Woodville, Elk Park, Jefferson Co., Montana Territory
Woodville, Jefferson Co., Montana Territory was laid out in March 1882 within a high-altitude valley surrounded by timbered mountains and known as Elk Park. Woodville, about 6 miles northeast of Butte, Silver Bow Co., Montana Territory by the roads of the era, was located a short distance north of Elk Park Pass. The settlement was a rather short-lived boom town based on supporting the timber industry although some mining also occurred in the area. Woodville had a Justice of the Peace, Road Commissioner, and Postmaster before the end of June 1882, at which time the village was described as "thriving." Two thousand men were reported to be working in the lumber business in the Elk Park area as well. By August, the population of Woodville was 120 residents with about another 100 people in and out of town each day. A count in November 1882 showed four saloons, four blacksmith shops, three boarding houses, a school house, a post office, a barber shop, meat markets, a hay market, and even plans for a church. Log construction was the norm for new buildings.
In 1884, Woodville business was characterized as "quiet," with the exception of the wood haulers' teams that lined the streets all day long. A visitor described the village as "very dull" with poor roads in 1885; however, the count of saloons had increased to five by this time. A year later, Woodville was said to be experiencing a mining boom with "about 70 buildings and 250 inhabitants." Engineering and tunneling work for the Montana Central Railroad occurred in 1887, with the route passing through Woodville. The town itself, however, was no longer booming. With completion of tunnels and track in 1888, the Montana Central featured a special excursion train running from Boulder, Jefferson Co. to Butte, Silver Bow Co. and return in early August. Woodville gradually passed from existence in the decades that followed, except as an historical name on maps.
Chance may have retained a connection to Highland Park while at Woodville because he rendered first aid to a teamster named Riggs who had been thrown from his wagon by a runaway team in Highland Park ca. 1 June 1882. Chance sewed up a three-cornered gash to the bone above Riggs' temple. Later in the summer, Chance was Chairman pro tem of the Democratic Primary meeting at the Summit House, in or near Woodville, on 12 August 1882 where he was elected as a Delegate, among others, to the Democratic County Convention to be held at Boulder City, Jefferson Co., Montana Territory near the end of August. Several months later, Chance, while living in Woodville, opened a wood business based at the corner of Main and Park streets in Butte on 18 November 1882, which also was the location of the Washington Brewery. Orders for wood could be left with Herman Horst, the brewery proprietor, or with Chance himself. The implication is that Chance was acting as a middleman or wood hauler and would deliver the wood requested by order. Woodville by this time was a staging area for large quantities of logs brought down from the surrounding mountains, with the primary market being in Butte and vicinity. This business may not have been a success because no more is heard of it after 1882.
Chance's interest in schools and politics combined in April 1884 with his election as Clerk of the Board for the Woodville School. In September 1884, he served as Chairman of the Woodville Democratic Party meeting to choose Delegates to the Democratic County Convention and was himself chosen as an Alternate. The referenced County Convention occurred on 18 September 1884 at Boulder, Jefferson Co., Montana Territory. Chance was unanimously elected Secretary of the Convention and subsequently appointed as an Alternate Delegate to the Democratic Territorial Convention at Deer Lodge, then Deer Lodge Co., Montana Territory. Here he served as Assistant Secretary and was seated as an Alternate Delegate on 25 September 1884.
Chance Harris became a Notary Public in Jefferson County following appointment by the Legislative Council at Helena, Lewis and Clark Co., Montana Territory on 19 January 1885. Whether he maintained his residency in Woodville after this point is not clear because in February Chance served on the jury for a Coroner's Inquest in Butte. The following month, Chance was portrayed, perhaps facetiously, as an Alderman when he participated and voted in a Butte Common Council meeting. The Butte Miner received new editorial management out of Denver, Colorado during April 1885 and severed its relationship with Chance as Correspondent. The newspaper felt compelled to publish a notice in June that claimed Chance was traveling the Territory representing himself as an Agent and Correspondent for the Butte Miner, with the paper disavowing any connection with Harris.
That Chance was traveling the Territory is without doubt for in July 1885 he was reported in the company of a band of Indians, mixed-race individuals, and whites, including Yellowstone Jack, who had sold furs at Boulder before departing for what is now the Flathead Reservation. Yellowstone Jack was the notable individual whose name actually was Collins John H. Baronett. He had crossed the Yellowstone Plateau in 1864, was a member of the Yellowstone Expedition of 1866, and had scouted for General Custer in the Black Hills.
On 15 September 1885, Chance was Foreman of a Coroner's Jury in Seigenheller's wood camp at Jones' Gulch over a death caused by heart disease superinduced by alcoholism. Coroner Whitford of Butte held the inquest although the location was 2.5-miles east of the Elk Park Stage Station, closer to Woodville than Butte, implying that Chance still was based in Woodville and had not removed to Butte. Special Correspondence from Woodville by one "Gilhooley," whose prose seemed quite similar to that of Chance Harris, appeared in the Butte Miner in March 1886. Chance was reported among the owners of the Climax, Fide, Orient, and High Boots lodes near Woodville.
In early March 1887, Chance was noted coming into Butte from Woodville with a description of the snow depths and condition of the winter (snow) roads. Later that month, he was back in Woodville where he was Secretary of a meeting to discuss recording a Mining District for the Woodville area. Action on this issue was deferred pending action on defining the border between Jefferson and Silver Bow counties. April 1887 saw Chance re-established as Correspondent to the Butte Miner from Woodville. He also reported from Melrose, Silver Bow Co., Montana Territory and adjacent Beaverhead County in a subsequent column.
Chance played a little practical joke on W. E. Call during late July 1890. It seems Chance convinced Mr. Call that a horse, apparently tied along the street or in similar circumstances, in fact belonged to Chance, and he gave Mr. Call permission to ride the horse. Unfortunately, Mr. Call was promptly arrested as a horse thief because the horse belonged to someone other than Chance Harris. Mr. Call pleaded that Chance had told him the horse was Chance's and urged him to ride it. This prompted the gendarmes to round up Chance, give him lodging in the lockup overnight, and present him in sober condition to be a witness in the continued proceedings against Mr. Call. Chance said it was all a joke and stated that he didn't think anyone could believe that he had the means to own a horse. The judge promptly dismissed the charges against Mr. Call, and Chance went on his way.
Chance appeared in Police Court on 6 August 1891 where he was fined $1 plus costs for being drunk and asleep on the street. His downward spiral continued until at least 12 April 1892 when he was found in the yard of the Montana Central Railroad, where he narrowly avoided being run over by a switch engine, and was taken to the jail. Chance appeared to still have friends who wanted to look out for him, based on past associations in earlier days. A newspaper item describing the incident stated that an attempt was being made to raise funds to send Chance for alcoholism treatment. This in fact occurred during late 1892 or early 1893 when Chance was successfully treated with the "gold cure" at the Keeley Institute using quasi-medical methods.
One final incident involving the Police Court occurred ca. 16 September 1892 when William Benham was charged with disturbance and Chance Harris with interfering with an officer. Both charges were dismissed. It is not clear if Chance had yet taken his alcoholism cure. Some sources state that Chance was re-baptized, perhaps figuratively, in 1893 and never took another drink. All sources agree that Chance maintained sobriety for the rest of his life and earned the respect of the Butte community for doing so.
In 1884, Woodville business was characterized as "quiet," with the exception of the wood haulers' teams that lined the streets all day long. A visitor described the village as "very dull" with poor roads in 1885; however, the count of saloons had increased to five by this time. A year later, Woodville was said to be experiencing a mining boom with "about 70 buildings and 250 inhabitants." Engineering and tunneling work for the Montana Central Railroad occurred in 1887, with the route passing through Woodville. The town itself, however, was no longer booming. With completion of tunnels and track in 1888, the Montana Central featured a special excursion train running from Boulder, Jefferson Co. to Butte, Silver Bow Co. and return in early August. Woodville gradually passed from existence in the decades that followed, except as an historical name on maps.
Chance Harris in Woodville
We left Chance Harris emerging from one of the greatest blunders of his life as he was released from the jail at Butte, Silver Bow Co., Montana Territory on 11 April 1882 after leading a mob of woodchoppers of European origin against Chinese woodchoppers at Highland Park in late 1881. When Chance actually took up residence in Woodville is not certain, but by the middle of June 1882 he had sent a column datelined Woodville and signed "Chance" to the Editor of the Butte Miner describing local events in Elk Park. It may well be that Chance desired a change of scenery or saw a chance for a new start in the new settlement. Chance corresponded not just with the Butte Miner but also with the Helena Weekly Herald of Lewis and Clark Co., Montana Territory and several other papers for at least the next 3 years. Whether or not he was compensated for his columns is not clear but seems likely. Chance was reported to have been employed by Sam Robertson as "West End" Correspondent for the Jefferson County Sentinal of Boulder, Montana Territory, furnishing a newsy column of Woodville for several years, including 1887, although the exact dates of this work are not known.Chance may have retained a connection to Highland Park while at Woodville because he rendered first aid to a teamster named Riggs who had been thrown from his wagon by a runaway team in Highland Park ca. 1 June 1882. Chance sewed up a three-cornered gash to the bone above Riggs' temple. Later in the summer, Chance was Chairman pro tem of the Democratic Primary meeting at the Summit House, in or near Woodville, on 12 August 1882 where he was elected as a Delegate, among others, to the Democratic County Convention to be held at Boulder City, Jefferson Co., Montana Territory near the end of August. Several months later, Chance, while living in Woodville, opened a wood business based at the corner of Main and Park streets in Butte on 18 November 1882, which also was the location of the Washington Brewery. Orders for wood could be left with Herman Horst, the brewery proprietor, or with Chance himself. The implication is that Chance was acting as a middleman or wood hauler and would deliver the wood requested by order. Woodville by this time was a staging area for large quantities of logs brought down from the surrounding mountains, with the primary market being in Butte and vicinity. This business may not have been a success because no more is heard of it after 1882.
Chance's interest in schools and politics combined in April 1884 with his election as Clerk of the Board for the Woodville School. In September 1884, he served as Chairman of the Woodville Democratic Party meeting to choose Delegates to the Democratic County Convention and was himself chosen as an Alternate. The referenced County Convention occurred on 18 September 1884 at Boulder, Jefferson Co., Montana Territory. Chance was unanimously elected Secretary of the Convention and subsequently appointed as an Alternate Delegate to the Democratic Territorial Convention at Deer Lodge, then Deer Lodge Co., Montana Territory. Here he served as Assistant Secretary and was seated as an Alternate Delegate on 25 September 1884.
Chance Harris became a Notary Public in Jefferson County following appointment by the Legislative Council at Helena, Lewis and Clark Co., Montana Territory on 19 January 1885. Whether he maintained his residency in Woodville after this point is not clear because in February Chance served on the jury for a Coroner's Inquest in Butte. The following month, Chance was portrayed, perhaps facetiously, as an Alderman when he participated and voted in a Butte Common Council meeting. The Butte Miner received new editorial management out of Denver, Colorado during April 1885 and severed its relationship with Chance as Correspondent. The newspaper felt compelled to publish a notice in June that claimed Chance was traveling the Territory representing himself as an Agent and Correspondent for the Butte Miner, with the paper disavowing any connection with Harris.
That Chance was traveling the Territory is without doubt for in July 1885 he was reported in the company of a band of Indians, mixed-race individuals, and whites, including Yellowstone Jack, who had sold furs at Boulder before departing for what is now the Flathead Reservation. Yellowstone Jack was the notable individual whose name actually was Collins John H. Baronett. He had crossed the Yellowstone Plateau in 1864, was a member of the Yellowstone Expedition of 1866, and had scouted for General Custer in the Black Hills.
On 15 September 1885, Chance was Foreman of a Coroner's Jury in Seigenheller's wood camp at Jones' Gulch over a death caused by heart disease superinduced by alcoholism. Coroner Whitford of Butte held the inquest although the location was 2.5-miles east of the Elk Park Stage Station, closer to Woodville than Butte, implying that Chance still was based in Woodville and had not removed to Butte. Special Correspondence from Woodville by one "Gilhooley," whose prose seemed quite similar to that of Chance Harris, appeared in the Butte Miner in March 1886. Chance was reported among the owners of the Climax, Fide, Orient, and High Boots lodes near Woodville.
In early March 1887, Chance was noted coming into Butte from Woodville with a description of the snow depths and condition of the winter (snow) roads. Later that month, he was back in Woodville where he was Secretary of a meeting to discuss recording a Mining District for the Woodville area. Action on this issue was deferred pending action on defining the border between Jefferson and Silver Bow counties. April 1887 saw Chance re-established as Correspondent to the Butte Miner from Woodville. He also reported from Melrose, Silver Bow Co., Montana Territory and adjacent Beaverhead County in a subsequent column.
Chance Harris Returns to Butte and Hits Rock Bottom
There is no evidence that Chance Harris resided in Woodville much beyond the spring of 1887. By August of that year, he was in Butte testifying as a witness against Moritz Meyer in Police Court. Chance found himself in the dock on 24 October 1887 when he plead "Not Guilty" to a charge of being a common drunkard and a nuisance in Police Court. This appears to be the period in Chance's life when he turned to heavy drinking, referenced in several of his obituaries. Not much is known of Chance's activities for the next few years. In January 1888, he was allowed $1.50 for serving as a witness in a court case. He was a witness during a Coroner's Inquest on 22 January 1889 over the death of Uriah Tracy, stating, as did the other witnesses, that Uriah had not been seen in Butte since Christmas week.Chance played a little practical joke on W. E. Call during late July 1890. It seems Chance convinced Mr. Call that a horse, apparently tied along the street or in similar circumstances, in fact belonged to Chance, and he gave Mr. Call permission to ride the horse. Unfortunately, Mr. Call was promptly arrested as a horse thief because the horse belonged to someone other than Chance Harris. Mr. Call pleaded that Chance had told him the horse was Chance's and urged him to ride it. This prompted the gendarmes to round up Chance, give him lodging in the lockup overnight, and present him in sober condition to be a witness in the continued proceedings against Mr. Call. Chance said it was all a joke and stated that he didn't think anyone could believe that he had the means to own a horse. The judge promptly dismissed the charges against Mr. Call, and Chance went on his way.
Chance appeared in Police Court on 6 August 1891 where he was fined $1 plus costs for being drunk and asleep on the street. His downward spiral continued until at least 12 April 1892 when he was found in the yard of the Montana Central Railroad, where he narrowly avoided being run over by a switch engine, and was taken to the jail. Chance appeared to still have friends who wanted to look out for him, based on past associations in earlier days. A newspaper item describing the incident stated that an attempt was being made to raise funds to send Chance for alcoholism treatment. This in fact occurred during late 1892 or early 1893 when Chance was successfully treated with the "gold cure" at the Keeley Institute using quasi-medical methods.
One final incident involving the Police Court occurred ca. 16 September 1892 when William Benham was charged with disturbance and Chance Harris with interfering with an officer. Both charges were dismissed. It is not clear if Chance had yet taken his alcoholism cure. Some sources state that Chance was re-baptized, perhaps figuratively, in 1893 and never took another drink. All sources agree that Chance maintained sobriety for the rest of his life and earned the respect of the Butte community for doing so.
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