Chronicles of the Weston County Library Part VI

By Bri Brasher 
with Leonard Cash
NLJ Reporter
 
The story of Newcastle and its residents is a tale that often connects to the history of the Weston County Library. To document these happenings, local historian Leonard Cash continues with the library’s timeline in this week’s installment of the History on Main Series, beginning in the spring of 1947.
On April 24, 1947, the News Letter Journal published the article “Library Receives Several New Books,” in which it was reported that the librarian of the time, Jennie Kirkwood, donated the book “The Tin Flute,” by Roy Gabriel. Several other titles were also donated, including books for “juvenile readings,” such as “Florence Nightingale” and “The Boats on the River.” The same article also said, “The library recently received five new stereopticon units, or visual instruction material, on China, Italy, Air Planes, Indians, of Southwest and Wild Animals. This now completes fifty two units, two new stereoscopes and four old ones.
The News Letter Journal reported other library news not long after. On June 12, 1947, “Ladies Lounge Is On Trial During Summer” hit the stands. The article carried an announcement that the ladies room in the basement of the library was open and ready for use, made possible by the Homemakers Club, the Lions Club, the city and the county. 
Caretaker Mrs. Walter Boulden was said to be at the lounge from 1-6 p.m. during the summer months, as the need for the restroom was assessed. “It has been amazingly well patronized and ladies have expressed their appreciation for this service. The committee wishes to emphasize the fact that facilities allow for lounging room, and that the response shown to this venture will determine how long it is kept open,” the News Letter Journal reported. 
Next, more books were donated to the library by Jan Hawthorne, Tommy Spencer and Mrs. E. Hill, Mrs. Edith Stites, Mr. Mel Quick, Lois Engle and O.C. Kerney, according to the Aug. 21, 1947, issue of the News Letter Journal. New books were also added to the pay and juvenile shelves. An oil painting of Devils Tower was donated by Mrs. E.T. Hill, along with the book “A complete course in memory training, in twenty-six lessons.” The same article from the Sept. 18, 1947, issue also listed several other books donated to the library. Additional titles were donated the very next week, as also reported in the newspaper.
The News Letter Journal continued to report on donations to the library, the next of which hit the stands on Jan. 1, 1948, according to Cash’s records. The article stated that 26 books were paid for by the Sub-Debs, and a list of the titles was provided. Cash suspects that the Sub-Debs was a local club at the time, though he never heard more about them. It was also announced that the library started receiving the daily Sheridan Press. Then, on June 3, 1948, the News Letter Journal announced that local librarian Mrs. Jennie Kirkwood returned home from the state convention of librarians in Casper, where she relinquished her position as treasurer of the Wyoming State Library Association to Miss Jane Patterson of Platte County. A few weeks later, a whole slew of books were given to the library by Mrs. Jack Bradley, as reported on June 16, 1948. 
In January of 1950, it was reported that the public restroom in the library would be closed on account of the crowded conditions at the local grade school. 
“See, they taught school in the library for a while because they ran out of room at the grade school,” said Cash. So they had a class in the basement of the library and needed the restroom for that. It was the oil boom in the ’50s. They used churches, and I think even the armory, to make enough room for the kids.”
Cash then has records from April of 1950 when the American Legion Auxiliary donated a series to the library that was placed on the shelves. Records on the library then skip ahead to 1961 when Library Week was observed in Newcastle with a story hour held in the library basement on Saturday, April 22. Next, on Feb. 8, 1951, Newcastle attorney Ed Halsey was appointed to the library board. December of 1962 saw the extension of the library’s hours into the evenings on Monday and Thursday for “the convenience of the patrons,” according to the News Letter Journal. The library was set to be open an additional two hours from 7 to 9 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays. 
Cash’s records then jump to Aug. 8, 1963, when the News Letter Journal reported on an explosion in the library caused by gasoline fumes. The explosion resulted in several thousand dollars’ worth of damage and caused two small fires in the building. The sewer system was flushed with water, and the city was checking the area. The source of the gasoline leak was not identified at the time. The News Letter Journal published a follow-up, “Gasoline Seepage Problem Solved,” on Aug. 15, 1963, in which it was reported that “the gasoline seepage problem which has plagued Newcastle for the past two weeks has been solved, according to a report issued by Deputy State Fire Marshall, Ed Bradley. On August 4, gasoline seeped into the basement of the library and was ignited by a water heater. The resulting explosion did several thousand dollars damage and necessitated closing the library. Bradley and Fire Chief T. T. Lanham started conducting tests of the soil and the sewer system to determine the source of the gasoline vapor which covered several blocks in the business district. On Saturday, Joe Antonio, who is Chief of Research for the City of Denver as well as an explosion expert, was brought in to assist in the testing. The source was discovered to be from a leaky gasoline storage tank on Main Street. This tank was located as to drain the seep into the sanitary sewer system and in turn into the basements of the buildings. Bradley said that the town of Newcastle was (sitting) on a (veritable) bomb and wasn’t (aware) of their predicament. Bradley, also, wanted to thank the people of Newcastle for their cooperation, particularly the ones who had to be evacuated.”
On Jan. 9, 1964, according to Cash’s records, Thelma Joslyn served as the librarian during a time of remodeling and repairs. The News Letter Journal announced that the library was to be open Monday from 1-5:30 p.m. and Thursday evening from 7-9 p.m. The library had been closed for the past few weeks, which Cash speculated was due to the remodeling. On March 26, 1964, the News Letter Journal reported that “copies of the Newcastle News, Newcastle Journal and Newcastle News Journal from November 1890 through 1900 have been received by the Weston County Library” in an effort to provide a continuous record. “The files have been termed ‘a 75th anniversary gift to Newcastle and Weston County.’”
Then in May of 1964, a library workshop was held at the library for all librarians within a 100-mile radius. The state librarian was to speak, according to Cash.