Peek at the Past

100 Years Ago

Oct. 21, 1920

What is declared to be the heaviest court docket in years will be presented with the opening of court November 1 in Newcastle. A change of venue in the case of the state vs. Frank Hickey, alleged slayer of Crook County, will place the trial in Newcastle. The case of the state vs. Walter Sims, on a charge of murder, is also booked but Sims, who recently broke jail, is still at large.

Twelve cans of brook trout were received by Mrs. E.H. Clarke, county clerk, last Thursday from the government hatchery at Bozeman, Mont. One can belonged to Mrs. Bertha Talbot and which will be placed in the pond at her ranch home. The others were three- and four-inch fish. The little fellows were suffering for a drink when they reached Sundance, and the county clerk made haste to save the lives of all within reach of help. Wm. Schloredt applied for a can to place in Medicine Lake, and the rest will go to various ponds and streams of Crook County.

75 Years Ago

Oct. 18, 1945

M.D. Cheshier, formerly of Belle Fourche, S.D. has leased the Chas. Ernst building in Sundance, formerly occupied by Joe’s Recreation Parlor and will open an electric and appliance store around November 1. The main floor of the building is now undergoing remodeling and when opened the new business will be known as The Sundance Electric.

Sam Haptonstall, local contractor, has started construction in Sundance for Mason Roberts, proprietor of the Bear Lodge hotel, on three new cabins on the property adjacent to the hotel. When completed, the new structures will be modern throughout and each cabin will be split into two different apartments.

50 Years Ago

Oct. 22, 1970

Hulett city marshal Harold (Corky) Bunch, 26, was fatally injured early Tuesday morning when his car rolled over and caught fire after striking a guard rail on Interstate 90 about 25 miles east of Buffalo. Bunch, who had been a Buffalo police officer, was named last month as Hulett city marshal.

Coach Neil Hoffine’s Sundance Bulldogs won the battle of the statistics Friday night at Upton but had to settle for a 0-0 tie with the Bobcats in a Powder River conference clash. It was the second scoreless deadlock of the campaign for Sundance, the other being against Midwest.

25 Years Ago

Oct. 19, 1995

Forty nine county citizens attended the Crook County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday to voice opinions about the temporary moratorium placed upon land use and building in the county by the County Commissioners on October 4. According to County Clerk Connie Tschetter, the general feeling of those present was that they were concerned about the lack of prior publicity before the temporary moratorium was passed. There were also concerned about the total stop of all kinds of land use and building. At a meeting on Wednesday Vice-Chairman Don Williams submitted his resignation to the County Commissioners. A vacancy has been declared which will now have to be filled.