na and with families still in China. The Chinese lived close together, primarily at the east end of the townsite near Minnesota Ave. Sam Lee, one of the most prominent Chinese businessmen, owned much of block 189 including the L & L Building which still stands at 2624 Minnesota Ave.
In 1909, the Great Northern Railway built through Montana to Billings and beyond. That same year, Congress passed the Enlarged Homestead Act, allowing people to lay claim to 320 acres (1.3 km) farms (double the previous size). What had been a steady flow of settlement suddenly became a raging torrent. In the heartland of dry farming, Billings was both a farm and rail hub. Outside of town, some 100,000 acres (400 km) were put into cultivation, while greater Yellowstone County reported 2,500,000 acres (10,000 km) dry were tilled for homestead farms.
Banks abounded in Billings, each a monument to local prosperity. By 1905, there were six banks in town, with a combined capital of over half a million dollars. Downtown was transformed during this "modern" era, and buildings of the late 19th century gave way to new, larger buildings that reflected the prosperity of Billings in the early 20th century. The presence of the Burlington and Milwaukee Railroad along the 5th Avenue North right-of-way drew downtown development that direction, and northern portions of downtown became increasingly urban. On March 24, 1909, a new downtown "Union Depot" serving the NP, Great Northern and Burlington lines opened to the public. Hotels large and small sprouted at the heart of downtown to serve travelers to Billings. Most prominent were the Northern and the Grand Hotels. Both buildings remain today, and are commanding on the Billings skyline. Smaller hotels also grew up in the shadow of the depot. Along Montana in the depot district, several small hotels were erected during the second decade of the 20th century. The Eagle, McCormick, Rex, Lincoln and Carlin are among those buildings that
