Chronicling the past
Photo courtesy of Weston County Library Local historian Leonard Cash has a new book titled “Exploring Newcastle, Wyoming, with Leonard Cash,” which is a collection of articles originally published in the News Letter Journal.
Cash publishes book on Newcastle history
When asked to describe his interest in researching local history, Leonard Cash’s wife, Linda, beat him to the punch, calling Leonard’s interest “an obsession.”
This lifelong obsession with local history has resulted in a 538-page and nearly quarter-of-a-million-word book titled “Exploring Newcastle, Wyoming, with Leonard Cash.”
A collection of articles originally published in the News Letter Journal, Cash’s book recounts local history researched by Cash and relayed to News Letter Journal reporters Bri Weigel and Hannah Gross. Cash is very thankful for the two reporters who initially brought his research to the printed page, recognizing that “without [Weigel and Gross, the book] probably wouldn’t have happened.”
News Letter Journal Publisher Bob Bonnar called Cash a “treasure.”
“[He] is a local treasure, and few communities are lucky enough to have somebody like him that has the passion and commitment to capture so much local history,” Bonnar said.
That sentiment is shared by others. In an interview, Linda shared that the staff at the Weston County Library, which is where Leonard conducts much of his research, have happily accepted her husband as a fixture. She said that they will “call if (Leonard) doesn’t show up to ask if he is sick.”
Cash’s reputation extends further. For instance, according to Linda, Leonard once visited the Wyoming State Archives and was recognized by an archivist whom he had never before met.
Holding Cash’s book, one is immediately impressed by its heft. More impressive than this weight, though, is the effort and time dedicated to collecting so much information on Newcastle. Cash said that he spends two hours each day researching. As his book shows, he largely focuses on local history. However, Cash does enjoy learning about other areas of history. He already has plans for another book. This one would be about the history of the Black and Yellow Trail, otherwise known as U.S. Highway 14-16, which runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Yellowstone National Park.
Cash’s book offers a rich education about the history of Newcastle, and can be purchased for only $22 at Leonard and Linda’s store, Cashbox Ceramics, or online on Amazon. Leonard is not shy about signing copies. Cash said he was pleased with how his book turned out, and he is apparently undeterred by the book’s already considerable size.
“My only regret is that I think we could have made it bigger,” he deadpanned.
Cash divulged the existence of 14 file cabinets in his home containing information on the town, so the odds of a follow-up seem pretty good.