Phillips County Museum News for November 4, 2020

Stories abound at the Phillips County Museum. The following is a true story. In 1907 Fred Heeck decided to go to Montana to stake a land claim. Journeying by train he arrived in Dodson Montana and rented a room in a small hotel. Knowing that information was always available at a local saloon Fred quickly found what looked to be a busy establishment. While having a drink of whiskey Fred met a man named Phil Doucette. In the next few days, Phil helped Fred stake a land claim and introduced him to his parents, who were farmers. The Doucette family took Fred into their home and helped him build a shack on his claim. During harvest, the family helped locate jobs for him on surrounding farms. Being frugal and not having a great number of expenses Fred found by Fall he had enough money saved to settle on his own farm. Fred had attained a childhood dream!

One wintery Saturday night found Fred and Phil socializing in a Dodson saloon when an elderly lady came in. She spoke apologetically for being in the saloon. (nice women did not frequent such places). In her right hand, she held a man's pocket watch. She said her husband had retired from his job with the railroad, became ill very soon after, and died, leaving her alone and destitute. The railroad company had given him the watch for his retirement and that was all. She ruefully added, "I can't eat this watch". She offered to sell the watch for enough money to buy a train ticket to live with relatives. Fred dug into his pants pocket and pulled out five dollars, which the lady quickly took and departed. Fred now owned a remarkable timepiece. One of the few possessions Fred took to Montana was a long lock of his deceased wife's blond hair. He located a lady in Dodson who made braided fobs, and with the sentiment, he attached the fob to the watch and wore it. Eventually, he lost the watch on the prairie.

"Seven" years later he was in a saloon in Dodson when a shepherd came and announced he had found a watch on the prairie and would return it to whoever described it accurately. Fred did and the watch returned. Fred took the watch to a jeweler who cleaned and oiled it. It was Fred's timepiece until he died in 1960.

To see this amazing watch stop in at the PC Museum Monday – Saturday 10-5.