Three honored for their efforts in preservation

Three Havre residents were honored Monday night for their efforts to keep Havre's history alive and vibrant.

The Havre-Hill County Preservation Commission honored Drs. Marc Whitacre and Erica Farmer for their efforts to preserve the endangered Havre Historic Post Office.

And Darrin Boss, the superintendent of Northern Agricultural Research Center, was saluted for his work in helping to preserve Fort Assinniboine and its aging buildings.

Becki Miller, the preservation officer for the commission, praised all three for their work.

Whitacre and Farmer, who operate the Vision Center at Northern Montana Health Care, purchased the old post office, which was endangered from years of neglect, when they arrived in Havre.

They are rehabilitating it, having done most of the work themselves.

The building was deteriorating badly at the time, Miller said.

Today the building houses the Whitacre-Farmer residence, an events center that is open to the community and several professional offices that are rented out.

Boss oversees NARC, located at Fort Assinniboine. The late 19th century fort was the first area in north-central Montana occupied by Europeans, and more buildings from the era are preserved than any other fort of that time period.

The Fort Assinniboine Preservation Association has worked to keep the existing buildings standing and in as good repair as possible, but that would not have happened without Boss' support, Miller said.

He has helped keep buildings in good shape and worked with the association on its projects.

Last year, he was successful in obtaining funding to hire a tour guide who works 40 hours a week during the summer tourist season, showing off the fort to hundreds of visitors each year.

The association also set up a headquarters in the old library building, she said.