The Olive Hotel On the National Register of Historic Places Has a Beautiful Enameled Cast-iron Bath Tub

[[ZMM Book, Opening of Part II at Chapter 8 ]]
…."Feeling good now. We got in here [hotel in Miles City] in the afternoon and made up for a lot of sleep."

501 Main St Miles City MT is location of one the more beautifully preserved of the eight hotels listed in the 1968 Miles City Directory. Although this is probably NOT the hotel Pirsig, Chris, and the Sutherlands actually stayed in, it does have a lot of interesting history and it IS ON the National Register of Historic Places! Also this 1889 hotel DOES have a beautiful 1908 Victorian lobby, AND as you will see in the next pictures, a "beautiful enameled cast-iron bath tub crouched on lion's paws in the middle of a marble floor". Among the existing 1968 hotels in Miles City, the Olive comes out high as possibly having such a Victorian Bath Tub available to guests looking for decent but inexpensive overnight rooms in 1968.
….HOWEVER, Mark Richardson Found Differently. Bill Bergerson of “Bill's Cycle Shop" Told Mark That Pirsig Stayed At The Parkview Hotel, which was near his shop at the time. Clearly the Parkview Hotel would have been more in keeping with the modest finances of Pirsig and Sutherlands, than the Olive Hotel. Since Pirsig traveled this route regularly with his family (from Minneapolis to Montana State University at Bozeman, MT), he would have known the whereabouts of the off-beat lower price accommodations. Unfortunately, this Parkview Hotel was demolished in Summer 2006.
… Click here to see Mark Richardson's photo of the Parkview Hotel, in new browser window.
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Behind the Narrator's Hotel, Morning Cool Air For Motorcycle Maintenance
ZMM Book, Opening of Part II at Chapter 8 "Tappet adjustment has to be done with the engine cold, which means wherever you park it for the night is where you work on it the next morning, which is why I'm on a shady curbstone back of a hotel in Miles City, Montana. Right now the air is cool in the shade and will be for an hour or so until the sun gets around the tree branches, which is good for working on cycles. It's important not to tune these machines in the direct sun or late in the day when your brain gets muddy because even if you've been through it a hundred times you should be alert and looking for things. … A motorcycle functions entirely in accordance with the laws of reason, and a study of the art of motorcycle maintenance is really a miniature study of the art of rationality itself."
Old Parking Garage at rear of Olive Hotel, Fifth & Main, Miles City MT
is shaded in the early AM, but a more likely spot with shade trees in 1968, would have been the curb around the corner to right of the stop sign, supposing the Olive Hotel is correct hotel.
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This Building, Now Home of a Laundry & Dry Cleaner, Is the Probable Location of the ZMM Downtown Laundromat
"Sylvia is with Chris at a Laundromat doing the laundry for all of us. John is off looking for a duckbill to put on his helmet. He thought he saw one at a cycle shop when we came into town yesterday. And I'm about to sharpen up the engine a little."
810 Bridge Street, Miles City MT. is the address of the only downtown Laundromat according to the 1968 Miles City Directory. It was called the Econo-Wash back then. I neglected to look for the location of a second "cycle shop". While the ZMM Narrator is in real time engaging in motorcycle maintenance behind his hotel, he tells us, as a flashback, about their arrival in Miles City the previous afternoon. The next photo starts my 25 photos corresponding to the ZMM Narrator's previous afternoon and evening's events.
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Historic Olive Hotel At Sunset. Looking Northwest.
"It was a good thing we stopped [here last night]. We were so stupid with exhaustion we didn't know how tired we were."
Olive Hotel, Fifth & Main, Miles City, MT.
When asked where their Miles City Hotel was located Mr. Pirsig (20 Nov 2002) said: "I vaguely remember we came into Miles City on Route 12 and turned right at around N. 7th St, plus or minus a few blocks, and maybe went up a hill for a block or so and then found a hotel on the southwest side of that side street—or maybe it was a Pizza place and the hotel was somewhere else. Sylvia found it and we didn't have much money and she was pleased with the price. So pick the cheapest hotel in that area in the year 1968 and the probability you have found it will be increased. lt wouldn't be the St. Paul Hotel. I would have remembered that name. On the basis of prices alone I would guess the Stone hotel. You might try writing to John Sutherland." I have yet to pursue Mr. Pirsig's suggestions. Does any one have any information to offer? Mr. Sutherland does not remember. ************************************
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Left to Right: Antique Store, Historic Olive Hotel, & Olive Tree Antiques Store.
"When John tried to register rooms he couldn't even remember my name."
501 Main Street Miles City MT

....The previous owners of the Olive were antique enthusiasts, hence Antique Stores on both sides of this hotel!! This 1898 Hotel, its Lobby, and very special guest room called the Antique Room, are fascinating to experience as you will see in the next eleven photos. The $ room rate $ for an overnight stay, even in the Antique Room, is among the lowest you will find! Try it! You'll like it! Many thanks to Professor Robin Gerber, Miles Community College, and Amorette Allison, Miles City Historic Preservation Officer, for help with Miles City historic research and the ZMM history conclusions in these Miles City photos.
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Olive Hotel Front Steps and Once-Upon-a-Time Victorian Porch, The ZMM Travelers Have Just Arrived.

…. "The desk girl asked us if we owned those "groovy, dreamy motorcycles" outside the window and we both laughed so hard she wondered what she had said wrong. It was just numbskull laughter from too much fatigue. We've been more than glad to leave them parked and walk for a change."

501 Main Street, Miles City, MT. In an forthcoming photo for showing the hotel accommodations Laurel, MT, you will see that Pirsig and the Sutherlands traveled "economy style".
….As shown in the Laurel MT, photos, they were willing to stay at hotels that were "out of date", and even had shared bath and toilet facilities "down the hall". Toilet facilities "down the hall" also may have been true for a non-modernized, non-private bathroom, older portion of the Olive Hotel in l968.
….New information from Bill Bergerson of "ZMM Bill's Cycle Shop of Miles City", confirms that Pirsig and the Sutherlands hotel choice in Miles City was similarly modest. Bill says the Narrator, Chris & The Sutherlands stayed at The Miles City Parkview Hotel, as shown here.

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Olive Hotel Lobby, View South Toward Front Entrance Door on Main Street
The Historic Olive Hotel Lobby has a lead mounted glass insets. Be sure to note that Tiffany Styled Colored Glass Windows are at the top of all lobby exterior doors and windows. All the wood-work is heavy natural finished oak. This lobby is very close to how it would have appeared when the hotel facade was remodeled in 1909. Assuming this is the Miles City hotel mentioned in ZMM, this lobby is therefore much as it would have appeared to Chris, Sutherlands. Mr. Pirsig, however, does not recognize any of my Olive pictures, nor does he remember the name "Olive Hotel" or any other hotel name or location. All of the 8 downtown hotels that are listed in the 1969 Miles City Directory are within walking distance to Bill's Cycle Shop and a suitable Laundromat. The view through the windows shows Main Street.
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Olive Hotel Lobby, View toward the West with Antique Telephone Switchboard in Corner. Miles City, MT.
It is fun to see all the wonderful well preserved antiques in the Olive Hotel Lobby! It looks like the Original marble tiled floor, front door, and windows. In front door notice the lead mounted curvilinear clear beveled glass designs. This is attributed to 1990's architect Brynju Rivenes. Ditto for window tops with lead mounted Tiffany Styled Colored Glass. Total effect is Pure Victorian! In a Miles City Star article, 29 Nov 88, the Montana State Historical Society is quoted as saying that "The [Olive Hotel] main lobby and entry detail are among the finest in the state". ... "The hotel became a landmark in eastern Montana immediately after its construction and has since served as a social center for area ranchers and travelers." ... "In 1908 when the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad completed its line to the town, a major expansion of the hotel took place in response to the then newly invigorated economy."
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Olive Hotel Lobby, Antique Lamp & Antique Phone Switchboard, Miles City, MT.

I believe this lamp and switch board were placed here by the imaginative efforts of Hank and Lois Buelow, the previous owners who were, quite evidently, very interested in antiques! ZMM enthusiasts world wide thank the Buelows for their wonderful preservation of "times past" seen here and many, many other places throughout the Olive!
....The view through the window shows a City Park. This was probably the city park Pirsig slept in, upon his many trips through Miles City when he commuted this way from his hometown, Minneapolis, to Bozeman.
....This huge City Park was once the NE portion of the old (military) Fort Miles. This fort in the old west was established first, and Miles City "grew up" as a string of frontier businesses plus homes at its perimeter fence and old entrance. So ...... good things can come from "Camp Followers"!
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Olive Hotel Lobby, View Toward the Northwest with Front Desk, Miles City MT
By the look of the mail boxes behind the front desk, they must also be an original, probably dating back to an early 1900's renovation. The desk itself, looks like it was made in the 1950's. (Also see next photo.) Miles City Historic Preservation Officer and expert, Amorette Allison, says the Olive Hotel "was a Victorian Masterpiece. … The Olive was upscale! No expense was spared!!" [When it was built by Joseph Layton] She continued: Young Victorian Englishmen came here, but wanted "civilized hotels". They were "Remittance Men" who received an annual $ support to "get out of the way". These men, who were not in line to take over leadership of the family fortune, were thus “removed from making trouble”. But however delightful was Montana, they still wanted to bring to bring over from England, fancy young ladies as potential mates. The Olive Hotel rose to this burgeoning "high class" market challenge, thus creating what we see here. The newly created RR definitely speeded the importation of these hotel guests, and the required artisans plus "civilized' supplies evident here.
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This Leaded Glass Heavy Oak Door Takes the Olive Hotel Guest North to the Rear Entrance and the Stairway to the Second Floor Rooms
" …. the beautiful enameled cast-iron bath tub crouched on lion's paws in the middle of a marble floor".
Olive Hotel Lobby, View Toward the North with Front Desk, Miles City MT
Star Turner, the gal behind the desk, was helpful with Olive history when I explained my ZMM book research to find the “bath tub” in above passage. As a means to inquire about the “bath tub” I actually read a large part of ZMM page 083 to her. Her response was to explain the Olive Hotel's "Antique Room". The fact that this room was entirely furnished with antiques, with additional private bathroom and a cast iron bathtub, took me totally by surprise! At first I just wanted to take photographs. Then with Star's patient explanation, I finally caught on that one could actually stay overnight in that Antique Room! At that point I, of course, had only one choice, as you will see in the next photos! Star aspired to move to Connecticut and become an author. I hope she will write and tell us how she is progressing.
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Antique Wooden Stairs, Olive Hotel, Miles City MT
This, well preserved oak stairs that climbs to the third floor, is one of the many “antiques” in the Olive Hotel. ZMM narrator and his companions, the previous night, had a bad camping experience and had just traveled through an extreme heat wave before arriving in Mile City. We could imagine the totally exhausted crew climbing these stairs for a place to rest, clean-up, and/or sleep. Here we should remember that the Narrator in the ZMM book had previously traveled this way repeatedly, probably with his family, for recurring visits back to Minneapolis from Bozeman. He would have known very well where to find the good hotels/motels which had rooms appropriate to their low assistant professor’s income. As evidence, recall that the Narrator says as they arrive at their first night’s stay (Oaks ND?) ” …. but I tell him there’s a better one [motel] if you turn right, at a row of cottonwoods a few blocks down.”
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The Hotel Guest, With Steady Hand, Uses His "Old Timey" Skeleton Key To Open the Old Fashioned Wood Door, Antique Room, Olive Hotel, Miles City MT

This "Antique Room" was created especially for and because of the Miles City enthusiasm over the TV Mini-Series "The Return to Lonesome Dove" or better known as just "Lonesome Dove" . This "western" to beat all western movies, created a nationwide wide wave of "old west" enthusiasm. But for Miles City, this was more like "went wild with excitement". The "Return to Lonesome Dove" movie WAS Miles City history in action! They instantly loved it!! Miles City in the movie is the goal and the final leg of the 2000 mile cattle drive from Texas-Mexico-Rio Grand border. This made the movie all the more real. (Caption continued next photo.)
....(Note: You may reserve this room for your overnight stay at the Olive, but be aware that there is only one Antique Room. Since this is a less popular older hotel you will find the cost quite reasonable.)
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Antique Room, Olive Hotel, Miles City MT
Previous caption Continued: Miles City couldn't get enough of "Lonesome Dove". Private citizens, government agencies, and businesses alike all started to re-create their history and re-live the past! Among many other events, there was a huge cattle drive, horses, cowboys, the whole works. This town-wide rush of enthusiasm for a "pioneer wild-west" revival created this room. Substantial efforts to preserve and protect and honor their Old West Victorian have continued. In many ways Miles City never has had the "progress" that has eliminated the "golden-oldies" in other town/city centers. These buildings newly preserved are still there. The visitor CAN return to Victorian Times and the "Old West", right here in Miles City!! The Olive Hotel and The Antique Room are a good place to start.
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Is This ZMM Narrators Bathtub? Olive Hotel, Miles City MT
"And baths. In a beautiful old enameled cast-iron bathtub that crouched on lion's paws in the middle of a marble floor, just waiting for us. The water was so soft it felt as if I would never get the soap off."
The Olive Hotel may not be the Miles City hotel that is described in ZMM, but it does fit the Narrator's poetics in the passage above. And I would here add this Antique Room and this Tub is just waiting for you. For any Pirsig Pilgrim, this is a do not miss! You have to remember that the Narrator was used-to the high mineral content of Minneapolis water. I am not sure why the water at the Olive was so soft. I can't imagine that the Olive had water softeners in 1968, but perhaps they did. Or perhaps the city water, probably from the Yellowstone River, is fairly “soft” already. To my recollection, the water was fairly soft when I was there.
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A Totally Antique Bathroom, Olive Hotel, Miles City MT
The previous owners of the Olive Hotel, Hank and Lois Buelow, were themselves antique enthusiasts. This fact is shown here as well as in the second photo of this album which shows their antique stores on both sides of the Olive. These stores are still open for business as far as I know. Their interest and knowledge of antiques naturally put their "creative juices" to work when the instant "Lonesome Dove" enthusiasm swept through Miles City, MT. The Antique Room is thus there for you to enjoy. Not only is the bathtub an antique, but also all the other bathroom fixtures including the sink, wall light, electric switches, this "high on the wall pull-chain toilet", and even the marble floor!! All together, it is wonderful to experience!
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An Old Steam Heating System Radiator, Closed-off Section, Olive Hotel, Miles City MT
This radiator is in an older, now unused, section of the Olive. I was allowed back here because I was so inquisitive about the history of the Olive. Here were "real antiques" in the sense that this is what it actually looked like. Un-altered. …. Un-changed. ….. Abandoned in place. …. Here were the last foot steps of a bygone era. Olive staff told me this area had been most recently been low cost housing for the elderly, thus explaining some of the more modern furnishings left behind when this older section of the Olive was finally closed-up some years ago. The only plumbing fixture in the nearby guest rooms was a single wall mounted sink. These sinks were sort of 1930's style, and thus were a more recent up-grade from the Victorian style wash basin + water pitcher on washstand that must have originally been there.
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Ladies and Gentlemen Toilet Facilities Now Bygone, Closed-off Section, Olive Hotel, Miles City MT
More "real" antiques! These "Hers" and "His" rooms were literally "Toilet Closets". These wooden doors with gold old fashioned hand painted lettering and quaint choice of words, take us right back to an earlier time! You can judge the size of these "closets" by the space between the two doors! To my recall, the toilets themselves were of a more modern manufacture. That is why I did not take a photo. The doorway to the right opens into a much larger room which may have originally been the used for a shared bath facility. This room had been most recently used for more modern coin operated laundry room with an automatic washer and dryer. I could see evidence for such equipment, but it was hard to discern any evidence for cast-iron bathtubs or other previous room usage etc.
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