Harlow building burned to make more room

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent 
With Leonard Cash, historian
 
In last week’s installment of “History on Main,” Leonard Cash made his way through South Seneca Avenue by discussing several of the buildings and businesses that occupied that area once upon a time. He pulled out records on Dr. McDuffie’s clinic, Lake Malaria, the Newcastle Clinic and Harlow’s Garage. To pick up where he left off, Cash now starts with new articles on some of the following businesses to occupy the garage, as well as Arthur J. Harlow.  
An article from March 12, 1931, reported that an auto clinic was opening in the former Harlow Garage. Five years later, Waldrip and Woodle announced in the April 22, 1936, paper that they were reopening Harlow’s Garage, offering expert body and fender work, as well as painting and general car repairs.
By Feb. 24, 1949, Newcastle Heating and Sheet Metal work was opening in the garage. Mr. Huffman offered furnace installations and provided many different sheet metal services.
Harlow’s obituary appeared in the March 23, 1950, edition of the News Letter Journal. He was 82 years old when he passed away on March 19, 1950, in Omaha, Nebraska. His funeral services were conducted in Newcastle, where he is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, at the Mumper Funeral home, and the Rev. Herschel Martin officiated
the memorial.
Harlow was born in Rock County, Wisconsin, on July 15, 1867, before moving to Sturgis, South Dakota, when he was 12. Around the time Newcastle began in 1890, he moved here “with a small string of horses.” He had a livery barn and drayage firm, which later expanded into a blacksmith shop and garage. He married Alice May Sheldon on July 4, 1893, and together they had five children. Harlow was an active citizen in the Newcastle community and served in politics for several years, including as a city councilman. He also had a soft spot for animals. 
“His love and interest was broad enough to include the dumb animals. He prepared himself for the trade of a veterinarian. In this capacity Dr. Harlow gained many friends,” the article says. 
Harlow was a kind gentleman, loved by all he knew, and when his wife died in 1929, he “elected to live in quietness and alone among the people he loved.” 
According to the Dec. 20, 1951, paper, Walter William was opening an upholstery and second-hand store in the old Harlow garage. 
Thirteen years later, however, the building was being torn down. The March 19, 1964, issue described it as “an eye-sore for many years.” To this day, it remains an empty lot used as a parking lot by the Assembly of God Church. 
Harlow’s residential home was built nearby on 130 S. Seneca, which was eventually converted into the Erickson dental office. An article from Aug. 24, 1972, reported that Wayne Erickson, a graduate from Loyola University in Chicago but originally from Afton, Wyoming, was opening a dental office in town. The original building (Harlow’s house) was burned off the site, but Erickson ordered equipment and a new office was being built. 
Because the old building was being intentionally burned for removal, the Newcastle Volunteer Fire Department received “actual training” the week prior, so they could do so safely, according to the Aug. 31, 1972, paper. 
Erickson Dental is still in operation today, and that is the final article in Cash’s record on that building. The next building, which Cash said is located between Frontier Hardware and A-1 Agency on West Wentworth, only has one article available on its history. 
It comes from April 15, 1920, which announced that George Halterman paid $6,000 for the four lots on Seneca from Louisa Fawhndrick. Cole Commerical Lumber Co. was located there
at the time.  
The property was being excavated at the time for a new garage, which was being erected by J.A. Wade, and it was to be a shop for the Dart automobile and Patriot truck. 
Cash decided to move on to A-1 agency building on 26 S. Seneca next, which was once used as a mortuary. It was built in 1939 and started out as the Sedgwick Funeral Service and Ambulance. Before the building was constructed, the Sedgwick funeral home was located next to the Masonic Hall and was also a hardware store, Cash said. When they moved into the new building, they hired Mumper, who eventually took it over. 
On Sept. 15, 1949, the paper announced that the Mumper funeral home bought a new ambulance. Dick Welch went to Toledo, Ohio, to pick up the Ford ambulance and hearse combination for the Mumpers to “give more efficient service with the new vehicle.” 
By March 29, 1951, the Mumpers sold their business to McColley Funeral Home because Mr. Mumper had health complications. Cash said he died shortly after selling. The McColleys also had operations in Chamberlain, Spearfish, Hot Springs and Edgemont, all in South Dakota. At the time, Don McColley was manager of the Newcastle business. Cash said the McColley Funeral Home eventually constructed a new building, where the present Meridian Funeral Home is located. McColley sold it to Worden Funeral Home and it was then sold
to Meridian’s.  
Nine years later, the building at 26 S. Seneca was home to the Newcastle Saddlery but was sold to Harry Thorson as an office for his oil business (TOCO), according to a
news report from
March 3, 1960. 
That summer, an article from July 21, 1960, announced that Ed Landrigan moved his dental office from the Chief Hotel to the Thorson building. 
The Oct. 4, 1962, issue of the paper, announced that Landrigan had recently passed away, so Dr. R.K. Oukrop was opening another dental office in the same building. At the time, Dr. Ronald G. Custis was the only other dentist in town. 
Eventually, Thorson sold the building to A-1 Agency, and although Cash is unsure of the exact date, he believes it was around 1998, shortly after the big fire (which was discussed in the “History on Main” segment a few weeks ago) swept through
downtown Newcastle. 
Cash will conclude his series next week with a discussion of the final building on Seneca, once home to the Ward
Lumber Co.