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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(Photo = 104-0493...... ZMM Page = NA ……WayPt = 097w)