Troy landmarks listed on National Register
The Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge in Troy and the Troy Jail (inset) were recently placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
By GWEN ALBERS Western News Reporter
Two Troy landmarks have been chosen for the National Register of Historic Places.
The designation will make it easier to get government funding to improve Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge and Troy Jail. Lincoln County owns the one-lane bridge built in 1912, and the city of Troy owns the jail, which closed in 1924.
"I knew they both qualified," said Troy Mayor Jim Hammons. "It was a time-consuming thing."
Hammons in January received certificates for both structures during a dinner for the State Historic Preservation Office in Helena. Plaques will be placed at both locations with details of their significance. The following includes a little of what to expect:
l Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge - Before Libby Dam tamed the river, the Kootenai became a death-dealing torrent in high water time. Raging currents regularly shut down ferries, stranding supplies intended for logging and mining camps and keeping children from their school across the river.
Voters concurred, passing a $125,000 bond measure in 1911 to improve roads and construct bridges in Libby, Troy and Rexford. The bridge in Troy opened on Dec. 17, 1912.
l Troy Jail - A single female boarding house shared the block with the original jail in 1912. Set back from the street, the small 10- by 10-foot wood-framed jail had only enough room for a single cell, which may have been adequate to control disorder in early Troy.
In 1916, however, the population jumped from 300 to 700 when the Snowstorm Mining Co. started extracting lead, zinc and silver for use in World War I. Troy became a boom town with the usual drunks, prostitutes and even a murder or two. By 1926, 1,300 people lived in Troy, mostly single miners, sawyers and railroad workers.
Four brothels bordered the jail, which served as a barrier between the red light district and the more respectable blocks of Troy's main street.
In 1917, a suspicious fire started at the jail, killing its only prisoner - union organizer Frank Thornton, detained for creating a disturbance. The city repaired the jail, which served the community until 1924.
The National Register of Historic Places is an official list of the country's historic buildings and archaeological sites considered worthy of preservation. Established in 1966, the register helps property owners, communities and neighborhoods recognize important historic properties, offers incentives for preservation and insures that federal actions do not harm these properties without alternatives being considered.
National Register property owners may apply for federal grants for building rehabilitation when Congress appropriates funds.
"It probably does increase the visibility and enhances getting some support," said Mark Baumler, who oversees the State Historic Preservation Office.
The best chances of getting money to improve the bridge and jail would be federal funds administered through a program by the Montana Department of Transportation, Baumler said.
"The money goes to the counties to support enhancement of recreational and scenic preservation activities along Montana's highways and communities served by those highways," he said. "We don't have a brick and mortar program right now, but it's always possible the federal government will provide money for projects."