Livingston is the county seat of Park County and is in southwestern Montana, on the Yellowstone River, north of Yellowstone National Park.
The community was first named Clark City in honor of Herman Clark, a well known contractor and builder for the Northern Pacific Railroad.
The town plat was filed later that year under the name Livingston in recognition of Johnston Livingston, a director and major stockholder of the railroad.
The railroad provided a means of transporting coal, wool, and cattle to market. It also enabled Livingston to serve as the original gateway to Yellowstone, the nation’s first national park. Mining and agriculture were additional economic factors in the town’s development.
Today, Livingston is the 11th largest city in Montana. Rail transportation continues to be a mainstay of the area’s economy, along with tourism, recreation, agriculture, and mining.
Park County Museum was founded in 1977. Community members and Park County purchased the historic North Side School, built in 1907, to house the museum, now known as the Yellowstone Gateway Museum of Park County.
Montgomery Ward & Co
Treadle Sewing Machine
circa 1890
Manufacture: National Sewing Machine
This sewing machine was owned by Alice Work from 1890 to 1928. It is in fairly good condition and most likely still functional. Though the cabinet is in fairly good condition with six drawers, this is somewhat unusual, as typically less expensive sewing machines were in only a four drawer cabinet. In view of research about this sewing machine, the cabinet could be a replacement, or perhaps if it is original, it is very unique.
Since this is a named Montgomery Ward which they only sold their products by mail order and only a few retail stores, at the time. BTW: Montgomery Ward did not manufacture any of their sewing machines but contracted other manufactures such as National Sewing Machine to make them and use MW emblem on the machines.