Our Town 125 and 100 Years Ago...June, Part I

JUNE, PART I

All was not quiet in Montana back in June of 1897. A sheepherder had been killed by a group of renegade Cheyenne and seven more deaths followed. Ranchers were arming themselves and fear was rampant in eastern Montana. In western Montana, bets were being placed at the racetrack in Anaconda where nearly 150 horses were listed. In the eastern United States, new appointments were being made for federal government offices; a Christian mission in China was attacked and all were feared dead; and in Butte, a vigilante committee of 10 was formed, mostly members of the old Alder Gulch vigilantes, who selected 100 men to help the police rid the community of the criminal element. Here in Whitehall, the home news was a little more benign. The following articles are taken as written from the June 4 and 11, 1897 editions of the Jefferson Valley Zephyr.

HOME NEWS: Mrs. Ed Haskins and son Bert went to Butte on Tuesday, to see the elephant, presumably. The mail leaves for Gaylord at 9 AM arriving at Gaylord at 10:30 PM. Leaves Gaylord 2:30 PM and arrives at Whitehall at 4 PM. A steady and refreshing rain came Sunday night and Monday morning to gladden the hearts of the stockmen and farmers. Eighty-three persons from Butte visited the Pipestone Springs on Sunday, taking advantage of the excursion rates. Old-timers say there will be twenty-six days of rainy weather during June. All right for crops but a trifle hard on some of the other green things, including tenderfeet. Bain’s Short Order Restaurant and Lunch Counter has been moved to the old Post Office room, on upper Railroad Street. Open day and night. Ed Alkire has turned into a cowboy of no mean proportions. He has a cow-dog and a cayuse and last week ventured into the Big Hole country after beef. He will from time to time add guns, chaps, sombrero, spurs and lariat to his outfit. The Jefferson Island Bridge is now in good shape. The approaches to the slough bridge are not completed, but the water there is very low.

Whitehall people felt a slight earthquake shock about 5:20 Saturday morning. Many persons assert that the shock could not have been mistaken for anything but an earthquake. Murdock McIntyre, of Gaylord, enroute home from a visit to Butte, was at the Whitehall hotel. When the quaking commenced he leaped out of bed and yelled in purest Gaelic, “Crith t-halambain!” That means earthquake and no mistake.

For Sale: If taken at once, a well improved garden and hay ranch, of 160 acres two miles from Gaylord, fenced, with good water right. This is a bargain. Apply at once to The Zephyr office, Whitehall.

NEWS OF THE MINES: Much Work is Being Done this Season in the Rich Districts Around Historic Silver Star. Silver Star, it may be said, seems to be passing from glories of the past to glories of the future. The Broadway mine under lease to Dan Zink is being steadily worked and the lessee is doing well it is said. The Aurora mine under lease to Lewis & McFarland; the East Iron Rod, leased by Milles & McCurdy; and the Governor Hayes, leased by Cabbage Brothers, are all being worked. Across the river from Silver Star the mountains are full of prospectors, and this year will be noted for the amount of prospecting done in the section of range from the Mayflower mine to and beyond Bear Gulch. Hardly a day goes by without three or more prospecting outfits passing through Silver Star.

Twenty-six years later, the Jefferson Valley and Whitehall were modernizing and growing. Things were changing outside of our valley, too. The state of New York became the first to repeal enforcement of the prohibition of alcohol sales. The U. S. Supreme Court decided Meyer vs. Nebraska which overturned a 20-state ban on teaching anything but English in school. The case had been brought by Robert Meyer, a teacher in a private Lutheran school who taught German. The White House released President Harding’s schedule for his “Voyage of Understanding” speaking tour that will stop in 10 western states beginning June 20th. The inventor of Pepsi-Cola, Caleb Bradham, sold his business to The Craven Holding Corporation, including the secret manufacturing process, for $30,000 just eight days after he filed for bankruptcy.

The following news items are created from notes made by Roy Millegan, Sr. from June 7 and 14, 1923 editions of the Jefferson Valley News. The photo is Jim Vanderbeck, a 1923 graduate of WHS. The class of 1923 completed their educational endeavors at Whitehall High School and are moving on to the next stage in their lives. Twenty-one young men and women, donned in gray gowns and caps, received their diplomas. Heber Donohoe earned the honor of class valedictorian followed by class salutatorian Egbert Fox. Other graduates are Beulah Akin, Leslie Brook, Daly Bryant, Henry Churchwell, Althea Castle, Berger Erickson, Ida Flaherty, Thelma Jenison, Ethelyn Lockridge, Floyd Manlove, John Micklethwaite, Hugh Mosier, Riley Pyfer, James Vanderbeck, Marjorie Winslow, Charles Wolverton, Elinor Wolverton, and Bertha McArthur.

Anyone interested in buying some fine milk cows, Payton Allred is selling his herd. He is located one mile east of Pipestone Springs.

The Piedmont post office will be closing soon and all mail for people living in that vicinity will be added to rural route delivery. Speaking of Piedmont, the lawn tennis court that Thomas Weir has there is catching on. There are plans to add a court in Whitehall on the corner of First and Main. President of the Lawn Tennis group is Mr. Weir; vice-president is J. L. Fox; Secretary/Treasurer is E. A. Harden.

The family of Jesse Painter was sad to report his passing this month. Jesse, almost 20 years of age, succumbed to drowning in Lake Michigan. The burial will take place in Coulter, Pennsylvania.

The father of Fred Ahl has passed away. Philip Ahl was born in Germany in 1851 and came to America at an early age. He lived in Indiana until seven years ago when he came to live with his son in the Cardwell basin. Of his seven sons, only Charles and Fred remain in the Basin. The burial will take place in the Whitehall Cemetery.