Western Heritage Center / Parmly Billings Library, 2822 Montana Avenue

The Parmly Billings Memorial Library was a gift from Frederick Billings, Jr. in memory of his brother Parmly, who lived in Billings for a few years and who died in 1888 at the age of 35. A statue of their father, Frederick Billings, Sr., is located near the northwest corner of the building.. When the Minnesota and Montana Land Improvement Co., a railroad subsidiary, platted the town in March 1882, it was named after Frederick Billings, Sr. who was the railroad president from 1879-1881, a period when the railroad began to expand its line from Bismarck to Seattle. Although he never lived here, Frederick Billings, Sr. was an avid community supporter until his death in 1890. His children kept up the tradition; in 1910 Frederick Billings, Jr. financed the east wing of the library and in 1923, his sister Elizabeth financed the west wing. The library remained here until 1969, when it moved to a larger location. The building was restored and re-opened as the Western Heritage Center, a regional museum interpreting and reflecting life in the Yellowstone River Valley.

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