A Look Back - January 1962

By Wally Peel

Plane Crash Claims The Life of Governor Nutter and Five Others

     On Thursday afternoon January 25, 1962, a plane took off from the Helena airport on a flight that would change the history of Montana forever.

     The C 47 Skytrain on the runway was taking Montana Governor Donald G. Nutter and two other state officials to Cut Bank near the Canadian border, to address a meeting of the U.S. Highway 2 Association.  It cleared the runway at 3:11pm.

     Some 20 minutes after takeoff, the ill fated aircraft encountered turbulence and crashed into a wooded, snowy area near Wolf Creek, killing  all on board.

     The FAA in Helena reported that no distress signals had been received.

     Logger Harold Farrell witnessed the crash.  He said the plane was traveling very fast.  It produced a fireball when it hit the ground at about a 35 degree angle.  

     Farrell, fellow logger Grant Brown, and truck driver Chester Conger went to check for survivors.  Brown then went to a service station in Wolf Creek to report the crash to the Sheriff.

     Wreckage was spread over a two mile area.  Pieces of the plane were still on fire when searchers arrived. 

     The crash claimed the lives of Montana Governor Donald G. Nutter, his Executive Secretary Dennis Gordon, Commissioner of Agriculture Edward C. Wren, and three National Guard Airmen, pilot Major Cliff Hanson, co-pilot Joseph R. DeVine, and flight Engineer Charles W. Ballard.

     Truly a sad day throughout Montana.

Donald G. Nutter 

     Donald Grant Nutter was born in Lambert, Montana in 1915.

     The fifteenth Governor of Montana, Nutter first entered public service in 1937, and worked for a year as the deputy clerk of the Richland County District Court.  He served another year as Undersheriff  of Richland County.

      Nutter joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943.  As a B-24 bomber pilot, he flew 62 combat missions, logging more than 500 hours of combat time. He was discharged in 1943 at the rank of Captain.  During his time in service Nutter was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

    Upon his return to Montana, Nutter opened a farm implement dealership in Sidney, and began working on his law degree.  He was admitted to the Montana Bar in 1954.

     Nutter served two terms in the state Senate.  When defeated in his attempt to win a third term, he became  Chairman of the Montana Republican Central Committee.     He was elected Governor in 1960, and had just completed his first year in office at the time of his death.

     He was survived by his widow and one son.

     Donald Grant Nutter was 46 years old.

Dennis B. Gordon

     Thirty-eight year old Dennis B. Gordon was Executive Secretary to Governor Donald G. Nutter.

     Gordon, known to his friends as "Denny" was the first person appointed to Nutter's personal staff.

     Gordon was born in Douglas County, Wisconsin, and came to Montana at the age of four.  He attended public schools in Great Falls and Cut Bank. 

     Gordon was a Master Sgt. with the 10th Army Headquarters during WWII, serving in Hawaii and Okinawa.  He continued his military service as a Sgt. Major in Korea.

     He received a Bachelor degree from Montana State University, then graduated from its law school in 1952.

      After working with his brothers in the construction business in Missoula, Gordon moved to Billings where he was in the oil business as a broker, independent oil operator, and an oil-gas attorney.

     He was survived by his widow and two children.

Edward C. Wren

     State Agriculture Commissioner Edward C. Wren was the first  department head appointed by Governor Donald G. Nutter.  He had been active in Montana farm and legislative affairs for several years prior to his appointment.

     Wren, a 43 year old Cascade grain farmer and stock rancher, had been appointed by Governor J. Hugo Aronson to represent the state on the U. S. Labor Department's Special Farm Labor Committee.

     Wren was named to the advisory council of the state Unemployment Compensation Commission in 1960.  He also served as chairman of Montana's Farm Action Committee.

     Commissioner Wren joined  the Army as a Private in 1941.  He worked his way up to Lieutenant Colonel, and served with the 41st Infantry Division during major action in the Pacific.

     He was survived by his widow and one son.

The Flight Crew

     The loss of Governor Nutter,  Dennis Gordon and Edward Wren dominated the headlines in the final days of January in 1962.  Let us not forget the others who perished. 

     The three crew members on that flight also died.  While their names were not as recognizable as the others, their loss is no less important.

     The Pilot was 44 year old Clifford E. Hanson.  He was a Major in the Air National Guard, and an Air Traffic Control specialist with the Federal Aviation Administration.  A Missoula native, Hanson was survived by his widow and two daughters.

     Co-Pilot, Major Joseph R. "Andy" DeVine was also a longtime pilot. The 42 year old native of Sigourney, Iowa was a B29 pilot during WWII.  He left behind a widow and four children.

     Master Sgt Charles W. "Chico" Ballard was the flight engineer.  A native of Great Falls, Ballard was survived his widow and one daughter.  He was 40 years old.

     These three Montana Guardsmen  lost their lives while in service to their Nation and their State.

Babcock Becomes Governor

     The tragic loss of Montana Governor Donald G. Nutter elevated Lieutenant Governor Tim M. Babcock to the Governorship.

     Babcock had been in Helena, acting as Governor while Nutter was in Oklahoma.  He on his way home to Billings by train when he was notified of Nutter's death.  He returned to Helena.

     From the Governor's mansion where he had been called by close friends of Nutter's widow,  Babcock said,  "I've lost the best friend I had, and Montana has lost the best friend it had."

     Babcock was a combat infantryman during WWII, serving with the 99th Infantry Division.  He was awarded the Bronze Star for valor in the battle for the Remagen Bridge in France.

     He returned to Montana in 1946 and entered the trucking business in Miles City, where he and his father-in-law operated the Babcock and Lee Trucking firm.  He later moved to Billings.

     Tim Babcock first entered Montana politics in 1952, seeking election as the Republican candidate for the Montana House of Representatives from Custer County. He was elected and served in the 1953 and 1955 sessions. He became a close friend of Donald G. Nutter.  They teamed up to run for Governor and Lieutenant Governor in 1960.

     Babcock became our sixteenth Governor immediately upon Nutter's death.  Chief Justice James T. Harrison administered the official oath of office to Babcock on February 6, 1962.

Malinovsky Interview

     Russian Defense Minister Marshal may have taken a lesson from Theodore Roosevelt when he spoke softly but carried a big stick.

     In an interview with the Communist Party Newspaper Pravda, he called for better United States- Soviet relations.   Malinovsky then said that Soviet rockets could blast all U.S. industrial and administrative-political centers into the heavens in a single blow.

     He sharply attacked Defense Secretary Robert McNamara for his declarations that the United States was capable of destroying Soviet targets.  Malinovsky deemed those comments as boastful, and said they were directed not at the improvement of relations between the two countries, but rather to incite passions of war hysteria.  He accused McNamara of stepping up the arms race.   

     He further claimed that McNamara and other administration officials were whipping up war frenzy because they hoped the corporations they once worked for would make great profits.

     Malinovsky also criticized New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller for unscrupulously exploiting the people's fears with his campaign for the construction of nuclear shelters.  He said tremendous sums of money were being transferred from the pockets of taxpayers into the safes of monopolies engaged in the profitable shelter businesses.

Cuban Children Educated in Democracy

     More than 100 Cuban children in Montana were being educated in democracy, with the expectation that at some day they might be able to return to their homes when the Castro regime fell.

     The children in Montana were only a part of the estimated 200,000 Cuban children from ages 8 to 18 that had been brought into the U.S.  They were being cared for by Catholic Charities.    

     Most were living with Montana families.  About 30 were living at the Saint Joseph orphanage north of town.

     Monsignor Daniel Harrington told the Kiwanis Club that the children were not refugees or orphans.  Most were from well to do families. 

     They were being taught that man's rights come from God, not the state, that a middle class is needed in Cuba, and their most important lessons are those in everyday living with American families.  Harrington stressed that one of their lessons was to learn to work, as many of the children had been in environments where physical labor had been considered degrading.

     Cost of their care was being shared by Catholic Charities and the U. S. Government.

Also in the News.........

     Mobster Lucky Luciano dropped dead of an apparent heart attack at Naples Airport.

     Jackie Robinson and Bob Feller were elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

     In  a poll conducted by Redbook  magazine, Montana Senator Mike Mansfield was named the " Most Admired" man in the Senate".

     A Montana National Guard helicopter on a routine flying proficiency mission crashed in a vacant lot about a mile from the Helena airport.  The two Guardsmen on board were not injured,  but the aircraft had major damage.

     Concerned citizens were circulating a petition asking the Helena City Commission to suspend enforcement of the new leash law until adequate facilities were constructed for the care of the dogs.

     The Lewis and Clark Fair Association announced plans for the Second Last Chance Stampede.  They had hoped to hold a two day rodeo, with one evening performance, but

settled on a  Sunday afternoon performance because they didn't have the funds for lighting the arena.

     Police forced their way into the Great Falls Elks Club to shut down a gambling event that included roulette, dice and blackjack. Members managed to remove some gambling equipment before it could be obtained as evidence.  Officers said the surprised crowd became abusive and cursed the police.  Three men were arrested. 

      How do you stop your hubby from drinking?  A Bavarian housewife solved that problem.  She burned down the local brewery.  She told police, "If they can't make beer, my husband can't drink."  Damage to the brewery was over $62,000.

Here at the Station………

     On "Route 66", Buz and Tod were taken prisoner by an ex-convict who was convinced he was railroaded to prison by a banker who controlled a small Texas town.

     A meek secretary met a young man with a shady past, and fell so desperately in love with him that she agreed to help him carry out an evil plot on "Alfred Hitchcock".

     On "Rawhide", the cattle drive was interrupted for a social evening when the drovers came upon a wagon train loaded with mail order brides.

     When Daisy June dragged Clem Kadiddlehopper to a local dance hall for a televised Twist contest, he brought along his pet termites, and invented a dance of his own on the "Red Skelton Show".

     On "Window on Main Street", a department store clerk was credited with rescuing an illustrious citizen of Millsburg from the river, and learned it was difficult to live the life of a hero.

     Grandpa was concerned when Hassie developed a friendship with a wealthy new neighbor on "The Real McCoys".

    On "Ozzie and Harriet", Rick found himself in hot water when he broke several dates with his girlfriend in order  to entertain Joe and Clara Randolph's attractive visitor.

     When "Hazel" got a proposal of marriage from a millionaire, she suspected he was more interested in her cooking than in her.

     On "Gunsmoke" Doc Adams took on the task of trying to rehabilitate a longtime alcoholic

     When a pretty manicurist set up business in Floyd's Barber Shop, the women of Mayberry were up in arms on "The Andy Griffith Show"..

     A crooked banker put the freeze on Bret's bank account, and brother Bart came up with a scheme to melt it on "Maverick".

That's

 At the last ten days in January 50 years ago.

Moscow Molly

     She called herself Barbara, but to American GI's the husky voiced disc jockey beaming music and propaganda from a studio in East Berlin was known as "Moscow Molly".

     "Don't Fence Me In" was her theme song.  Her half hour program featured strictly American tunes by well known artists including Ray Anthony, George Shearing, Count Basie and Duke Ellington.   Between the songs she spouted propaganda.  Tidbits like  "Hi-ya, you poor, broken down product of a lost weekend.  This is Barbara, broadcasting to American soldiers in West Berlin."

     News reports on the program were carefully chosen to place unfavorable light on U. S. policy, with heavy emphasis of the high military costs to taxpayers, dissent among Western allies, and racial strife in America.

     Moscow Molly would make comments that made listeners realize that the Russian Spy Network was in full operation.  Remarks that ranged from welcoming a new commander at a U.S. base, to reminding personnel that a particular burned out light on a runway had not been replaced.  She would welcome newly assigned troops by name, even going so far as to mention the individuals home town and family members.

     Her broadcasts were on the same frequency as Armed Forces Radio, and came on after that network signed off for the evening.   Due to the late hour, she did not have many American listeners.  Those GI's who did hear her show rated it in a range from silly and laughable. to clever and dangerous.

     The daughter of an American defector, Moscow Molly's real name was Annette Teshlich. 

Pinball Demonstration

     Attorney General Robert  Kennedy was seeking another tool to help in his fight against interstate gambling operations.  He asked the House Commerce Committee for legislation that would make it illegal to ship certain kinds of pinball machines and other gambling equipment across state lines.

     The committee took a "hands on" approach to the issue.  With the idea that a more informed Congressman could make a better decision, "Exhibit A" was brought in.

     Exhibit A consisted of a couple of flashy pinball machines.

     The lawmakers lined up to take their turn.  With colored lights flashing, and bells ringing, the hearing room was filled with sounds of chugging and dinging, banging and whirring.  The arcade like atmosphere had the "hilltop wizards" grinning like school boys.

     By the time they were done with their in depth investigation,  most were  well versed in such terms as bumper, flipper, plunger, popper, spinner, topper and ramp.

     When the Committee got down to business, it was pointed out that there was a significant difference between pinball machines designed for entertainment, and those that were made for gambling.  One lawyer stated the machines looked the similar on the outside, but the electronics inside the gaming devices resembled the control section of am ICBM rocket.

     In his testimony, Attorney General Kennedy said organized crime was making hundreds of millions of dollars a year from those machines, and said it was time to tighten federal laws against them.  He assured Congressmen that pinball machines made for amusement only would not be affected by the bill. 

     There was no indication as to whether or not the pre-hearing demonstration would "tilt" the outcome either way.

Gubernatorial Power Opposed

     Attorney General Forest H. Anderson and Secretary of State Frank Murray let it be known in no uncertain terms that they opposed any further concentration of power in the hands of any Montana Governor.

    During a meeting of the Board of Examiners, the two Democrats, and Republican Governor Donald M. Nutter were asked to comment on a proposal to create a Department of Administration that would handle the planning and construction of state buildings.  Those duties were handled by the Board of Examiners at the time.

     Governor Nutter pointed out that if the proposal included the evaluation of building needs, it would be in line with the building commission program he had asked for in his State of the State message.

     In total disagreement, Attorney General Anderson insisted such a plan would merely stifle competition between institutions, and create more problems.

     Murray said he assumed the intent was to hire a super-architect who would stand idle most of the time.  He added that such a plan was tried in Governor Ford's administration, and it didn't work out.   "This is strictly politics", Murray went on to say, "To have a department come under direct supervision of the Governor is dictatorship, and I'm against it."

     Anderson agreed, and added "It looks like you are trying to make Montana a  one-party state by vesting all power in the governor.  I'm not going along with the governor of any party when he wants to run the whole show."

It's Not Cold in West Yellowstone if You Don't Hear About It Right?

     Some people in West Yellowstone were up in arms when the town set a new temperature record that the world might never know about.

     The village at the west gate to Yellowstone Park gained fame on a cold night in 1937.  That night the mercury dropped to 66 below zero.  Its more recent 55 below reading only became known when the Helena Weather Service reported it, and distributed that information to the outside world over wire services.

     That was when the people in West Yellowstone discovered that the twice daily national press bulletin  that reported weather information was no longer listing their town.

     The Montana Chamber of Commerce, through tourist promoter Bill Browning, had protested to Washington, complaining that Montana was getting unfavorable publicity by the release of West Yellowstone temperature readings.  Washington complied and stopped reporting the temperature for the Montana town.

     While still available to Montana newspapers and broadcast stations through the Helena Office of the Weather Bureau, the West Yellowstone temperature was not being reported to the rest of the world.

Montgomery For Congress

     Wayne Montgomery formally announced his candidacy for the First District congressional seat held by Democrat Arnold Olson.

     The Lima Republican told a Missoula gathering that he was entering the race with profound humility.

    Speaking on the topic of government involvement, Montgomery said he believed that any necessary government action should be taken at the local level if possible; at the state level only if the task was clearly beyond local resources or the proper extent of local responsibility, and at the national level where the Constitution permits.

     In discussing education, he said educational opportunities in Montana should be maintained and improved, but expressed fears of great danger in broad federal involvement in education.

     Montgomery was an unsuccessful candidate for the GOP Senate nomination in 1960, placing third in a six man race.

     One other Republican had already announced his candidacy.  Dr. Sid Groff, a professor at the Montana School of Mines said he was running, but qualified his candidacy by saying his bid for the nomination would depend on his ability to raise money for a campaign.

     Representative Olson, a first term congressman had not yet announced his 1962 election plans.

City Enforces Leash Law

     Helena had recently passed a leash law, and the city was serious about curtailing canine capers.  Dogs were prohibited from running loose off their owners property.

     On his weekly radio broadcasts, Sheriff Dave Middlemas always ended his program with the prisoner count at the Lewis and Clark County Jail.  The City was issuing its own "prisoner report", releasing information on the number of dogs that were being held at the Animal Shelter. 

     To residents it was clear that the City was very serious about enforcing the new law.  There were about 30 dogs impounded, and warrants had been issued for the arrest of nine more violators of the ordinance.  

     Fines of up to $100 could be levied, but most were given a $25 fine, and had to pay an additional fee to get their pets out of the pound.   One resident chose to spend 12 1/2 days in jail rather than pay his fine.

     There was growing concern that once caught, the dogs were not getting proper care.  The Police Chief, Mayor, and City Commissioners all received calls from citizens who believed that the dogs in the shelter were starving and freezing.  Police Chief Don Raw assured the public that was not the case.

     Another citizen complaint was that when owners paid their fines and went to retrieve their pets, no one was at the shelter to release their animal.

     Citizens had favored the leash law by a 2-1 margin.  It was clear that city employees were doing their best to carry out their wishes.

Bring Back The Pony Express

     An Ozark community made a request to the Post Office Department for revival of the Pony Express.

     In all sincerity, the Table Rock Lake Chamber of Commerce wrote a letter to the U. S. Postal Department. 

     In it they explained that residents had to go six miles out to the highway to get their mail, or drive 19 miles to the nearest post office.

     It wasn't always like that, the letter explained.  Service was fine some 81 years ago, but in recent years, lakes and inlets formed by dams on the White River covered many of the roads that used to lead to the Table Rock area.

     Places where the motorized divisions of the Postal Service were unable to reach, horses and mules would have no problem.

     The self proclaimed "proud hillbillies" stated that they had the horses and mules, and people who were willing to use them to carry the mail.  All they needed from the Post Office Department was a Pony Express franchise.

     A copy of the letter was placed in the Congressional Record by Missouri Representative Durward Hall.

Where Ya From?

     Mary Samuel noticed that the name of a town was not spelled correctly in the Saint Petersburg Independent.  The newspaper accidentally left out an "l"  in the name. 

     Most would not notice, but as a young girl, Welsh born Miss Samuel was not only familiar with the town in the story...she knew how to spell it.  And, she would earn a schilling from her uncle when she pronounced it correctly. The little village on the Island of Anglesey in Wales was Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

     Originally known as Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, it is believed the longer name came about when the village council decided it wanted to have the privilege, and reputation of having the  longest railway station name in Great Britain. 

     Thus they added gogerychwyrndrobwllllandysiliogogogoch.

    Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is not just a series of letters put together in the interest of creating a long, and difficult to pronounce name.

    Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch translates to “St. Mary’s church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool and the church of St. Tysilio of the red cave.”

     It would be fun to visit Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, just so you could say you've been there, but one thing is for certain.  If a stranger asks "Where Ya from?", it's a lot easier to say "I'm from Helena"...or Butte..or Great Falls, or to simply say "I'm from Montana."

Also in the News.........

     Eighteen Roman Catholic missionaries were attacked, beaten, then killed by Congolese soldiers in North Katanga.

     President Kennedy asked for a $92.5 billion budget.  It  called for more spending than any other peacetime budget submitted to Congress.

     General Dynamics announced that it had developed a device that would trace phone calls.

    Governor Donald Nutter presided at the dedication of the Montana Military Museum and Trophy Room on the third floor of the  Veteran's and Pioneer Memorial Building.  The room featured weapons, uniforms, insignias, and memorabilia from all wars, including the Indian Wars.

     Helena High Senior Robert Worcester was named the state winner of the 15th annual Voice of Democracy Contest.   He received a $100 savings bond, and an expense paid trip to Washington D.C., where he would be competing for $5,000 worth of scholarships

   Topping the Pop Charts...Chubby Checker's "The Twist" and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by the Tokens.  Dave Brubeck's "Time Out" was the best selling album. Getting top play on the Country stations...Patsy Cline's "Crazy" and "Walk On By" by Leroy Van Dyke. 

     After explaining to his seventh class why the days are shorter in winter that in summer, a Mississippi teacher asked about it in a test.  He learned that not all were paying attention when one of his young scholars gave the answer, "In the winter the days get colder and contract.  In the summertime they get hot and expand."

Here at the Station………

     A Texas longhorn left a cattle drive and embarked on a 1,200 mile journey home on "Sancho, the Homing Steer" on "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color"  

     David Seville and the Chipmunks ran into a primitive fan when they visited the jungle to get new sounds for their recordings on "The Alvin Show".   

     When Linda came home with torn clothes and a black eye from a sandlot game, her father tried to show her that football wasn't a game for young ladies in "The Danny Thomas Show".

     On "Surfside 6", a well meaning con man placed his life, and that of his daughter in jeopardy when he victimized the son of a gangster boss.

     On "Cheyenne", Dr. Miles Gillis returned to Willow Springs, and to the four men who were responsible for sending him to prison.

     On "Rawhide" , the meddling wife of an Army captain reversed her husband's orders and botched his mission.  Barbara Stanwyck was the guest star.

     Elinor was frightened by something an amateur fortune teller saw in the cards  on  "The Hathaways".

     Kate Smith, Robert Goulet and the comedy team of Wayne and Shuster were guests on "The Ed Sullivan Show".

    A telephone that couldn't be budged from its cradle, and a hand that stole food from a table caused a lot of consternation on "Candid Camera".

     Dobie's father decided to stop being a mean cheapskate and start living a little.  He showered his family with expensive gifts and announced he was selling the family grocery store for a small fortune on "Dobie Gillis".

That's

At the third week in January 50 years ago.

More Troops for South Viet Nam 

     As Guerilla warfare escalated, South Viet Nam acted to increase its regular army by 30,000 troops with the help of U.S. Military aid.

     The move would raise the number of South Vietnamese forces to 200,000.  North Viet Nam had an estimated 300,000 to 350,000 men under arms.  

     State Department officials, in disclosing the army buildup said the additional costs would be borne by both South Viet Nam and the United States under a new financial reform program.

     In the previous year, guerilla activity by the Viet Cong had more than doubled.  The growth in intensity resulted in the wounding and killing of about 400 non-communist forces a week.

     While more and more U.S. forces were being sent to the region, a State Department spokesman insisted that the United States was only sending combat troops to South Viet Nam  for training purposes.

Forced Landing?

     A Belgian Sabena jet airliner on a flight from Tehran to Istanbul was reportedly forced to land at a Soviet air field after the pilot reported “We are being pursued by Russian planes."

     The pilot said he was being followed by four armed Soviet MIGs, and that he was ordered to follow them down for a landing at the city of Yerevan, near the Soviet-Turkish frontier.  He repeated the distress call three times.

     The craft carried nineteen passengers and a crew of eight.  Among the passengers was one American.

     The airline manager in Tehran disputed the claim, stating that a compass had failed and the pilot had requested permission to land.

Missing

     Military action in a far away land, came to rest on our doorstep.  Helena born George F. Fryett Jr. disappeared in South Viet Nam on Christmas Day.

     One unconfirmed explanation was that the Reds had captured him and were using  Fryett as "proof" of "imperialist American intervention" in South Viet Nam.

     Fryett's father, a former Helena High athlete, indicated that his son had a security job with the military.  From his home in Long Beach, California, the senior Fryett said the family held little hope that the young soldier would be all right.

     Army Specialist George F. Fryett Jr. was the first American taken Prisoner of War in Viet Nam.

Wait and See Stand on Park Elk Issue

     The Montana Fish and Game Department took a wait and see attitude concerning the Yellowstone Park Elk controversy.

     During a meeting in Helena, Commissioners discussed the problem, but took no positive action.

     Members of the Commission said they believed a special season on elk in the area north of Yellowstone Park was not wanted.  Only three persons in a crowd of 200 favored such a plan.

     Many in the Montana Fish and Game Department believed the elk north of the Park had actually moved into the Gardiner area from the high country in southwestern Montana.  Those elk had not resided in the Park at all.

     Deputy Director Don Brown said he believed there was adequate range in the area to support the elk population that was there.  A special season might be needed if conditions drove another two or three thousand head into the area.

     Earlier Acting Governor Jack Gage of Wyoming said his state would help reduce the Park herd through trapping and transplanting on the condition the Park Service stop shooting the elk.

Old Man Winter

     Harsh cold that covered much of the nation was blamed for at least 116 deaths.  Seventeen deaths were attributed to exposure, 33 died in motor vehicle accidents, and heart attacks claimed the lives of 66 people who were shoveling snow or pushing cars out of snow banks and driveways.

     The temperature dropped below zero in at least 17 states.  Snow was even reported in Pensacola, Florida.

     In Montana, three died in the bitter cold wave that that sent the mercury plummeting to 47 below zero in West Yellowstone.  Butte recorded 44 below, and both Drummond and Belgrade has lows of a minus 42.

     The Weather Bureau at the Helena Airport reported a reading of 25 below with no warming trend in sight.

Purple Heart 44 Years Later

     Forty four years after earning it, Missoula resident Harry Hayes was finally given his Purple Heart.

     The retired Garden City grocer was wounded by shrapnel while fighting on a hill in France during the battle of Mont Blanc in World War I.  Neither Hayes, nor the Marine Corps knew why the award was not presented in 1918.

     One day while walking past a Marine recruiting office, Hayes decided to find out.  The Marines took over from there.

     He received his long overdue Purple Heart in a special Marine Corps Reserve ceremony conducted at Fort Missoula.

Helena - A Dirty Town

     The five member city commission addressed the problem of dirty streets in downtown Helena.

     City attorney Michael Chilton cited a law that prohibited the sweepings of stores from being swept into the street.  Violators caught sweeping sidewalk refuse into the street could be fined up to  $50. 

     The Commissioners discussed the possibility of staggering shifts of street cleaning crews so that the downtown area would be clean on Sunday.  They noted that Saturday night crowds often left the downtown streets littered.

     One commissioner pointed out several times that the merchants weren't helping the situation, because some had been seen sweeping out there stores into the street on many occasions.

     The consensus was that if a few merchants were fined, the Capital City might have cleaner streets.

British Doctors Dancing At The Prospect of New Patients

     British doctors were expecting an increase in patients as the result of an epidemic that was spreading into their country from the United States.

     It wasn't the flu.  Nor was it smallpox, measles, cholera, yellow fever, malaria, mumps or meningitis.  It was something altogether new.  They called it the twist.  The newest dance craze, where dancers looked like they were caught in automatic washers, was spreading like the plague.

     The Twist involved the rotation of the trunk and pelvis, while spinal joints were bent backward and forward.  The  alternating rotation at extremes of range was calculated to

damage cartilage in the lumbar and spinal joints.  In other words, twisters would be liable to slip a disc.

     Some British doctors anticipated a rich harvest of new patients as long as the Twist Craze continued.

     How many songs can you name with the word "Twist" in the title?

Here's a start:

   The Twist   (Chubby Checker)

   Peppermint Twist   (Joey Dee and The Starlighters)

   Let's Twist Again   (Chubby Checker)

   Twist and Shout   (Isley Brothers)

   Twistin' The Night Away   (Sam Cooke)

Also In The News.........

     Governor Donald Nutter told Interior Secretary Stewart Udall that Montana would take no part in the "force kill" program to reduce the Yellowstone Elk herd.

     Frank Sinatra and Juliet Prowse announced their plans to marry.

     Senator Barry Goldwater said there was no reason why the United States should continue participation in the United Nations.  "The idea was wonderful" he said, "but the world is not ready for it."   

      Anthropologist Margaret Mead, addressing a symposium on Problems of Survival,  urged that bomb proof shelters be built for the world's newlyweds, to assure continuance of the human race in the event of a nuclear war.

     A U. S. B52H super bomber set a new record by flying 12,519 miles without refueling.  The historic flight took 22 hours, ten minutes, and spanned two oceans and the North American continent.

     A warrant was issued for the arrest of television quiz star Charles Van Doren, when he failed to appear in court on a perjury charge.    

     Paul "Bear" Bryant was named 1961 Coach of the Year  by the American Football Coaches Association.

     Comedian Ernie Kovacs was killed in a car accident in Los Angeles. He lost control of his Chevy Covair station wagon and crashed into a power pole.  It was believed he was trying to light a cigar at the time.  His wife, actress Edie Adams was driving another car ahead of him, and was unaware of the accident.

Here at the Station………

     Johnny Carson sat in for Jack Parr on the Tonight Show.  He welcomed guests Jack Douglas and Reiko, , Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healey and songstress Eileen Barton.

     Young  Johnny Carson had suddenly become one of the hottest properties on Television.  NBC announced their decision to hire Carson to replace Jack Parr on the Tonight Show by the first of March.

     Carson, was under contract with ABC for the show "Who Do You Trust?". That network wasn't about to let him leave without a fight.

     Negotiations for Carson's talents were intense, and it appeared as though the popular late night show might have to settle for guest hosts for several months.

    Not all favored Carson as the new host of the Tonight Show.  TV Editor Jane Remsberg favored Steve Allen as Parr's successor.  In her column she wrote. "Unheeding of my big Steve Allen push, they have chosen Johnny Carson "comedian", and all-around smart-aleck who has done many guest shots, and is the regular M.C. on the daytime program  "Who Do You Trust?".  Personally, I've never trusted Mr. Carson.  Why would any adult let people still call him Johnny?  Perhaps there is still some sort of faint hope that a legal contract will save us all from Mr. Carson's style of humor."

     In looking back it appears as though Editor Remsberg might have purchased a broken crystal ball from a second hand store.

     On "Ozzie and Harriet", Ozzie found himself playing host to all the neighborhood kids and their pets when he suggested that they hold a pet show.

     A headstrong young girl, testing the feasibility of distance travel by balloon dropped in on "Frontier Circus".

     On "Cheyenne", a ruthless bandit hoped to extort enough money from Mexican peasants so he could buy himself a position in government.

     Opie joined a secret organization on the "Andy Griffith Show".

     After Gladys sold an old car, she found out it was worth a small fortune on "Pete and Gladys".

     A young man's feeling of being an outsider because he was an orphan, resulted in some unusual hostilities on "Wagon Train".

     On "Hawaiian Eye", Tracey Steele took on the job of keeping a wealthy girl from engaging in self destructive antics.

     Mickey Rooney, Joey Forman, Ken Murray and Patti Page all appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show".

     On "The Flintstones", When Betty was discovered by a TV Producer, Fred quit his job and prepared to launch her on a spectacular career.

That's

At the second week in January 50 years ago.

World Wonders What 1962 Will Bring

As the sun came up on a brand new year, an anxious world shared a common hope that the leaders of nations could work together to implement their pledges for a lasting peace.

We dared to hope that Soviet Premier Khrushchev meant it when he pledged his country would do everything possible to avoid the threat of war.

Those behind the iron curtain who got to hear or read President Kennedy’s message desperately wanted to believe that the American leaders call for improved relations between the two powerful nations would lead to a better world.

We all knew we would have to keep our fingers crossed for quite a long time when we learned of the declaration in the widely circulated Soviet Newspaper Trud. It said, “The world belongs to us. The doomed world of capitalism will be unable to defend itself, even with nuclear weapons, from the immutable course of historic development.”

JFK Feared Wall Would Lead To War

Sources close to the President said that in thinking back on the communist move to seal off West Berlin from East German fugitives, Kennedy believed any attempt by the Western Allies to tear down the wall would have led to combat.

Critics of the Administration policy in the East-West struggle questioned the United States’ failure to act when the barrier went up in August. Kennedy responded to their criticism by pointing out that even West Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt made no such demand at the time.

The President was said to find some hope in what he called the “grand design” of the United States to attain a world of free nations. He believed the U. S. military buildup signified our determination to protect West Berlin against communist encroachment.

It was very clear there was no easy solution to the problem.

Castro Excommunicated

A high Vatican source said that Fidel Castro and certain officials of his regime had fallen under automatic excommunication from the Catholic Church.

Archbishop Dino Staffa, a leading expert on canon law, said the action was taken against the Cuban Leader and others for impeding and imprisoning Roman Catholic Bishops.

Bishop Eduardo Roza Masvidal and 135 priests had been expelled from Cuba three months earlier.

Such announcements were generally made by the Pope, but it was speculated that Pope John XXIII did not announce the excommunications in an effort to avoid further strain in relations between the Vatican and Cuba. .

Effects of excommunication, briefly, are loss of the sacraments of the church and, in a broad sense, ostracism from the church of any person so punished. Pardon for Castro and the other top Cuban chiefs could only be given by the Pope or his delegate.

School Aid Bill

The Kennedy administration was expected to introduce a new $120 million a year federal program to improve the quality of public school education.

The aim was to provide better trained teachers and the incentive to states to improve their instructional services.

The proposed new program would put together in one package a number of ideas that had already been suggested by Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, Abraham Ribicoff.

A general aid bill that called for $660 million for the first year for construction of classrooms and teacher salaries failed to get out of the House. It was stopped because of the controversy of whether federal aid should be extended to church and other private schools.

Secretary Ribicoff said the administration will once again try to pass a general aid bill with emphasis on the improvement of the quality of education in public schools, adding that they expected opposition to the effort.

Proud Grandpa

A very special ceremony took place in the small town of Pall Mall, Tennessee.

Eighteen year old Mary Elizabeth York was inducted into the Women’s Air Force.

What made the event special was the fact that it was conducted at the bedside of a Tennessee mountain man who had won the Medal of Honor for his legendary exploits.

That man was her grandfather, Sgt. Alvin C. York, “the fightingest man of World War I”.

74 year old York, who was partially paralyzed as the result of a stroke, had asked to witness the induction ceremony,

Miss York gave up plans to attend college to join the service.

As she left for basic training in San Antonio, Texas, Miss York told reporters “I hope I can make grandpa as proud of me as I am of him”

Stage of Desperation

“The stage of desperation”. That is how Montana Highway Patrol Supervisor Alex B. Stephenson described Montana’s great need for a speed limit.

The patrol chief pointed out that 274 people lost their lives on the state’s highways in 1961making it the worst single year for road fatalities in the state’s history. Obviously concerned, he emphasized his desire for a daytime speed limit by saying, “We have reached the stage of desperation. Let’s slap down a daytime limit.”

Stephenson said it was evident that there was a need for some means of control, and hoped the 1963 Legislature would see its way clear to enact a daytime limit. He pointed out that when the Montana Legislature embraced the National Uniform Vehicle Code, it deleted one line which set a 60 mile per hour daytime limit. Since that time, the Montana daytime limit was “reasonable and prudent”.

He said returning that one line to state law would give the Highway Patrol the authority it needed to stem the highway fatality toll.

Stephenson said he favored a 65 mile per hour daytime limit, rather that one of 60 miles per hour, because of the lack of congestion on Montana roads and the great distances between population centers.

New Year-New Mayor

Robert E. Johnson officially became Mayor of Helena. Outgoing Mayor Wanna Thompson presented him with the gavel in a ceremony that was witnessed by Judge John C. Harrison, Vern Cougill, Dr. Amos R. Little and others.

Mrs. Thompson was presented a certificate of recognition and a gift. New City Commissioner Raymond F. Bozman was also welcomed.

. Mayor Johnson signed two proclamations, and then presided over a City Commission meeting with a heavy agenda.

In that meeting it was recommended that Gerald Crowley be hired to help City Attorney Michael Chilton defend the city in a sixth ward appeal to the State Supreme Court regarding a paving issue.

The Commission discussed operation of the skating rink, and requests for a second rink.

Other items on the Agenda included the hiring of a fireman, the building of a caretaker’s house at the sewage treatment plant, a street extension, and the enforcement of improper parking and meter violations.

If that first meeting was any indication, it looked like the New Year would be a busy one for the Helena City Commission.

High Winds Hit Helena

The quiet of an early Saturday morning was interrupted when winds with gusts up to 70 miles an hour wreaked havoc on the Capital City.

Steel girders that formed the framework of a warehoused under construction were bent and twisted.

At the Brewery Theatre, high winds ripped the roof off the girl’s dormitory.

Concrete blocks were peeled from the front of Columbia Paint, and scattered in front of the building, leaving just a thin shell of metal to protect the interior.

Large spruce trees were uprooted and strewn among the tombstones at Forestvale Cemetery.

The roof was stripped from a shed at Cloverleaf Dairy. It flew through the air, smashing the top of a car and damaged a tractor.

One trailer home was overturned near the Sky High Drive-In. The family escaped without injury.

Windows were broken, and roofs were damaged all around town.

Speeding lumber and tumbling garbage cans were familiar sights along the streets, and traffic signs took a beating.

The high winds were brought in by a Pacific front, and an accompanying low pressure system that moved eastward through the state.

Also in the News………

Trouble with a booster rocket delayed the much anticipated around the world orbital flight of astronaut John Glenn.

Full bus service was restored to New York City following the settlement of a strike of 6,800 drivers and maintenance workers that had stalled the two largest bus lines on New Year’s Day.

It was a tragic beginning to the New Year in Roundup, Montana.

Three elderly persons perished when the nursing home they were living in caught fire. Of the three, two died of asphyxiation. The third died of a broken neck he received in a 15 foot jump from a second story window.

There were 12 patients in the three story frame building. Of the nine survivors, six were hospitalized.

Electrical trouble was believed to be the cause of the blaze. The State Fire Marshal would conduct an official investigation.

Saint Peter’s Hospital invited the public to inspect the various departments of their new laboratory. Featuring the latest scientific equipment, the lab had already been credited with saving many lives since its installation. The lab was located in Child Hall, opposite the hospital. Saint Peter’s Hospital was at the time located at 11^th and Logan.

It paid to save at the beginning of 1962. Prudential Diversified Services was paying 6% interest on savings accounts.

Former Helena High football star Bob McCullough was signed to play for the Denver Broncos of the AFL. The 214 pound guard was an all-state selection when he played for the Crimson Bengals.

Houston Oiler linebacker Wahoo McDaniel was traded to the Denver Broncos. After his first workout in the mile high city he gasped, “Somebody must have borrowed the air and forgot to return it.”

Here at the Station………

Chick’s attempt to recover quietly from a rousing New Year’s Eve celebration was spoiled when he was called aboard a destroyer to treat an unruly enlisted man on “Hennesey”.

On “The Andy Griffith Show”, good hearted Barney Fife volunteered to help find a bride for a Mayberry farmer. The farmer promptly fell for Barney’s girlfriend.

Tom Lopaka investigated a reporter’s hunch that peace mission scientists were actually spies seeking to steal Navy missile secrets on “Hawaiian Eye”.

Bob Carson posed as a cheese man from Wisconsin in order to trap a pair of blackmailers on “The Bob Cummins Show”.

On “My Three Sons”, Chip decided to run away. His first stop was a gas station, where he asked for directions to India.

Dick Van Dyke was the guest on “I’ve Got A Secret”.

On “The Untouchables”, when Canadian liquor began pouring into Chicago, Eliot Ness headed for the northern border to investigate. He learned that a respected priest and small community church were unknowing allies of the underworld.

Gaspar Ortega, a top contender for the welterweight crown, took on Charley Scott in a ten round bout from Madison Square Garden on “Fight of the Week”.

On “Perry Mason”, a secretary who believed her boss was being blackmailed came to Perry with a suitcase full of money in “The Case of the Shapely Shadow”.

The desperate citizens of a small town plagued by outlaws got a cowardly pretender instead of the famed hero they hired to protect them on “Wagon Train”.

That's

At the first week in January 50 years ago.

For a fascinating look at Helena's past visit Kennon Baird's Website

Helena As She Was

This feature is intended to be an entertaining look at our world in years gone by. It is in no way intended to be biased, nor are comments intended to offend anyone. While we encourage viewer comment, we do reserve the right to condense, edit or omit them should we feel such action is necessary.