Our Town 100 Years Ago: June Part II

In 1896, just like today, people were looking forward to the official start of summer. Nationally, headlines included the fire that destroyed Hope, Idaho; the first session of the 53rd Congress concluded with only 50 members present and fighting between members from Texas and California; a building collapse in San Francisco kills five. Locally, flooding is a concern. The following are taken as written from the June 19 and 26, 1896 editions of the Jefferson Valley Zephyr. The accompanying photo is Legion Avenue looking west in 1922. Notice the large flagpole in the park, erected near the end of WWI.

Washouts: About 100 feet of track on the flats this side of Gaylord went out last night. The water was near the top of the track for several days and at that undermined it. A bridge is gone on the Northern Pacific Drummond (burned) and another from the same cause near Billings. Nos. 1 and 3 are therefore several hours late. Roadmaster Sullivan is kept busy these days looking after threatened washouts. The bridge near Logan is thought to be perfectly safe from damage now, but some fears are expressed for the safety of a portion of the track between here and Gaylord; in places, the water is now up to the ties and still “upping.” The new bridge across the Jefferson near the Cardwell ranch, to use the words of a gentleman describing it, “looks like a liner in mid-ocean,” it is entirely surrounded by a vast expanse of water. The approaches at both ends are partially gone, and the prospects now are that the citizens of the South Boulder will be as badly off as ever regarding communication with Whitehall; it will be, probably, two months before the bridge will again be available for general travel.

Zephyrettes and Personal Chat: Mayor Townsend, of Waterloo, is having considerable success trapping bears, having caught two recently. It may not be news to all, but it will be to most of our readers, to learn that the timetable of the Whitehall and Gaylord railroad, shows a new station, about midway between the terminals; the name is Renova, and it has neither depot nor agent. Prof. Black and daughter Nina were in town Wednesday from South Boulder. Guess they had to swim the river to get home as it is not fordable and the approaches to the bridge are gone. We were pleased to meet Tuesday evening George H. Scott, representing the Rocky Mountain Husbandman, who had just come down the valley from Twin Bridges. Mr. Scott’s experience on that trip will ever be green in his memory as he was not aware that he would encounter a plague of gnats; when he arrived there he had “a head” on him all right that was a sight. He said in many years of travel in Montana, that was the worst experience he ever run up against.

At Gaylord: All is moving nicely and the work forging ahead as rapidly as an undertaking of such magnitude can be expected. The foundation of the mammoth stack is slowly rising, but as all the stones entering its composition are cut before being lowered into their final resting place, it will be the more realized that progress is necessarily slow.

Hon. C. L. Hartman, Montana’s most faithful representative in congress, is the “biggest” man in Montana today despite the fact that he lacks considerable of being a six-footer. At a late hour Wednesday night, it was definitely ascertained that Mr. Hartman would pass through Whitehall on the 9:45 yesterday morning. There was little time to spread the news, but with the inspiring strains of the Whitehall band to aid in arousing the curiosity of the citizens, and by passing the word around, a large gathering of ladies and gentlemen had assembled at the depot when the train arrived.

Speaking of national affairs, Mr. Hartman said that the all-important issue was the financial question; that the time had arrived for its people to decide whether the United States is to be governed by England, Lombard, and Wall streets, or by the citizens.

The train at this time beginning to move, and Mr. Hartman was obliged to wave an adieu to the throng. After the parting cheers had subsided one misguided individual proposed three cheers for McKinley and the crowd didn’t do a thing but keep mum.

By 1922, things were heating up politically across the “pond.” Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini warns about leading a full-scale revolt against the government that is anti-Fascist. Soon to be dictator of Germany, Adolf Hitler, begins a month-long prison sentence for paramilitary operations. Back in the U.S., charter NFL club, the Chicago Staleys, are renamed the Chicago Bears by team founder, owner, and head coach George Halas and U. S. President Warren G. Harding is the first president to use radio as a way to communicate with large numbers of citizens. Here in the Jefferson Valley, the world is shrinking with technology coming to town. People are celebrating sports wins and the lives of those who left too soon. The following is re-written from notes made by Roy Milligan, Sr. from the June 15, 22, and 29, 1922 editions of the Jefferson Valley News.

Obit: Longtime resident and early pioneer Jack Dawson of Cold Springs passed away on June 12th. He was born in Canada in 1838, was a veteran of the Civil War and was one of the first white people to enter the Black Hills where he was engaged in mining. He is survived by his large family which includes daughters Mrs. J. C. White of Cold Springs; Mrs. E. P. Gruber of Toston; Mary, Kathleen, Alice, and Josephine, all of Cold Springs and his sons William, Patrick, Dewey, George, Theodore, and Edward, all of Cold Springs. Mr. Dawson came to this area over 40 years ago from the Black Hills.

Local Chit-Chat: Charles Johnson is putting up the first radio set in town. It may take a while for everything to arrive and it will include a 55-foot high antenna. Those three young men who decided to become hobos (one from town and two from up on the bench) did not get very far on their adventure.

Apparently, hunger got the best of them at Three Forks when the loaf of bread they had for eating got a little stale. Mr. and Mrs. Nate Root are celebrating their 42nd year here in the valley. Our illustrious Mayor Tait has proposed that the town install two concrete arches at either end of the Yellowstone Trail with a large Welcome to Whitehall and our elevation engraved on them. It was also suggested that the words “Free Camp Grounds” and “Last stop before Butte” be included. The carnival from Harrison made a stopover in town. Our baseball boys beat the carnival men 25 to 2 and the 700-pound man, Happy Jack, was a popular attraction. The Justus house (San Souci) will soon be surrounded by a finely constructed concrete fence once Mr. Miller has finished his handiwork.

Hugh Mosier and Dean Tidball thought they had struck it rich when they found some “bubbly stuff” coming out of the ground up in the Whitetail. They said it could be Hoochite or maybe Moonspar.

When tested, it had about a 3% “kick.” They were attracted to their find after observing rhumba of rattlesnakes appearing to do the Rumba. The boys smartly decided to check with the prohibition enforcement officer before expending any more time or money on their find.