Mrs. R. T. Hannah Resides

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"List transcribed and organized by Jack Hannah, JHannah782@aol.com All rights 
        reserved."

 In Home on Montana Avenue

    For 50 Consecutive Years

    In the same house to which she came 
as a bride 50 years ago, and where all her 
children and one of her grandchildren 
were born, Mrs. R. T. Hannah today 
continues to reside, doing her own 
housework and raising a flock of 
chickens, without any assistance.

    Located at 3303 Montana avenue, 
Mrs. Hannah's house is now on the edge 
of the business district.  When she 
arrived here in Billings in 1886 with Mr. 
Hannah, following their marriage at 
Madison, Wis., and a wedding trip to 
Chicago and Minneapolis, the house was 
one of the few sprinkled here and there 
along the railroad, then the center of 
town.

    Their nearest neighbors were nearly 
four blocks away and many times during 
her first few months here, despite the 
friendliness of others, Mrs. Hannah 
wished she could return to her home at 
Madison.

    Coming from a country abundant in 
grass and trees, Mrs. Hannah felt at first, 
that she was living in the most desolate 
spot in the nation.  There wasn't a green 
blade of grass or hardly a tree in sight 
and the rim rocks looked like a fence 
shutting out the rest of the world.

    Indians then were coming and going 
at their own pleasure and according to 
Mrs. Hannah, it was not unusual to see 
an Indian peeping in the window at any 
time of the day or night.  However, they 
caused little trouble and their main fault 
was curiosity.

    Coming to a ranch country, Mrs. 
Hannah's first request was to see a 
cowboy.  She was surprised to find they 
looked much the same as other men.

    Entertainment was a bit meager then, 
with dances in the old Headquarters 
hotel, informal parties in homes and an 
occasional road show the only diversion 
from the everyday routine.
    Mr. Hannah was an early machinist 
with the Northern Pacific railway.  Later 
he became a night sergeant on the police 
force here and in 1904 was killed when 
attempting to capture some saloon  
holdup men.

    The Hannah home, which was five 
rooms when Mr. Hannah bought it, is 
now seven rooms, which have been 
cared for by Mrs. Hannah for 50 years.  
She lives alone with her cat, except for a 
few days now and then when her 
daughter, Mrs. E. C. Spurling of Terry, 
comes for a visit.  Another son, John 
Hannah, whom Mrs. Hannah visits 
nearly every year, lives in Minneapolis.  
She has four grandchildren in 
Minneapolis, one attending school at 
Davenport, Iowa and another in Helena.

The Billing Gazette

Billings, Yellowstone County, Montana,               1940