E.F. Link and Associates records, 1939-1985

John Gustave Link (1870-1954) was born in Bavaria Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1887. He began working as an architect that year in Denver, Colorado and by the late 1890s he had moved to Montana. Throughout his career, J.G. Link worked independently and in several partnerships with other architects including W.E. Donovan, J.C. Paulson, Joseph T. Carter, and Charles S. Haire. John G. Link married Martha M. Welling of St. Louis, Missouri on September 18, 1895, and the couple had six children; Vesta, Randolph, John, Louis, and Elmer.

Link formed his first partnership with William E Donovan, Link and Donovon, which was active from 1896-1900. A notable project that they completed during this partnership was the Mountain Church in Butte, Montana (1899). After their firm disbanded, he formed Link and Carter with Joesph T. Carter, which was in practice from 1900-1905. They completed ten architectural buildings during their partnership. They created several notable buildings including the Billings City Hall (1902) and the St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Billings (1906). After Link and Carter disbanded, Link started a new architect to manage his Butte office. He partnered with Charles S. Haire (1857-1925) who was a prominent Helena architect at the time. The two men formed the firm Link and Haire on January 1, 1906. Their partnership lasted until Haire's death in 1925. Combined, Link and Haire worked on over one thousand buildings, working both separately and together and with other architects at their firm. They also designed nearly one third of all the courthouses in the state of Montana. Link and Haire operated offices in Helena, Miles City, Missoula, and Lewistown, with Haire based in Butte and Link based in the Billings office. Link relocated to Spokane, Washington after Haire's death in 1925. He created a short-lived partnership with George M. Rasque. They completed one project together which was the Benton County Courthouse in Prosser, Washington (1926). Link then returned to Billings in 1926, creating J.G Link, Inc., which lasted from 1926-1935. During this time Link completed the Richland County Courthouse in Sidney, Montana (1927). He also completed the Jackson County Courthouse in Medford, Oregon (1931). In 1935 J.G. Link formed a new firm with his son J.G. Link Jr. (1908-1978), which they renamed J.G. Link and Son that lasted from 1935 to 1936. During this time the pair completed a Nursing Home in Lewistown, Montana (1935) and the Washakie County Courthouse in Worland, Wyoming (1936). Link retired in 1936, handing his business to his sons John and Elmer F. Link (1913-1997), who formed J.G. Link and Company. J.G. Link died in Billings in January 1954. In addition to the buildings he designed throughout the state, Link also contributed his architectural expertise to Montana State University (MSU) throughout his career. He drafted the original drawings for A.J.M Johnsons Hall, which was later completed by his sons in 1954. Link also designed the 1909 Linfield Hall at MSU. J.G. Link and Company lasted from 1936 to 1969, at which time it changed its name to E.F. Link and Associates. Both E.F. Link and J.G. Link Jr. remained partners in this company until its closure in 1985. Architectural firms owned by the Link family were the oldest architectural firms in Montana. Offices in both Billings and Butte and in the late 1940s employed eighteen people and designed both residential and public buildings throughout Montana and the surrounding states. In 1985, E.F. Link and Associates involuntarily dissolved and were forced into bankruptcy. The company failed to finish its final design, a 16-million-dollar expansion of the Montana State Prison Powell County, Montana.