It's Old Helena Crime of the Week Time again, this time from 1931.
Unlicensed ham peddlers Richard Murphy and A. R. Wright were subsequently found guilty of defrauding St. John's Hospital out of $2.60 (about $45 in today's money) by means of their inaccurate scale used to weigh up the hams. It was determined that they had actually paid for the hams.
Justice of the Peace W. J. Crispin fined them $45 each ($772 each today), which they were unable to pay. They apparently spent 22-1/2 days in the Lewis & Clark County jail as a consequence. The fate of the hams is unknown.
The Broadwater tourist park, where the boys were apprehended, was a group of some 40 cabins set up on the west end of the Broadwater Hotel property, about three miles west of town.
A colorized 1910 view of the Helena Cab Co., which was on the northeast corner of Park and Edwards.
This Moorish Revival livery stable and garage was built in 1907 by Joseph Murray and Jacob Fischer, both notables in the Helena livery business.
It was an up-to-date facility, advertising a horsey-odor-free experience for customers, along with other modern conveniences such as a separate waiting room for women.
From the start, plans were in place to dedicate part of the facility to the repair and servicing of automobiles, which was ultimately its function over the decades.
This building was last known as the Porter Garage, and was demolished in 1968, at the start of Helena's Urban Renewal projects.
Elements of the Moorish Revival design of the building are certainly reminiscent of the 1921 Helena Civic Center, but I'm unsure if the same architect was involved.
The illustration is from the souvenir booklet of the 26th Annual Encampment of the Montana Grand Army of the Republic ...
A then-and-now view of Neill Avenue, highlighting Eck's Toys and Hobbies in 1974. Eck's was a happy destination for many Helena kids and hobbyists.
Norm and Elaine Eck originally opened the shop at 15 Placer St. in October of 1959. It was moved to the Neill Ave. location, a former garage, in October of 1963. Eck sold the business to Joe and Arlene King in 1974.
Vintage photo courtesy of Janet Eck Bloom.
The earthquake-shattered 1890 Montana National Guard Arsenal, 1029 (now numbered 1025) N. Warren St. The rear of the building was also badly damaged.
Guard equipment continued to be stored in the wrecked Arsenal until it was finally demolished in the spring of 1939. The lot remained vacant until at least 1955.
For more about the Arsenal, please take the link in the comments below...
