This weekly column, as regular readers know, is all about “the news” as reported by the quill drivers of the past – primarily the 1800s into the early 1900s.
Today, I’m going to break from that pattern to offer a story from my family’s past.
This winter I’ve been digitizing old family documents. I encourage everyone – if you haven’t already done it – to ask your parents and grandparents to share stories from their past because, as my father realized, the accuracy of those memories can diminish with time.
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In his words, “When we look back on our lives and try to remember all of those happenings which go to make up our history and our parents’ history we realize we did not listen too well. Whatever is fact, and what is remembered as fact, may be miles apart. But the years cannot be brought back to give us a second chance to correct our errors.”
Lee Harmon wearing his first suit ca 1931Lee Harmon wearing his first suit ca 1931
Today, I want to share my dad’s story about his dad. We’ll call it, “Mistaken identity leads to a lifelong friendship.”
Lee Harmon (my dad, born in 1916) penned a family history in the 1990s, recalling, “Early in 1919 Dr. Clay, who was the family doctor at Malta told (his) dad (John Harmon, born in 1888) that John had what was then called grain asthma and should move to a different climate.”
“In July 1919, John and another carpenter, Tom Mattox, came west to Eureka to look for work as the mill in Eureka was hiring people at the time. When they arrived there, a mill foreman told them that they had all the men they needed. However he said that the J. Neils Co. in Libby was looking for men, so John and his friend came on to Libby.”
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“Tom Mattox was hired as a carpenter, but they only needed one. John was asked if he would like to try sawing in the woods and he took the job.
John D. Harmon with sons, John & Lee ca1920John D. Harmon with sons, John & Lee ca1920
“By September he wrote to my mother and told her he was feeling much better and had built a logging camp shack, and asked her to sell the place in Malta and come to Libby. Mother was not able to sell the house at that time but found a renter, packed most of our belongings and brought me to Libby where I took root and never got dug up.”
“When we arrived here Mother had to get a room at the old Richards Hotel overnight, and dad came in from logging camp the next evening to get us, and take us to camp. It was a very primitive place to live.”
“The camp shacks were built on skids in those days so they could be loaded on railroad flat cars and taken to the next camp site, wherever that might be. Dad always tried to go to the new location and pick as nice a spot as he could for our home to be planted on. Mother was always afraid of fire, so dad had to clear off, as much as he could, the brush and weeds around the site so it was reasonably safe for us when we finally were moved to the new site.”
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Trainer Hill cabins (shacks, actually) ca1919Trainer Hill cabins (shacks, actually) ca1919
“How we ever got our family and a great-grandmother, grandmother, and my mother’s aunt all in the one room shack for a visit I’ll never know. After moving to three different camps, between the years 1919 and 1923, in the fall of 1924 we moved into the house on California Ave (in Libby) which the folks had built for them on lots which they had purchased from the John Roche family who lived across the street from them.”
“Frank Pival who was one of the local contractors at that time built the house for them. It was wonderful to have the bathroom in the house instead of out by the big pine tree – real progress!”
John & Pauline Harmon ca 1924John & Pauline Harmon ca 1924
“At the logging camp, a fellow named Gus Svedin had been sawing with another man and when the fellow quit, Gus needed a new partner. Dad went out with Gus and had a very unique experience – the “mistaken identity” incident referred to earlier.
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“Gus had heard that a ‘much discussed and disliked man’ was going to be his partner. He jerked the saw and banged Dad’s hands against the tree as they (cross-cut) sawed, and did a number of other things to make Dad mad.”
“At the end of the day Dad asked Gus just what he had done to make him act this way and he replied he didn’t want to work with the so & so, and named the other man. Dad explained that he was not that man. Gus said he was sorry, and from then on he and Dad got along very well.”
“Gus (as a single man) was living in the logging camp, which was not very exciting, so Mother and Dad began asking Gus to come to Sunday dinner with them.
He was very happy to eat a home-cooked meal on Sundays. Mother would make a batch of fudge and they would spend the afternoon playing whist.”
“In succeeding years, Gus sold some oil land he had purchased near Kevin, north of Shelby, and moved to the west coast near Bellingham. Gus bought a small dairy farm and eventually got married, and when his first son was born he named him ‘John’ after Dad.”
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“Many years later Dad and Mother went to Bellingham to visit relatives, who took the folks to see Gus and his family who lived near them. It was one of the best reunions Dad ever had. He talked about it for a long time afterward.”
Hopefully this yarn will encourage you to take the time, now, to ask your parents and grandparents to share stories from their past. Don’t live to regret not having done it!
Jim Harmon is a longtime Missoula news broadcaster, now retired, who writes a weekly history column for Missoula Current. You can contact Jim at fuzzyfossil187@gmail.com. His best-selling book, “The Sneakin’est Man That Ever Was,” a collection of 46 vignettes of Western Montana history, is available at harmonshistories.com.
California has launched a huge crackdown on criminals buying and registering supercars outside of the state to avoid eye-popping sales tax.
Fourteen people have been charged after $20 million worth of vehicles were sourced to the Big Sky State in what authorities are calling the “Montana Loophole.”
California has launched a huge crackdown on criminals buying and registering supercars outside of the state to avoid eye-popping sales tax. Office of the Attorney General of California
The cars include a $1.8 million McLaren Elva, a Porsche 918 Spyder and a $1.26 million Ferrari F12TDF, the attorney general’s office said.
In the Golden State base rate sales tax is 7.25%. For a Lamborghini or Ferrari that can reach up to $250,000 or higher, that can mean a tax bill over $18,000. In Montana it is zero.
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The gang, from Alameda, Marin, Santa Clara and Sacramento, allegedly dodged more than $1.8 million in taxes since 2018.
They are accused of filing false records showing the supercars were bought in Montana but then drove and kept them in California.
Fourteen people have been charged after $20 million worth of vehicles were sourced to the Big Sky State in what authorities are calling the “Montana Loophole.” Office of the Attorney General of California
The DMV has launched nearly 100 criminal investigations into similar schemes across California since 2023 and recovered $2.3 million. It says the schemes are costing over $10 million per year.
It says there are 601 fraudulently registered cars involved and the DMV and California Department of Tax and Fee Administration have reviewing all car sales made in Montana.
California AG Rob Bonta said: “When bad actors abuse legal loopholes and submit fraudulent documents to evade their obligations, the California Department of Justice will not stand idly by.
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“Every dollar of unpaid taxes is a dollar taken from California’s roads, schools and the vital services our communities rely on.”
The DMV has launched nearly 100 criminal investigations into similar schemes across California since 2023 and recovered $2.3 million. It says the schemes are costing over $10 million per year. Office of the Attorney General of California
The AG’s office said Beverly Hills was the city with the most suspicious car sales, with 416 cases on its radar from the luxury enclave.
It also released a series of text messages from defendants in Marin County and Walnut Creek, which said: “Don’t want the state of California to know anything about this car.”
Another asked: “Before you deliver it to him can you please remove the dealer plate.” One more asked if those with Montana plates had issues, the reply was: “Not yet.”
Another defendant added: “70k saved — I can’t believe the registration lasts for five years — that’s crazy. Stupid California. Paid 3k to own a 600k car for 5 years — lol in Cali that’s like 75k for 5 years. Hella dumb.”
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California DMV Director Steve Gordon said: “We encourage all Californians to do the right thing and register their vehicle here if they are operating it in California.”
The No. 2 seed Montana State Bobcats (23-6) will square off against the No. 8 seed Montana Lady Griz (9-21) in the Big Sky tournament Sunday at Idaho Central Arena, tipping off at 4:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch Montana Lady Griz vs. Montana State Bobcats
Stats to know
Montana State averages 74.8 points per game (42nd in college basketball) while allowing 60.9 per contest (101st in college basketball). It has a +403 scoring differential overall and outscores opponents by 13.9 points per game.
Montana State makes 7.5 three-pointers per game (61st in college basketball) at a 29.4% rate (244th in college basketball), compared to the 6.7 its opponents make while shooting 32.9% from deep.
Montana has a -270 scoring differential, falling short by 9.0 points per game. It is putting up 62.2 points per game, 252nd in college basketball, and is allowing 71.2 per outing to rank 310th in college basketball.
Montana hits 2.2 more threes per game than the opposition, 9.2 (12th in college basketball) compared to its opponents’ 7.0.
This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
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Photo: Patrick Smith, Andy Lyons, Steph Chambers, Jamie Squire / Getty Images
BOISE, Idaho — It became clear at about 1 p.m. Saturday that Avery Waddington, Montana’s second leading scorer and top rebounder — would not play in the first round of the Big Sky Conference tournament at Idaho Central Arena.
Waddington was battling the onset of an illness since earlier in the morning that neither rest nor fluids could quell. Another starter — Jocelyn Land — wasn’t feeling her best, either, nor were two Lady Griz assistant coaches.
WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS:
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Depleted Montana edges NAU, sets up 2nd-round rematch with Montana State at Big Sky tourney
Some kind of bug had infiltrated the Montana women’s basketball team. But coach Nate Harris and the remaining Lady Griz weren’t about to bug out of the postseason, and went on to claim a 61-60 victory over Northern Arizona to keep their season intact.
No. 8-seeded Montana (9-21) advanced to secure a matchup with No. 2 seed and rival Montana State (23-6) in a Big Sky second-round game on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
“We just made it about, how hard can you play?” said Harris, who pumped his fist and celebrated with his team after NAU’s final shot rimmed off at the buzzer. “Everyone in here can defend their tail off, so let’s just get out there and guard, guard, guard and see if we can have one more point than the other team.”
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Harris’ words proved to be prophetic. Montana won by surviving a last-second shot by Northern Arizona’s Naomi White, an attempt she had to work hard to create after taking an inbound pass with less than three seconds left.
With the way they bowed out of last year’s Big Sky tournament — on a last-second shot by Montana State’s Marah Dykstra in the championship game — the Lady Griz were grateful to be on the other end of the drama.
“There have been situations where that memory has kind of come up (this season) and made me really nervous, and definitely today was one of them,” UM’s Mack Konig said. “However, you learn from your mistakes, and I think our team was prepared to play until the very end, so that was great.”
Greg Rachac / MTN Sports
Montana’s Joclyn Land drives during a game against Northern Arizona at the Big Sky Conference women’s basketball tournament at Idaho Central Arena on Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Boise, Idaho.
After gutting it out in the first half, Montana’s Land left the game in the second half due to her malaise. But Konig scored a team-high 17 points and Rae Ehrman added 16 to pace the Lady Griz. Kennedy Gillette contributed 15 points and nine rebounds.
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NAU’s White led all scorers with 24 points while hitting 10 of 10 from the foul line.
As Harris stated, defense did the trick for the Lady Griz. With that as a focus, and with players defending out of position, notably Gillette, Konig and Macy Donarski in the post, Montana held the Lumberjacks to 31.7% shooting and a 5-for-20 showing from 3-point range. White, one of the league’s best players, shot 6-for-22 from the floor.
The Lady Griz are moving on to a rematch with Montana State in the second round. The Bobcats won both regular-season matchups by an average of 27.5 points. Throw in the memory of last year’s title-game chaos, and it’s a matchup Montana is looking forward to.
“It just makes us really excited for (Sunday),” Gillette said. “Chloe (Larsen) said in the locker room that it’s hard to beat a team three times, so that kind of gives us some juice. We know what we need to do and what to focus on.”
“It’s not a hard answer, right?” Harris said. “You have to take care of the rock, you have to rebound and you have to match, if not exceed, their level of toughness. I think today was a great lesson moving into that game.”
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Big Sky women’s tournament scoreboard
Saturday, March 7
Game 1: No. 9 Weber State 76, No. 10 Portland State 53
