HOMES OF THE WESTERN STARS – GARY COOPER #1

HOMES OF WESTERN MOVIE FILM MAKERS

IN FRONT AND BEHIND THE CAMERAS

BY BOB SILER

THE GARY COOPER TOUR

PART ONE – 1901 – 1924

HELENA, MONTANA

1901 – 1908

730 11th AVENUE

Frank James Cooper, best known as Gary Cooper, was born on the second floor, ten room – modest red – brick home of his parents, Judge Charles and Alice Cooper, on May 7, 1901. Over the years the Cooper’s lived in four other houses that were close to each other.

1909 – 1912

123 BRECKENRIDGE

The family moved here.
LIVED HERE FOR A SHORT TIME

1910 – 1914

DUNSTABLE, ENGLAND

Cooper and his brother were enrolled in Dunstable School while living with relatives in Houghton Regis, England. They returned to Montana in 1914.

HIGH STREET NORTH – DUNSTABLE

He lived on this while attending Dunstable.

HELENA, MONTANA

LATER LIVED HERE AFTER ENGLAND

1913 – 1914

15 SHILAND STREET

They next moved to this shuttered, two – story, wood framed house, with a railed front porch, that sat on top of a steep hill.

1914 – 1918 / 19

115 NORTH BEATTIE STREET

They moved into this large three – story stucco duplex.

1918 / 19 – 1920

712 5th AVENUE

Their final home was a brick house with abig front wondow and arched entrance

that led to the front porch, that was across the street from Shiland Street.

1906

THE 7 BAR 9 RANCH

In 1906 Judge Cooper bought this ranch. Coop’s mother nicknamed the ranch house ‘Sunnyside’.

Present directions to the ranch:

Drive North on I – 15, take exit 244 and go back toward Helena for two miles on the frontage road. At milepost 246 on the West Side of the highway, there is the white – painted 7 BAR 9 sign above the gate post and the abutment of the old footbridge.

EDUCATION

HELENA, MONTANA

CENTRAL GRADE SCHOOL

JOHNSON GRAMMAR SCHOOL

1910 – 1913

DUNSTABLE, ENGLAND

Cooper and his brother were enrolled in Dunstable School while living with relatives in Houghton Regis, England. They returned to Montana in 1914.

DUNSTABLE GRAMMER SCHOOL

BOZEMAN, MONTANA

GALLATIN VALLEY COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

Graduated from here.

(1921)

1921 – 1922

HELENA JUNIOR COLLEGE

1921 – 1924

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Worked here as a tour guide for three straight summers

1922 – 1924

GRINNELL COLLEGE – GRINNELL, IOWA

(Graduated in 1924 at the age of 23)

(1922 – AGE 21 – BACK ROW)

1924

AGE 23 – SECOND FROM RIGHT IN THIRD ROW FROM BOTTOM

Bob Siler grew up in Burbank, not far from Universal Studios and Warner Brothers where they made his favorite monster movies.  A long-time fan of Westerns, he still has a hard time believing that the great John Wayne could die.  Bob has created many lists detailing where the famous and infamous lived, are buried, and the cars they drove.  He has recently completed this list of Western Stars homes after many years.  Burbank Bob now resides in Portland, Oregon.