Park Pumping Station becomes the first building on college campus

By Keith J. Doll

Havre/Hill County Historic Preservation Commission

President William Howard Taft, by executive order, transferred Fort Assinniboine military reservation from the war or military control to the interior department in 1911. From 1911 to 1913, some people had different ideas of what to do with the empty fort. Under the Wilson, administration the 1913 legislature sold to the state of Montana 2,000 acres of land at Fort Assinniboine for $2.50 an acre, the buildings were a gift. The sale was made that there be an agricultural and industrial school established.

Meanwhile, the Clerk and Recorder's office records reads that the city of Havre bought several pieces of land on the southwest part of Havre in 1919 from the Pioneer Meat Company. On some of this land, they built a one-story brick building for a pumping station. Being as this building was located by a city park, it was called the Park Pumping Station. The main floor of the building was used for office space, the basement was the caretaker's quarters and a subbasement for a pump used to operate the wells that were going to be drilled on the property. Wells were drilled on the land and the water was not good so the city of Havre bought more land in 1920 from the Pioneer Meat Company. It drilled more wells and this water was not good either. There were a total of 10 wells drilled 112 feet deep. When the pump stripped gears years later the city of Havre did not fix it.

Jan. 29, 1927, a bill was passed which placed Northern Montana Agricultural and Manual Training School as part of the University of Montana system. By a resolution made by the State Board of Education Dec. 16, 1927, it was to be understood that the Summer Normal School was to be an independent unit of the University of Montana made by the legislative assembly of 1927, and paid for by local residents, clubs and business in Havre. In the summer of 1928, the Normal School started at the high school, it would go for nine weeks. They were in the process of tearing down the buildings at Fort Assinniboine and selling the materials and there were enough buildings left for a school, but it proved to be out too far since most of the students either walked or rode a bike. Some of the students worked in Havre and could walk or ride a bike from the high school. There were no dormitories then, so students stayed in private homes.

In a resolution passed June 18, 1928, the city of Havre donated some land with the Park Pumping Station on it to the State of Montana. It was to be used for the establishment of Northern Montana Agricultural and Manual School in Havre. The deed was to be held in trust by the state of Montana for two years. In that time, they were to start developing the property and any buildings built would be for the advantage of the school. If not started in two years, then the land with the pumping station on it would go back to the city of Havre. Work was started on the new campus, the subbasement to the pump was closed off, a bathroom and dressing area was added for both women and men and rooms were utilized for more classroom space. A second floor was added, this included a large room that could either be used for conferences or classroom space and a kitchen area was also added. Outside, the land on the front of the building was leveled and used as a men's athletic field. On the back of the building the land was leveled and used as a women's athletic field. The name was changed from the Park Pumping Station to East Hall. The headlines in the Havre Daily News read "April 19th is Tree Planting Day on Campus." Holes were dug, dynamite was set off in each hole to loosen the dirt for the roots. There were 70 trees planted on the east, south and west borders of the college campus.

March 8, 1929, it was approved and appropriation made for two years of the operation of the Northern Montana Agricultural and Manual Training School to start in the fall. Letters were read from the college students who went to the high school in Havre and wrote that it was more convenient and accessible then at the fort. The Havre school district offered the use of the junior high portion of the high school. The junior high would operate in other schools in town. The Northern Montana Agricultural and Manual Training School would also share the high school science laboratories, library, auditorium and gymnasium. The college library was put in the basement of the First Presbyterian Church. The governor was to appoint a committee which, along with chancellor Brannon, would select a president and faculty for the new college. The president they chose was Dr. G. H. Vande Bogart from Hibbing, Minnesota. Monday, Sept. 23, President Vande Bogart outlined plans and policies to the faculty for the new college.

The formal opening of the Northern Montana Agricultural and Manual Training School was held Monday evening, Sep. 30, 1929, and the junior high was decorated for the occasion. Gov. John E. Erickson presided over the opening and spoke of the future development depending on intelligent leadership and education. There were six units of the Greater University system of Montana, the names were, at the time; Montana State University in Missoula, Montana State College in Bozeman, Eastern Montana College of Education in Billings, Western Montana College of Education in Dillon, Montana School of Mines in Butte and now, Northern Montana College in Havre.

Records at the Clerk and Recorder's Office read that March 18, 1931, the deed was received by the Northern Montana College of 57.4 acres of land and the Park Pumping Station, now called East Hall, from the state of Montana. This land with the pumping station on it was given to Northern Montana College June 18, 1928, providing they start improving it for a college.

June 9, 1931, was the first graduating class of Northern Montana College. It saw 22 graduates. It was held in the high school auditorium. The graduating class of 1932 had 26 graduates, also held in the high school auditorium. East Hall, the former pumping station was opened for some classes in 1932. In 1933, they were building John J. Pershing Hall; the outdoor theater was finished enough that they could have graduation there, 36 students graduated that year, it was the first time the open-air theater was used.

In 1952, the college moved out of the west wing of the high school and into East Hall. When Cowan Hall was finished in 1953, the administration office moved in. The college library also moved from the First Presbyterian Church basement to Cowan Hall.

During its existence, East Hall would be remodeled several times to fit the needs of the college and teach most of the subjects. In the '60s unrepairable structural flaws started to show on the building. By 1965, it was used for storage. In the Havre Daily News May 24, June 4 and June 11, 1980, editions, the director of the Physical Plant at Northern Montana College was asking for bids for the demolition of East Hall. Baltrusch Construction got the bid and tore it down in 1980. In the Havre Daily News Aug. 8, 1980, edition on page A6, there is a picture of it coming down. Some alumni shed a tear, others had mixed feelings since the library was being built at the time. The Sept. 19, 1980, NoMoCo, the Northern Montana College paper, states that returning students and faculty may be surprised when they see East Hall has been taken down. The pump was donated to Northern Montana College by Baltrusch Construction as a remembrance of East Hall. It sets east of Donaldson Hall and north of Sub Drive, about where East Hall was.