Collins Mansion

Timothy Collins was born on April 25, 1844 in County Cork, Ireland. His family immigrated to the United States in 1852 and settled in Wabash, Indiana. As a young man, Collins traveled west to Montana in 1864 to search for gold (first found in the state in 1862). While he didn't strike it rich he was somewhat successful, which, presumably, enabled him to get his start in business. His stature rose and he was elected to the territorial legislature for the first time in 1869. He also studied law during these years and was admitted into the bar in 1872. In 1876, he became probate judge of the county and served in this position until 1880. Collins then helped establish the Bank of North Montana in Fort Benton, where he lived for a number of years. Four years later, he served as a member of the constitutional convention.

As noted above, Collins was played an important role in the founding of Great Falls in 1883. He (and a partner) built the first commercial building in Great Falls and helped establish the First National Bank of Great Falls, serving as the bank's president from 1887-1893. Collins ran for governor in 1892 but lost by a narrow margin. He was, however, elected as the state treasurer in 1896. He also served on the state board of education between 1892 and 1896. During these years Collins got involved in sheep ranching and was one of the first to do so in Montana. In his later years Collins apparently worked too hard, to the detriment of his health. He became paralyzed for several months in 1908 and died on August 30th of that year.

Billingsley, Bill. "Timothy Edwards Collins Mansion." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. August 27, 1980. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/6dd9d77d-f05a-4964-8b2d-ed494165de1f.

"T.E. Colins Mansion." The Historical Marker Database. Accessed August 3, 2020. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=143677.