Celebrating History: Growth and progress and robbery in Havre

Havre continued on the path of growth and progress in the newspapers 100 years ago. The following article was on the front page of the May 16, 1916, issue of The Havre Daily Promoter:

Broderick to Reside In Gas City

Deacon and Mrs. A. J. Broderick, who for the past few years have made their home in Malta, have purchased a residence on Third avenue and will make this city their future home. In fact the deal was consummated some time ago, and since that time the Deacon has made this city his home, although he has not yet removed his family to the city. They expect to remove here in the near future, however, just as soon as some changes can be made in the house they purchased.

Last evening the deacon said:

’It is good to get back to my first and greatest love in Montana. For Havre I, and my good family, have long yearned even amidst the flesh pots of Malta, and while we have both made many friends, there, and it will wrench the heart strings to part from the, yet we are glad to again get back to Havre and its hospitable citizenry.

’Here the white lights burn more brightly: the opportunity in both the social and religious field is enlarged and my good wife and myself can find the chances for the exercise in these fields that have ever animated and cheered life’s too prosaic pathway in the more restricted social centers.’

Addison Broderick (or Brodrick) had previously been engaged with R. X. Lewis in the publishing of The Havre Plaindealer while in Havre. He and his wife, Anna, moved to Malta and decided to return to Havre, where they had long been active in Havre’s social circles. He was a deacon in the Presbyterian Church. The home mentioned is believed to be 927 3rd Ave. Their lives, and the lives of the Barrett and Goms families (among others) are chronicled in the book “In Their Footsteps: A Montana Legacy” by Richard H. Goms,Jr.

This wasn’t the only article that promoted Havre as being an upward and cheery community. The dining room of the Havre Hotel had been remodeled, and a lengthy article was featured on the Promoter’s May 17, 1916, front page. It bragged that the dining room “presents a most inviting appearance,” and provides to the Havre public and transient visitors “the best service and to serve such meals as will advertise the city favorably.”

However, not all of the news was bright and happy. This article was on the Promoter’s May 20, 1916, issue:

ATTEMPTS ROBBERY

This morning at 2 a.m. as Fritz Pearson, one of the proprietors of the Hoffman bar, walked into his place of business to cash a check for a friend he heard someone inside and upon investigating found that burglars had gotten in through a window, in the rear, but before they could accomplish their end were frightened away, as no money was missing. No trace of the guilty ones has been found.

The May 20, 1916, issue of The Hill County Democrat carried this news, complete with misspelling:

Chief of Police to Enforce the Law

William McKinnon, chief of police of Havre, as made up his mind to see to it that all secretaries in the red light district hit the trail and leave Havre. He has made up his mind there will be no favorites but all who violate the law will be arrested and taken to the police court. This undesirable element in any locality must be in future stear clear of Havre. For some time past he says Havre has been infested with a lot of this undesirable class that spend their time with the inhabitants of the demi-monde and he proposes to clean that section of the city of these vags. He does not propose to make a single exception in any case but all must go. He expects the city council and the police magistrate to cooperate with him and see that the law is enforced to the letter and he will do all to his power to see that it is done.

Good luck with that. Havre authorities had, on occasion, performed a “clean up Havre” campaign which amounted to appearances only to appease a certain element of society and to make it look good to the outside world. (For the uninitiated, “secretaries of the red light district” was a polite name for prostitutes.)

The owner and editor of the Democrat, J. K. Bramble, harrumphed:

The chief of police of Havre is going to rid our city of all secretaries. He should have the aid of all to do so. The work is timely and a good one and we hope it will be accomplished.

The new Masonic Temple was still making news. This article was in the Plaindealer’s “Society” column:

Guild Dance at Temple.

An enjoyable dance was given by St. Agnes Guild on Tuesday evening last in the Forge store rooms at the new Masonic temple. This was the first function to be held in the new building, and was enjoyed by a large crowds of Terpsichorean devotees.

Terpsichorean is another term for dancing.

This entry was in the Local News social pages of the Democrat:

Dr. W. F. Templeton will move his office to the new Masonic temple building about June 1.