Celebrating history: Big happenings in Box Elder

In continuing this series celebrating Montana Territory's 150th anniversary, we will go to Box Elder and Hingham during February. This is the fifth in the series, and comes from the Feb. 6, 1914 issue of The Box Elder Valley Press.

Box Elder was getting ready for a big meeting:

Three Session Are to Be Held

The combined meeting of the Box Elder Basin Development Association and the Farmers' Institute which was to have been held on February 10 has been changed to February 16. This change was made because the original schedule entailed extra travel. The local committee announce that they have secured the west bench orchestra to dispense music on that day.

Sessions will be held at 10:30 a.m., and 2 and 8 p.m. Everybody invited. Speakers of wide reputation, rich in successful farm experience and in knowledge of agricultural science will discuss the production of better crops and animals, better markets, better places to live and better people. Bring any questions you desire to ask. Free dinner at noon. Come early and stay late.

As a special inducement to get as large a number as possible to attend this meeting we will give free to the farmer who brings in the largest number to this meeting one year's subscription to The Box Elder Valley Press and 100 butter wrappers with his name printed on them.

As the Box Elder area grew in numbers with people coming to file homesteads and start businesses, so did activities for youth. This short article also appeared on the front page:

Boy Scouts Organize

A meeting of the Boy Scouts for the purpose of organizing and electing officers was held at the school house last Friday evening. Eight boys took the oath and joined. The following officers were elected: Peter Pogreba, president; Neal Clapper, vice-president; Harold Mackey, secretary and treasurer; Rev. Nelson, scout master; Wm. Cowan, scout commissioner; Wilfred Tow, 1st patrol leader.

They will meet again at the school house tomorrow evening. All interested are invited to attend.

Other front-page news included a large section dedicated to rainfall amounts at Fort Assinniboine and Havre during the growing season starting in 1881, another large section of a letter sent from the Department of the Interior to Cowan and Son regarding irrigation from the Marias River, the January weather report, school notes and two rewards for the conviction of the person who was poisoning dogs in the area. Jerks can be found in any era of history, and this area of the world is of no exception.

Of course, my favorite part are those little paragraphs of information:

In And About Our Town

The Ladies Aid meeting at the home of Mrs. Wm. Cowan yesterday afternoon was well attended in spite of the cold weather. A pleasant afternoon was spent and a delicious lunch was served.

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Geo. Loempel and John Brown have been having a controversy in regards to an irrigation ditch owned by John Brown crossing the land of Geo. Loempel and at a hearing held last week in Havre the judge appointed a committee consisting of Messrs. McKay and Hedge of Havre and Chas. English of Box Elder to make an investigation and award damages.

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The Board of County Examiners have completed the work of examining the mid-winter eighty grade examination papers and the following Box Elder pupils passed in physiology and geography: Leslie Spangelo, Willard Lines, Beecher Cushman and Marie Dodd. The next teachers examinations will be held February 26, 27 and 28 at Havre and Chester.

And for the first entry of this column, the following information might shed some light on those butter wrappers:

The new law which went into effect on January 1 makes it imperative that you label your butter. Call at The Valley Press office for your labels.

Back in 1914, butter was homemade and often sold to stores for resale. The labels identified where and who the butter came from.