An excellent example of early 1900s Italian Renaissance Revival public architecture, the Teton County Courthouse is a well-preserved example of the work of prominent Montana architects Joseph Gibson and George Shanley. Maintained in excellent condition, the building is a wonderful monument to the people of the county, "
a symbol of the optimism and endurance of Teton County citizens."
Near the front entrance of the courthouse stands an old bell, dated 1896, which called the students of Choteau to school from 1896 to 1953. Made by C. S. Bell & Co. of Hillsboro, Ohio, the 40 inch iron bell weighs no less that 1200 pounds. Its story is told by the attending plaque.
THE OLD GRADE SCHOOL BELL
Crowding in the old schoolhouse prompted Choteau School District No. 1 to build a larger grade school in 1895. With the purchase of six additional lots, W. F. Burgy of Great Falls built the new stone school on the site of the old building at First Street Northwest and Second Avenue Northwest for $10,000. C. S. Bell & Co. of Hillsboro, Ohio, supplied the 40-inch wide, 1,200-pound steel-alloy swinging church bell that was installed over the entry in 1896. The company promised that the bell could be heard from a greater distance than any other bell. It served until 1953 when the district built a new elementary school. In 1959, the old school was demolished and the bell sold to Joyce Kropp Robinson who stored it on her farm until 1981. She then entrusted the bell to Fred Rowley. In 2012, Rowley arranged the bell's return to Choteau, where Teton County Commissioners Arnold Gettel, Joe Dellwo, and Jim Hodgskiss accepted it as a donation to the people of Teton County from Robinson's estate and Rowley.
Plaque provided by the Montana Historical Society, 2012