Teton County, MT Message Boards

Compiled by Nancy Thornton on July 13, 2013 from the Choteau Montanan.

1/7/21 A number of Choteau businessmen now organizing the Choteau Oil and Gas Co. to drill on the Willow Creek structure west of Choteau. City Council asked to furnish an outside company with a franchise for oil and gas. City engineer John W. hall moves his desk and papers from the rooms formerly occupied in the Larson Block to new quarters in the rear of the Stockmens State Bank building. Another carload of oil machinery delivered to Choteau.
Great Falls druggist Fred Woehrner sells his interest in the Rexall drug store to R.E. Nelson of Minot , N.D.

1/14/21 Durham Co. of W.V., and Ohio Co. continue to receive oil machinery equipment. The prospects for 1921 are very bright. Whooping cough sickens 25 percent of first graders and 22 percent of second graders.

1/21/21 Heavy wind storm resulted in some damage throughout the city last Friday. Before noon electricity out when lines went down six miles southeast of Choteau and not fixed until Saturday morning. High school considerably damaged, the wind blowing off the stone coping from the top of the buildings, and damaging the walls somewhat. About 30 feet of the coping was blown down. The glass front at Thompson's bowling alley was blown in and roof damaged. Other windows were blown in in other parts of town. Commercial Club elects J.M. Baker president.
Hammond Beauty Shop opens in McDonalds building.

1/28/21 Graphic drawing of the Willow Creek structure where oil might be found. Choteau Merc Co. back in business with new merchandise. Rexall Store offers S. and H. Green stamps. Hirshberg's does also. The public invited to Womans Club dance to support the library that costs $40 a month to keep up.
New post office nearly finished on Main next to the Sterling Cigar Store. Ad: Coffey-Oulton Co. offers units to investors.

2/11/21 Ad: Teton Syndicate , offers 150 units, $100 per unit for interest in drilling in the Willow Creek anticline. Shipment of apples arrives on Milwaukee tracks, all welcome to buy.

2/18/21 Rainbow Oil trust formed. New Scenic highway to pierce the heart of Glacier Park. Z.T. Burton, founder of the Burton Bench irrigation scheme died on Jan. 15.

2/25/21 Pilling Lumber Co. sold its Choteau yard on Feb. 5 to Monarch Lumber Co.

3/4/21 Jack Rabbit hunt successful, organizers ship 409 rabbits by auto truck to the Salvation Army in Great Falls to distribute to the needy. Real prospects now in sight on Willow Creek. Large trucks haul machinery to drilling sites.

3/11/21 New poles for the electric light company are being placed in position this week to give citizens in the eastern portion of the city the benefit of electric lights in their homes, which was petitioned for several months ago.

4/1/21 City candidate nominations filed for April 4 election. H.E. Adams ward 2, Horace Upman Ward 1, W.B. Butchart city treasurer, J.E. DeHaas, police magistrate.

4/8/21 City election, Adams, Upman, Butchart, DeHaas, elected. I.G. Lestrud, general blacksmithing and horseshoeing, located next door to Montanan printing office.


Deal is Closed By Choteau Company to Bore Big Tract.
Choteau, April 7, 1921.-Through M.E. Smeltz, a broker of Denver, a deal has practically been consummated whereby the major portion of the Adams property on Willow Creek passes into the hands of the Choteau Oil & Gas company.
--Adams is under contract to develop the prospecting permit lands of Robert Gray, Charles Wilson Grady, Wm. Irons and F.A. Oulton. He is under $5,000 bond to drill to completion a deep test well on the Oulton permit beginning not later than 90 days after April 15, when the permits will probably be issued. His contract provides that in case he assigns the Oulton permit to other parties for development, a bond of $20,000, to be approved by Oulton, must be furnished.
--It is understood that the Choteau Oil & Gas company is preparing to furnish this bond and that it will have no trouble in doing so. It is also stated that its camp and derrick will be erected at once on the lands included in the Oulton permit and that the well will be started soon after the permit is issued.
--Among the holdings of the Coffey-Oulton company is a two percent royalty on this land.
--The consideration paid for the Adams holdings sold is reported to be $12,500 cash. The leases carry 5 percent royalty to the government and 12.5 percent to the parties in which in whose names the permits will issue.
--It is understood that the Choteau Oil & Gas company contemplates the sale of $50,000 worth of additional stock in order to fully carry out the necessary program for the development of the newly acquired holdings. [Roundup Record-Tribune & Winnett Times April 15, 1921]

4/22/21 Ad: Choteau Creamery announced season for ice cream is now at hand.

4//29/21 Choteau Clean Up Week announced by Mayor J.C. Morgan. Squads will be appointed for each block. All citizens requested to clean up their premises.

4/13/21 Choteau Montanan urges community to hold a July 4 celebration, instead of heading out to other towns.

5/27/21 Durham Oil Co. announces it will spud three wells. American Legion to host Memorial Day program including grave decoration, a march to the cemetery in uniform, and a speech at the courthouse.

6/3/21 Mrs. Nat Collins dies, Teton's first white woman. American Legion to celebrate July 4 with mammoth parade headed by the Teton County band, followed by speaking, races, bucking broncos, baseball game and other sports. large display of fireworks, shows and dancing in the evening. Out of town visitors will find the park along Spring Creek which has been fitted with tables, seats and swings, a most pleasant place to rest and have a picnic dinner.
Estimate that 600 people went out to Willow Creek to witness the spudding of the first well.

6/10/21 Girls dormitory is self-supporting under management of Mrs. M.P. Davis. Girls given good food, pleasant home-like place to stay, and well taken care of. Hope in near future a building can be provided for boys. Petroleum Exploration well No. 1 will be put down to 4,000 feet or until oil is struck. Two other wells are looking for gas.

6/17/21 Choteau Oil and Gas Co. lets contract to F.M. Grey Co. to drill well. American Legion to build hall to be used for community purposes. It to be a frame building 50 by 100 feet with a hard maple floor and will be erected in the park. Hope to have the building ready for July 4. Mrs. K.B. Cohoe's piano students gave a recital at the Moose Hall. Article about Mrs. Nat Collins' who died two weeks ago.

6/24/21 Great Confidence in Willow Creek indicated by numerous deals for royalties and acreage. J.G. Johnson opened a plumbing shop in the old building on the Hodgskiss property back of the Stockmen bank. Work on the Legion hall is progressing rapidly. first floor is of pine, and building will be enclosed in a few days. Legion asked for volunteers to come help.

7/1/21 An S-O-S called by Legion to finish the hall in the park, Needs to have finishing touches for opening dance. Ad: Beaupre Café, ready for July 4, Jno. W. Oppie, proprietor.

7/8/21 Largest crowd ever seen in Choteau at the July 4 celebration, 400 to 500 autos parked around the baseball diamond, 4,000 to 5,000 people estimated. Called a “perfect day,” except for airplane crash with injuries only. Parade from the courthouse to the park, boxing contest, races, ball game between Choteau and Fairfield, (Choteau won, 7-4,) bucking horse contest, fireworks and dancing in the new hall.

7/15/21 Chautauqua set for Choteau Aug. 4-9.

7/29/21 About 400 people attend the Masonic picnic in park. Chautaqua to take place in new “pavilion.”

8/12/21 Charles E. Trescott dies after a long illness. obituary and photo. Was in the newspaper business for years, brought the Acantha from Dupuyer to Choteau in 1904 and was the publisher of the Choteau Montanan when he died. More articles on oil drilling activity.

8/19/21 All Choteau anxiously awaits well results. City council sets 19 mill levy for the year, done from 20 mills last year. Mrs. C.E. Trescott becomes Choteau Montanan publisher with R.M. Trescott as manager.

8/26/21 Choteau Oil and Gas to spud well Monday. The ladies guild of Choteau will serve lunch at the company's camp between noon and 1 p.m. the time of the spudding. Choteau band will play a short selection. Work on the auditorium at the public school is progressing rapidly. Will have an up to day moving picture machine installed in the new room. It has a stage with foot lights and a curtain.

9/9/21 Teton County High School expects largest enrollment ever at about 200.

9/30/21 Oil Prospects are Bright. Good progress on the Loretta well.

10/7/21 Mr. and Mrs. Soo Son have leased their café and bakery to Mr. and Mrs. H.B. Ashworth. He had cooked for the Beaupre House before starting his own café several years ago.

10/21/21 Legion to host dance at pavilion to pay off some of the bills on their pavilion.

11/4/21 Residence of Phil I. Cole badly damaged by fire.

11/11/21 Legion hosts Armistice Day event with big parade from courthouse to high school, address by A.B. Guthrie at schoo, prayer service at the M.E. Church, two minutes of silence starting at noon, taps sounded from roof fo courthouse just before that; football game at 2:30 Fort Benton v. Teton County High School, community singing at high school auditorium and big dance in high school gym at 9:30.

11/19/21 Well drillers having trouble with broken equipment they cant recover from the bore holes.

12/2/21 E.N. Haugen has been making toys and has them for sale at his store.

12/16/21 Drilling suspended due to extreme winter conditions. High winds damaged structures around the city and county. The oil derrick of the Western Petroleum Co. on Willow Creek was blown down and very much demolished. Gus Depner's barn near Farmington was greatly damaged and the Adams Oil Co. warehouse there was destroyed. One of the plate glass windows of the Bowling Inn in Choteau was blown in and smashed and a window pane at the court house and in several dwellings in town. The electric light wires were broken and Choteau was without lights for several hours.

12/23/21 St. Stephens Episcopal Church holds Musical Program and Christmas services.

12/30/21 Dr. Stephens this week added an up to date x-ray machine to his dental parlor.