For whatever reason, it seems that the builder and original owner of the Sacajawea Hotel, John Q. Adams, still hangs around a century later, wandering the hotel periodically. As well, a maid who once worked in the hotel seems to remain there, appearing to guests on occasion.
While two sections of the hotel, the northeast apartment wing and the southeast wing with private dining room and main kitchen, were built in 1882 as the Madison House, the main section was built in 1910 as the
Sacajawea Hotel. The Madison House was initially in "Old Town" Three Forks, a mile downstream on the Missouri River. John Q. Adams, purchasing agent for the Milwaukee Railroad, purchased it and had it moved to its present site. After splitting it into two sections Adams built the hotel around it.
The design of the main hotel was by an architect with a name very familiar to Montana historians, Fred Fielding Wilsson, the most prolific Bozeman based architect of the twentieth century. His vision was of a somewhat Revival, somewhat Colonial exterior with a bungalow arts and crafts interior. The result is a somewhat formal exterior as viewed at the entrance, with a less formal, more inviting, interior. Though the hotel remains open today, it nearly succumbed to the economic ups and downs endured by Three Forks, being shuttered in 2001 and remaining closed until being bought by a third generation Montana family in 2009. The building then underwent its most major renovation to date and was reopened in time for its 100th anniversary.
With 29 luxury rooms, the hotel has won acclaim for both its accommodations and its food, as found in
Pompey’s Grill, named for the son of Sacajawea.
HISTORY
The Three Forks area marks one of the most significant points along the Lewis and Clark Trail. Here at the headwaters of the Missouri River, Sacajawea was reunited with her brother and brokered safe passage for the explorers. Following on the heels of this epic American tale, the Sacajawea Hotel was constructed in 1910.
Mr. John Q. Adams, a purchasing agent for the Milwaukee Railroad, built the hotel as a rest stop for passengers and train crews. The heart of the hotel is the Madison House, a private residence which was built in the old quarter of Three Forks in 1882. Mr. Adams hired a contractor to move the house to the new hotel site. Halfway through the relocation, the contractor — a bit of a gambler — lost his horse team in a poker game. After sitting in a bog for a season, Madison House was finally delivered to its current location. Bozeman architect Fred Wilsson designed the remainder of the building, which today stands in stately white-clapboard elegance.
Through the 20th and into the 21st century the Hotel weathered many hardships. In 2001, the Sacajawea was boarded up. However, in 2009, the Folkvords, a third-generation Montana farming family, purchased the Hotel. The family held the goal of restoring the structure to its original grandeur. Over eight months, they accomplished just that.
Today, the Sacajawea Hotel boasts 29 luxury guest rooms, two full-service bars, meeting space, wedding venues and Montana’s finest steakhouse, Pompey’s Grill. The Hotel has quickly garnered the reputation of “one of the finest historic hotels in the West.” Nominated as the only Montana property to join as a member of Historic Hotels of America and receiving the 2011 Historic Preservation Award of Excellence, the Sacajawea Hotel is open year-round to Montanans and visitors from afar who wish to experience its rich ambience and friendly staff.
From the Sacajawea Hotel