Celebrating History: The Great Northern Stampede

The Great Northern Stampede was the big news in the papers this week 100 years ago. Lengthy articles outlined the event, announced Canadians and prominent people planning to attend, and said to expect thousands of people competing, workingand observing the big event. So many were planned, that the schools were put into service for the occasion. This article was in the July 1, 1916, issue of The Havre Promoter:

SCHOOL BUILDINGS ARE READY FOR STAMPEDE

The final preparations for handling the Stampede crowd are being made at the schools.

Every available space is being occupied by cots and beds. In every building there is at least one room reserved for women and every care will be taken that things are right in all respects.

The committee, of which J. J. Blair is chairman, assisted by Rev. P. H. Case, has secured Mr. and Mrs. Syverud, their daughter, Miss Josephine Sanders and Mr. Koller to take charge of the High School, Mr. and Mrs. Alex Armstrong to look after the McKinley school, and Mr. and Mrs. G. J. Kin to be at the Lincoln school, and Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Stringfellow to attend to the Devlin school. Thus those who seek lodging there will be well cared for an at the same time the buildings will also be efficiently attended to.

The committee has also secured some extra cots and bedding for the use of those who will open their homes to Havre’s visitors.

Nothing could have hurt the splendid reputation that Havre has gained for caring for her visitors more than to have failed at the critical time and the committee is to be congratulated on having made such splendid arrangements.”

For several weeks prior to the event, advertisements pleading for citizens to open their homes to Stampede visitors were in the newspapers. However, the chief of police released this cautionary advice for the upcoming weekend in the June 28, 1916, issue of The Havre Daily Promoter:

Warns People To Lock Up Their Homes

Chief of Police McKinnon uttered a timely warning yesterday to the residents of the Gas city when he said to a representative of the Promoter:

“The city is rapidly filling up with all kinds of strangers and the people of this city can not be too careful about locking up their homes and taking other precautions against that class of people who make a livelihood by taking property that does not belong to them. It would be well to fasten windows down securely and take those precautions that are necessary to observe constantly in the large cities in the east. It will be absolutely impossible to give the people of the city this protection unless they take home precautions as suggested above.

The police force is perhaps not so large as in some places, but no city in the state possesses a more competent force than Havre, as is evidenced by the fact that the city is as free from crime as any town in the west.

The Stampede was not the only event planned in the near future. The Masonic Temple’s dedication was also scheduled, and a large number of people were expected to be in Havre for the event. A large article ran in the Plaindealer, but this smaller one ran in the Promoter’s July 1 issue:

The Formal Dedication of New Temple

Monday will be a red letter day in the history of Havre Masonry, for on that day the beautiful Masonic Temple, one of the most commodious and magnificent in the west, will be formally dedicated with appropriate exercises.

Not only will the Masons of North Montana be present in great numbers, but the Masons and their wives from every nook and corner of the state will be in the city as they have advised the committee on invitations that they expect to be here and assist Havre in properly dedicating the new building.

There will be a great parade at 6 o’clock, with the Black Eagle commandery, Glasgow commandery, and the De Molay commandery, of Havre acting as escort. Immediately following the parade will occur the dedication of the new Temple.

These ceremonies will be followed by a reception and banquet at the Temple. The principal speaker for the occasion will be the Hon. E. C. Day of Helena. No event in the history of Northern Montana has awakened such interest as the approaching dedication of this Temple. It is the city’s pride and monument.

Forge’s was planning its grand opening for July 1, and another business moving into the new Masonic Temple made an announcement in the June 28 issue of the Promoter:

‘Colonial’ to Open Today

Mr. L. E. Thorne, of Toledo, O., will open today in the Masonic Temple, one of the finest candy and confectionary stores in the Northwest. In addition to the confectionary store and ice cream parlors, the store will start serving today a merchant’s noon day lunch that will not doubt prove a most attractive feature.

The equipment for the store, that when complete and installed, will give the place an air of distinction, has not all been received in the city and the formal opening of the store will not take place until it arrives. The new place of business will rejoice in the name of “The Colonial” and the furnishings will comport with the name so suggestive of stateliness.

With all the work being done for the Stampede, the Masonic Temple dedication, preparing for the Chautauqua, and all the weddings taking place, one would think there wouldn’t be time for the ladies to socialize. Not so. This event took place in Gildford and was found in the Plaindealer’s Society column:

Mrs. Schwartz Hostess.

Mrs. H. L. Schwartz was hostess to a party of fifty or more ladies of Havre, at the Schwartz home near Gildford on Tuesday. The chief diversion was bridge, and in the evening an elaborate dinner was served. Assisting the hostess were Mrs. J. W. Rose, Mrs. Ray Bramble and Misses Lela Schwatz, Mary Stranahan, Anna Skylstead and Anna Wilson.