Local clinic sustains $30,000 in damages
Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent
With Leonard Cash,
historian
After completing his series on the Newcastle Assembly of God Church, Leonard Cash moves across the street to start a short series on several of the buildings in that area, starting with the medical clinic that was located at 211 S. Seneca.
The first article in Cash’s records appears in the April 15, 1954, issue of the News Letter Journal when Dr. J.T. McDuffie, formerly of California, opened his medical practice in Newcastle in what was Room 6 of the Grieves building at the time.
McDuffie, a Seventh-day Adventist, graduated from the College of Medical Evangelists in 1939, and upon his arrival in Newcastle, he had three years of post-graduate work in surgery. His wife also pursued a medical career, and she graduated from Glendale, California, sanitarium in nursing.
The history between the 1950s and 1980s is fragmented, but Cash said McDuffie was only here for a few years before several other businesses moved in and out.
By March 17, 1983, the paper announced that Dr. Chuck Franklin started his family practice in the building, called Cambria Family Health Center. According to the next issue, an open house was to be held on Monday, March 28.
Today, the building remains a residential home. Next, Cash is backtracking to 1902 to discuss the history of an unfortunate lake that occupied Newcastle around the
same area.
An article from July 11, 1902, reported that the City Council was taking steps to drain the unhealthy water of Lake Malaria, which Cash said was so named because of all the “malaria” residing in the lake. The lake, which was by a schoolhouse once located there — east of the depot on Main Street, had a dam with a bridge for kids to cross to go to school. The lake was full at the time and “her surface has taken on its regular summer drains
of green.”
According to the March 27, 1903, edition of the Newcastle News Journal, the city paid $125 to have a culvert built on the lake, which was also known as Lake Misery because “it was a lot of misery to these people,” Cash said.
Moving on to another clinic on 227 S. Seneca, Cash pulled out a news report from Nov. 2, 1950, which stated that construction had begun on a new clinic building.
“Newcastle the bloomingest little city in a many of miles will have its own medical clinic by the summer of 1951,” the article says.
Construction on the clinic, which was to be 30 feet by 90 feet and located north of the old high school, began on that Monday. It was to have a full basement and 14 rooms on the main floor, including complete clinical facilities and X-ray equipment. Vince Thompson obtained the contract for the project. E.J. Guilfoyle, Virgil Thorpe and Willis Franz were to work in the clinic as soon as it was open. Their old clinic was located in the armory.
By July 26, 1951, the doctors were in their new building.
“It is more spacious with a more comfortable waiting room. Working conditions for the doctors are less crowded,” the article says.
Unfortunately, nearly a decade later, the April 6, 1961, News Letter Journal reported that an estimated $30,000 to $35,000 in damage was done due to destruction from fire, heat, smoke and water. Fire Chief T.T. Lanham reported that the fire began in the furnace and burned for about six hours before an alarm sounded at 7:35 a.m., although the precise cause of the fire was unknown. Thirty volunteer firefighters and two trucks showed up to fight the fire, and they were able to save the clinic’s financial and medical records at the cost of “firemen (who) were hampered by smoke.”
The clinic was temporarily moved to the east wing of Weston County Memorial Hospital, but the July 27, 1961, issue announced that the doctors could move back into their clinic building on Seneca. They would be closed all day on Aug. 8 to move
their equipment.
Over two decades later, Dr. Wessel from Rapid City was joining the Black Hills Medical Clinic, according to an article from July 28, 1983.
That is the last of Cash’s records on that building, so he is moving on to the location of the old Harlow’s Garage, which is now an empty lot used by the Assembly of God Church as a parking lot.
The March 20, 1903, paper reported that City Councilman A.J. Harlow purchased three lots adjoining the lot that was east of his livery barn. He hoped to grade the hill down during the summer, so he could move his barn and build a new residence the following year.
A few years later, the Newcastle News Journal announced on July 19, 1907, that Harlow was starting a new blacksmith shop, located east of his livery barn, and the work was “going merrily along.”
By Aug. 9, 1907, it was completed and ready to open for business. The article said Harlow was “better equipped than ever” to attend to the local blacksmithing needs.
The May 6, 1908, issue reported that he was ready to begin the stonework on
his house.
Harlow sold his livery to J.A. Bland around Sept. 10, 1909, so he could focus all his attention on blacksmithing.
The April 8, 1910, paper announced that Harlow built a new wagon shop adjoining his blacksmith to aid his “rapidly growing business.”
According to an article from Sept. 9, 1910, J.A. Bland and Sons sold the livery stock and business back to Harlow, who in turn sold it to Klodt and Whitaker, who used it as a feed stable. The livery business was continued at the barn on Warren Avenue.
An article from the Sept. 12, 1918, issue said that Mrs. Harlow received a letter from their son Lloyd, informing his parents that he was sick in the hospital but improving. He also told them that he saw one of his father’s horses “wearing the Cross H brand,” and although the beast was in poor condition, Lloyd said, the sight brought back memories
of Newcastle.
Cash will continue his short series on Seneca next week.