Celebrating history: Life in 1915

News regarding buildings this week 100 years ago tapered off in the newspapers, but there were some things still going on. The Oct. 23, 1915 issues of The Havre Plaindealer and The Hill County Democrat had the commissioner's proceedings, including expenses relating to the new courthouse, which was still under construction.

Court House Fund

J. P. Grady & Co. Second Payment plumbing contract 1500.00

Havre Electric Const. Co. Payment on Electrical Contract 250.00

Olson and Johnson Co. Extra work on Court House and Jail 450.76

Olson & Johnson Co. third Payment on Court House Contract 15,725.00

The Roman Catholic Bishop Great Falls, Montana, Part payment Court House Property 9900.00

F. F. Bossout, Part payment Architect's fees 250.00

Jos. T. Berthelote, Supervision of Court House work 72.00

For the Commissioners' Proceedings for Oct. 5, 1915, regarding the courthouse:

The application of J. Stanley, Ja. A. Brown and D. A. Clark, for the position of janitor of Hill County Court House were received and as there is no vacancy at the present time the applications were denied.

This article appeared in the Plaindealer:

TRAINMEN WILL GIVE THANKSGIVING DANCE

Cards have been posted announcing the fifth annual dance of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, to occur at the Lyceum on Thanksgiving night, Nov. 25th.  It is the annual custom of the Brotherhood to give their dance on.. Thanksgiving, and those who have attended this function in past years remember it as one of the most enjoyable events of the season.  The event this year will lack none of those essential details that have made it such a pronounced success in the past, and it is a safe assertion that the hall will be crowded to its capacity with those attending the dance.

In Arsee's weekly "Society" column was this entry of several:

Handsome Autumn Event.

Viewed from every angle, brilliant is the only word that fitly could be applied to the auction bridge party given on Tuesday evening last in the Lyceum hall, with Mrs. C. C. Brundage, Mrs. J. C. Christiansen and Mrs. E. B. Lynam as hostess.  The decorations were yellow chrysanthemum scarley falvia and autumn foliage.  Twelve tables were placed for the players and an elaborate menu was served at the close of the game.  The hostesses were charmingly assisted by the Misses Laura Reilly, Esther Lyman, Estella Spooner, Alice Graham, Zeda Hutchinson and Claire Andres.

The Democrat carried this short article:

THE OXFORD CAFÉ HAS REFRIGERATOR

The Oxford Café of this city has installed a refrigerator in their window and besides attracting considerable attention as a novel feature it keeps their daily shipments of fish, oysters and seafood from the coast fresh at all times."

News of a new refrigerator would more than likely not make the paper today, but back then refrigerators were a relatively new appliance. Articles about things like this let readers know that Havre was a progressive, modern town, the kind of town people would want to move to, set up business or find work and perhaps raise a family.

In the "Local Brevities" social pages section, we find:

O. U. Miracle, of Great Falls one of the best known cement side walk contractors in the west was among the business visitors in Havre Thursday.

Havre has sidewalks made by the Miracle company. They are found in the West End in the Havre Residential Historic District and say "Miracle Maker" and are often accompanied by the year they were poured. My favorite is one found on the northwest corner of the intersection of 3rd Avenue and tth Street. It has the Miracle Maker stamp with a sun imprint around it. There are two of these in Havre, but this is the one that is the better of the two. It was poured in 1909 and has held up extremely well. I have seen the Miracle Maker sidewalks in Great Falls and Kalispell. Back in 1997, I surveyed the entire city to find out where these sidewalk stamps or imprints were and recorded them and photographed some of them. More than a few have been removed since that time.

In the Hingham Review's Oct. 22, 1915 issue, we find:

Notice

As my wife and I are getting too old to attend to so much business and do so much work, I would like to sell my lunch room and bakery. I will either sell the fixtures and business, or the lot and building also. Business is good, and the only reason for wanting to sell is the reason stated above.  F. T. Winkler.

A free lecture will be given at Kimple's hall Friday evening Oct. 29th by Dr. Geo. Young on national prohibition. Dr. Young comes very highly recommended  and has been in the anti-saloon work for twenty years so a rare treat is in store for the community.

There was a concerted effort going on all over Montana regarding Prohibition, and the newspapers were taking sides. Articles for or against were published prominently in some, and in others not wanting to make waves, only necessary reporting was done, such as meetings of the Women's Christian Temperance Union and its affiliates. The Democrat often dedicated one whole page, or sometimes more, to the anti-temperance movement. The Plaindealer, however, published no such articles one way or another; simply that the WCTU met at so-and-so's house. This issue came to a head in 1916, so keep reading.

The Box Elder Valley Press' issue of the same date reported:

One the Northwest bench last Sunday afternoon some neighbors tried to burn a few weeds and as a light wind was blowing they lost control of it and it spread with great rapidity.  Three people tried to fight it but could do nothing. Had it not been for another neighbor visiting near there taking their team and getting two more horses and plowing ahead of the fire it would soon have reached the school house in that district and not  only destroyed it but probably would have done much damage over a considerable piece of country before being checked.  A little care should be exercised when starting fires on windy days and this can be taken as a warning to others who have been in the habit of starting fires when the wind is blowing.

Not surprisingly, this article was part of "The Tattler Observations."