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

125 YEARS AGO - SEPTEMBER: Back in 1897, natural disasters, politics, crime, and illness were on the front page of the paper and there was plenty of satire on the inside. At least 400 people lost their lives on the Lucon island of the Philippines from a major volcanic eruption. Typhoid fever was a serious threat in Belt, Montana with 44 cases reported. In Alaska, typhoid and scurvy were attacking the miners – it was reported that many men had teeth dropping out of their mouths from the scurvy. An uproar was created when the government offered to pay $1.5 million for a strip of land owned by the Blackfeet Indians. An 80-year-old carpenter by the name of Charles Ashworth, died when he fell down the steps at the California Brewery in Butte. Labor Day celebrations were held throughout the state and a large parade was held in Butte with the noticeable absence of the miners' union. The following local stories are taken as written in the September 3 and 10, 1897 editions of the Jefferson Valley Zephyr. The photo is an ad from that time period for a store in Mammoth, Montana in the Tobacco Root Mountains.

C.M. Dinsdale is shipping 13,000 head of sheep to Clay, Robinson & Co., Chicago. The sheep were driven overland from points in Southern Montana to Whitehall. Thirty cars were loaded yesterday and thirty-five more are being loaded.

Eliza Oman, aged 84, an aunt of Mrs. J.W. Sacry, died at the Sacry ranch at 2 o'clock Tuesday morning. She had been a resident of Montana for twelve years, having resided at the Sacry home during that time. She came to Montana from California. She was buried at the ranch on Wednesday last.

Two cars of coke arrived in Whitehall on Friday for the Montana Smelting Company, at Twin Bridges, and one car arrived the same day for the Sheridan smelter.

SCHOOL NOTICE: School opens Monday, September 13th. For the accommodation of new pupils entering and those conditioned last year, there will be an examination held at the school building on Saturday, Sept. 11, beginning at 9 AM, at which time all such pupils must present themselves for proper classification. A.J. Holloway, Principal.

The Whitehall authorities will assess a dog tax against A.J. Davis if his band of hounds continue to visit this city.

The big rain and hail of Friday afternoon started a slide of rock two miles east of Homestake which delayed No. 12 nearly six hours. Extra trackmen were taken from Whitehall on the "hog." The rain of Wednesday morning was general in Southern Montana. Although there is considerable grain in the shock the farmers do not seriously object and the stockmen are pleased.

JEFFERSON COUNTY NOTES: The board of county commissioners is now in regular session at Boulder, and unless there are some special sessions this is the last meeting of the present board. Commissioner Benjamin, speaking of the matter, said: "I will not be sorry to go out of office. I think that a man, after serving four years as a county commissioner ought to be pensioned. That would be a small reward for the kicks received." There is no special business at this session. The allowance of the quarterly bills and letting the county wood contract are the features. The wood contract was let at $2.74. County Surveyor McNeill is almost through with this season's road campaign. The road grader has made a tour of the county. The road from Gaylord to Boulder is in good condition.

100 YEARS AGO - SEPTEMBER: By September 1923, things had not changed much. Natural disasters and politics were still making headlines along with human-caused disasters. A 7.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan killed more than 120,000 people. The silent film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, starring Lon Chaney was released and he became known as the "Man of 1,000 Faces." Housewives in Berlin, Germany marched through the streets carrying empty baskets to protest the inability to buy food due to hyperinflation. Seven U.S. Navy destroyers were accidentally sunk off the coast of California in what became known as the Honda Point Disaster. It was the largest peacetime loss of ships in U.S. history. Here in our valley, concerns were more locally focused. The following news items are based on notes made by Roy Millegan, Sr. from early September 1923 editions of the Jefferson Valley News.

Our local gals seem to be a little behind the times when it comes to fashion. That bobbed hairstyle that has been popular in the big cities is on the way out just when our women have all had their hair chopped off to look stylish.

School is starting up and our classrooms will be full of eager young minds, ready for the rigors of learning after a summer of leisure. Mr. Jensen has his new International truck school bus spit-shined and ready to transport youngsters to our school. It will be easy to spot the bus – looks like a baby streetcar and has a powerful 35-horsepower engine. He can carry up to 35 students on his 15-mile route. Three of the children are from the Halverson family. They must travel from their home near the Springs to the Strozzi ranch to catch the bus. During the winter months, the bus will have nice heat given off by the exhaust system. George Dawson will be driving the North Boulder bus route and George Patrick will take care of the Jefferson Island area and drop off students at the Cardwell school.

For those students who must stay at the dormitory, room and board is $20 per month. Teachers who live at the dormitory are charged $23 per month. Everyone must carefully read the rules about living there to avoid any unpleasant circumstances. The Piedmont school currently has 15 students enrolled. At Pleasant Valley, Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Houx are the teachers of 39 students.

There is a very favorable article about our fair community in the Butte Miner referring to it as the modern little city of the Northwest. To quote just a portion of the article, the author says, "A city park that would grace the grounds of a millionaire's estate, paved streets, adequate street lighting, modern stores, in the windows of which the latest merchandise is as tastefully displayed as on Fifth Avenue or State Street, well-dressed men and women and signs of hustle and activity."

Changes made by some of our local residents are worthy of noting this month. Alfred Francis, who has lived here for at least 12 years, has leased his place near Pipestone to Art Pyfer. Francis will be returning to Mound City, North Dakota. Morgan Johnson from Anaconda has purchased the Renova Store from the estate of Mr. Al Johnson who was murdered just this last June. I.B. Miles is the new potato agent in this area for Albert Miller and Co. of Chicago. Lester Weber and his wife have moved to Limespur to run the boarding house there. Mrs. Alice Opie has taken her sons Harold and Francis to Missoula to enroll them in school there. Forest Ranger H.H. Mills has been successful in having 8,000 native trout planted in the waters behind the Pipestone Dam. Should make for some great fishing next spring.

It is county fair time again. The Jefferson County Fair has been featured here since 1912 after the good people of Whitehall raised over $4,000.00 to purchase land, create first-class racetracks, and build the needed fair buildings. Mr. Harry Huber is once again the county fair manager. You will not want to miss the many events including bronco riding, steer riding, horse races, auto races, wagon races, bareback riding, cowboy races, athletic events, and a dandy dance every night. Boxing will be a highlight of the fair this month. Ringside seats for the great lineup of matches are just $2.25 plus a $0.25 war tax.

Pleasant Valley rancher James Kane is getting some much-needed help from Montana State College expert H.E. Murdock. Mr. Murdock is well versed in irrigation and drainage and will be doing a demonstration project to reclaim about 150 soggy acres of the Kane ranch. The cost will be somewhere between $1200 and $1300.