Emma and Charles Harnois circa 1890 (above) and circa 1930 (below)
“Uncle Charlie” Harnois was a well-known and beloved figure in and around Missoula as the 19th century turned into the 20th. At that time, he’d already established a long and colorful history in Montana.
In 1875, Missouri resident Charles Albert Harnois (b. October 31, 1856) joined the great westward migration by getting a job as cabin boy on the Josephine, a steamboat that traveled the Missouri River from Yankton, South Dakota to Fort Benton, Montana (the main pre-railroad route from the east to the Montana gold fields). During this period he married wife Emma and the 1880 census show the couple and their two boys claiming residence in North Dakota.
Charlie moved the family to Montana shortly after the 1880 census was taken, first to the gold camp Maiden where he ran a very successful restaurant, and later to Helena, where a third son was added to the family. When the Northern Pacific railroad arrived in 1883, he got a job as an on-board news agent. He moved the family to Missoula in 1888 when the Bitterroot Branch of the line was nearing completion.
A small slight man, who had to buy his clothing in the boy’s department of the Missoula Mercantile, Charlie started a local business hawking newspapers and posting advertising bills. Seen whipping around town on a horse-drawn, paper-laden logging sled, Uncle Charlie was instantly recognizable on the streets of Missoula. He was so popular and successful, he soon expanded his advertising endeavors to Helena, Butte and Anaconda.
The Harnois home (circa 1930)
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In 1889 the Harnois family bought land in the newly platted Knowles subdivision and, by 1890, they’d built one of the first houses located on the south side of the Missoula River. (Owing to Charlie’s later success in the theater business, the small one and a half story folk Victorian with a stable in back was substantially enlarged around 1907 by adding an east wing, octagonal tower and front veranda. The home still stands at 519 South 3rd Street West.)
Throughout the 1890s, Charlie traveled the western part of the state doing his advertising gig, which seems to have eventually landed him jobs in the theater business in Helena and Butte. Indeed, the family must have moved to Butte for a time, for the census of 1900 show them living there.
Perhaps tired of his peripatetic lifestyle, Charlie finally settled his family down in Missoula just after the turn of the century, taking over management of the Bennett theater. Later he invested in and managed the Union theater. Flat broke after the latter burned, local friends and investors in 1909 built him his own grand new playhouse, the Harnois Theater, named for their beloved Uncle Charlie. All three sons also worked at the Harnois in various capacities.
Charlie ran the Harnois until 1914 when, perhaps seeing the handwriting on the wall for light opera and vaudeville acts as feature length movies made their debut, he sold the theater and moved his whole family to the warm climes of Santa Ana, California. For many years, he owned and operated a book and curio store there, but remained ever nostalgic for Missoula and his days on the Montana frontier. Uncle Charlie passed away in 1941.
Missoulian June 5, 1941
Charles Harnois, known as “Uncle Charlie” in Missoula, was a small man. In fact, his youngest son, my g-grandfather, shopped in the boys’ sections in department stores! His father was a French Canadian fur-trapper and blacksmith and his mother was from Ohio. He was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, and spent time as a cabin boy on the “Josephine” which travelled to along the Missouri River to the Montana goldfields, owned a restaurant for two years in Maiden, and was a news agent for the Northern Pacific Railroad for the route from Bismarck to Spokane. He was eventually given a contract to handle the train news service and eventually settled in Missoula. On the side, he handled the circulation of The Missoulian and The Gazette as well as publicity for the Ming Opera House in Helena.
Charles was Catholic but his wife Emily Harnois (nee’ Marshall) was not. After their third son was born (Jun 30, 1888 in Helena, MT, d. Nov 5, 1972 in Santa Ana, CA), Charles took him to be baptized while Emma was still in bed. On the way, he stopped in at a local pub. Although they had agreed on another name for him, the men in the pub convinced him that his son needed a good Catholic name after a pope. Charles picked Pope Leo and had him named Leo Marshall at the baptism without his wife’s knowledge. Needless to say she was ticked. I wonder if the name Marshall was an attempt to mollify her…
From
A History of Montana – Part 2 (1913)
by Helen Fitzgerald Sanders
Charles A. Harnois. The name of Mr. Charles
A. Harnois brings to the mind, by the association of
ideas, the thought of theatre, because he is the owner
and proprietor of a splendid, modern theatre that is
the equal in every way of the city houses of amuse-
ment. It is not only Mr. Harnois’ pride but the pride
of Missoula as well because it is so up-to-date and weii-
equipped that all first class theatrical attractions stop
at this city because of the good theatre.
Mr. Harnois was born in St. Joseph, Missouri,
October 31, 1856. He lived there until he was about
nineteen years of age and then he started for the West.
His first stop was made at Yankton, South Dakota,
where he engaged as a cabin boy on the river steamer
“Josephine” plying between Yankton and Fort
Benton. Montana. He continued in this capacity for
about three years and then he quit and settled in
Montana where he has lived ever since. (1880).
He first settled in Maiden, Montana, where he con-
ducted a restaurant for a short time when he was
offered a good price for his business. So he sold out
and moved to Helena. Montana. He remained here
for three years, following various occupations.
Then he accepted a position on the railroad as
news agent, running between Bismarck and Spokane.
When the Bitter Root branch of the Northern Pacific
Railroad started (1887), he arranged with the railroad com-
pany to run the news business for himself. He con-
tinued this arrangement for two years. While he had
this business of his own, he also took change of the cir-
culation department of two opposition newspapers,
the Daily Missoulian and the Daily Gazette. In spite
of the fact that these two newspapers were inimical
to each other, he managed them both with absolute
impartiality, being honest and fair in his dealings with
them.
He continued this work for nearly four years and
then he went back to Helena, and it was here that
he conceived his first leaning toward the theatre and
made the entering wedge, so to speak, into the pro-
fession. He bought the business of the Bill Posting
and Outdoor Advertising for Helena of the Mings
Opera House.
He carried on this business with success for a num-
ber of years, and then he went down to Butte and
bought the Butte Bill Posting business and, a little
later, the Anaconda business.
He finally sold out entirely, and returned to Mis-
soula where he first leased the Bennett theatre and
later, the “family theatre.” He managed the latter
until it was destroyed by fire. This caused him to
meet with a very serious reverse as he lost a great
deal of money when the theatre burned.
In spite of this blow, he was not disheartened en-
tirely because he had confidence in himself and in
his ability to win out. He had great faith in the
future of Missoula so he simply went ahead and
planned to build a new playhouse in place of the one
destroyed.
Mr. Harnois has always dealt honorably and justly
with his fellow men, firmly living up to Alexander
Pope’s declaration that “an honest man’s the noblest
work of God.” And because the people knew that he
was a man of honor, they trusted him and therefore
he had no difficulty in raising the necessary funds to
rebuild his theatre. A few friends came to his rescue
to the extent of forty thousand dollars and so he was
enabled to build the present Harnois Theatre.
This theatre is a model of beauty and utility, abso-
lutely modern in every respect and equal to any of
the city playhouses. It is an institution that Missoula
is very proud of, and it will stand as an everlasting
monument to the ability and judgment of its founder.
On the opening night of the theatre, the happy cit-
izens of Missoula showed their appreciation of Mr.
Harnois’ efforts by giving him a ten thousand dollar
house. That is to say he sold that number of tickets
for the initial performance.
Mr. Harnois earned his first money as a boy when
he was only about ten years of age. He got a job
working on the fair grounds and his salary was to
have been three dollars a week but unfortunately, he
never received it because his boss skipped before he
paid him. After this episode, he followed various
occupations until he began his steamboat experience.
His early education was obtained in the public
schools in Missouri. Then he took a course at Chris-
tian Brothers’ College at St. Joseph.
His religion leans toward the Roman Catholic church.
He is a Republican and takes a very active interest in
politics. He is now public administrator of Missoula.
Mr. Harnois belongs to several societies. He is a
member of the Elks and has been an active worker
in this organization. When the Elks moved into
their new hall, they presented Mr. Harnois with a
life membership certificate as a token of their esteem
and love.
He is a member of the Ancient Order of the
United Workmen, and has been through all the chairs
in this organization. He is also a member of the
Yeomen and Woodmen of the World.
Like most western men, he is fond of riding. He
has a hobby for fine birds and chickens and raises a
great many.
He is a lover of music and other arts but his very
greatest pleasure and the thing that gives him the
most happiness in life is to see other people enjoying
themselves. If he can sit in his private office while
a performance is going on and can hear the audience
applaud in satisfaction, then his happiness reaches its
clima.x and he is perfectly contented.
Mr. Harnois entered the blessed bonds of matri-
mony before he attained his majority, in fact when
he was only nineteen years of age. In September
1876, at St. Joseph, Missouri, he married Miss Emma
Marshall, the daughter of Thomas and Ella Marshall
of Marysville, Kansas. Three children, all boys, came
to bless this union. They are: Charles Oliver, married
and resides in Missoula; John Thomas, single, and
lives at home ; Leo Marshall, married and resides in
Missoula.
All the sons are associated with their father in the
theatrical business; one is the treasurer, one is the
stage manager, and the third is the electrician.
In regard to Mr. Harnois’ parents, his father, Peter
Harnois. was born in Canada. He came to these
United States and settled in Missouri, and followed
the occupations of farming and occasional outside
lines. He died at the age of eighty years in 1894,
and is buried at St. Joseph, Missouri. He married
Miss Sarah Holcomb who died at the age of seventy-
five years and is buried beside her husband. There
were eight children in the elder Harnois family, Mr.
Charles A. Harnois being the seventh.
In spite of his high standing in the community and
his popularity, Mr. Harnois is very modest and un-
assuming. He has a pleasing personality, always
cheerful and sunny and looking on the bright side of
life. He never looks for trouble and consequently,
never has any with anybody. Even in the early
days of Montana’s history, when tough characters
were numerous and he had occasion to mingle with
them, he never “carried a gun.” in fact, never even _
owned one. He was never molested in any way. At ‘
one time, he traveled overland with his little family
from Bismarck to Helena and the Indians and road
agents were numerous and troublesome. However,
nothing occurred to put them in danger and thev
landed in Helena safely with flying colors.
Mr. Harnois holds a deep affection in his heart for
his home state, and says he would not give up Mon-
tana for any other place in the world. He likes the
mountains and the people and considers it the coming
country. He thinks, too, that the opportunities it
affords are even better today than when he first came.