Celebrating history: Fort Assinniboine to be homesteaded

Emily Mayer

In the Feb. 6, 1915 issue of The Hill County Democrat and The Havre Plaindealer, there were announcements that Fort Assinniboine land was to be opened for homesteading. Here is the smaller of the two, from the Democrat, compete with misspellings:

FORT ASSINABOINE

TO BE OPENED

Those were surely glad tidings that came to Havre on Wednesday. The news created no little amount of optimism in Havre. Fort Assinaboine was to be opened to settlement and the bill had passed congress and was ready for the signature of the president. It was the most welcome news that has been received in Havre in many a day. It means that the land heretofore occupied by the largest military reservation in the United States, consisting of many fertile acres of unused land is to become the homes of industrious and prosperious farmers.With wheat liable to reach the $2.00 mark in the near future it means prosperity for Hill county unprecented in its annals.

But more. This means that a great educational institution will be established at the place where once was the old fort.

it means that the boys and girls of North Montana will have an opportunity to be instructed in the science of agriculture in a manner and at a place unsurpassed by that of any other educational institution in the world. No wonder the people of Hvre are rejoicing. They have reason to rejoice and be happy. This news is good news the best that Havre has had in a long time.

This bill passed through the diligent efforts of Montana's senior senator, Hon. Henry L. Myers to whom great credit is due and to whom this country feels very grateful.

The Plaindealer printed the bill in its entirety. Also in the "Of Local Interest" social pages section, we find with regard to buildings:

District Deputy Rhoads of Missoula will pay his annual visit to Havre lodge No. 1201 B. P. O. E. on next Tuesday evening. The Elks have a large class to be initiated, which will be followed by an elaborate banquet. The lodge is in very prosperous and expect to be able to start construction on a home by 1916, having recently purchased the Martin property on Second street, between Third and Fourth avenues.

Exciting news was printed in the Feb. 5, 1915 issue of the Box Elder Valley Press:

ELECTRIC LIGHTS

Messrs. Levi Fossum, Dr. J. W. MacKenzie, K. O. Hafdahl and E. C. Sprague were Havre visitors on last Friday evening. They went up to interview the electric power people in regards to installing electric lights in town and it is hoped that Box Elder will have the current in the spring or early summer. All that is required is to get the necessary number of people to agree to use the current. Quite a number have already signified their intention of usinf it but there are still a number in town who have not as yet signed up.

Also in the Valley Press was a legal announcement for a Notice of Sale of Bonds in the amount of $20,895 for a school in Box Elder and a short article that a hotel in Kremlin had burned. We will read all about that in next week's column.

In the "Local and Otherwise" social pages of the Feb. 5 Hingham Review, we find:

The local schools were not moved into the new building last Monday but have prospects of getting into their new quarters by next Monday. At least we saw smoke coming out of the school house chimney, and it looks like somebody is going to live there soon.

irving C. Miller, architect of Havre, came to Hingham Tuesday and inspected the new school building for the state department of education. Mr. Miller pronounced the structure O. K. in every particular, and the job has been accepted by the board of trustees.

Billy, the pet antelope, visits every business place in town almost daily, going into the house and getting something to eat from each one of his friends. His first call in the morning seems to be at the Spaulding bar, from which he emerges a little later apparently in the very best of spirits.