As we continued our journey through the Bitter Root Valley we finally came to the town of Hamilton. It is here that copper magnate Marcus Daly, an Irish immigrant, who made his fortune in the copper mines of Butte, had begun buying Bitterroot Valley land in 1887, eventually owning 28,000 acres. Riverside served as the summer residence of Margaret Daly, widow of Marcus Daly, from its completion in 1910 until her death here in 1941.After Marcus Daly's death in 1900 Mrs. Daly had Riverside constructed and managed local family properties and the family syndicate that oversaw Daly interests. This home is a unique Montana example of early 20th century revival styles that successful capitalists used to display their wealth. Although comparatively restrained for mansions of this period, the house's outstand features include its monumental, classical portico, symmetrical facade, hipped roof and balustrated roof deck.
The Georgian Revival style Mansion was designed by A. J. Gibson and was completed in 1910. The Mansion occupies 24,000 square feet on three floors, with 25 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms and 7 fireplaces, 5 of which are faced with Italian marble, and three dining rooms.
The Daly Mansion's beauty is not confined to indoors, the grounds are grandly landscaped. A tour is not complete without touring the greenhouse, Victorian arbor and the Olympic sized plunge (swimming pool) complete with changing rooms along side the pool.
After Mrs. Daly's death in 1941, the Mansion was closed and boarded up until 1987 when it was opened to the public. After being closed up for so many years it is amazing how much of the Mansion has been preserved. Many of the furnishings were sold at auction to pay the back taxes. Although many of the items have been bought or donated back to bring the Mansion back to its original condition.
Today, the Mansion and fifty acres of grounds surrounding it are owned by the State of Montana. It is managed by the Daly Mansion Preservation Trust, a private non-profit organization, and it is recognized as a National Historic Site. Today, the landscaped grounds are virtually unchanged from that of 1910.
After touring the Mansion and before heading back to Missoula we stopped in at the Bitterroot Brewing Company to enjoy a pint of the local brew (another find on the Badger's travels!!)
It was another fun day of touring.
We leave Missoula on Saturday, September 11 for Billings.
Love to all for now, more as our travels take us.
Remember that we love to hear from you also...
Candy and Johnny
