Remember When?

80 YEARS AGO • NOVEMBER 1, 1944

HIT OR MISS

Halloween Tuesday night. A lot of kid rough stuff went on. Boys in the teen ages are naturally primitive and destructive. Busted the street lights out, barricaded the roads. Youth is at times cruel and grossly inconsiderate. We all were young once. Only the process of years mellows and timbers our natural combative and savage natures. Youth never considers that busting street lights may result in some feeble old lady breaking her leg, or a blockaded road might result in a serious auto accident and human suffering, but all youth is heedless, fearless, and at times ruthless. Age instead is shrewd and clever, and does not dissipate its energies in simple destructiveness, but instead regiments youth for its schemes and purposes.

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Oh boy! When this campaign is over what joy will we feel! About ready to start taking dope. Was a time when good whiskey helped along, but since the stuff sold now is practically unconsumable we haven’t even got a permit. You can run ballots all night on two-quarts of rye, but no prop this election, and this is the toughest one yet, with bond elections, presidential campaign, referendums, etc.

40 YEARS AGO • NOVEMBER 1, 1984

VOTERS TO PASS 4 POLLS GOING TO VOTE TUESDAY

Young Thompson Falls postmaster Bill Saint takes his duties as an American citizen seriously, but if he fails to exercise his right to vote in some election he feels he has ample reason. Bill, along with 16 other families residing in the Cherry Creek drainage across the Clark Fork River from Thompson Falls, believe they hold a rare and dubious distinction of being the only voters in Montana who must drive 38 miles and pass four other polling places to reach their poll booth. There is no exception. They can’t avoid passing two polling precincts in Thompson Falls and two more in Plains before reaching their voting booth at the Sanders County Fairgrounds.

This year’s general election November 6 will be the first that they’ve had to travel a 76-mile round trip to their new polling place, the result of the new legislative redistricting.

Traditionally, since the formation of Sanders County in 1906, Cherry Creek residents have voted at the Courthouse in Thompson Falls. Now, they’ve been made part of a new precinct south of Highway 200 which has the bulk of its electors residing across the Clark Fork River from Plains. The Cherry Creekers also reside south of the Clark Fork, but that’s about the only thing they have in common with the Plains voters. No road exists between Plains and Cherry Creek on the south side of the river, so to reach their polling place, the Cherry Creek residents must make a 76-mile round trip past two polling places in Thompson Falls and two more in Plains and cross the Clark Fork twice to reach their new polls at the Fairgrounds.

The foul-up occurred apparently when the redistricting commission needed a few more voters to place in the new House District 52 being formed. The commission lopped off the 16 families in Cherry Creek and placed them with the upstream group, regardless of the difficulties in reaching the new polling place.

Saint notes that in the past he had driven the10 miles from his home to the Courthouse to vote.

Another objection of some of the voters is the fact that they’ve now been placed in a House of Representatives District with Mineral and southern Missoula counties and cut off from their traditional membership in the Sanders County precinct, now served by State Representative Chris Stobie.

“It tends to make you wonder if the state is trying to keep you from voting,” commented Saint. “It’s annoying, too, that apparently nothing can be done to correct this ridiculous situation.”

Note: The above situation didn’t last long and people along the Cherry Creek road went back to voting in Thompson Falls.

60 YEARS AGO • OCTOBER 8, 1964

CITY TO INSTALL STREET DRAIN AT POST OFFICE

Plans to install a drain pipe in the gutter below the curb on Main Street in front of the post office (now Little Bitterroot Thrift Store) and Larsons and Greens store were approved by the City Council at its October session.

The project is being undertaken to eliminate the large puddle of water which gathers at times in front of the post office, obstructing foot traffic and creating a dangerous hazard when the water freezes.

The city dads also discussed installation of a pedestrian crossing light across Main Street at the corner of Gambles Store (now True Value Hardware) to replace the sign which was destroyed recently by a speeding auto.