‘A serious fire narrowly averted at the Newcastle Bakery’

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent
With Leonard Cash
 
Continuing the history of the Newcastle Bakery on lot 4 of block 10, local historian Leonard Cash resumes the history of this business started by Bill Fletcher in the Grieves building (formerly owned by A.M. Nichols and C. Fendrick). Last week, Cash left off with News Letter Journal records reporting the change of ownership to the Accola brothers. 
According to the June 9, 1949, issue, the bakery was celebrating its first anniversary since Steve Accola and his wife took over. The public was invited to drop in on Saturday for coffee and birthday cake. 
Over a month later, a “mammoth, shining new stales steel oven capable of performing prodigious tasks” was installed in the bakery, reported an article from July 14, 1949. It was an all-automatic rotary machine heated by propane and manufactured by Reed Reel of Kansas City, Missouri. It could bake 70 dozen buns in 15 minutes or 220 loaves in 20 minutes, and it cooled the bread in a much shorter time.
The Dec. 29, 1949, paper announced that CPA Robert H. Raymond opened his office in Room 2 of the Grieves building, located above the bakery. Ralph Homer of Gillette was to be office manager. 
Newcastle Mayor F.B. Thomas and former bakery owner Bill Fletcher purchased an interest in the Homecraft Bakery in Rapid City, according to an article from Aug. 16, 1951. 
“The announcement was made by M.S. Haugen owner of the business since 1935. Fletcher and Thomas had previously purchased the Naeve bakery in Rapid City,” the article says.
On March 13, 1952, the paper reported that the big oven in the Newcastle bakery caught fire.
“A serious fire narrowly averted at the Newcastle Bakery early Thursday morning when the floor under the big gas fired oven caught fire,” the article says. 
The local volunteer fire department responded quickly, so the only damage done was to a portion of the wooden floor, which was filled with concrete. While the bakery recovered from its loss, the Bakery Co. of Rapid and Allen Bakery of Gillette supplied bread for Accola in the meantime, but Newcastle Bakery was reported to resume regular baking operations by Monday. 
A year later, Accola sold his bakery to C. Allen of Gillette on June 1, according to the June 4, 1953, issue of the paper. 
A few years later, the Sept. 15, 1955, edition reported that Grieves Insurance and Real Estate moved to Greives Building Suite No. 3 110 ½ W. Main, and after three more years, the July 10, 1958, paper announced that Wyton Oil and Gas Co. reopened its main office in the Grieves building.
Cash doesn’t have records or exact dates of when the next owner took over the bakery, but in the early to mid-1960s, Jim Randall owned the business. Cash said he baked the wedding cake (specially made) for his wedding when Cash and his wife, Linda, were married on Oct. 9, 1964. Randall owned the bakery from 1963 to 1965, before it returned to the Fletcher family. 
According to the April 8, 1965, paper, Bill Fletcher’s brother Fay and his wife, who operated a bakery in Custer for 12 years, bought the Newcastle bakery from Randall. Fay had previously worked at a bakery in the Hot Springs veterans facility as well. 
“Fay is an expert baker and we’re sure you’ll agree when you taste his baked product,” the May 6, 1965, paper says.  
An ad from the same issue sponsored by the National Bank of Newcastle congratulated the bakery and urged “your support of Newcastle’s Newest Business for Quality Baked Bread and Pastries,” which officially opened on May 10. 
Two years later, George Waters and his wife bought the bakery from Fletcher (which was then next to Ratigan’s Standard Service) and reopened it as Waters Bakery, according to the Jan. 12, 1967, issue. They had operated a bakery in Douglas for six years. 
On Jan. 19, 1967, the paper reported that the new owners  were having an open house on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with a break from 1 to 2 p.m.) for free coffee and donuts, as well as door prizes. 
An ad from Jan. 26, 1967, thanked the community for the welcome response to the open house. The same issue of the paper announced that former owner John Allen bought Reed’s Bakery in Lusk.  
Around Sept. 28, 1967, Waters sold the business to Evan Hoef of Rapid because they were moving to Eagle Butte, South Dakota, to operate a café. Hoef was currently working in the insurance industry, but he had previously worked at Swanders’ bakery. 
A few years later, the bakery closed permanently, and the Sears Catalog Store moved in. According to the Feb. 26, 1970, paper, the Sears Catalog Store was hosting its grand opening from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the former bakery building. It was owned and operated by Norm and Mary Caillier.
Two years later, the paper reported on Sept. 14, 1972, that the Cailliers sold the store to Jack Huber and his wife, who were hosting an open house the second weekend in October. They were serving coffee and donuts. 
The Hubers sold the business to Don and Jo Dilts around May 29, 1980, and they moved the store next to their other business, Pacesetter One on 1116 West Main.
The Jan. 12, 1984, issue of the paper said that Sears moved to 2013 W. Main next to Dilts Bowl, which was a bowling alley, according to Cash. 
By the end of the decade, the store was sold to John and Loreen Van Hueles from Worland, announced the Nov. 16, 1989, paper. Cash said they operated it until Sears closed its catalog stores. Next week, Cash will continue filling in some of the missing pieces to wrap up his series on the Perkins’ Tavern building.