Havre and the fire of 1904

By Keith J. Doll

Havre/Hill County Historic Preservation Commission

In 1902, Ed Broadwater and Simon Pepin sold their mercantile stock of Broadwater-Pepin Co. to W. E. French of Harlem and rented their building on First Street to H. W. Gross, who owned a business east of the store. The Post Office relocated earlier to the Chestnut block, located on the northwest corner of Second Street and Third Avenue. Ed and Simon retired from the mercantile trade to give more time to their cattle business. In 1903 H.W. Gross sold half interest in his business to his brother-in-law John J. Lebert from Kalisp...