Outlining the history of news
Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent
With Leonard Cash
Local historian Leonard Cash finished his series on the armory and is now moving on to Block 9 Lot 6, where the current News Letter Journal office resides, to discuss the history of journalism in Newcastle.
While the office is currently next to Yesway, it’s been in almost every business building in Newcastle.
“They were in almost every block in town,” Cash said.
According to “Wyoming Newspapers: A Centennial History,” a book published by the Wyoming Press Association, the News Letter Journal and the city of Newcastle celebrated their hundredth anniversary in 1989.
“A significant feature of the establishment of the newspaper was that it was started two months before the founding of the city of Newcastle, thus placing it in the class of pioneer enterprises,” the book says.
The local newspaper started in Tubb Town near Salt Creek, which is 5 miles east of Newcastle, and it was called Field City Journal (or Stockade Journal). It had an office with dimensions of 14 feet by 20 feet, containing sleeping quarters for the employees. The paper was published using an army cylinder press.
Only two issues were printed, however, before it was moved to Newcastle because Tubb Town became nonexistent after receiving news that the railroad wasn’t going to pass through it. But out of that was born the Newcastle Journal.
H.C. Hensel and the Hon. J.L. Stotts, who was a judge, became the publishers of the Newcastle Journal, and new equipment was purchased, including the Washington hand press.
Another newspaper, Newcastle News, was established in 1890 by Judge F.H. Fall. Eventually, he merged with Newcastle Journal to form the Newcastle News Journal, of which Fall was the proprietor and editor.
According to the April 4, 1890, issue of the News Journal, Chester T. Martin was interested in running a newspaper, but rumors were that instead of starting a third establishment, he was going to buy one of the other two newspapers. Cash said that the other two newspapers were Alert Printing and Newcastle Journal.
Rumors were proven to be true when the April 11, 1890, edition of the News Journal reported that Martin bought the Alert Printing office from Judge Vossburgh to start the Weston County Democrat.
The News Journal hit a milestone as it celebrated its first-year anniversary, according to an article from on Aug. 1, 1890.
“It was started twelve months ago in Field City or ‘Tubb Town’ five miles east of here, when that blooming town was enjoying its palmy days,” the article reminisced. And the newspaper had been successfully up and running since that time when Newcastle first became a city because “the Journal came with the crowd.”
Newcastle News reported on Sept. 18, 1890, that the old Crawford Times outfit (which was supposed to go to Upton, according to Cash) would “not be opened up by the boys. The job outfit will be shipped to Newcastle and set up in the News office.”
The Weston County Democrat wasn’t in existence very long because on Oct. 9, 1890, it published one of its final articles because the editors didn’t see a need for three newspapers in one town, especially after the Republicans won the election.
“Things have changed about the place, the democrats are all gone, and no more we’ll sing their praises to the skies, for we’ve leased the printing outfit to a man of different hue, and the Democrat lays peacefully down and dies,” the editorial said.
Fall, the editor for Newcastle News, was leasing the former office building for the Democrat to use it for Newcastle News.
According to the News Journal from Feb. 20, 1891, H.C. Hensel was given a partnership “in one of the oldest and best-paying” papers in the West, but he didn’t accept the offer “because he has faith in the biggest kind of a boom for this section during the coming spring and summer.”
About a year later, Hensel retired from the News Journal, and J.L. Stotts of the Sundance Land office (who formerly owned the Journal) became its editor, according to an article from the Jan. 2, 1892, issue of the News Journal. Hensel moved to Hastings, Nebraska, where he was planning to be involved with the newspaper business there. He was expected to make a “high mark,” according to the article.
Cash’s records reported that the Newcastle Journal merged with the Newcastle News on June 3, 1892, to become the Newcastle News Journal.
Former News Journal editor John H. Marble became the editor of the Harney Peak Mining News, according to a report from the News Journal of Feb. 3, 1893.
The Newcastle News Journal received some new management, said the Feb. 10, 1893, issue of the Cheyenne Sun. A.L. Putnam, who Cash said was the school superintendent, became the editor, and A.M. Nelson (also spelt “Nichols”) stepped into the manager position.
On Sept. 22, 1893, the Newcastle Journal relocated to the basement of a bank building. This is now where the ceramic shop is located, Cash said.
The Newcastle News Journal celebrated six years of business, according to a report from Aug. 18, 1894, and they were “better and brighter than ever.”
The News Journal office received some new equipment. “A fine stationary cabinet” was installed by Carpenter C.W. Dow, according to an article from Mar. 8, 1895.
A couple of years later, J.W. Beatty became the new publisher of the News Journal, according to the Dec. 31, 1897, issue of the paper, when he bought the office from Nichols. Beatty had already been working at the paper because Nichols went to work on his ranch in the spring.
The office went under “extensive repair,” reported the July 28, 1899, issue of the paper, and Cash said they were doing “an extensive remodeling job.”
Harry C. Hensel, former publisher of the Newcastle Journal and one of Weston County’s first commissioners, was visiting an old friend in Newcastle, according to the Oct. 6, 1899, edition of the paper. He was then working with the Western Newspaper Union, whose headquarters were in Dallas.
A new century brought new changes because the Feb. 9, 1900, issue reported that the News Journal expanded the paper by adding two more pages due to an increase in business.
“The local and editorial page will appear on the inside, while the first and last page will be filled with general now. All legal work will appear on the last page,” the article said.
Putnam retired from his work at the paper and, according an editorial from April 6, 1900, W.W. Kelley became the new editor, while Beatty remained publisher.
“The policy of the paper will in every way remain as heretofore, Readable, Reliable, Republican,” the article said.
The News Letter Journal/Leonard Cash history series continues in next week’s issue.