Two of the buildings that can be seen in this historic photo of Main Street, Miles City, are slated to be demolished later this month if they haven't been taken down already.

The building on the NW corner of N. 5th St and Main St housed Miles and Ulmer Co. Implements in 1907. The building west of it was the W.B. Jordan and Sons Co. (that building later housed the Coca Cola bottling plant).

This photo was sent to me by Gary Coffrin. I do not know the story behind the gentlemen and their horses.

[Click the photo to open the IMGUR site, then click the photo on IMGUR for a larger view.]

The old Coke bottling plant was the oldest building on Main. I never understand people who let their buildings rot. And, because it is Miles City, it will never occur to anyone to salvage anything like the transom prism glass, which is valuable, or anything else for that matter.

Hi David,
I love when you post these historic photos and give a bit of history lesson along with the photos. I have only lived in Miles City for 5 years and I truly enjoying learning about it's past. Thanks so much for taking the time to post these and keep em' coming!!!!!!!

Amorette Allison wrote:

The old Coke bottling plant was the oldest building on Main. I never understand people who let their buildings rot. And, because it is Miles City, it will never occur to anyone to salvage anything like the transom prism glass, which is valuable, or anything else for that matter.

I recall you saying there were also valuable tiles in the Texas Club/Kelly's Gaslight building on Main which was recently demolished, but went un-salvaged. Makes me wonder, if these items are so valuable, how come nobody wants them? Probably not much interest in remodeling or decorating with themes of those past eras? As for letting a building rot, I agree that is also sad, but what else can the building owner do when there is no business occupying the building? No business = no money = cannot afford to keep it maintained.

Anyway, I was trying to visualize the particular building being demolished. Would that be the one which, maybe 15-or-so years ago, housed the state liquor store? And further-back, had Arnie's Arcade next door after it was located in the lower level of the Cellar Lounge?

Sad that Main Street continues to gradually dry-up since the businesses on Haynes have been popping-up, though some of those business simply moved from Main to Haynes. I felt particularly sad when I heard that Riggs Camera closed shop a couple years ago, among others. Such is life.

Here's a brochure about those prismatic transom windows like the ones in the old Miles & Ulmer Implements building.

The barrier to salvaging those types of things is connecting seller to buyer and also the careful removal of the old parts to be salvaged. It's a labor of love, and you need someone willing to do it. Much easier to plow it under.

NPS: HISTORIC GLASS NUMBER 1 Repair and Reproduction of Prismatic Glass Transoms

In a big city, there are salvage places that do the salvage. I think Missoula used to have one but that's about it around here.

Wrote a history column referring to them in the past tense. Oops. Still there.

I guess I forgot to mention in the article that if the building isn't torn down by the owner (same owner of the Olive Hotel) by the end of June, then the city is going to demolish it and send them the bill, which looks like what is going to happen now.

Thanks for the update, Alex. Sorry to hear it. 😞

That's why historic preservation types call it demolition by neglect. Let the building get bad enough and some government will destroy it and then you can ignore the bill.

I can relate this to when parents pass away. You wish you could keep everything but cannot due to financial & current living situation. You watch memories sell for pennies on the dollar at an auction and regret not being able to save them for your hoarders dream .

These buildings are going down today. The Miles City Main Street cam is pointed that way right now:

http://www.milescitylive.com




FLICKR PHOTO: "5th and Main Street, Miles City"

Any plans for the lot when they are finished?

It is always sad to see old buildings go, but there are times when they are neglected like those have been, it's the best option. I've been around since the early nineties and don't recall any kind of activity in those buildings.

It will definitely be a change in the landscape of the western end of Main Street.

I believe at least one of the buildings had been condemned due to being structurally unsafe.

I'm not aware of any plans to build anything in their place.