Old Missoula

Frank McHaffie – Copied first AP News in Missoula

In 1887

Frank M. McHaffie, real Old-Timer and as wholesome a soul as ever happened, was watching the “printer” machine in the Old Reliable [Missoulian] office as they ground out Associated Press matter at sixty words a minute, eighteen hours a day. “That makes me remember,” said Frank, “that I copied the first A. P. news The Missoulian ever received. It was a ‘pony’ report and came over the Western Union wires.” That was in 1887, when he was manager of the Western Union office here. He transcribed the report in long hand.

The above paragraph appeared in French Ferguson’s column of The Daily Missoulian on August 15, 1935.

 

An obituary/article for Frank M. McHaffie appeared in The Daily Missoulian on October 10, 1941:

Frank McHaffie Passes at Long Beach on Coast

Former Civic Leader Here, First Telegrapher In Yellowstone Park.

Frank M. McHaffie, pioneer telegrapher of Yellowstone park and Missoula, and widely-known Garden city business man and civic leader of 20 years ago, died at Long Beach, Cal., Thursday.

Funeral services will be conducted at the Little Church of the Flowers in Glendale at noon, Saturday.

Mr. McHaffie came to the United States, when a young man, from Brantford, Ontario, locating first at St. Paul. He was appointed the first telegrapher in Yellowstone national park and while there he installed the first telephone line. From the park he came to Missoula, installing the first telephone system and opening the first Western Union office here.

He established the McHaffie Brothers’ book and stationery company in the McHaffie building at the corner of Higgins avenue and Pine street, retiring from the business in 1910.

He was a trustee of the Elks and Knights of Pythias lodges for a number of years. He was registrar of the Federal land office in Missoula from 1914 to 1923, and was also a trustee of the high school board from 1914 to 1923, and while chairman of the board purchased and supervised the construction of the high school gymnasium. He was bill clerk of the Montana House of Representatives for one term about fifteen years ago.

Mr. McHaffie is survived by his wife; two sons, Stuart, attorney for the Los Angeles district of the American Legion, and Bruce, also in California; a daughter, Mrs. Lloyd Robinson, and a brother, David, of Brantford, Canada.

Stuart McHaffie graduated from the Montana law school, and is a member of Sigma Chi. Mrs. Robinson is also a graduate of the University and a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.

The above article appeared in The Daily Missoulian on October 10, 1941.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/349330245/

 

McHaffie Building

The McHaffie Building on Higgins Avenue in Missoula is the current location of The Oxford Bar. A stock photo of the building appears at the link below:

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-f-m-mchaffie-building-missoula-montana-usa-17620653.html