Celebrating history: Stampede was big news of the week

By Emily Mayer

The Great Northern Montana Stampede was underway and everyone knew it with all of the news coverage in the papers 100 years ago this week. The July 8, 1916 issue of The Havre Daily Promoter was one of the shorter entries of the entire event, which features just a few of the many offerings occurring at the big rodeo:

GOVERNOR STEWART GUEST OF HONOR AT STAMPEDE TODAY

Havre Rangers Appeared on War Regalia At Fair Grounds - Enthusiasm In Great Show Not Abating and Crowds Go Wild Over Hair Raising Performances of the Buckeroos.

Not a whit of the interest or enthusiasm created by the Great Northern Montana Stampede abated on yesterday.

The crowd was just as large, the cheers as wildly vociferous, the crowd just as eager, as there were on the opening day.

The weather conditions were ideal for the work of performers, but it was just a little warm for comfort among some of the more obese of the spectators.

There were two slight accidents, and plenty of times death flirted with the performers, and this to keep interest tense throughout the show.

Francis Scratched

George Francis, the king of cowboys, who met with an accident that kept him out of the show Thursday, was again in action yesterday and he had a close call. While bull dogging one of the long horn Mexican steers, the animal attempted to disembowel him, but the long sharp pointed horn ran across his stomach, taking with it a good piece of epidermis, but it failed to puncture the abdominal wall. Jim Massay, another of the bull doggers, was injured while bull dogging a steer, but fortunately he too, escaped serious injury.

Governor's Day

Today will probably be the big day of the show. This is Governor's day, and the chief executive, with his staff and probably a number of other state officials, will arrive in the city in the morning.

Gov. Stewart and party will be met this morning by a delegation representing the Stampede and the Governor will lead the big parade today. The Havre Rangers will act as a body guard for him in the parade.

The Governor is an old cowboy himself and will enjoy the wonderful feats in horsemanship and other features incident to the life of the range as much as the keenest cow puncher today.

Will Ride Buffalo Today

One of the exciting features of today will be seeing Powder River, one of the greatest riders of the world, attempt to ride from the chute the big four year old buffalo. Powder River offered to wager last evening that he would ride and scratch the varmint every jump.

Louis Manrigues, of Medicine Hat, will also essay riding one of the buffalo. The big four year old grizzly bear will be roped today.

Then in the horse riding events, Scot Head, Reservation and Barrel Head who have all thrown their mounts and are now entered in the finals, will be ridden today, and ten head who are in the semi-finals will be also forked, so this part of the program looks exceedingly enticing.

Havre Rangers Appeared

One of the features of yesterdays' performance was the appearance of the Havre rangers, the mounted company, and upon their appearance they were wildly cheered. True some of them did not show the finish in riding exhibited by the scores of experts in attendance at the Stampede, but they did their best and that is all even a soldier can do. Some of them may be a little stiff and will have to grit their teeth today when the Governor, leading the parade, sinks the steel into his flaming charger for over the grounds, but this should not be noticeable save to the captious.

The show of the Stampede will be continued over Sunday and the program will equal that of any day of the fair. Advices from both east and west are to the effect that large crowds are coming in that day who could not get away during the week.

The Havre Rangers were a group that had recently formed, comprising veterans. News of World War I was regularly reported in the newspapers and brought an awareness of wars past and a renewed sense of patriotism by citizens.

The July 6, 1916 issue of The Havre Daily Promoter boasted "Great Northern Montana Stampede Witnessed by Then Thousand People," so people certainly attended. It was a huge event for Havre, and also had rides for children and tents for families to get away from the hot sun and cool off before attending one of the many performances scheduled for the big rodeo.

There was no issue of the Plaindealer, so sadly for fans, this week's "Society" column entry is absent. There was also only the July 6 and 8 issue of the Promoter, rather than the usual five issues per week.