Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana

Our Town 100 Years Ago: August Part I

In August 1896, a heatwave was making the nation swelter; Texas was scorching hot with temperatures of 107 to 112 reported. Hundreds of deaths were reported in New York City; Chicago reported 577 deaths in one week and deaths of animals in the city were much higher than humans. Deaths were also reported in St. Louis, Cincinnati, Kansas City, and Peoria. In Canada, American money was not welcome. Canadian banks were warning merchants, farmers, and the general public to not accept American money. In Oregon, sheepmen and cattlemen were fighting to the death. Things were a little quieter here in the Jefferson Valley. The following articles are taken as written from the August 7 and 14, 1896 Jefferson Valley Zephyr.

ZEPHYRETTES AND PERSONAL: The women who were a few weeks ago sent to the county jail for robbing a resident of this place were, upon recommendation of the county attorney, turned loose during the recent session of the district court; the attorney alleging there was not enough evidence to convict. Not at all strange-not at all. Last Saturday night a gang of hoboes went to George Bowes' place and attempted to run it but made an ignominious failure. M. Carmichael, of McKay & Carmichael, was one of the distinguished visitors to Butte and the races this week. He was in good luck as he played the races for $800 to the good. When you want to go fishing get your tackle at the Post office store. Every article warranted catching fish.

Dr. E.A. Brooke, a former resident of Whitehall, son of "Theoph" Brooke, one of the oldest settlers of Montana, has returned to Montana, to make it his home once more. Washington, DC., has been his residence for a long time past, but the doctor has concluded that after all there is no place like the "wild and woolly."

Base Ball: Sunday next the Whitehall Base Ball Club will play the Twin Bridge juniors at the latter place, $25 a side being put up to make both clubs do their ever best. A number will probably go up from here to witness the game which will undoubtedly be a good one.

Narrow Escape: The bridge watchman who comes down the hill after No. 1 goes west was caught on the bridge just above Pipestone, by a No. 2 passenger and thrown off the bridge over the embankment. He escaped with no serious injuries, but his tricycle was completely demolished. The train did not stop, the engineer not being aware it had hit anything.

In 1922, Italy was experiencing turmoil as street fighting was beginning between Socialists and Fascists; a civil war was raging in Ireland; the collision of two trains in Sulphur Springs, Missouri killed 34 and injured 186; Louis Armstrong played for the first time with a major entertainer, and the ground was broken for the construction of Soldier Field in Chicago. Things were a little slower here in the Jefferson Valley although not dull by any means. The following articles are based on notes made by Roy Milligan, Sr. from the 3rd and 8th August editions of the Jefferson Valley News. The accompanying photo is one of the high school boys posing for a photo after football practice at the town fairgrounds.

Will the downpours ever stop? Columbia Gulch is the latest victim of Mother Nature's gusher. Part of the Pipestone ditch is gone, and bridges were washed out at the mouth of Dry Creek. George McKeown is as happy as a clam in wet mud, though. He says all this rain has given him the best wheat crop he has seen in many years – did not have to sweat over-irrigation work. Maybe this wet weather is why those nasty rattlers are trying to find new homes in town. Elvan Tuttle killed one this past week across from the city pump station. If they ate grasshoppers, he would have let them hang around.

The Cosmos Club is having fun again. The Coughlan house was busting at the seams with 40 members there to welcome in the new officers. Couples were kicking up their heels in the living room while others relaxed on the front porch, turned reception room, under the Japanese lanterns, and surrounded by a variety of summer flowers, including sweet peas.

With the national railroad strike continuing, those old stagecoaches are back in service. Mr. C.A. Clark and Mr. E. Tuttle have passenger service 4 days each week, and Frank Wyne is carrying mail three times each week to Alder. If you want to ride along, it will cost you $24.00. Those horses eat a lot of hay.

The Mammoth mine is going strong again after closing back in 1900. Ben Wilson currently owns the claim. The first cabins built in the then-new mining camp rose up in 1864. More will be coming with a new sawmill being installed. With $16,000 spent on electrical equipment, there is now electricity in the camp at the bungalow and four tunnels are being worked by miners. Being able to use oil floatation has made the re-opening possible.

The kids are excited about school starting soon. The WHS Student Association formed last school term has a great lineup of Lyceum acts ready to entertain the town folks this winter. They include Davis-the Master Magician; the Gardner Concert Jubilee Company; Casford Reed's violin and vocals; and, J. Franklin Babb, the famous Chautauqua lecturer.

Our town council is pushing for a speed limit in town. People are simply driving too fast and missing all we have to offer. Most other towns in the area have a 12-mile-per-hour limit and many think we need to establish the same. That new concrete pavement on Legion and Division does seem to make many a fella want to push on the gas while the going is good.

Guys, if you are not having much luck fishing, ask Mrs. Charles Mikesell to go along. She just landed a three-pound rainbow trout at the Pipestone dam. Or, maybe hang out with M. Jelinek. He caught a 3-and-a-half-pound native trout near the Lepp homestead up the Whitetail. Take some grasshoppers with you for bait, please.

 

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