Celebrating History: Where to put courthouse

There was plenty of news regarding buildings in this week’s papers from 100 years ago. In the Jan. 30, 1915 issue of The Havre Plaindealer, we find:

COMMISSIONERS CAN

CHANGE THE SITE

Attorney General Sustains the County Attorney.

The Hill county commissioners can lawfully change the site for the proposed court house from the present one on Fifth avenue, if they deem another location more convenient and suitable. This question was recently submitted to County Attorney Beaulieu by the commissioners, and he advised that the change could be made if such was considered expedient. his week an opinion was rendered by Attorney General Kelly sustaining that of Beaulieu.

No definite action has yet been taken by the commissioners looking to the final selection of a court house site, though the question has been received informal consideration at the hands of the board and several sites have been suggested. The principal objection offered by those opposed to the present site is that it is too far removed from the business section of the community.

Regular readers of this column may remember the squabbles over choosing a site near the high school, then located between Seventh and Eighth streets and Third and Fourth avenues back in 1912.

In the social pages column named “Local and Personal” in the Plaindealer, we find out that:

F. F. Bossout and J. T. Berthelote, who have been in the east on business relative to the new court house building, returned home Tuesday.

Also on the Plaindealer’s front page was this column:

ORDERS STOCKYARD AT ASSINNIBOINE

Must Be in Operation Not Later Than September 1.

“Because the growth of Havre and Big Sandy since the stockyards were built it is difficult to drive range cattle to them without injury to private property, and also because of the fences surrounding these two towns, an order was made by the Montana railroad commission last week for the Great Northern to build and have in operation not later than September 1st at Assinniboine stockyards of such capacity as will meet the requirements of the district. Plans and specifications for the yards are to be submitted to the commission within 60 days.

Stockmen at the hearing testified that with the building of the yards from 1,000 to 1,500 head of cattle will be shipped each year from the Bear Paw mountains and that there are now grazing in the same district more than 100,000 head of sheep.

The hearing on this matter was held in Havre several months ago, and was conducted for the stockmen by Attorney Stranahan of this city.

In The Hill County Democrat, we learn that Havre is getting a new grocery store:

NEW GROCERY

OPENS HERE

A new grocery house opened in Havre Saturday morning in the Gowerie building on First street between Fifth and Sixth avenues. Henry Snortum and Sam Martin are proprietors of the new business, which will be known as the Savings Grocery Co. Both young men are well known in Havre.

The new store will carry full and complete lines of staple and fancy groceries as well as an extensive stock of poultry products.

A quick delivery will be maintained that will enable the new company to supply its patrons with table and other necessities on short notice.

Things were looking up for the school building in Hingham, as reported in the Review’s Jan. 29, 1915 edition in the social pages titled “Local News Items”:

The furnace for the school building has arrived and it is intended to move into the new structure next Monday. Later an appropriate opening will be held, perhaps with Rural School Inspector Tenny and other educators present.