The Winterless Winter Parade
"The fact that Great Falls was warmer than Louisville, Ky., Kansas City, Mo., Chicago, New York and Boston is something we should wish to have the whole world know." - Mayor H.B. Mitchell, quoted March 31, 1926 in the Great Falls Tribune.
The Great Falls Advertising Club held a "Winterless Winter" parade on April 1, 1926. Great Falls had experienced "five full months with flawlessly balmy weather” and was ready to advertise this to the entire country.
“No records were broken during the winterless winter but the season wasn’t marred by any severe storms either. The winter was described by the weather service as the most evenly tempered in the bureau’s 34-year history here. There were 79 days with highs above freezing, 65 days with highs above 40 and 25 days with highs above 50 degrees. The highest high was 63 degrees on March 15; the lowest low was zero on Jan 10.” -Report on 1926’s “winterless winter” by the Great Falls Tribune for January 3, 1998.
Mayor H.B. Mitchell’s proclamation was printed in the Tribune March 31, 1926:
“Realizing the deplorable misunderstanding of Montana’s winter climate which has long prevailed in many parts of the United States which, in fact, are less fortunate climatically than the Treasure state. I urge all citizens of Great Falls to participate in the demonstration to be held at 1:30 on the afternoon of April 1, when Great Falls will celebrate the winterless winter of 1925-1926.
“Inasmuch as the parade, the local point of the festival is to be filmed by a motion picture company and given national publicity on the screen, it is important that we of Great Falls cooperate to the fullest extent. By doing this we shall not only advertise our city in a way perhaps not otherwise to be hoped for but will do our part to bring to the people of the United States accurate information concerning Montana winter conditions.
“The fact that our winter climate in Great Falls is normally armer than the Dakotas, all of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and much of Iowa, Michigan, New York and New England, should become more generally known, not only by the residents of Great Falls and Montana, but especially by the 11,000,000 people outside the borders of our state who live where average winter temperatures are as low or lower than ours. Likewise, we should see to inform the nation that last winter the mean temperature in Great Falls was higher than in Chicago, New York, Boston, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Des Moines, the Twin cities, Cincinnati, Kansas City and Louisville, Ky.”
Parade participants were asked to wear spring clothing to really sell the warm weather message:
“Wear last year’s straw hat—that goes for the men. The women should wear spring bonnets—we want them and the men as well to look like spring. By all means, get into the parade, as it is essential that the camera have something especially worth while to record.” -Vincent C. Kelly, chairman of the Advertising Club’s committee in charge of the event, quoted March 26, 1926.
Group of Firemen on a firetruck in the 1926 Winterless Winter Parade. The Cory Block Hotel sign and Grossman sign can be seen in the background. In addition to their uniforms, the firemen all wear straw hats, as the Great Falls Advertising Club instructed them to wear summer hats. The spectators in the background are dressed in fur coats, as the weather took a sudden cold turn the day of the parade. [2009.020.0056b]
William Steege, manager of the Liberty Theater, arranged for a camera operator from Pathe News to film the event. This would be a promotional film reel to be distributed to 9,000 theaters Pathe News served (as this event predated television broadcasts). The Winterless Winter Picture was shown at the Liberty Theater April 29 to May 1.
Great Falls Tribune, March 31, 1926:
“The mayor pointed out that, through Pathe News, the parade would carry the message of Montana’s mild winter to all parts of the country and to millions who live outside the borders of the state where the average winter temperatures are as low or lower than in Great Falls.
[…] Arthur Strain, chairman of the retail trade committee of the Commercial club, has asked that all stores of the city close from 1 until 2:30 p. m. so that all employees will have an opportunity to join in the parade which will celebrate the passing of Great Falls’ winterless winter. It was announced that the Strain Brothers and The Paris, two of the largest department stores in the city, have agreed to close while the parade and ceremonies are in progress.
The Pathe News camera man who is to film the event is expected to arrive in Great Falls today. Governor J. E. Erickson and Mayor H. B. Mitchell are in Billings today but will arrive at 1:20 p. m. Thursday in time to lead the parade.
The biggest group in the line of march will be the school children. A committee of school officials have volunteered their services to assist in preparing the children for the march. Civic clubs and other organizations will be represented and music will be furnished by the municipal band and the Eagle’s drum corps. The police department, fire department and other groups also will be in line.”
Not everything went according to plan. Mayor H. B. Mitchell and Governor Erickson were meant to lead at the head of the parade, but their travels were delayed from Helena. Instead, Pathe filmed Gov. Erickson accepting a straw hat at the conclusion of the parade, presented on behalf of Great Falls by Mayor Mitchell.
Even less predictable than trains, the weather had its own surprise for April Fool’s day.
On the day of the parade the high was 20 degrees and .04 inches of snow precipitated. Well aware of how unpredictable Great Falls weather could be, the Ad Club had anticipated for this. The plan, if the weather were to turn snowy, was for everyone to wear overcoats to observe the city’s only day of winter that year.
Parade walkers hold sings, umbrellas, and wear winter gear in the “Winterless Winter” parade down Central Avenue. The Newberry 5-10-15-25 Cent Store sign is in view at the top right of the image. [1998.048.0001]
Cartoon by Joe De Yong printed in the Great Falls Tribune Sunday, April 4, 1926. Text reads: The above is Joe De Yong’s interpretation of “Old Man Winter” playing his April Fool joke on Thursday’s “Winterless Winter” parade after having favored the city for five full months with flawlessly balmy weather. A close inspection of this Great Falls artist’s latest sketch will show he did not miss the bathing girls in the parade any more than any of the other 25,000 spectators. With the arrival of the first flakes of snow, the Advertising club, sponsor of the parade, checkmated the uninvited guest by celebrating “The First Day of Winter.” Mr. De Yong has in recent years earned wide recognition as an artist. He is a pupil of Charles M. Russell."
“Great Falls Bathing Beauties” ready on their float for the “Winterless Winter” parade, parked by the Cascade County Jail. A man fastens a sign to the side of the float, text partially obscured from a gust of wind. “…We’ll say its warm…its been this way…winter in Montana” [1985.026.0001]
Women in bathing suits in the “Winterless Winter” parade with their fur lined coats at hand. The Strain Bros. store is in the background. [1998.048.0004]
The parade was headed by Frank B. Brown, marshal-in-chief, in a white uniform. C.B. Power of Helena, son of Montana pioneer Senator T.C. Power, and Fred Fligman and Byron Yates, president of the Great Falls Ad Club, marched in the parade beside Power. Among the youth in the parade were the junior high school and their orchestra, the Franklin School, and the Boy Scouts and Campfire Girls. The Tribune reports that “Cree Indians who live across the river” marched in the parade as well.
“Nobody missed seeing the float with the bathing girls,” said the Tribune’s report, and listed the girls that participated:
Anna McGee, Pearl Hogan, Anne Nugent, Fannie Standish, Agnes Stevlingson, Fannie Standish, Ann Sharrer, Ann Sanderson, Helen McCundee, Grace Walters, June Johnston, Dorothy Rome, Vanda Canfield, Ardis Multner, Bernice Welhanse, Florence Sweiven, Lucille Roth, and Winifred Cudmore.
Listed as well were the Northern Creamery, the Sunburst Refinery, the Metropolitan Life Contingent, the National Laundry, Cascade County Trades and Labor assembly, the Idowell Creamery, three floats by the Electric City Conservatory, the Rotary Club, Lions Club, Kiwanis Club, and the Civitan Club.
Other parade participants were the Great Falls Fire Department, a police detail, the municipal band and the Eagles Club Drum Corps. Clowns on bicycles and a dog wearing a straw hat were there to entertain spectators.
The Advertising club wore their straw hats each adorned with a feather and “Ad Club” emblazoned sashes.
Members of the Eagle’s Club Drum Corps march down a wet Central Avenue wearing their summer hats. Some snow has accumulated on the sidewalk behind them. [1998.048.0002]
Following the parade at a banquet held in his honor, Gov. Erickson stated that this festival by Great Falls would “sell Montana to the east,” where the wealth in eastern united states would hopefully be inspired to develop resources in Montana.
Later at a celebratory luncheon, the Ad Club received a telegram from W.T. Lathrop of Helena, in charge of the weather bureau in Montana, which congratulated Great Falls for “its enterprise in seeking to advertise Montana’s climate and expressing the hope that normal spring weather would prevail.”
Despite the chilly weather, all parties reported the parade as a success, and Great Falls was thrilled to formally advocate for Montana’s misunderstood, pleasant climate.