Matt King House continues to make progress

The Matt King Project that began in 2015 is making progress on the new property along Main Street.

In the last month, the house logs, which had been stored behind the BVD & Rusty Relics shop, were moved over to the new property and a foundation for the house was poured.

Next steps include taking stock by pulling apart the stacks of logs to determine which are still usable, and which will need to be replaced.

The Lincoln Ranger District and Lonnie Cox have both donated new logs to be used to replace rotten house logs. The replacement logs will have to be cut to size, hewn and shaped to match the originals they will replace.

Currently, the project is in serious need of volunteers and additional funding.

Volunteers are needed now to help go through the stacks of logs so the house can be reconstructed built and dried in before winter.

Volunteers will also be needed once the house has been rebuilt to help with projects inside, such as flooring installation, carpentry work, and continued maintenance of the building.

Once the house is up, Hollow Point Glass plans to donating their labor and installing the windows in the structure. They will be retrofitting the windows to match the house.

"While getting the house up is what we're working on now, it's an ongoing project and will need continued volunteer and financial support," said Erin Dey, president of the Upper Blackfoot Valley Historical Society and one of the key organizers of the project.

A work day for the house and property will be scheduled soon and anyone interested in being notified to help can contact Erin Dey at 406-362-4131 or via email at [email protected].

Some of the fundraising projects for the Matt King House include the new "Wall O' Money." Donors can pick an envelope with the amount they are wanting to donate. Envelopes range from $1 to $200, and some of the envelopes have a surprise inside for the donor. Money raised will go towards restoration, roofing, windows, chinking, and other necessary maintenance of the house. Stop by Rusty Relics to participate or get more information.

Another upcoming fundraising effort will be a raffle for a new barbecue grill donated by Dawn Charron and Jim Phennicie. Additionally, donations can be made at any time and can be sent and made payable to UBVHS, P.O. Box 922, Lincoln, MT 59639. Please make sure to note on the check that it is for the Matt King Project.

The house was first built by Matt King sometime in the 1880's. King originally came to the area to mine in Lincoln Gulch, but later turned to ranching as the mining played out. He was considered the first bona fide settler in the Blackfoot Valley, having filed the first government and railroad land claims in the area.

More information on Matt King and the house can be found in the book, Gold Pans and Singletrees which is available for purchase at the BVD, High Country Trading Post, and through Julie Zarske at Citizens Alliance Bank. All proceeds from the sale of the book benefit the Upper Blackfoot Valley Historical Society.

The UBVHS and organizers of the Matt King House project extend their thanks to all volunteers and donors to date and appreciate all of the effort as they move forward with the project.