The Bozeman Brewery Historic District

Julius Lehrkind came to Bozeman in 1895, bought out the local Spieth and Krug brewery, and carried on the Bozeman Brewery name and business in the large new brewery he built in the northeastern corner of the city, a sparsely developed area located adjacent to the Northern Pacific Railroad facilities. His German heritage likely influenced his decision to locate the family home adjacent to his brewery, rather than in the rapidly developing residential districts on the south side. In the tradition of his native country, Lehrkind brought numerous members of his family into the business; the small, residential, family compound grew adjacent to the brewery between 1897 and 1912.

The Genuine Lager Bozeman Brewery contributed to technological developments in the beer making industry. During the 1860s, lager breweries surpassed ale breweries in both number and production in the United States, With the introduction of mechanical refrigeration during the 1880s, lager brewery architecture took on its characteristic appearance. Typical of the period construction, enormous refrigeration rooms with cork-lined walls were constructed within the Bozeman Brewery building. Beer would be aged in the refrigeration rooms for 6 months. At full production, it turned out 40,000 barrels of beer annually. The malting plant where barley was treated prior to brewing had a 3 million-pound capacity.

Barley became an important crop in the Gallatin Valley by the 1890s

The historic district is composed of five historic buildings that are directly associated with the Julius Lehrkind family and the family-owned and -operated Bozeman Brewery business. The remains of the brewery, a four-story brick structure, stand at the north end of the district. Across the street is the one-story, brick bottling plant. To the south of the two industrial buildings is the Lehrkind family compound, consisting of the Queen Anne style Julius Lehrkind House, and two modest houses built a decade later.

The district is located in the northeastern corner of the city near the Northern Pacific Railroad depot

The Bozeman Brewery building, built in 1895, was the largest building in Bozeman until the construction of the Montana State University Field House in 1957. The present facade of the brewery building is asymmetrical and consists of an off-center entrance bay with three flanking, vertically fenestrated divisions to the south and five un-fenestrated divisions to the north. The sand improved drainage may have acted to cushion the building from the reverberations of the 1959 earthquake. Three water wells were dug beneath the brewery, one to a depth of 200 feet. Approximately 12,000 square feet of the brewery building was devoted to refrigeration rooms. The floors and walls of the refrigeration rooms have cork sandwiched between layers of concrete. The roof is flat and has four, large skylights.

The Julius Lehrkind House is a two-and-one-half-story Queen Anne residence; built in 1898, forms the central focus of the district today. This well preserved, large, irregular plan, brick house responds to its corner lot location with a wrap-around porch set at the base of an octagonal corner turret and a corner, etched glass front entrance. The porch has arched wooden detailing and a decorative balustrade. The combination gable roof is covered with cedar shingles and features gable end decorative detailing in wood and a second story porchette with a gothic arch on one side and a Roman arch on the other.

The Henpy Lehrkind House dates from 1908; is a one-and-one-half- story, clapboard-sided residence of an irregular plan with a cut-away corner entry. The two-bay facade is asymmetrical and consists of an offset, glass-pane front entrance. Windows are one-over-one double hung units and there is a bay ^indow on the front facade. The combination gambrel-hipped-gable roof is covered with brown asphalt shingles and features a hip- roofed dormer on the north elevation.

The Edwin Lehrkind House was constructed in 1912. This one- and-one-half-story, gable-front, Bungalow style residence has a rectangular plan with a recessed stone porch across the front. The frame construction is finished with narrow reveal bevel siding to the window sill level, and alternating rows of wide and narrow reveal shingles above. Windows are one-over-one double hung units and the roof is covered with cedar shingles.

During Prohibition, the family diverted their energies to the soft drink business with a one-story, brick bottling plant constructed in 1925. This commercial structure has an irregular plan with a diagonal corner entrance. The buildings included within the Bozeman Brewery Historic District retain a high degree of historic architectural integrity, except the Brewery building itself, which has been reduced in size by the demolition of the eastern three bays and compromised by the construction of a two-story, concrete masonry unit addition in 1948. The brewery nevertheless retains sufficient historic architectural integrity to accurately recall its early function and remains an important, integral component of the historic district.

The six residential and industrial buildings that compose this small historic district stand as a cohesive group that serve to reflect art important aspect of Bozeman 's historical development, industrial, social, and ethnic history.

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Rockies and Texas Trails

Traveling along the Continental Divide Montana Wyoming Colorado Arizona and Texas

The Rocky Mountain States

Montana is western history, national parks, cowboys, rodeos, railroad towns and guest ranches. Glacier National Park crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass, offering breathtaking views and opportunity to see wildlife, the rugged terrain along the way and the many unspoiled lakes on a wooden boat, kayak or canoe, a guided horseback ride, or hiking some of the 700 miles of trails. Ranch Vacations the state has many unique guest ranches of different types: dude, working, or luxury resort ranches that offer a diverse array of activities from horseback riding to fly fishing, spa treatments to gourmet meals, hiking to rafting. 

Wyoming includes two National Parks, Yellowstone and Grand Teton, Fossil Butte National Monument and the Jackson Hole area. Travel along its western border through scenic Star Valley to visit the historic town of Jackson, spectacular Teton Mountain Range, Old Faithful and the Lower Falls in Yellowstone. The North Platte River flows through this long, wide swath of the state. Discover Wyoming’s pioneer story, from scars in the earth left by the Oregon Trail wagons to fascinating history museums.

Salt Lake City Utah flanked on all sides by dramatic granite cliffs, Salt Lake is a world-class alpine destination with outdoor recreation, a remarkable history, and an economy that has transformed a pioneer town into a sophisticated metropolitan city.

Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains, visitors to Colorado Springs can enjoy commanding views of Pikes Peak and recreational opportunities in the nearby mountains including hiking, the geological wonders at Garden of the Gods Park, Cave of the Winds and the Paint Mines Interpretive Park.

Colorado Springs has a Thriving Arts and Cultural Scene

Denver is a city with 300 days of sunshine, brilliant blue skies and breathtaking mountain scenery, located at the base of the Rocky Mountains, exactly one mile high. In 1858, a small group of prospectors from Georgia crossing the great plains of the Colorado Territory discovered Gold at the base of the Rocky Mountains. Although not much was found, the mere whisper of the word was enough to start a veritable stampede into the region.

Urban and Outdoor Adventures

Phoenix is the cosmopolitan heart of Arizona, the soul of the American Southwest and where you will find sports venues, live music, rooftop lounges, museums, theaters and art galleries. Downtown and its Cityscape, a two block entertainment district, is also home to the Phoenix Convention Center and Arizona State University’s downtown campus; all served by one of the newest light rail systems in the nation.

  

Houston is the largest city in Texas and the US South as well as America's fourth-largest. A cosmopolitan destination and home to an energetic arts community, Houston was founded in 1836 near the banks of Buffalo Bayou. The city was named after former General Sam Houston, who was president of the Republic of Texas and commander at the Battle of San Jacinto.

Austin, on the eastern edge of Texas Hill Country, is the state capital, the live music capital of the world, home to the University of Texas and Formula 1's Circuit of the Americas raceway.

Experience San Antonio’s rich heritage by visiting its 18^th century Spanish colonial missions, residential areas dating from the 1860s and the local museums that celebrate the city’s past. The National Historic Park the Mission Trail is a walking, biking or driving experience of the five local missions and the centuries of local history and culture.

Dallas the city’s can-do spirit helped bring the railroads to the area in the 1870s, the Federal Reserve Bank in 1914, Southern Methodist University in 1915, Love Field Airport in 1927, the Texas Centennial Exposition in 1936 and DFW International Airport in 1973. 

Cowboys Cowgirls Wineries Public Art Trails and Vintage Railroads

Grapevine is a small town located between Dallas and Fort Worth and is home of DFW International Airport. Main Street in the historic downtown has a public library, recreation center, antique stores, restaurants, bars, theaters, a park, and many specialty shops.

Fort Worth was settled in 1849 as an army outpost along the Trinity River as one of eight forts assigned to protect settlers on the advancing frontier. The cattle industry was king for a generation of people working the Fort Worth leg of the historic Chisholm Trail. Experience cowboy cuisine, trendy farm-to-table, authentic Mexican and bayou fare.

Travel to Montana

western history and culture two national parks a beer trail and small towns

National Parks

 Montana is home to two national parks:

Glacier National Park crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass, offering breathtaking views and opportunity to see wildlife, the rugged terrain along the way and the many unspoiled lakes on a wooden boat, kayak or canoe, a guided horseback ride, or hiking some of the 700 miles of trails.

The Gateway to Yellowstone National Park in South central Montana and shared with Wyoming and Idaho, Yellowstone is the world’s first national park. Renowned for its geysers, canyons, lakes, waterfalls and wildlife, Yellowstone encompasses 2.2 million acres, of which 7 % are in Montana. Three of the parks five entrances, Cooke City, Gardiner and West Yellowstone are located in Montana and provide year-round adventure to this wonderland of nature. 

Beartooth Highway extends from the quaint mountain town of Red Lodge and winds its way over the largest true high elevation plateau in North America, all the way to the Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone, near Cooke City; a spectacular 68 mile drive to elevations over 10,000 feet through a land of glaciers, high alpine lakes, glacier-carved cirques, and fragile tundra.

Small Towns and Downtowns

Bozeman in 1864, John Bozeman led a wagon train over Bozeman Pass into the Gallatin Valley, where his friends W. J. Beall and D. E. Rouse staked out the town site for the city of Bozeman. It is considered one of the most diverse small towns in the Rocky Mountains, with a mix of ranchers, artists, professors, ski enthusiasts and entrepreneurs drawn here by Montana’s world-class outdoor recreation.

Billings was established in 1882 with the coming of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Today it is a major shipping center for cattle and other agricultural products and is Montana's largest city. Known as Montana's Trailhead, it has access to the Beartooth Mountains, the Yellowstone River and local trails.

Missoula is nestled in the heart of the northern Rockies in the western part of the state.  Home to the country's largest smokejumper base, the historic downtown features classic early-century buildings and unique galleries, shops and restaurants. All three are excellent year round bases to explore Montana.

Butte is a melting pot of ethnicities and culture that shape it to this day.  From all corners of the world, immigrants came to this tough mining town, created distinct neighborhoods, and brought with them the cultural heritage of their native countries of Ireland, Wales, China, Croatia, Italy, Serbia, Lebanon, England, Canada, and Finland. Butte’s very placement near the crest of the Continental Divide is unique.  The sheer elevation of nearly 6,000 feet makes the journey to the city a challenge.  The terrain of the city is a dichotomy between “the flats,” a stretch of even terrain that spreads south, and Uptown Butte, the face of the city that saw the majority of growth in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Western History and Culture

Custer's Last Stand took place at the Little Big Horn in 1876 when the US 7th Cavalry Regiment led by Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer battled the Sioux and Cheyenne. Native American powwows such as North American Indian Days in Browning or Crow Fair in Hardin welcome visitors and give a glimpse into their traditional customs, dance and music.

Ranch Vacations the state has many unique guest ranches of different types: dude, working, or luxury resort ranches that offer a diverse array of activities from horseback riding to fly fishing, spa treatments to gourmet meals, hiking to rafting.

Rodeos are held all summer throughout Montana providing insight into past and present cowboy life. All rodeos, large or small, professional or down-home celebrations, are family friendly events.

Beer Trails

Montana's vast farmland provides ample area for wheat and hops production and is home to 53 breweries, the most per capita in the country. Experience a walking brewery tour in historic downtown Billings where six breweries and one distillery are within walking distance of each other. Or tour the Bitterroot Valley south of Missoula and try seasonal varieties. Taste samples of brews such as Mountain Man Stout, Pigs Ass Porter or Coldsmoke throughout the state at many local craft breweries, each with their own special brews and character.