Celebrating History - Buttrey starts Holstein club

By Emily Mayer

Editor’s note: Holidays and other issues have pushed back Celebrating History for a week. Here is the column that was slated to run in last week’s Havre Weekly Chronicle.

Frank Buttrey is well-known to this day for his progressive, forward-thinking ideas. His out-of-the-box thinking and implementation of those ideas made him and Mrs. Buttrey successful business people. Mr. Buttrey was starting yet another great idea, and this article about it was published in the October 2, 1924 issue of the Havre Daily Promoter.

“BUTTREY COMPANY STARTS HOLSTEIN CLUB IN HILL COUNTY

“Backers of Turkey Club Will Give Away Holstein Heifer on Last Day of Hill County Fair

“Inaugurating a Holstein club in Hill county, the F. A. Buttrey company yesterday announced that it would present a pedigreed Holstein heifer to some farmer in Hill county on the last day of the county fair, Saturday, October 11, at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

“Complete details as to the method of awarding the heifer have not been worked out, but will be announced later. The heifer has been purchased and will be on display during the fair.

“F. A. Buttrey is one of the believers in the necessity of diversified farming in Montana; cows, pigs, poultry, corn and the feeding of the crop on the farm and driving it to market rather than hauling it.

“Early this year he started a boys turkey club and he gave units of three hens and one tom turkey to 20 boys in the county, and this fall they will return two for one with the result that next year there will be 60 boys in the county raising pure bred turkeys.

“As another step in promoting the adoption of the diversified farming program and raising of pure bred livestock he has now started the Holstein club with a pure bred heifer to be given away at the fair.

“The great interest shown in the breeding of pure bred dairy cattle, it is believed, promises a more speedy development of the dairying possibilities of the Havre district and the enlargement of the local pay roll throug monthly cream checks.

“The plans being followed by Mr. Buttrey has been endorsed by the experts of the state college extension service and by the Great Northern officials, who brought a car load of pure bred bulls to Havre Tuesday of this week and left one of them a pure bred from the famous Carnation farm in Havre.

“The Buttrey plan is to give away one heifer every month for an indefinite period so that by the time the heifers begin reproducing the club will have attained considerable size.”

Speaking of the fair, getting ready for it was ramping up. This editorial was found in the October 3, 1924 Daily Promoter.

“THE COUNTY FAIR

“Indications are tht the Hill county fair, which will open in Havre Thursday, October 9, will be far better than anticipated by those in charge. This is indicated by the high character of the exhibits, the first of which have arrived.

“The fair is being financed by Hill county and the business men of Havre. In their efforts the fair board should have the hearty support and cooperation of the whole community.

“Working of soliciting funds to defray the expenses is not entirely completed as there are a large number who have not yet been given an opportunity to put their names down and pay subscriptions. These will be given an opportunity during the next few days.

“Getting back of the fair this year and making it a success will mean the holding of future fairs with tremendous benefits every year for the whole county and particularly for the business interests of Havre.”

The same issue contained a story about those arriving exhibits.

“FIRST EXHIBITS ARRIVING FOR COUNTY FAIR

“Many of the exhibits which will be entered in the Hill County fair which will be held October 9, 10 and 11 have arrived according to County Agent E. B. Duncan, who has charge of entries.

“The fair will be held in the old postoffice and the vacant building adjoining which are on the corner of First street and Second avenue.

“The livestock exhibits will be held in the Ed Thomas barn on west Third street across from the Havre Mill and the Hill County Creamery.

“The business and professional men have subscribed $2,000 which will be awarded in prizes to the successful entrants.

“The old postoffice building and the vacant adjoining building will house the agricultural, culinary and domestic art, poultry and commercial exhibits while the livestock exhibits will be held in the Thomas barn.

“The fair will open at 8 o’clock on October 9 and will continue the three days and all entries will have to be on exhibit by that day.

“Speakers from Helena and th Montana State college at Bozeman who are experts on agriculture, will address the people on the afternoon of October 10, the place and hour to be announced later.

“The poultry committee has ordered 100 poultry pens to house the hundreds of fowl which are expected will be entered. The poultry show will be the finest and largest in northern Montana.

“The Thomas barn is an ideal place to hold the livestock exhibition as it contains many shelter pens and has sufficient room to exhibit the animals to their best advantage. Free feed will be furnished the entries during the three days of the fair.”

The local Christian Church was saying goodbye to its hard-working, well-respected pastor. This article was printed in the September 28, 1924 newspaper.

“RIDENOUR MAKES FAREWELL SERMON AT CHURCH TODAY

“Today marks the close of the ministry of Rev. C. M. Ridenour with the local Christian church, and the occasion will be observed with a special program of five services beginning with the Bible school at ten o’clock. Communion and preaching at eleven o’clock, big basket dinner at noon, Baptismal service at three p.m., young people’s service at seven o’clock, and Evangelistic service at eight o’clock.

“Arrangements are being completed for Mr. Ridenour’s successor to arrive about October 20.”

Earlier in 1924, Mr. Ridenour saw the completion of a brand-new church for his congregation, located on the southeast corner of Sixth Avenue and Sixth Street, known as the Sixth Avenue Christian Church. Several decades later, the church built a new facility and is now, of course, the Fifth Avenue Christian Church.