Our Town 100 Years Ago: November, Part 1

November Part 1

The winters of 1895 and 1921-22 were nasty. Travel had improved by the 20s but a trip to Butte could still be a major undertaking. The news from 1895 is as it was written in the Whitehall Zephyr. News stories from November 1921 are based on notes made by Roy Millegan, Sr. from editions of the Jefferson Valley News.

November 1895: Halloween Brownies got in their deadly work last night, and everyone who had a wagon the night before had to hunt it up by piecemeal this morning. The post office bore a shoemaker's sign, Dick Hammond's new red wagon was in the band-stand, and Joe Morris' old confectionery sign attracted especial attention by reason of its close proximity to red curtains. The blacksmith shops found, apparently, innumerable jobs awaiting them in the morning in the shape of wheel-less wagons, etc., in front of their places. The pranks played were in some instances more than joshes, and no one would entertain the idea that Maj. Brooke, Horace Noble, Rev. Warman, Worthy Noble, Mr. Houghton, Sr., John Dunlevy, Dr. Dobyns and others would be indulging in such frolics.

The great Parrot canal is nearing completion at the headgate and upper portion of the ditch. Mr. Frank Nugent was in town this week; he is one of the contracting company's managers and stated that four or five more weeks' work would complete this end.

Pony, Mont., Nov. 6. The cold, disagreeable weather of the week has had the effect of making social events few and far between, snow being only three or four feet deep on the level, and we're not so fortunate as you "Zephyrites," for it doesn't blow this way.

Personal Chat: Worthy Nobel and wife started for Dillon Sunday morning, in a carriage, in response to a telegram informing him that his venerable mother was at the point of death. As Mrs. Nobel, Sr's., condition improved after their arrival Worthy returned home Wednesday. As the distance is 65 miles, and was traveled in a raging snowstorm each way, between daylight and dark, the horses may be considered a 'fairly' good team.

Those popular dermatologists, "Jim" Crawford and "Shorty" Davis have established a branch of their anti-hair-on-your-face parlors at Gaylord, thus taking "time by the firelock." Their popular prices-15 and 35c-give them what their razors are never know to do-a "pull" with the public.

Frank Houghton has been off on a vacation and hunting trip; Frank has no taste for killing jack rabbits, ducks, pheasants, and such plebeian trash, but goes for game fit for the gods-mountain sheep, etc.

At present it looks like the next races might be run on snowshoes. Dr. Wade, the manager, however says that he has a pull with the clerk of the weather through his old friend Grover Cleveland and that he has made arrangements for our usual banana-ripening November weather on Nov 16.

November 1921: Our football team is still celebrating winning their first game ever against Twin Bridges (61 to 0); but, maybe we should forget the loss to Boulder and to Livingston. We did make a touchdown against both teams. Final score was Livingston 26, Whitehall 6 and Boulder 26, Whitehall 6. In other school news, the high school now has a drum and bugle corps. They looked very sharp in their uniforms during their performance on Armistice Day under the direction of Ted DeVore. Students are also busy preparing for the presentation of the operetta "The Pennant."

In agriculture news, the Farm Bureau won on the ballot count but still lost the county agent. Although voters said yes to keeping the agent position, the county commissioners gave it a thumbs down and a boot to the agent. Potato farmers are not happy with the Northwest Potato Exchange coop. The coop says it is not making more than a 17 percent profit and local growers say it is way more than that. Hopefully, neither side will go off half-baked before this is settled.

There are a few business items worth noting. The Whitetail dam has been completed and waiting to hold back the spring run-off. The Butte-Cardwell copper mining company is talking about re-opening. The mine is about one-mile east of Cardwell and the railroad siding is still in place. Local architect T.C. Micklethwaite has been chosen to design the new school in Sheridan. E.C. Speck has been approved by the town council to fill the position of plumbing inspector for the town. Our little community will be hosting the 1922 Yellowstone Trail convention. We plan to have 13 delegates representing Whitehall and promoting our prominent position on the Trail. We have everything travelers need from A to Z.