Some time after Theodore Roosevelt's presidency ended in 1909, he visited Troy and placed his initials on the outer wall of what is now city hall. The initials have been lovingly cared for and are still there on the front wall under the "Town of Troy" sign.
The city of Troy has experienced several booms and busts, beginning with the discovery of gold nearby in 1886, followed by the arrival of the Great Northern Railroad in 1892. Following is a short timeline of the history of Troy.
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1886 First miners arrive and set up a tent camp
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1889 Prospecting begins in the Callahan Creek drainage, south of Troy
November 8: Montana Becomes the 41st State
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1891 The Great Northern Railroad establishes its camp nearby
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1892 Troy’s first lodging house, the Windsor Hotel, built
June: The town of Troy, Missoula County, filed
First house built in Troy by J.P. Bowen, postmaster of Libby
September: Great Northern decides in favour of Troy for division yard
Roundhouse, coal chute, ice house, depot, sand house, railroad yard built
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1893 Tom Dobson moves his store and Post Office into Troy
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1894 The Troy Mining and Improvement Company organized
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1895 Gold discovered in the Yaak River Valley starting a stampede to Yahk
July 21: Work began on the Troy Ferry across the Kootenai River
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1907 The new Windsor Hotel completed
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1910 The
Great Forest Fires of 1910 spares the town
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1912 Highway 2 proposed
First caravan of tourists arrive by automobile
Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge built across Kootenai River
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1915 Troy’s first auto garage,
City Garage, built
March 12: Troy Volunteer Fire Department established
July: Town of Troy incorporated
Population 350 - Highway 2 (Teddy Roosevelt Highway) completed
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1918 September, October: Spanish influenza makes its way into Troy
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1921 Town of Troy growing faster than crews could build
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1922 Sandpoint Lumber & Pole Company builds large sawmill and planer nearby
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1923 Troy now the richest town in Lincoln County. Population: 1200 plus
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1924 November 13: Lincoln Theatre Opens (it remains open today)
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1926 April: Great Northern Railway discontinues the round house
December: Great Northern closes down the Troy Division Yard
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1927 Fire destroys concentrator at the Snow Storm Silver-Lead Mine
Snow Storm Silver-Lead Mining Company closes the mine
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1928 Fire destroys the Sandpoint Pole and Lumber Company sawmill
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1929 Great depression ends any chance of rebuilding the concentrator and sawmill
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1930 Population of Troy down to 498
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1931 February 6: Talking movies at the Lincoln Theatre
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1941 August 6: Fire destroys the Great Northern Hotel
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1994 Lincoln Theatre remodeled. Seating capacity now 170