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Newspaper The Enterprise (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926 Harlem enterprise / Malta enterprise

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About The Enterprise (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926

The nonpartisan Malta Enterprise began publication in May 1900 under the editorship of A.S. Godfrey; however, its origins date back to May 13, 1899 in Harlem, Montana, when Dudley Axtell edited the early issues of the Harlem Enterprise.  Axtell offered this advice to readers in the first issue:  “If you have trouble in the absence of a policeman, tell it to a printer.  It will do as much good.  If you have a new baby in the family, bring us a cigar and we will name it—if a girl after the president’s daughter. If a boy—after George Washington.”

From its earliest beginnings, the Enterprise promoted ranching, and homesteading.  The completion of the Great Northern Railroad in 1887 attracted to Montana thousands of would-be farmers from the Midwest seeking “free land” offered by the U.S. government to families willing to live on and cultivate it for five years.  The railroad platted towns along the Hi-Line (the northern rail line between St. Paul, Minnesota, and Tacoma, Washington), naming them for cities in Europe (Glasgow, Malta, and Havre), and also promoted dry land agriculture.  In March 1908, the paper’s editor, R.M. Reichel, announced the arrival of homesteaders from North Dakota with four carloads of animals. The Enterprise also promoted a pamphlet published by the Great Northern entitled, “Scientific Farming in Montana.”  In 1903, Congress authorized development of the Milk River Project to bring water from the St. Mary’s River east of the Continental Divide to Glasgow, Montana, via a series of dams and canals.  In 1911, irrigation water from the project first became available, great expanding agricultural opportunities in the area.  By 1915, the residents of Malta and Dodson petitioned to carve a new county, Phillips, out of Valley County, because of the huge influx of immigrants.  In 1910, Valley County reported 13,000 residents, and by 1920 the new Phillips County alone reported 9,300 people and Malta 1,865.

Under the editorial guidance of J.D.B. Greig, the earliest editions of the Malta Enterprise measured four pages and seven columns. By early 1900, the paper had grown to eight pages.  The Enterprise persisted until 1924 when Malta welcomed a new paper called the Phillips County News, a version of which persists today.

Provided By: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

About this Newspaper

Title

  • The Enterprise (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926

Other Title

  • Harlem enterprise
  • Malta enterprise

Names

  • Mock, J. H.

Dates of Publication

  • 1899-1926

Created / Published

  • Harlem, Mont. : J.D.B. Greig, 1899-1926.

Headings

  • -  Harlem (Mont.)--Newspapers
  • -  Malta (Mont.)--Newspapers
  • -  Montana--Harlem
  • -  Montana--Malta
  • -  United States--Montana--Phillips--Malta
  • -  United States--Montana--Blaine--Harlem

Genre

  • Newspapers

Notes

  • -  Weekly
  • -  Vol. 1, no. 1 (May 13, 1899)-v. 28, no. 51 (Mar. 25, 1926).
  • -  Place of publication varies: Harlem, May 13, 1899-May 2, 1900; Malta, May 8, 1900-Mar. 25, 1926.
  • -  "Nonpartisan," May 13, 1899-May 2, 1900; "Republican," May 8, 1900-Mar. 25, 1926.
  • -  Editor: J.H. Mock, Sept. 19-Nov. 21, 1912.
  • -  Absorbed: Malta call (non-extant) (Dec. 23, 1920).
  • -  Phillips County news (Malta, Mont. : 1924) (DLC)sn 86075002 (OCoLC)12996436
  • -  Phillips County news and the enterprise (DLC)sn 86075003 (OCoLC)12996453

Medium

  • 28 volumes : illustrations ; 56 cm

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Newspaper

Library of Congress Control Number

  • sn83025323

OCLC Number

  • 9389222

ISSN Number

  • 2332-7545

Succeeding Titles

Additional Metadata Formats

Availability

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress believes that the newspapers in Chronicling America are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions. Newspapers published in the United States more than 95 years ago are in the public domain in their entirety. Any newspapers in Chronicling America that were published less than 95 years ago are also believed to be in the public domain, but may contain some copyrighted third party materials. Researchers using newspapers published less than 95 years ago should be alert for modern content (for example, registered and renewed for copyright and published with notice) that may be copyrighted. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item.

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

The Enterprise Harlem, Mont. -1926. (Malta, MT), Jan. 1 1899. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn83025323/.

APA citation style:

(1899, January 1) The Enterprise Harlem, Mont. -1926. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sn83025323/.

MLA citation style:

The Enterprise Harlem, Mont. -1926. (Malta, MT) 1 Jan. 1899. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn83025323/.