News you can use
News you can use
By Emily Mayer
The good news regarding the Courthouse continued in the newspapers this week 100 years ago. The following article ran on the front page of the Hill County Democrat’s June 12, 1915 issue, complete with misspelling:
CONTRACT IS LET TO BUILT COURT HOUSE
The board of county commissioners Tuesday awarded the contract for the building of the court house. Olson & Johnson, contractors of Missoula, secured the contract.
The contract price was $101,630 and was duly signed by the commissioners of Hill county and the contractors.
The contract for plumbing and heating, it is expected, will be given soon as will the contract for electric wiring.
After long and vexatious delays and a sore trying of the patience of the people anxious for the building of the Hill county court house, the Board hurtling what remained in the way of objections legal barriers and restraints, let the contract and had it promptly executed by the contracting parties.
While there has been, of necessity some dallying in this matter, now that they are off, it is worth a running start and the contractors have promised to be on the job Monday with teams and excavating material and no time is to be lost in the construction of the building.
The contractors, immediately after signing the contract, wired various material houses upon which they will draw for supplies, for the material they will need in the erection of the building.
Architect Frank Bossuot stated last evening: “The building should be erected this year, but it will require good luck in getting material called for in the specifications to complete it, together with a large force of labor. There will not be much trouble in getting the latter I regret to say, under the present conditions.
If weather conditions are reasonably good and material is not delayed the work will go booming along as the contractors have promised to press it with all possible expedition consistent with good and thorough workmanship.
The vote was 2-1 in favor of Olson & Johnson’s bid. Commissioners Abe Crosson and Joseph Berthelote voted in the affirmative, with Commissioner Ever Nielson voting no.
In the editorial section, the Democrat further stated:
It looks now as though the dirt would be flying in a few days for that new court house.
The County Dads have determined upon building a court house even if they have to build on any old site.
Speaking of “any old site,” on the editorial page was also a large column on the proceedings of the County Commission meeting. That column reported where the site would not be:
… That this Board reconsider and rescind its action of May 5th, 1915, wherein the offer by J. A. Wright of a piece of land situated north of the Devlin school and between fourth and fifth streets for a Court House site, was accepted.
The drama surrounding the building of the courthouse in the first place, then all of the locations being considered — over by the old High School location, the Wright location near Devlin School, the location where City Hall is currently, and the Catholic Church proposal — surely must have had the town buzzing. Stay tuned!
While Frank Bossout was busy creating Havre’s finest buildings, Mrs. Bossout kept herself busy socially. This article was found in the Society column of The Havre Plaindealer’s issue of the same date, complete with misspelling:
A very charming event of the week was the bridge party over which Mrs. F. F. Bossout and Mrs. Wm. Kending presided on Thursday afternoon. The spacious living room of the Bossout home was radiant with bouquets of cut flowers and potted plants, for tables were placed for the players. The same floral effects were used in the library and here a number of the guests passed the afternoon with needlework.
Delicious refreshments, served at small tables, concluded the afternoon. The guests: Mesdames Holland Sr., Rhoades, Christensen, Ashton, Batch, Sanderson, Daoust, Clara MacKenzie, Templeton, Deveine, Dutherland, W. Blair, Carruth, Ed. Broadwater, Haminton, Sklystead, A. J. Bossout and Miss Moon.
The Bossout home is still standing and is located at 620 4th Avenue.
Also in the Plaindealer were these entries:
Barn Burned in Inverness:
The barn on the Mike Hoenig place nine miles north of town was destroyed by fire last Sunday afternoon. The family were all attending a prayer meeting at the Evangelical church, nearby, but were not summoned in time to save anything. The barn itself was not very valuable, but several sets of working harness, some of them new, were destroyed as well as some chickens and other property. It was thought that children had been playing with matches in the barn and started the fire.-Inverness Index.
N. T. Lease of Great Falls was in Havre yesterday looking after construction work on the new Electric Company building.
The Democrat also had this entry:
The Skating Rink is closed, but will open up at its new location as soon as the building can be built.
In the Hingham Review’s June 11, 1915 issue, we find:
A social dance was held in Gus Hue’s barn Friday evening. A large crowd was present and all had a very good time. Another dance will be held on Friday evening, June 18th.
F. T. Winkler has installed a large and up-to-date oven in his bakery, and in future will have th best of home baked bread, pies, cakes, etc., to sell.
The Review has been working under some difficulties this week, part of the time there being no roof on the office.
And in The Box Elder Valley Press was this entry:
The dance held at the McCoy school house on last Saturday evening was attended by a large crowd and a good time was enjoyed by all.
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