Celebrating History: Assinniboine Park

By Emily Mayer

Both the past and the future were topics in the Hill County newspapers 100 years ago. The Hill County Democrat did not issue a paper this week, but The Havre Plaindealer’s Jan. 1, 1916 issue had two stories pertaining to land that was once part of Fort Assinniboine:

ASSINNIBOINE PARK PLANS SENT EAST

Embraces Strip Mile Wide and 24 Miles Long

The complete data for the “Assiniboine National Park”, a strip of land one mile wide and 24 miles long, lying along Beaver creek from the old Post south to the source of the stream, as well as the data and survey work for the proposed domestic water system for the city of Havre, was forwarded to Senator H. L. Myers this week, and action is expected to be taken on these concessions at an early date.

The data forwarded by Secretary McCroskey was very complete and comprehensive, with blue prints covering every feature of the proposed park and water system. The survey work was done by County Engineer J. F. Daoust for the park and City Engineer Sam Hanley for the water system.

DELAYS OPENING OF ASSINNIBOINE LANDS

Platting of the Surveys Will Require Some Time

Franklin K. Lane, secretary of the interior, in his report recently issued, states that field work in connection with the survey and classification of the lands in the Fort Assinniboine military reservation has been completed, but that the platting of the surveys will not be finished for some time. Because of this delay, the secretary says, it will be impracticable to open these lands to entry before next spring, and the date will not be fixed until the office work is complete.

Some businesses were setting up shop in Havre buildings.

NEW LAW FIRM OPENS OFFICES IN HAVRE

The law firm of Kuhr and Kuhr, located at Chinook, opened offices in Havre this week. The Havre office will be in charge of Max P. Kuhr, junior member of the firm. For the present quarters have been taken in the Buffalo block, and it is intended to remove to the Masonic temple when that building is completed.

OPTICAL SPECALIST ENTER LOCAL FIELD

Dr. J. S. Chilton, formerly of Virginia City, arrived in Havre this week and will practice his profession here, that of optician. Dr. Chilton has secured quarters in the Black jewelry store in the Havre hotel block, and on the fourth page of today’s paper is an announcement by him that is of particular interest to any who may have defective eyesight.

SPECIALIST LOCATES PERMANETLY HERE

Dr. E. W. Gaag, an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist who has maintained offices in Great Falls and made regular visits to Havre for the past year, as decided to locate in this city, and has secured offices in the Buffalo block, corner of First Street and Third Avenue. Dr. Gaag expects to open the Havre offices early in the present month.

No, I did not make up the name in that last column!

The Buffalo Block is where Master Sports is today. A re-creation of Max Kuhr’s office can be seen at Havre Beneath the Streets and contains artifacts from Kuhr’s law office.

We can’t forget the Society column entries for this week.

Presbyterian minister P. H. Case was very busy with three weddings taking place in his parsonage at 448 3rd Ave., and the Rev. E. J. Huston officiated one at his residence at 115 3rd Street, since razed. Parties continued throughout town, including:

Bridge Series Begun.

The first in a series of parties at which Bridge forms the diversion was given Thursday afternoon by Mrs. A. L. Ritt and Mrs. Leo Ritt, at the home of the former on Third Avenue. The Ritt home was prettily decorated for the occasion with plants and cut flowers. Four tables were in play and at the conclusion of the afternoon a delicious lunch was enjoyed by the guests, made up of Mesdames Grimmer, Griggs, Holland Jr., Holland Sr., Devlin, Elwell, Wilson, Batch, Lange, McCarthy, Schlitz of Kremlin, Sanderson, and Miss Edith Holland.

The following article was found on the front page of the Hingham Review’s Dec. 31, 1915 issue:

Yultide Retrospection

The Review editor came to Hingham five years ago this week. At that time he and Miss Lovett taught the two rooms of the local schools in the F. T. Winkler bakery building, there being no modern school house as there is now. At that time there was no physician, drug store or newspaper here, and there was not a house in town that had a heating plant except stoves. In fact the P. A. Peterson and W. A. Patterson residences were the only living houses in town. Now when we look at all these beautiful bungalows and cottages, and these enlarged business houses, and these cement sidewalks which were not here five years ago, we are pretty well satisfied with the progress of our town in most respects at least.

When we look at the country adjacent to Hingham the marks of progress are from some viewpoints even more evident than in the town. Where five years ago were long stretches of prairie, broken only by occasionally a claim shack and five or ten acres of breaking, we now see well built houses, some of them of artistic design; well tilled fields, red barns and granaries, straw and hay stacks; roads that are graded and fences; and on the north the Canadian line and south to the Marias river there are evidences of progress that are seldom seen in a dry farming country five years after the first influx of settlers.

Box Elder looked to the future in its issue of the same date:

LET’S START ONE?

The large number present at the annual Xmas concert given by the school children brings forcibly to our minds the need of a larger hall in our town for public gatherings where there will be ample room for all who attend.

Let’s start the ball a rolling if no individual wants to build a hall for investment purposes by forming a stock company and selling stock at so much a share.