Peek at the Past

125 Years Ago

The Sundance Gazette

W.C. Hall Editor and Publisher

December 15, 1893

Instead of driving a golden or silver spike when the railroad reaches this city, we will drive a steel one, made from ore taken from Warren’s Peak. We have plenty of gold and silver of which to make the spike, but we also have an abundance of steel and iron.

Wm.Hobrough offers a reward of $25.00 for information which will lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who entered his cellar last Friday night and stole a pig and a peanut roaster.

The running race between Bowman’s mare and Jenkins’ horse did not take place on Black’s Flat Wednesday. The snow was too deep. It will be run at Beulah tomorrow. This race is attracting a great deal of attention, as both parties are confident their horse will win. A great deal of betting is being done.

75 Years Ago

December 16, 1943

Ethel Straight, 14-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Straight, was the object of a frenzied search in the Bear Lodge Thursday night. She was attending school in Sundance, grew homesick and finally decided to go home, leaving about 10 o’clock that morning. Her parents, who formerly lived here, are now located at the Shrum sawmill in the Alva vicinity, and she took the shortest way across – the 27-mile Bear Lodge road. Snow was heavy in the mountains and at 5:00 p.m. Mrs. Chet Mennell came in from that way and reported having passed Ethel. Mrs. Mennell said she tried to get her back but, although she was cold, the girl insisted on going on. From this side, searchers drove as far as possible, and then Ranger Cochran set out on snowshoes following her trail. He later reported almost blizzard conditions there – a strong wind and about two feet of crusted snow on the level with huge drifts many places. At times her trail wandered from the road and there were many spots where she had fallen down then struggled up to fall again in a few feet. Temperatures registered here that night showed a low of 10 degrees and were undoubtedly much lower in the Bear Lodge. She was found about 11:00 p.m. by her father about a mile and a half from the sawmill, still going but completely exhausted and numb so that she no longer felt the cold. Ethel is now in the hospital being treated. It is expected she will be able to leave the hospital in a few weeks if no complications set in.

50 Years Ago

December 12, 1968

Senior Lindsay Hooper and junior Ed Lee have been named Students of the Month at Sundance high school. Hooper, who had a straight A average for the second six weeks, recently became a member of the National Honor Society. Lee, another honor student, also belongs to the National Honor Society.

A new president and vice president were elected here Saturday during the meeting of the Crook County 4-H Council. Mrs. Lee Kummerfeld was elected president of the council for the coming year with Mrs. Gertrude Lytle named vice president.

25 Years Ago

December 16, 1993

Four Sundance High School students have been selected to participate in the Wyoming All-State Choir. The All-State concert will be held at the Heritage Center at the Camplex . The All-State choir, band and orchestra will perform at the concert which promises to be the most impressive high school concert that will be in this area for quite some time. Those selected were: Wes Duvall, son of Judy Carson and Dan Duvall; Ruth Heinzen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Don Heinzen; Jason Farver, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Farver; and Jason Lanning, son of Mark Lanning and Jeri Lynn Nygaard.