History of Newcastle's former city hall

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent
With Leonard Cash
 
Last week’s edition of the “History on Main” series presented by historian Leonard Cash left off with Newcastle’s Masonic lodge renting the upper level of city hall during the ’30s, but that came to an end when the building was demolished in 1949. 
The News Letter Journal reported on April 28, 1949, that city hall was to finally be torn down and “dismantled.” Previously, while it had still been in use, the building served various purposes in Newcastle, including being the home of first-floor offices, “the old man-powered firefighting equipment,” and the opera house, “where many a famous show was held.” According to an article from Jun. 2, 1949, the building had to be torn down before the new highway was re-oiled.  
While workmen were digging through the debris of what was left of the former city hall, they found a “corner stone box,” similar to a time capsule. In it they found two lists of names: one that contained the names of those who originally built city hall and the second listing the names of the firefighters from that time (around 1890), according to the Jun. 16, 1949, issue of the News Letter Journal. The list of the city hall builders included contractor F.A. Buse, Superintendent A. Miller, architect Mort Ulber, and workmen W.R. Hoppes, W.W. Pobins, Jack Mitchell, Ed Ryan, William Saklman, Tom Toms and James Murphy.  
The box also contained copies of the Newcastle News and the Newcastle Journal, which were the papers of that time. They were placed in the box on Nov. 5, 1890. The 1949 article continues its exploration of history by describing a card placed by Kilpatrick Bros. and Collins regarding the number of buildings in Newcastle.  
“Newcastle, Wyoming, county seat of Weston County is 516 miles northwest of Lincoln, Nebraska and the present terminus of the B.M. Railway,” the card begins. Cash explained that the Kilpatrick Bros. brought the railway system into Newcastle.  
“If it wasn’t for them, Newcastle wouldn’t be here,” he said. 
The card continues recapturing the young Newcastle by reporting that the first building in town was “commenced” on Sept. 10, 1889. Cash said that there were probably other buildings around town before this one; however, they were nothing but temporary shacks. This 1889 building was deemed the “first” because it was a more permanent structure, Cash said. 
At the time the box was placed in the ground, 75 business buildings occupied our little town. Two of which were reported to be brick block, and 13 of which were “under contract.”  One of the buildings acted as headquarters for Newcastle Coal Co., which was located at the Antler’s, according to Cash.  
The card boasted of the great variety of natural resources residing in the Newcastle area, including coal and oil, even going so far as to say they had some of the best in the West.  
“Proprietors of the most extensive mine of Bituminous coal, west of the Allegheny Mountain. Its jobbing house has the largest and most varied stocks of goods carried in Wyoming,” the card said, noting that Newcastle was
the center of the Stockade
Oil District, which was “the most promising oil district in the West.”  
The card continued laying out a list of the many other resources found in Newcastle and had hopes for nearby construction projects that would “make Newcastle the metropolis of the coal, oil and tin region of Eastern Wyoming.” 
Also found in the cornerstone box was an old county roster from around 1889 and 1890. It included Commissioners George H. Permost, A.M. Nelson and H.C. Hensel; Sheriff James Swisher; Treasurer Meyer Frank; attorney R.H. Vosburgh; Clerk Charles Monroe; surveyor Donald Miller; superintendent Mrs. J.L. Baird F. Allenbach and M. K. Wiker; and constable Charles Bond. The city roster included Mayor F.W. Mondell, Council F.R Curran, J.L. Baird, F. Allenback, and M.K. Wiker, clerk Monroe, attorney M.B. Camplin and Marshal Charles Bond.  
The box also mentioned the only two churches in Newcastle at that time, Episcopal and Presbyterian, with the Revs. J.E. Sulger and Wainwright as the ministers, respectively. F.A. Fall was the editor of Newcastle News, and H.C. Hansel was Newcastle Journal’s editor. 
 
The News Letter Journal/Leonard Cash history series continues in next week’s issue.