The Ward Hotel was built after the invention of the camera. Construction started in 1907 and it opened for business in Thompson Falls in 1908. There are photographs out there of Thompson Falls main street, the business district and the Ward Hotel (now the Black Bear Inn) spanning from 1908 through present day.

When the Ward Hotel was built, Montana, Sanders County and Thompson Falls were considered the frontier. Based on today's definition, Sanders county remains a frontier county. Even so, it is Montana’s 18th most populous county with approximately 11,000 residents. The county was established in 1905 and named after Wilbur Fisk Sanders, pioneer and U.S. Senator from Montana.