This year marks the 100th anniversary of the venerable George May House in Stevensville at 210 Park Street, now owned by Kathy and Mel Cook. Kathy Cook has compiled the following history of the house.

George May, a prominent stockman, merchant and financier of Stevensville, was born September 14, 1858 in Clinton, Ontario, Canada. When he was sixteen he left home and entered an apprenticeship of three years learning the trade of cabinet making. He received $30 for his first year’s work, working ten hours a day, and became a master wood craftsman after three years. By May 1881 he arrived in Helena, twenty-three years old. He met "Cowboy Russell" (C.M. Russell) in Utica the first day of January 1882. He worked in the Dakotas a few years, then moved to Stevensville with his brother Albert and purchased the John Winslett band of sheep which had been trailed overland to the Bitter Root Valley from California.

He married Miss Lillian "May" Rairden in December 1890. She went by May, and thus was called "May" May. By March 1892, George and his family were living at Fort Owen, which he leased for fourteen years from Major McCormick, and his two children were born at the fort. George started buying land in 1895 and his name is found on the historic documents of numerous land parcels in the valley. George and Albert formed the Bitter Root Livestock Company, and as such owned some 3,000 acres of land, 20,000 head of sheep, and 500 head of cattle. George took care of the sheep and brother Albert took care of the cattle. They also had an extensive butchering business known as the May Brothers Butchering Company.

On August 4, 1900, George and another brother, William Harry May, assisted in organizing the Stevensville Mercantile Company, a concern capitalized at $50,000, in which George May was a principal stockholder and also the President. According to the local newspaper of the time, this became the leading department store of the city, employing a small army of clerks. Brother Lewis May was in charge of the meat market here. In 1909, the newspaper reported that the business transacted was one of the largest in western Montana, and the building in which the business was housed was the largest in the Bitter Root Valley. It extended the entire length of the block from Main Street to Buck Avenue and had a frontage of 100 feet. The company handled practically everything to be had, "anything from a pin to a threshing machine or a sawmill." The hardware was looked after by Charles May, and William H. May handled the books.

Stevensville Mercantile Company, in 1900, said "It is our purpose to handle all kinds of farm products in any quantity, to sell all kinds of farming implements, including wagons, carriages and harness, also furniture undertaking, hardware, clothing, boots and shoes, dry goods, groceries, crockery, glassware and everything pertaining to a department store, carrying only the best goods the market affords. We desire to make the Stevensville Mercantile Company a credit to the community, a credit to ourselves, a mutual benefit alike to ourselves and patrons, a store that our people can justly be proud of." In 1909, a newspaper article stated that the commodities handled by the company were handled in car lots, and the store had received 43 cars of merchandise so far that season. Around 1914, the Stevensville Mercantile Company was reorganized into the May Mercantile Company, and occupied the May Brothers block, a large two-story brick structure on Main Street, designed by A.J. Gibson.

According to the 1990 Stevensville Historic Building Survey, the entire building was destroyed by fire in 1936, except a small portion where the Valley Drug soda fountain is now housed. Using the old foundation, a one-story brick building was completed on the site in 1937, and is now occupied by Valley Drug & Variety.

The history of the George May house dates back to January 3, 1899 when May bought the farm of George W. Dobbins. On part of this land his home sits today. Ten years later, in the year 1909 he built his residence, located in the May addition at the head of Third Street which was a flourishing residential district. A newspaper article states that a crew from Spokane, Washington was brought in to do the carpentry. George May is said to have done some of the finish work on the interior of the home.

The well-known Missoula architect A.J. Gibson designed the neo-classical home for May. Gibson also designed the Marcus Daly Mansion in Hamilton, as well as the Greenough, Peterson and Bonner Mansions and the Missoula County and Ravalli County courthouse, to name a few. He liked forthright views of the street, often located on corners, with commanding views. Gibson added gables, porches and extended rooflines to create unique designs. Special attention to details such as leaded glass windows and fancy millwork distinguished Gibson's work from other Missoula builders. The home is an example of all these things. The colonnaded veranda supported by twelve pillars wraps around three sides of the house. The inside is finished in oak and maple at a cost of about $10,000. No expense had been spared in making the interior as beautiful as possible. Inside a fireplace, large oak pillars, beveled leaded glass, arched windows and three bay windows all make this home unique. There are five bedrooms with spacious closets, several having beveled leaded glass windows. Artistic cement steps and walks were built about the place at the same time. The home reflects the superior craftsmanship of the turn of the century with very minor alterations to the exterior or interior of the home. The barn is still being used today and the old apple orchard is well maintained and produces many apples every summer.

The home was placed on the State Register of Historic Places and also the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. George May's grandson, George Cunningham, who lives in the old Professor Sharp home, helped the Cooks with research and fact-gathering in preparation of the application for the designation.

There were two weddings that took place in the home. The first was in September 1910, when Miss Mildred May, daughter of John May and niece of George May, married Mr. Charles Amos Buck. The second wedding was June 16, 1918, when Sarah, daughter of George and his wife "May", married Orin David Cunningham. For both weddings the home was crowded with relatives and friends. Following each ceremony a delicious wedding supper was served to the assembled guests.

In the summer of 1909 when the Mays’ home was being built, Stevensville was progressing rapidly. The city water system had just been installed. The hospital opened and the telephone exchange was established. Wooden sidewalks were being replaced with cement, flagstone or brick within the fire limits of Stevensville. There were generators to supply electricity, but by 1910 electricity was available in town. As a civic leader, George May was involved in most of these improvements to the community.

A pillar in the community, George May was associated with many enterprises and was particularly public-spirited. He donated $1,000 toward the building of the Stevensville Training School and donated all the land that would be necessary for school purposes, which was 10 acres. He constructed a road and sidewalk, and also constructed a road to Pine Hollow. The foundation for the new Training School was poured July 4th, 1901. This school building was one of the first brick buildings constructed in Stevensville, and now houses the junior high. A high school, grade school and football field later occupied the remaining property. George May served on the board of trustees for the school and on the executive committee of the new school. He was always deeply interested in educational, moral and civic affairs, gave liberally of his time and substance to elevate and improve the community. George May contributed much to the building of Stevensville, he established a reputation of honesty in business dealings and private life. He was one of Montana's finest and died in Stevensville June 16, 1945.

George and "May" May lived in the home until 1935 when they sold it to the Harold L. Holt family, and went back to ranching during George’s later years. The next owner was G. Milnor Davidson who purchased it in 1942. Ellen Wilburn Anderson purchased it in 1948, then Warren J. Gavin in 1968. Melvin and Kathleen Cook bought it in March 1973 and raised four children in it. The Cooks have the original land abstract from Father Ravalli and also the original house plans for the home.

The Blue Parrot Tea Room will be hosting a High Tea event and home tour at the George May residence on Saturday, July 11. Contact the Blue Parrot in advance for details, 317 Main Street, Stevensville, 777-0520.

Riding 4 Hope team peddles through valley

If you don’t think bicycling an average of 100 miles a day can take a toll on you, even after only a week into a 43-day journey, just ask James Mackovjack. He slept through half his interview with the Bitterroot Star. You couldn’t blame him. After all, he was going to get up at 6 a.m. and put the rubber to the road. Might as well get some sleep while you can.

James and his twin brother John and their father David Mackovjack are bicycling across the country along with their neighbor and car support driver Skip Junis, to raise awareness for the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound and the Wounded Warrior Project.

The Riding 4 Hope team departed Silverdale, Washington on June 28, and plans on peddling into Virginia Beach, Virginia on August 9. They plan on riding an average of 100 miles a day on their cross-country tour that will take them through ten states.

The idea of the 4,000-mile journey was conceived two years ago when the trio was participating in a five-day Boy Scout Troop 1506 bike trip in the San Juan Islands, Washington. While on the trip they biked over 250 miles and John and James, both Eagle Scouts, expressed their interest in biking across America.

During the upcoming cross-country ride, father and sons will be stopping at local Boys and Girls Clubs along the way to talk to youth about the importance of staying healthy and being involved in physical activities. They will also be visiting military installations to raise awareness about the Wounded Warrior Project. That project is dedicated to enlisting the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women.

David Mackovjack said that it took three months just to plan the route. They used Google Earth to check and see if the roads had shoulders that they could ride on and how much traffic they might expect.

John said the weather so far has been good. No rain except for a few sprinkles when they started.

“So far it’s not as painful as I thought it might be,” said John. Although he did complain about a pain in the posterior from sitting on such a small seat all day.

James said, in one of his waking moments, “The best thing for me has been all the people I’ve met. They have given me a new perspective on the world.”

David said they consume a lot of calories each day to keep up their strength. He said having the car tag along helped on keeping down the weight they had to carry on their bikes and helped fight dehydration by allowing them to have access to water in the middle of nowhere.

Car support driver Skip Junis said an average bike tour across the country takes 60 to 70 days and covers about 50 miles per day

“The athleticism of this team is amazing,” he said.

The team has a web site at www.riding4hope.org. Log on for down the road reports.

2009 municipal elections candidates

Stevensville to hold municipal primary election

The deadline for filing to be a candidate in the upcoming municipal elections has passed, although there is still time to file as a write-in candidate. According to County Clerk and Recorder Regina Plettenberg, write-in candidates may still submit a written declaration of intent to run for office until August 14, at 5 p.m. Forms are available from the Clerk and Recorder’s office. The names of write-in candidates will not appear on the ballot.

The first-ever primary election for a municipality in the valley will be conducted in Stevensville, where five candidates have filed to run for Mayor. Plettenberg said that the primary election will be conducted by mail ballot. The primary ballots will go out in the mail on August 26 and must be received in the Clerk and Recorder’s office by September 15 to be valid.

“A postmark by that date will not do,” said Plettenberg. “The ballots must be in our office by September 15 to be valid.”

Stevensville is also the only town in the valley to have council seats open for which no one has applied. No candidates filed for seats on the council representing Ward 1 and Ward 2. Write-in candidates for those open positions must declare their candidacy by August 14.

Following is a list of candidates who have filed for the municipal elections in Darby, Hamilton and Stevensville.

Town of Darby

Mayor
Rick Scheele

Council Ward 1
David O. “Bud” Hall

Council Ward 2
Ned Trowbridge

City of Hamilton

Mayor
Jerry E. Steele
Michael E. Spreadbury

Council Ward 1
Melvin H. Monson
Mike LaSalle

Council Ward 2
Corey Johnson
Nancy Joy Hendrickson

Council Ward 3
Lynette G. Helgeland

Town of Stevensville

Mayor
Sarah Armijo
Lewis Barnett
Susan Evans
Clayton Douglas Floyd Jr.
Paul Ludington

Council Ward 1 (unexpired)
Robin Holcomb

Council Ward 1 - OPEN

Council Ward 2 – OPEN

Eagles donate to Special Olympics

Last year the Fraternal Order of the Eagles in Hamilton donated $500 to the statewide Special Olympics competition held in Great Falls. This year, with the help of Toby McCracken, head chef at the Stock Farm, the F.O.E. sponsored a crab feed in March that generated $2,621.50 for the Bitterroot Special Olympics.

Ron Brothers, past President of the Eagles and now one of five trustees, handed the check over to Randy Hodgson, founder, organizer, and promoter of the Bitterroot Special Olympics, last week.

“We were a little disappointed last year,” said Brothers. “But this year we are really excited.”

Hodgson said he believed it made a difference when people can actually see the event and see where their money is going.

Brothers said that the generosity and expertise donated by Stock Farm Chef Toby McCracken and his staff certainly made a difference as well.

Hodgson said that having another annual fundraiser dedicated to support of the Bitterroot Special Olympics gave the organization a big boost in its annual drive to meet a budget of about $10,000. An annual golf tournament is held at the Whitetail Golf Course near Stevensville that raises roughly half of what they need for the year. He said having a second event that can raise over two thousand dollars gives the local Special Olympics a good leg up in its annual fundraising efforts.

Call for volunteers for road crossing evaluations

Have fun, learn something new, and help our watershed. The Bitter Root Water Forum is looking for volunteers to work on a Road/Stream Crossing Sediment Inventory Project in partnership with the Bitterroot National Forest. Volunteers will be trained to collect data for use in evaluating road crossing erosion and sediment issues in East Fork and West Fork Bitterroot River drainages. After a one-day training session scheduled for July 18, volunteers will be assigned evaluation sites and have until mid-September to complete their data collections forms. This is a great opportunity to scout out fall hunting territory while collecting valuable scientific data to help improve water quality in our watershed and while enjoying your National Forest and perhaps seeing places you’ve never seen before. The Bitter Root Water Forum is also looking for volunteers for data input, if field work is not where you would like to share your time and energy.

Volunteers will be reimbursed for mileage and paid a small per diem stipend for their assistance on this important effort. No previous experience is needed. Some sites may only require driving and others may require walking through rough terrain; sites will be assigned according to volunteer’s ability.

This project is made possible through a Montana Department of Environmental Quality water quality improvement grant to the Bitter Root Water Forum. Contact Laurie Riley with the Bitter Root Water Forum at 375-2272 or email brwaterforum@bitterroot.net by July 16 to volunteer and register for the training on July 18.

County road work scheduled

The Ravalli County Road Department has scheduled improvements on several county roadways this week. Roadway users should anticipate some delays on these projects, up to 30 minutes or more, and should use alternative routes whenever possible.

Much of the work is dependent upon weather conditions and other unscheduled complications. Project schedules may be amended on short notice. Daily updated information can be obtained from the Road Department at 363-2733.

County road work schedule:

Monday-Wednesday

Bowman Road from Ricketts Road to McKillop Lane will have lane closures and delays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday-Thursday

Ponderosa Drive from Cartwright Way to SR38 will have lane closures and delays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 pm.

Thursday

Rickets Road from West Bridge Road to Blodgett Camp Road will have lane closures and delays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday

Kurtz Lane from Golf Course Road to SR269 will have lane closures and delays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Lake Como update

Lake Como - Three campsites within the Rock Creek Horse Camp will be designated for stock users only. Rock Creek Horse Camp, located within the Lake Como Recreation Area on the Bitterroot National Forest, was constructed in 1992 through a partnership between the Bitterroot Backcountry Horsemen and the Darby Ranger District. The three designated sites will be sites that are near each other, allowing for the stock to be concentrated in a specific area. Rock Creek Horse Camp receives a lot of multi-recreation use during the summer months (tent campers, RV campers, horse camping, etc). There are safety concerns associated with the intermingling of stock and campers in the campground. For example, children staying in the campground may not recognize the danger of approaching a horse from the back and may just walk up behind the horse wanting to pet or feed the animal. The designation of the sites for stock use will concentrate the stock in specific areas and will help minimize safety concerns by making it easier for non-stock users to recognize where the stock is. The designation of the three campsites for stock use only also will help accommodate the demand for camping areas with stock facilities. Currently, there are only a handful of camp sites in the Bitterroot Valley suitable for horse camping (Rock Creek Horse Camp, Bear Creek Campground, Crazy Creek Horse Camp, and Fales Flat horse use area). Rock Creek Horse Camp is equipped with trailer pull through parking spurs, hitching rails, feed bunks, toilet facilities, tables, fire rings, and an accessible stock ramp. The designation of the three camp sites will be posted at each site with a horse symbol and a sign. Non-stock users occupying a designated stock-use only site will be asked to vacate the site and could possibly be issued a violation. Lake Como Recreation Area is a multiple use recreation area and the recreation managers want to safely accommodate and provide a high quality camping experience for the various user groups. For more information, contact the Darby Ranger Station at 821-3913.

Gate open on Lost Horse Road

Lost Horse Road #429 on the Darby Ranger District was opened the morning of Thursday, July 2. At this time, there are some small snowdrifts, but the road is accessible up to Twin Lakes. For current conditions of the road, call the Darby Ranger District at 821-3913.

Helicopter flights to support repair of Mill Lake Dam

The Mill Creek Irrigation District will be repairing the Mill Lake Dam on The Bitterroot National Forest this summer. The Mill Creek Trail (Trail 364) will be closed starting on July 14, and intermittently throughout the project. Trail closures will occur for short periods during helicopter flights over the trail. The construction area around Mill Lake Dam will be closed all summer; however, camping will be allowed around Mill Lake. The project is planned to be completed by mid-October. These closures are to protect public safety involving hazards associated with construction activities at Mill Lake Dam.

Trail Work near Peterson and Holloway Lakes

Bitterroot National Forest trail crews are currently working on the trail to Holloway and Peterson Lakes. Their work will include the use of explosives and visitors are encouraged to avoid this area on July 13 and 14.

Trail reconstruction work will include construction of new drainage structures and rock retaining walls, rock removal to provide flat trail tread, and clearing small trees and brush that are encroaching on the clearing limits. “We need to drill holes and shoot select rocks that we cannot remove by hand,” explained Nick Hazelbaker, the Forest’s Trails Manager. “Our crew will drill during the weekend but will wait until Monday and Tuesday to use the explosives in hopes of minimizing impacts to backcountry users.”

Motorized drill use in wilderness requires analysis and Forest Supervisor approval. This “minimum tool” analysis for the project was documented this winter, signed and is on file at the West Fork Ranger District.

Hikers and backpackers can expect bright orange signs near lookout stations and short delays as explosives shots progress. Typically, there’s no reason why users cannot pass through the area once the shot is completed.

The trail crew will be assisted by the packstring from West Fork. The packer will be accessing the trailhead on Wednesday, July7, Friday, July 10, Wednesday, July 15 and Thursday, July 16. Forest visitors should drive cautiously, in anticipation of meeting the stock truck in early morning and late afternoon on this narrow, mountain road. Please yield for him, especially when the stock truck is on the outside lane of traffic.

Creamery Picnic call for volunteers

The Creamery Picnic steering committee is looking for volunteers. Various positions are available. If interested contact Dianne at 273-4566.

Financial assistance available for child care

Does your family need assistance paying for your child care costs? Eligibility rates for the Best Beginning Scholarship program have just increased, beginning June 1, 2009, making more families eligible.

A family of three can now make up to $2,289 per month and still qualify for child care assistance. A family of four can earn $2,756 and still qualify.

Child Care Resources (CCR) can also help narrow your search for quality child care and teach you how to find the facility that best meets your individual needs.

Contact CCR at 728-6446 or 800-728-6446 or www.childcareresources.org for further information.

Births

Births at Marcus Daly Hospital, Hamilton

6-27-09

Boy, 6 lbs., 3.6 oz., 19-1/2 inches, to Cynthia and Terry Brough, Corvallis

6-28-09

Girl, 6 lbs., 10 oz., 19-1/2 inches, to Kim and Matt Yaskus, Hamilton

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