When Billings was established in 1882, there were two primary streets: Montana Avenue on the north side of the Northern Pacific Railroad tracks and Minnesota Avenue on the south side of those tracks. The street names came from the Minnesota and Montana Improvement Company, which developed the town.

By the turn of the 20th century Montana Avenue had become the dominant corridor and has never looked back. Still, in 1990, Minnesota Avenue still had a bit of its railroad past as a row of bars and flophouses faced the tracks.

I took these 3 slides (including the cover slide) in 1990–and today this block has changed dramatically. But boy do I miss the neon!