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MAY National Historic Preservation Month Wildhorse Port of Entry Summer Hours – 8am-9pm – May 15th-September 30th 2nd – National Day of Prayer – Noon-1pm – Town Square 3rd – MSU-Northern Hall of Fame & Founders Excellence Dinner 4th – MSU-Northern Graduation – 10am 4th-12th – National Tourism Week 5th – Salute to Senior Citizens – Noon – Middle School 8th – District 9-C Track Meet 9th-12th – North Star Amusement Carnival – Holiday Village 11th – Rockin’ the Hills Concert – 7pm – Bigger Better Barn 12th – Mother’s Day 17th-18th – Central “A” Divisional Softball Tournament 17th-18th, 23rd-25th, 30th & June 1st – MAT presents “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” – 8pm – MSU-Northern Theatre 18th – Armed Forces Day 20th – Canadian Victoria Day 25th-27th – Bullhook Bottoms Black Powder Shoot – 8am – Fort Assinniboine 26th – Havre High Graduation 27th – Memorial Day 31st – Last Day of School 31st-June 2nd – Everything Antique Show – Great Northern Fairgrounds |
Our History In the mid 1800’s, the Milk River country of northern Montana was part of an Indian Reservation for the Gros Ventre, Piegan, Blood, Blackfoot and River Crow. Prior to the construction of Fort Assinniboine in 1879, the only white man seen in the area of Montana were the fur traders, operating out of the American Fur Company post at Fort Benton; the missionaries, and the teamsters bringing supplies to Fort Benton from river ports to the east when the Missouri River was low. After the 1885 (Metis) North West Rebellion in the North West Territories, several Plains Cree and Metis peoples settled in the area. No white man, other than soldiers or employees, was allowed to settle in the areas, including the bottoms where Havre was built, as long as it was part of the military reservation carved out of the reservation. The opening of the land occurred when the Great Northern Railroad was built, heading west to Seattle. The fort trader’s store personnel became the core of the business district, which served the soldiers, cowboys, ranchers, teamsters, coal miners and railroad workers, et al. By 1910, with the Homestead Act of 1862 expanded to 320 acres, and encouragement from the railroad, the area experienced a large influx of settlers who plowed up the land and founded many homesteader communities. With the advent of the railroad, Tycoon James Hill felt the name Bullhook could be improved. He asked the town’s founding fathers to select a new name. The first meeting ended in a brawl. A second meeting was held later: it was agreed only the original homesteaders Gus Descelles, Exor Pepin, Tom McDevitt, Joe Demars and Charles Gouthchie were to vote. Joe Demars suggested France since most were Frenchmen. No one agreed. Gus Descelles suggested [Le] Havre after his parents’ hometown. The motion carried. Havre celebrated its 100th birthday in 1993. Hill County named for James Hill was established in 1912. Raising sheep, cattle and horses was the primary activity early on. Ranches soon became lesser in numbers however, as farms started to produce some of the world’s greatest spring and winter wheat. Although agriculture is the undisputed financial mainstay in the area, the economy is diversified with farming, ranching, hospital and health services, education, professional and retail business, manufacturing, railroad industries, and National Historic Register tourist attractions and historic districts. |
Contact Info. Monday - Friday Havre Chamber of Commerce |
