▁Sold iers ' ▁Home , ▁and ▁now ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁V eter ans ' ▁Home , ▁the ▁institution ▁has ▁served ▁veter ans ▁since ▁ 1 8 9 6 . ▁The ▁mission ▁of ▁the ▁home ▁is , ▁" to ▁honor ▁the ▁service ▁of ▁Mont ana ’ s ▁veter ans ▁by ▁serving ▁them ▁in ▁turn ▁in ▁their ▁time ▁of ▁need ." ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁National ▁Register ▁of ▁Historic ▁Places ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁Mont ana ▁had ▁ 2 5 ▁Civil ▁War ▁veter ans ▁living ▁on ▁county ▁poor ▁far ms , ▁out ▁of ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 2 , 5 0 0 ▁veter ans . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 5 , ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁State ▁legisl ature ▁respond ed ▁to ▁lo bb ying ▁by ▁the ▁Grand ▁Army ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ▁( G . A . R .) ▁and ▁author ized ▁the ▁ ▁establishment ▁of ▁a ▁soldiers ' ▁home . ▁Columbia ▁F alls ▁was ▁selected ▁out ▁of ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁eight ▁communities . ▁Its ▁citizens ▁don ated ▁$ 3 , 1 0 0 . ▁Additionally , ▁ 1 4 7 ▁acres ▁of ▁land ▁were ▁don ated ▁by ▁the ▁Northern ▁Im prov ement ▁Co ., ▁a ▁subs idi ary ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁Northern ▁Railway . ▁ ▁Charles ▁S . ▁H aire ▁designed ▁the ▁old ▁main ▁building , ▁which ▁was ▁built ▁by ▁Fred ▁Wh ites ide , ▁a ▁builder ▁and ▁Mont ana ▁politician , ▁in ▁ 1 8 9