FILES OF THE TIMES


 

 

10 YEARS AGO Friday, March 9, 2012 —

New Bank of Baker building is going up in record time. The new building is slated to be finished at the beginning of July and then the old one will be torn down and that area used as a parking lot. . .Pastor Joe Noel has accepted a call to join Emmanuel Evangelical Free Church in Plevna as its full-time minister. He began work Feb. 25. Pastor Joe, his wife Amanda and two children came from Great Falls. . .Daylight Saving Time began March 11. . .The new city ordinance prohibiting the use of handheld communication devices while driving will be enforced beginning April 2. . .Those filing for the Fallon County Commissioner position in the primary election are Donald Rieger, Shane Elmore and Steve Baldwin. . .This year the Girl Scout organization is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The birthday of Girl Scouts of the USA is March 12 and that day will be known as Girl Scout Day. . .High temperature March 5 was 59 degrees, low was 9 degrees March 2.

20 YEARS AGO Friday, March 8, 2002 —

Isabelle Jacobsen is a French lady who is married to Mark Jacobsen of Baker. Isabelle recently took her citizenship test and became a US citizen. After obtaining her citizen­ship, Isabelle registered to vote about a week later. She marvels at the patriotism displayed in this country . . .Delmar (D.J.) Jensen was recently diagnosed with cancer in his sinuses. He will undergo sur­gery in Flower Mound, TX. . .Baker Spartans took first place honors at the divisional tournament last weekend. They will now travel to Great Falls for the state tourna­ment March 7-9. . .Low temperature March 1 was -17 degrees. . .The library at Lincoln Elementary is featuring Dr. Seuss Week with guests coming in to read to the stu­dents. Police officer Pat Knipp is pictured reading to the first grade class. . .Lady Spartans finished in third place at the district volleyball tournament. They are now headed to the divisional tournament in Big Timber this weekend. . .Jerry Losing, Jill Whiteman and children Chandler and Spencer of Baker were among thousands of specta­tors who attended some of the Win­ter Olympics held in February in Salt Lake City. . .March 24, Ellen and Ralph Rustad celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary. . .James “Buddy” Benedict, a member of Scout Troop #258 in Baker has completed work on his project to earn an Eagle Scout badge. His project was building five picnic ta­bles for South Sandstone Reservoir south of Plevna.

30 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 5, 1992 —

Brian O’Connor is $12,500 richer. He took first place and half the prize money in the first district Montana Poker Tournament club $25,000 Tournament held in Billings Feb. 23. . .Mr. and Mrs. Vernard Schell will celebrate their 40th anniversary March 14. . .1992 Bronco days will be held March 13-15. . .Gary Wade, formerly of Baker, recently accepted the posi­tion of District Marketing Manager for the Butte and Helena sales dis­tricts of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana . . .Former Baker Police Chief Don Denning appeared in District Court in Baker March 3. Denning entered a not guilty plea to each of the charges against him. . .A recycling com­pany located in Chehalis, WA, is interested in relocating their opera­tion in Baker. Ross Electric is paid by utility companies to dispose of transformers. The company would employ 15 to 20 people.

40 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 11, 1982 —

March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, the Baker city schools will be extend­ing a special invitation to grand­parents of school students to visit. . .Jim Hurley and Helmut Straub have refiled for their positions on the Baker school board. . .Repre­senting the Baker Spartans on the Eastern B All-Conference Team are Orville Madler, who received honorable mention, and Frosty Williams who was named to the second team. . .As a civic project, the Baker Student council has taken on the task of promoting the proposed swimming pool. Their first step was to get all of last year’s graduating seniors to vote, letters were written; they called people to remind them that there was a pub­lic meeting. . .Two childhood friends celebrated a reunion Sun­day. Leila Fost, who resides at Western Manor Home in Billings, arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Helgeson in Billings to greet Selma Phebus of Shepherd for her belated 85th birthday party. . .Two incumbents filed last week to retain their county offices in the upcom­ing primary and general elections. Curtis Huether and Gary Lang both filed.

50 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 9, 1972 —

Near flood conditions are being caused at the Baker Lake due to the spring thaw, with more ice and snow still to melt. It was decided that water would be let out to avoid flooding near the spillway. Water coming out of the lake has caused flood conditions from the lake to the city limits west of town. . .Bingo was played by residents of the Fallon County Nursing Home and they would like to see it con­tinued provided prizes can be fur­nished. . .Fallon Creek CowBelles sponsored a beef cooking day at the Plevna School. . .“Billy Jack” is currently playing at the Baker Lake Theater. . .$2.48 will buy you a three pound can of Folgers coffee at the Reynolds Store in Baker.

60 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 8, 1962 —

Cheerleaders Margaret Coen, Kei­tha Griffith, Marjorie Morrow and Kathy Stevens receive first place trophy for competing groups at the Class B Eastern Divisional Tourna­ment at Wolf Point. . .National 4-H Club Week is being celebrated this week by the 88 members in Fallon County. With the organiza­tion of a new club on the 101 Road, there are now more members in the country than in town. . .Baker Post Office was one of a thousand to be dedicated in 1962. An impressive dedication ceremony in the high school gym was held with Gene Huntley acting as master of ceremonies. . .Gerald Martin and Harold Hammer are heading the Fallon County Red Cross Drive. . .Two matters of school policy were pointed out – everything is to be bought locally if the price is com­petitive, and that the local school system has an obligation to accom­modate the new pupils brought in by the oil industry as the industry pays a large share of the taxes.

70 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 6, 1952 —

Baker Men’s Club will have a feed night March 13. . .Spudding in the Shell Little Beaver No. 1 well took place Monday and the rotary rig since then has made a hole 1,040 feet deep. The road to the drilling site is nearly impassable and a snowmobile has to be used to get there. . .The free x-ray unit for tu­berculosis is in Baker at the Legion Hall this week. . .This year’s na­tional goal for the Red Cross cam­paign is $85,000. Jack Lawler is the local fund chairman. . .One hundred Cub Scouts and their par­ents had a dinner and pack meeting to celebrate the scouting birthday which was observed in February. . .Plevna Baptist church voted to sell the church building.

80 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 5, 1942 —

Baker Woman’s Club and Junior Woman’s Club will jointly sponsor a concert March 17. Artists will be Dean John Crowder, pianist, and John Lester, baritone. . .As of March 1, a total of 632 car licenses had been sold. Licenses were also is­sued to 1,200 drivers of motor vehi­cles. . .A fine collection of books was received this week from the Knobs area for the victory book campaign. . .Work of the NYA boys on the Baker Library building has been completed this week. The remainder of the work will have to be completed later as funds are available.

90 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 10, 1932 —

Snow, winds, and 20 below tem­peratures for the last four days is causing many problems in the Baker area. School was dismissed as it was impossible to keep heated. Downtown Baker is nearly de­serted with owners trying to keep pipes thawed and fires going, not to mention the feed problems on ranches, as the storm takes a toll on the already depleted livestock, since the storm follows a two week thaw. . .The style show scheduled for March 13 and 14, sponsored by the Baker Business and Profes­sional Woman’s Club, has been canceled due to the storm. . .Seed loan applications are now being taken and F. W. Marks can barely keep on top of the situation as the courthouse is packed with appli­cants. . .Mrs. Lewis LaCross and son Francis have now been lifted from their scarlet fever quarantine, with Anna Olson also being lifted from hers. The only other quaran­tine now in effect is Laura Bailey and she has nearly recovered. . .Refugio Garcia, arrested Feb. 25 for violating the prohibition act and for using marijuana in brewing his liquor, pled guilty to the charge and was sentenced to six months in jail.

100 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 9, 1922 —

County Commissioner Sutton and C. L. Jasperson shipped a car load of broke horses in Indiana Saturday evening. Mr. Sutton says there is a good demand for good fairly heavy broke work horses in the east at this time. . .Through a deal involving quite a large sum Messrs. L. Wilson and E. H. Trandum of Baker have bought the stock and furniture of Westby’s Inc. store “The Model”, taking possession last Friday. . .Geo. McRae sold his half interest in the Eagle Pool Hall to his brother James this week, the latter taking possession at once.

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