The West Old & New November Vol. II Issue XI | Page 13
Bahásaba
Havre, Montana
The city of Havre, Montana Assiniboine name is Bahásaba.
Located in Hill County it is said to be named the city of Le
Havre in France. The population was 9,310 at the 2010 census.
Havre was incorporated in 1893. It was founded primarily to
serve as a major railroad service center for the Great Northern
Railway.
Originally named Bullhook Bottoms, the town met in a series of meetings to determine a new name. The original settlers were given the final decision, and due to a strong French influence, the town was renamed Havre.
Simon Pepin (1840–1914), the "Father of Havre," was a typical Montana entrepreneur. Born in Quebec, Canada, he
emigrated to Montana in 1863, and became a contractor, furnishing supplies for the construction of Forts Custer, Assiniboine, and Maginnis. Pepin purchased ranch lands near Fort Assiniboine. When James J. Hill built the Great Northern Railway across northern Montana, Pepin convinced him to build his locomotive shops at Havre, on property owned
by Pepin. In the ensuing years, Pepin was a major contributor to Havre's economic growth through his cattle, real estate,
and banking enterprises.
Havre is the eighth-largest city in Montana, and the largest city in the Montana section of the Hi-Line. The nearest major city is Great Falls,120 miles to the south, Havre serves as a medical and business center for the Montana section of
the Hi-Line. The Milk River runs through the town, and the Bear's Paw Mountains can be seen to the south.
Small grids of purple colored squares can be seen in some of the sidewalks in the downtown area (on the north side of
the city). These are skylights for a sort of underground "mall" built in the city at least a hundred years ago. Throughout
its history, this underground area has been host to a brothel, a Chinese laundromat, a saloon, a drugstore, at least three
opium dens, and rooms used for smuggling alcohol during Prohibition. When fire destroyed Havre's business district in
1904, legitimate above-ground businesses joined the illicit businesses operating in the underground while the new brick
buildings were built in the streets above. The underground area, now designated "Havre Beneath the St ?????????????)?????????????????????????????)Q???]??????
?????????????????????????????????????????????????!???????Y???????M????????
??????????????????????????!?????=?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q?????????????????????????????????????????????!???? ????????????????????????????????????????????5???)I?????????????????????M??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)M?????????????????!????????????????????????????????????????5????????????????????????????????(?????????????A?????????????Q???????????????????????????????U?????M???????????????????????????????????9????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????!????????? ????A?? ??????????????????? ???????? ???A??????????9???A?????????????????????????????????T?L??
?????
?????)????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????????????(???????????????????????$???????????????????????)Q???]???=?????9??A??????((0