Celebrating History: A new church and a new temple

From Emily Mayer

The good news regarding buildings in Hill County continues in the papers from 100 years ago. A few weeks ago, Kremlin celebrated the construction of a new church. This week, so does Gildford. This article was on the front page of The Havre Plaindealer on Sept. 18, 1915.

DEDICATE GILDFORD CHURCH ON SUNDAY

Vested Choir of St. Mark's will Render Music.

Trinity church, Gildford, Montana, will have an eventful day this coming Sunday. For eight or nine years the people of that live little city have labored to raise funds with which to erect their first church and their hopes and efforts are finally realized.

Tomorrow Rev. L. J. Christler, assisted by the vested choir of St. Mark's church of Havre, will lay the corner stone to the Gildford church. The service will take place at 8 p.m. There will be another service in the new building, which is nearing completion, 7:30 in the evening. The new church is a beautiful Gothic, the exterior being built of stucco. F. F. Bossout of this city is the architect.

The Gildford church has a very interesting history. Rev. Mr. Christler held the first service in Gildford more than nine years ago. What is now the Gildford Tribune building was used at one time for services. Later a guild was formed. ts membership consisted of people of every religious training. Each year they have laid aside funds for the construction of the long-looked for church. The first baptism and confirmation in Gildford by Mr. Christler was that of a Japanese boy. Then Gildford had but very few people. Since then the town and the mission church have continued to grow rapidly.

That the new church may be of universal service to the community, both Mr. Christler and his congregation have planned that all religious bodies use it for public worship. Many Havre people will motor to Gildford tomorrow to attend the corner stone service. The vested choir of St. Mark's will leave the church here at 1:30 p.m.

Trinity Church is no longer standing in Gildford, but if anyone has some history on it, or pictures they wish to share, please contact me. Also, if anyone has information on the Japanese family or families living in Gildford, I would appreciate a phone call as well.

Also in the Plaindealer was an announcement that the De-Molay Commandery of Knights Templar in Havre had organized and held its first meeting.

In Arsee's Society page was this entry. I know how many readers love reading names in the paper, so get ready for this one!

Handsome Card Events.

Mrs. E. J. Pepin and Miss Mae Pepin entertained at cards on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings of this week at the beautiful Pepin residence on Third avenue. The rooms throughout this lovely home were aglow with many lights and masses of deep pink carnations and ferns, low baskets and tall crystal vases held graceful clusters of these fragrant blossoms. Nine tables were in play each evening and delicious refreshments were served. The cut prizes fell to Mrs. V. R. Griggs, Mrs. Glen German, Mrs. Arnold Kaepernack and Miss Thompson. The hostesses were assisted by the Misses Hazel Kennedy, Edna and Alice Burke. Those bidden: Mesdames Lohman of Chinook, German of Vancouver, B. c., F. D. McHaffie of Missoula, Brown of Fort Benton, Schlitz of Kremlin, Griggs of Iowa, Schwartz of Gildford, Brodrick of Malta, Penny of Great Falls, Pelletier of Helena; James Carnal, Beaulieu, Skylstead, Stringfellow, Rathbone, Batchell, Benson, Haglund, Black, Casman, Devine, Troy, Archibald, Schwartz, Langston, Campbell, Choquette, Moore, Hanson, Griggs, Grimmer, Sanderson, J. A. Wright, Bossout, Mack, Almas, Sutherland, Kay, Hutchinson, Carrier, Pyper, Ritt, Allen, Coville, Kaepernack, McCarthy, Holland, Ritt, Wilkie, McIntire, Hulfish, Holland Jr., Williams, Wilson, Burke, Carruth, Dewar, Devlin, W. MacKenzie, D. S. MacKenzie, Shepherd, Webber, Hamilton, Bourne, E. A. Pepin, Morris, Broadwater, Forge, Hayes, Koerner, Ferguson, Fuller, A. A. Pepin, Parsons, Kline, Buttrey, Donaldson, Wright and the Misses Thompson, Virginia Stringfellow, Laura McIntire, Demerise Patchell, Ruth Carrier, Cecelia de Lorimer, Emma Bowman, Georgia Allen and Hazel Kennedy.

That is a lot of ladies to be in one home during a two-evening period, but the Pepin residence was a large one. It is still proudly standing at 606 3rd Ave. It was constructed in 1914 by Fuglevand and Sundberg for Exzelia Pepin, a nephew of Simon Pepin. "Zeal" was a postmaster in Havre for several years.

The Hill County Democrat's issue of the same date made this announcement:

YEON BUILDING IS COMPLETED

The new and magnificent brick structure erected by Pat Yeon on First St. opposite the G. A. Hulfish company has just been completed and a portion of the same is now occupied by the Lindsay Fruit Co. the Havre Meat and Grocery Company will also occupy a portion of athe building and the second floor will be used as living apartments.

The Democrat also had this to say in its editorial section:

With the building of the new Masonic Temple, the new parochial school and the court-house, besides other structures, a brick layer and carpenter ought to be as busy in Havre right now as the average wet land farmer. No drys in this city at this writing unless it is some poor feeble-minded reformer-prohibitionist who is as harmless as sheep.

The Hingham Review's Sept. 17, 1915 issue encouraged residents to purchase more shares for the proposed telephone line, as well as these two paragraphs of note:

Mrs. Tschache and child arrived last week from North Dakota to join Mr. Tschache here, and they will live in Mrs. Simpson's house on the east side.

John Erdman has purchased the Ellithorpe house on the east side, and is becoming some land lord in Hingham.

The Box Elder Valley Press stated there were new residents in town.

Nebraska Farmers Locate Here.

E. L. Driskell, the local real estate dealer, located three farmers on choice quarters east of town this week. A. J. Corwin filed on a relinquishment and Wm. Draeger and son Otto purchased two deeded quarters from Walter Brown. All are energetic and successful farmers of Belgrade, Neb., and Wm. Draeger has recently disposed of his Nebraska farm for $11,000.00. They left this week for that state and intend to return in the spring with a carload of stock. Before leaving they came in and subscribed for The Box Elder Valley Press so as enable them to keep informed on what is going on in their future home. The relinquishment sold for $300 and the quarters sold for about $1700.