View From The Bridge 8/26/2009

“VIEW from the BRIDGE”

by Muncie Morger

8-26-09

VISITORS CENTER

Starting August 31st (Monday) the Center will revert to the May-September schedule. Ruth will have the 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. schedule posted at the Center. Check it out. The Center needs more volunteers for Mondays. If you have some spare time, sign up for a two-hour shift. It would help tremendously.

GO HORNS

Are we ready for some football? Cannot wait until Saturday. Never thought I would be so excited for a football season to start. When I stopped at the gate to buy my parking ticket for the Chouteau County Fair, there were two young men collecting for the Lions Club. When I paid, one of them asked me if I would like to buy a “Longhorn Gold Card” (which is a good deal.) I was not prepared to buy a card just then but said they if they would come to the house I would buy two. I asked if they knew where I lived and they said that they did. I asked if they were football players and they said they were. I said that I had just written a small blurb about the team and one young man said that he knew because he reads my column. Keep up the good work Reece.

Would like to mention here, that there have been no phone calls regarding the community bus travel to away football games. Cannot understand why there are not a few fans who do not want to drive long distances and/or at night? Perhaps it is because football fans do not read this column so for those of you who do, spread the word. It will probably be too late for this coming Saturday’s game but perhaps the next away game.

A TRACTOR DEVOTEE

Two weeks ago a man came into the Ag Center looking for the 5,000,000th International Harvester Model f-1066 Farmall tractor. He read an article in a magazine that told about this particular tractor and that it was located in a museum in Montana (very vague.) The man contacted the magazine for the writer of the article and learned that museum was in Fort Benton, MT. He drove from CA and was very excited that he had found his treasure. He belongs to an International Harvester Collectors organization. Donna was on duty and knew exactly where to take him. He left the museum without signing the book and we have no way of sending him more information. I had overheard the conversation and at the Overholser Research Center, I checked out this 5,000,000th tractor. It rolled off the assembly line on February 1, 1974 at IH’s Farmall Plant in Rock Island, Illinois. For the next two years, it was featured at fairs, conventions, and shows all across the United States. On September 26, 1976, it was offered at auction to all IH dealers and out of 177 entries, the Montana IH dealer group submitted the winning bid of $40,086.86. It was then displayed at thirteen dealerships around the state. In June of 1995, the dealers voted to send the tractor to Fort Benton’s Ag Museum. It was in the Summer Celebration Parade of 2009.

Perhaps you readers remember the February 25, 2009 River Press article about the tractor being taken to the IH Collectors National Winter Convention in Waterloo, Iowa. If you want to know more about this tractor, I encourage you to a visit to the Ag Museum. You will not be disappointed but excited to experience the best museum in Montana. Most of the visitors who tour the museum will attest to that statement. End of commercial.

LOOKING FOR C.K. BUCKNUM

Received a call from Dusty Keuhner who was at her shift at the Visitors Center. She thought I might like to talk to two women who had come to research the above-mentioned man. I met with them on Monday evening at the Grand Union. Dr. Debbie Davis is Bucknum’s kin and she would like to write a book about his scouting adventures in and around Fort Benton.
Her step-first-cousin-once-removed, Susan Nordell, came on the train from Mission Viejo, CA for support and because she was related to the Henry Rowe family. Much to her surprise, she found that Wally Morger is a cousin of hers as their Great-grandmother was Mary Ann Rowe. This was Susan’s first trip to Montana and Fort Benton. She was in awe of what she saw. They both said that they would return to Fort Benton. They came to the Research Center on Tuesday and exchanged pictures and information about C.K. Bucknum. You will have to wait until her book is published to get the details of his life that turned up as quite adventurous.

SO LONG MARION SMITH

She was a very special lady in so many ways. Each time I would find an article about her at the Research Center; I would photocopy and drop it off at the Nursing Home. As a young woman, she traveled extensively and wrote for the River Press an accounting of her trips. They almost filled a whole page. There were many more articles about her time as the first woman mayor of Fort Benton. She was very bright, articulate and always spoke her mind. There are so many of us that loved her and will remember her always. So long for now dear friend, who loved Fort Benton and Montana with a passion.

TASTE OF CHOUTEAU COUNTY

What a marvelous evening and wish that tasting could be done every week as you had to pick and choose. Each year we have to pick a different food and it will take us many more years to get around to all the vendors. It was the perfect evening…warm and comfortable. There was the thoroughly enjoyable entertainment of Burnt Spoon who had us “Sing-Along” many times, had quizzes about songs/writers of songs, and sang songs that we have never heard before. Everyone was happy that the event had been postponed from several weeks ago when it was cold and damp. Good show, Farmers Market Committee.

HOW DID YOU FIND FORT BENTON

Kim Kelly Anderson’s hometown is Fallon, NV and she moved to Missoula, MT four years ago and received a degree in Social Work from the University of Montana. She was then able to take classes for her Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work from Walla Walla University in Missoula. Her employer said there was an opening in Fort Benton and each time they had a discussion, he would bring the subject up again. He talked about it so much that she decided she would come across the mountains to see why she was told that she would love it. The first part of June she arrived and met with Superintendent Scott. The rest of the story is that she immediately fell in love with Fort Benton, but you readers all knew how the story would end. I give Tim, at the River Press, credit for scooping me but know that he will be reporting more on her job. I have the more personal report and spent some enjoyable time with her this afternoon (Monday.) She is renting Audra Morger, Greg and Grayson (our grandson) Bonilla’s house. My most important question to Kim was, “Do I have a grandmother’s clause (like grandfather’s rights) to park in her driveway.” She said I most certainly did. Welcome to Fort Benton Kim. We are happy to have you here with your two darling children.

SO LONG FOR NOW

What a gorgeous day we had today. Would like a couple more weeks like this with perhaps a little rain during the night. Take good care, wear your seat belts in town and God bless America, Montana and Fort Benton.