Before Kelly's Saloon was erected an even finer building went up, during the winter of 1897. This impressive structure was the J. K. Wells Hotel. Designed by Mrs. Wells, it was similar to one that she owned in Bearmouth. The Wells Hotel in Garnet boasted of elaborate woodwork that was said to equal the luxurious buildings in Helena, Montana. To enter the hotel guests passed through beautifully carved doors that contained stained glass windows. This mining town extravaganza went all out with a ladies' parlor and a grand dining room. The grand dining room was the site of numerous gala occasions in Garnet. There, was held the Grande Masquerade, the Hard Times Ball, as well as the St. Patrick's Day Calico Ball.
For the times, the Wells Hotel was considered a very modern building although there were no plaster walls or insulation except for the cloth-backed paper that adorned the walls. Heating was surely a problem is such a large building. The hotel provided two stoves in the dining room, leaving the upstairs rooms to gather warmth from rising warm air.
The upper rooms of the hotel were reached by the use of an oak staircase. But a lot of the miners could not afford such luxury as a private room. To accommodate these fellows of lesser funds floor space on the third floor could be rented. To keep everyone in their own space dividing lines were drawn on the floor to indicate where each man could lay out his bedroll.
The hotel even provided its own outhouse, which stood behind the hotel and could reached from the upper floor by descending a few steps.
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