Peek at the Past

100 Years Ago

March 1, 1923

B.E. Miller, the Carlile meat man, was in Sundance Saturday with a fine assortment of prepared sausage, which met ready sale. Mr. Miller stated he and William Zimmerschied have recently imported some fine turkeys from Iowa, the former a pair of Bourbons and the latter a Bronze Tom.

Clerk E.F. Bell got home Monday from a week’s stay in Gillette, where he completed a transcript of the resurvey of the boundary between Campbell and Crook County. Recent legislative action defined the Nillson resurvey as the correct boundary, and the correction gives Crook County six and one-fourth sections of land additional on the assessment rolls.

One of the last acts of the legislature before closing the session Sunday morning was to pass a bill giving financial relief to Arthur G. Hanson, of Savageton, trapper who killed the famous white wolf “Pumpkin Buttes Whitney.” Hanson was injured last year while trailing a coyote. The special appropriation called for $4000 to compensate him for total disability sustained from falling over a 105-foot cliff. He is now paralyzed in his lower limbs. Hanson caught the famous white she wolf, which was a terror to stockmen in the Pumpkin Butte country for 15 years. It is known that “Whitie” in one night killed 68 sheep and on another night 26 sheep. She killed scores of calves and steers every year. Hanson caught her after four months of constant vigilance. The injury has left Hanson without means of support, which placed him as a ward of the state. The action of the legislature in allowing him $4000 compensation is a commendable one as Mr. Hanson’s case is a very deserving one.

75 Years Ago

February 26, 1948

The Gillette-Upton R.E.A. high line will be energized within the next 30 days according to a statement made by L.G. Landers, Tri-County Electric Association manager. The contractor will finish setting the poles, which have pins and cross arms attached, the middle of this week and then will begin the stringing of the wire. No contract has been let as of yet for the Upton-Sundance line or any branch lines.

A delegation comprised of the county commissioners and residents of Sundance, Moorcroft, Hulett and Alva was assured last week that the new proposed highway that will be built to take the place of that which will be inundated by the Keyhole dam will not bypass Moorcroft. This assurance was given the committee by the state highway commission. It was understood here that one plan for this road was to take it into the D road and come out west of Moorcroft.

50 Years Ago

February 22, 1973

Lack of snow forced postponement of the Bear Lodge Snowmobile association’s speed oval races scheduled last Sunday at the Sundance track. Mervin Peterson, association president, said Monday the races have been tentatively rescheduled for later in the season if there is any snow. He also said the association’s cross-country races will be run in the Moskee area March 10-11 depending upon the snow.

Dr. Rick Hosking, 25-year-old veterinarian, this week announced the opening of the Sundance Veterinary Clinic. Originally from Tucson, Ariz., Hosking has been practicing in Riverton. He is a graduate of the Colorado State School of Veterinary Medicine. He and his wife, Paula have no children.

25 Years Ago

February 26, 1998

Six Sundance High School wrestlers are on their way to Casper for the State Wrestling tournament this weekend. They are Ethan Reinhold, Tait Nelson, Devin Marchant, Jeremy Engle, Seth Hartman and Matt Reinecke.

The Crook County Commissioners met in a special session on Friday afternoon to consider a resolution to create a new county court. The resolution passed by unanimous decision and mirrors a resolution in Weston County for the same change. Both counties would share a single County Court judge, pending approval of funding for the plan by the State. Currently, Crook County uses a Justice of the Peace court system. Under this system, the County residents elect a Justice every four years. The current JP is Ron Waugh of Hulett. Waugh is just completing his 16th year in the position, but his current term is up in January 1999.