We explored discovering the REAL you ID. Shall we discover a bit of our community’s history for those who are relatively new to our community or even just a review for all the others?
On the east bank of the Missouri River George Steele opened a store near the ferry landing in 1879. In 1880 a post office was established and the small village of Ulidia was born. Multiple businesses were established over time. Ulidia was soon changed to Gorham due to too many other towns with the same name.
In 1889 Gorham became Saint Clair when the Erskine’s bought the Steele’s store and changed the town’s name to remember their baby, Clair, who had recently died. St. Clair was surveyed and platted into a town site. The main street of Broadway is now the highway. A few homes were built along with the businesses that moved in and the Methodist Church was built in 1889.
School began in St. Clair in 1888 with 15 children attending. They spent a total of $5.05 for supplies. There is no record of a school house so it is assumed that school was held in the living room of the Methodist Church parsonage.
The ferry, named the “Mayflower”, was built by the Sieben Brothers and constructed in 1875 or 1876 with the help of the army who furnished the cable. The Russell Bridge was completed in 1893 between the two banks of the Missouri. This connected St. Clair and the newly established town of Dodge.
When it was revealed that the railroad was coming through the area on the west side of the river, Thomas Gorham filed on a homestead on the west side of the river in order to be in on the expansion that would soon follow the railroad. This eventually became the Cascade town site.
The first settlement on the west side of the river was named Dodge, after one of the railroad officials. Dodge was primarily a railroad-crew town. In 1887 Dodge was changed to Cascade. The Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Montana had established the county of Cascade. It was hoped that by naming the town the same as the County, that Cascade would be named the County seat. In 1911 Cascade became formal when it was incorporated as a town.
Gradually all business moved from St. Clair to Cascade. Some of this was due in part to the annual flooding of St. Clair and some due to a better access to the railroad and road being constructed between Helena and Great Falls.
In time Cascade developed into a thriving community. “The first regular meeting of the Cascade Town Council was called to order by Mayor Hall on February, 1911. In July 1912 the water rights were purchased from J.B. Taylor and Cascade Realty Company for $8,000.00. A New system of water mains was established and began functioning on December 14, 1913 for a cost of $30,000.00.”
In July 1912 sidewalks were installed on Central Avenue. A special election was held in 1920 for a bond of $10,000 to support the Wedsworth Memorial Library and Gymnasium.
The two city parks along the railroad were developed in 1924 on land belonging to the Great Northern Railway. Land for the Hillside Cemetery was donated by Anna Thoroughman. 3.3 acres was platted in 1920.
A telephone was in use between Ulidia and Sun River in 1885, but the first telephone system in Cascade was brought in by the Montana Independent Telephone Company in 1909. The first switchboard was in the J.E. Marcum and Company building. Some electricity was established in Cascade in 1909, but it wasn’t until July of 1912 that the entire community had access to electricity.
Multiple businesses came and went over the years for a variety of reasons. We were home to several mercantile/grocery stores , hardware, clothing, hotels, confectioneries, restaurants, blacksmiths, livery stables, a creamery, lumber companies, elevators, two banks, tailors, two newspapers, numerous physicians, a drug store and hospital, saloons, pool halls, garages, of course a jail, and many other businesses over time. As an interesting note, at one time there were supposedly 11 saloons operating within the city limits. And a bootleg operation called the Bucket of Blood operated in a shack on the west bank of the river during Prohibition.
Of course the town had their fair share of clubs, lodges and churches. The Oddfellows Lodge is believed to one of the lodges to be organized in Cascade. The Modern Woodmen of America erected part of Wedsworth Hall and operated it as a lodge. Unable to continue financially, the lodge was taken over by local ranchers and business who formed the Cascaded Opera Company. The first Commercial Club meeting was held in 1910 at the Opera House.
The Masons was organized in 1915 and the volunteer fire department headquartered in their new fire station next to the Courier office in 1914. The Rod and Gun Club got their start in 1914.
The baseball team became quite a popular sport of the community. Several buildings over time held the school. The ‘new’ building was built in 1909 with an addition added in 1919. Since then the school has been rebuilt and another addition added.
Cascade has a history of being a lively little community. The sacrifices and hard work of our ancestors that created our community and their commitment to a growing prosperous society helped develop us for what and who we are today. If we forget our beginnings, our roots die and we have no future. The structural and cultural supports developed by our founding fathers to ensure justice and achieve successful social outcomes must always be remembered if we are to survive and grow.
“Why can’t you trust an atom? Because they make up everything!” “My friend was explaining electricity and I was like watt?” “A man walks into a library and asks the librarian for books about paranoia. She whispers, “They’re right behind you!” “Have you heard about Murphy’s Law? Yes. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. How about Cole’s Law? No. It’s julienned cabbage in a creamy dressing.