The excavation for the building was under supervision
of George Jacoby of Helena Sand and Gravel. Reidesel Construction
company of Billings was the general contractor. Sigvald L.
Berg of Helena was the architect, and the Morrison- Maierele
Engineering company were structural engineers.
The company vacated this location on August 17, 1961, moving
to St. Paul, Minnesota. Forty-four Helena employess made the
move with the company.
|
| Full-page
Independent Record newspaper ad for the open house at the new
Western Life building, July 14 1956. Business had been transacted
from the new building since June 17. |
Branch
office constructed on Park Ave. after the 1961 move to St. Paul.
| In October
of 1961, plans were announced for the construction of a Western
Life branch office on North Park Ave., just north of the company's
former building, which had been purchased by Mountain States
Telephone. The new branch office was completed in the spring
of 1962. The building still has a colorful Western Life logo
tile imbedded near the front door. |
600
N. Park, September 2012
Click here to open the National Register of Historic Places
registration form for the "Little Western Life" building
courtesy of the Lewis & Clark Heritage Tourism Council
PHOTO
BY KENNON BAIRD
Western
Life Logo Tile, 600 N. Park, 2012
PHOTO
BY DAN STINSON
|
