Chamber History

The community of Havre can be said to have had a Chamber of Commerce philosophy even before its incorporation in 1893.  In November of 1909 the Havre Industrial Association amended its by-laws and formally reorganized in the new Havre Chamber of Commerce.  Quoting from an article describing the formation of the Chamber, “the reorganization provided for an organization that was at once compact, business like and designed to meet the special requirements of Havre and vicinity.”

The new Chamber rode the crest of business caused by the influx of homesteaders into the territory.  By 1924, the business climate changed.  Havre suffered with the closing of local businesses.  A few years later the Chamber was given a boost.  A plan of action for the community was laid out and projects developed.

An ambitious pictorial brochure advertising the location and merits of the “Metropolis of Northern Montana, population 7,500, at the Foot of the Bear Paws,” was published in 1930.  The Chamber played an active role in bringing groups like the Great Northern and Stockgrowers to Havre for meetings.

The Chamber issued script money at the height of the depression to be used to pay workmen to construct a building on the NMC campus from reclaimed brick at Fort Assinniboine .  The script was redeemable with downtown merchants.

The Chamber pushed the Fresno Dam, Tiber Dam and Bullhook Dam and Diversion canal projects.  They supported improvements to US 2 and the Wild Horse Trail to Canada .  The Chamber has initiated many civic projects in addition to ongoing areas of support to local businesses development, city beautification and improvement, Northern Montana College and roads.

Credit to Toni Hagener