Offer patrons the very best bakery foods obtainable

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent 
With Leonard Cash
 
In this week’s continuation of the “History on Main” series on lots 4 through 6 on block 10 (formerly home to the A.M. Nichols Supply Co. and current location of Perkins’ Tavern), historian Leonard Cash decided to go back to the 1930s to give more details on lot 4, which was the home to a bakery for many years. 
According to an article from the May 24, 1935, News Letter/News Journal, the Wallace Recreation Parlor, located in the Fendrick building (previously Nichols building) installed a new soda fountain. 
However, the owners vacated the building a couple of months later, reported the July 30, 1935, issue, so Black Hills Tire Co. Inc. was moving in. C.A. Joslin was manager, and he said there would be auto accessories, sporting goods and light hardware available to customers. An advertisement from Aug. 10, 1935, announced that the Recreation Parlor reopened in the Antlers’ building. 
William Fletcher, formerly of Hot Springs, South Dakota, was leasing Paul’s Bakery and Confectionary (the now empty lot next to Perkin’s Tavern, Cash said) to start up Newcastle Bakery after some extensive remodeling, according to a news report from April 12, 1938. It “is now one of the best equipped in the state.” 
An article from the May 13, 1938, paper announced that Black Hills Tire added more to its repertoire when it took over an agency “for the new Universal refrigerator.” One was on display at the store. 
Because of a fire, the Newcastle Bakery had been shut down for some time. However, the owners were having a grand reopening on Jan. 2, 1940, reported the Dec. 26, 1940, issue. Several new machines were installed, including a new mixer, automatic steam boiler and a new extension to the molder. Other improvements were made to the front, which was damaged by the fire. 
“Burned it up pretty good, I guess,” Cash said, adding that more details on the fire will be covered in a future series.  
Baking must have run in the family because Fletcher’s brother Fay was selected as the head baker at the veterans facility in Hot Springs, according to the April 4, 1940, paper. The article added that Irma Rohan was taking over the Modernistic Beauty Shop, “located first door south of Newcastle Furniture Co.,” which was formerly operated by Fay’s wife. 
In the Jan. 23, 1941, issue of the News Letter Journal, Bill Fletcher was recognized for the cleanliness of his baking business. The GC Long state inspection officer from the Department of Agriculture “highly approved” it and gave it an A-1 rating under state sanitary laws.
Exactly one year and four months later, the April 23, 1942, paper reported that after seven years of service, Black Hills Tire Co. was going out of business on May 1, so there were “tremendous values at their close-out sale” on paints, dishes, ammunition, fishing and more, including various store equipment, such as the register and adding machine. Joslins, the manager, was planning to move to the Beaver Creek ranch.
The departure of the tire business provided ample opportunity for the bakery to relocate. On March 25, 1943, the paper announced that the bakery moved into the building vacated by the tire company, a few doors down from the Golden Rule store and would open in two days. Fletcher promised to “offer patrons the very best bakery foods obtainable.” 
A few months later, the paper reported that the bakery was to host an open house on May 15 from 1 – 5 p.m., where the community would be treated to free refreshments. 
Fletcher’s brother Fay, who had been assisting Fletcher, took over the City Bakery in Hot Springs, according to the Aug. 17, 1944, paper. 
C.J. Fendrick, who owned the block where the bakery and many other business were located, sold two of his “main street holdings,” according to the March 29, 1945, paper. Paul and May Liamos bought the building that housed the Weston County Drug Co. (built in 1889), and Tom Zafira bought the Castle Café. The article said that the drugstore building was constructed by the bank, but when the bank failed, the building was sold to Dr. Horton, who in turn sold it to Jacob Fendrick, father of C.J. in 1904. When Jacob and his wife passed away, it was turned over to the son. The café building was erected by Jim Kinney, the brother of Pete Kinney, who was the owner.
“The ownership passed to his widow and daughter on his death and they sold the building to Mrs. Jacob (Fendrick), the title passing to her son on her death,” the article says. 
This was known as “Fendrick Block No. 1,” and it was located in the former Cashbox Ceramics building. At this time, C.J. Fendrick was also trying to sell the block known as the Fendrick block because he had large business interests in Denver and found the burden of caring for and conducting his other business interests too great. Later, we’ll learn that Fendrick found a buyer for block 10 as well, so he could move to Denver.
An article from June 20, 1946, announced that the bakery was to open the front and sell sweet rolls, pecan rolls and other similar items, which it had been unable to do the past six weeks due to “curtailment of necessary materials.” 
The agriculture department announced around Oct. 31, 1946, that it had revoked a government food order, which was put into effect the previous winter, that required bakers to reduce the size of bread by 10% to save wheat during the “critical world food shortage.” 
In order to maintain its reputation of “nothing but the best,” Fletcher had a new “automatic dough make-up” machine installed at the bakery, according to the March 27, 1947, issue. This new piece of equipment was capable of automatically weighing the dough and molding it for the pan.
That was not the only new purchase that year. Around July 31, 1947, Fletcher purchased the former Washburn-Bettis store property to construct a new, modern bakery but never moved there. In an article titled “New Bakery Building to Replace Old Time” from Aug. 21, 1947, this old Main Street landmark built around 1893 was torn down. However, Cash said the bakery ended up staying in the Fendrick building and never moved to the Washburn-Bettis store. 
On Sept. 11, 1947, the paper announced that Fletcher was elected as the state secretary-treasurer for the Wyoming Baker’s Association at its two-day convention in Sheridan. 
A news report from the Sept. 25, 1947, issue said that the bread price increased a cent per loaf due to the increase in the cost of shortening and other supplies. 
According to the May 20, 1948, issue of the paper, Fletcher sold his bakery to Charles Accola of Lander and his brother Steve B. Accola of Keokuk, Iowa. While Charles remained in Lander, Steve and his wife were moving to Newcastle to officially take charge of the business on
June 10. 
Another significant business transaction took place a few weeks earlier when Fendrick sold lots 4 through 6, known as “Fendrick Block No. 2.” On May 6, 1948, the paper announced the change of ownership to Charles Grieves. At the time this article was published, the building was home to the Newcastle Bakery, Weston County Drug Co. and City Grocer. The upstairs was used as apartment rentals. With all his business interests now sold, Fendrick was moving back to Denver for retirement and said he looked forward to visits from Newcastle friends whenever they made a trip to Denver. 
Next week, Cash will continue to paint the historic recapture of the Newcastle Bakery.