Historic Homes of Bozeman

This afternoon was very spring like for Montana. A mild forty degrees and sunny. I knew there was only one thing I wanted to do. GO GET ICE CREAM! OK, just kidding that would not be very polite I should at least wait till Justin gets home, that wasn't really what I was thinking. I wanted to head out on my mountain bike and do a Historic Homes of Bozeman tour. You see, just the other I day I became a proud carrying Bozeman Library card holder. While I was there I tried to check out not one, not two but five different books that were ALL checked out....Boo! So instead I headed to the Montana History Room...you see I don't have a job yet, so I have time on my hands.....lotsa time.

I found this great book on the Historic Homes of Bozeman, and I read it cover to cover.....it's a great picture book. So this afternoon I wrote down a bunch of the addresses and I headed out to see them.

There was only one thing that stood in my way to walking out the front door.....I wont name name's, but lets just say someone has gotten really attached to mama lately.

Those sad eyes were saying "don't leave me or I'll ruin the apartment...I'll rip up your new pillows and pee on the bed".  I told him I was just going to the laundry facility and I would be back in a second...I lied to him, but he believed me because he was in the same place I left him when I got back.

So I pedaled towards the college and made a right on Third, and that's were my bike ride through history began. 

Well, maybe a little bit of Bozeman history first.... In the 1860's thousands of Americans flocked to Montana because of the civil war raging in the East, but also because of the lure of free land promised by  Lincoln. Mainly people immigrated to Virginia City, Montana which was a booming gold camp. In 1863  John Bozeman opened the Bozeman trail which connected the southern Oregon Trail to Virginia City through the Gallatin Valley, which later became the location of Bozeman (the town, not the man). In 1867 Bozeman got its first significant surge in growth thanks to Fort Ellis, which was an outpost. The town later became incorporated in 1883, 6 years before Montana became a state. When the Northern pacific Railroad finally steamed through Bozeman, the population experienced yet again another fast gain in population. Also after the railroad arrived the towns architecture began to change the character north of Main Street. The North were working people from diverse ethnic backgrounds that constructed modest Victorian style homes near the rail road, warehouses and mills (many that are still standing today). South of Main, more distant from the industrial area (were talking a distance of feet ... not miles) the professional class built very large Victorian residences. 

This house is the Cobleigh House at 909 South Third Ave, built in 1912. Around the turn of the century Bozeman's middle class was growing, and began to fall in love with a down to earth type of American architecture. The Cobleigh House is a Craftsmen style home, which rejected the previously popular fussy Victorian style.  I love this home, it's absolutely adorable.

I personally love this house the most. I love the cut out niche on the second story, perfect for coffee in the morning and wine during the sunset...and an easy place for teens to sneak out. 

These are the markers on every corner...you see here in Bozeman, every street has sidewalks...unlike Williamsburg. These corner markers are so cute, when I stopped to get the Koch St marker I thought to myself....why Chelsea, why didn't you wear bike shorts today? Oh sorry, TMI.....oh, heck that's who I am. 

This is the King House built in 1906 for "an influential engineer, baker and politician" E.W. King. It sits at 725 South Willson (yes 2 L's) Avenue. It incorporates the Queen Anne and the Colonial Revival style.

In total the tour was approximately seven miles, so I had to ride around a bunch extra to add some miles.

I also took many more photos, but I would hate to bore you with my historical banter. Therefore, I will explain about the job interview yesterday. It went really well, and it is a fantastic opportunity, however, it probably is not a good job for US. It was with the Montana Conservation Corporation working with youth (15-17) . We would be working on trails and other conservation jobs in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Sounds awesome right, the problem is that I would be gone a lot, for up to 4 weeks at a time all year. I feel like it would be such an awesome experience, but its not the right time in our lives that. So, saying all that we have decided that I not take it. Its ok though, I have heard from the University and I should be in for an interview in the next week or so. The University job has great benefits, its like a 1/2 mile from home, and it pays better for me to sleep in my bed with my hubby and my son every night. 

So, I will continue being a housewife and stay at home mom to Ridley for a wee bit longer.....My uniform is fantastic....

I also am able to make a great lunch and dinner for Justin everyday, as well as memorizing the cable channels and make a permanent butt imprint on the sofa (joke, i joke...I am enjoying the great outdoors, and browsing - not buying- at Target).