The wheels of government turn slowly so perhaps it’s no surprise that it took Teton County 100 years to celebrate the construction of the new courthouse. “Government moves slowly, but we finally got it done,” Commissioner Arnie Gettel told people attending the centennial celebration Dec. 2. Gettel said that the county back in 1906 declined to have a dedication of the new building, constructed after a hotly contested $40,000 bond narrowly passed.
Actually, government needed a helping hand to bring off this belated birthday bash. History buff Nancy Thornton of Choteau was inspired through her research to nominate the structure for the National Register of Historic Places to make up for the missing celebration by staging a gala centennial bash. Her nomination of the facility was successful and part of the festivities on Dec. 2 included unveiling of a mock-up of the commemorative plaque that will denote the structure’s historic registry.
Sheriff George O. Anderson, who acted as the master of ceremonies at the observance, will be capping off his law career this month, retiring tö go fishing and visit his family. “The old building for me has a lot of memories,” he said as he presided over the raising of a 1906-vintage U.S. flag outside the courthouse with the assistance of the local American Legion.
“They didn’t do a proper program for this building, but we’re going to take care of that,” he said. Anderson led those attending in the Pledge of Allegiance and in a moment of silence in honor of Pearl Harbor Day and of all past and present veterans. Choteau farmer and rancher Jim Hodgskiss, wearing a vintage black wool jacket with fancy tails that is a family heirloom, took part in the dedication, playing the role of Ed Dennis, a county commissioner, elected in 1902, who along with William Cowgill of Dupuyer and Ed Bollerud of Farmington supervised the courthouse construction between 1905 and 1906. Voters turned all out of office at the end of 2006...
Read on at the Choteau Acantha