Peek at the Past

100 Years Ago

Mar. 31, 1921

Glen Fitch came to Gillette recently bringing with him the hides of seven young wolves that he took out of a den near Middle Prong in the Wild Horse country.

The Sundance Commercial Club will receive 175 young box elder trees in time for planting on Arbor Day. The trees are for distribution to schools throughout the county.

Spring house cleaning is in order. John Koch is painting the interior of the Rochdale store, and Fred Mentzer is retouching the county clerk’s offices till they shine like new.

75 Years Ago

Mar. 28, 1946

Deadwood, S.D. – Geo. S. Sitts, Minneapolis will be sentenced March 30 for the slaying of a South Dakota peace officer. A circuit court jury found Sitts guilty of first degree murder and recommended the death penalty after two hours and two minutes’ deliberation. Sitts was charged with slaying Tom Matthews, special state agent. Matthews was with Sheriff Dave Malcolm of Butte County, who was also killed.

T.K. Glover and Gene Lyle, both formerly of Moorcroft, have opened in Sundance at the old Sundance Garage a blacksmith shop and will also do arc and acetylene welding. Glover formerly operated a shop in Moorcroft and Lyle has recently returned from the west coast where he was employed in the shipyards.

To make more space for additional lockers, when they can be gotten, workmen are busy this week making alterations and building a new chill room at the Crook County Frozen Food Locker plant. New tracks will be built to carry meat into the chill room and processing room and a new entrance will be made through the office.

50 Years Ago

Apr. 1, 1971

Formal opening of the Crook County Museum, located in the courthouse basement, will be held April 25, according to Mrs. Nora Reimer, Crook County Museum Board chairman. Mrs. Stan Hathaway, wife of the governor, will attend the opening and speak briefly. An expected 1000 articles will be displayed when the museum opens and Mrs. Reimer said the museum has approximately 1500 items available for display.

Tschetter and Co., local contractor, had construction well underway this week on the new basement for the Sundance Barber Shop building, which will be moved onto the side adjacent to the North Pole Locker building. The 16x44 ft. building will be moved by Harold Shipley, Gillette. Owner Cecil Crago said Tuesday that if the weather permits he will be back in business the first of next week.

25 Years Ago

Mar. 28, 1996

The Crook County Horseman’s Assn. would like everyone interested in the Fair rodeo to know that changes have been made this year. There will be a ranch rodeo on Saturday with the following events on the agenda: wild cow milking, team doctoring, calf branding, double hide race, wild cow race, trailer race and a chicken race will be held as an optional event. If time is available a jackpot team penning will also be held.