Timeline of the old and new armory

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent
With Leonard Cash
 
In last week’s installment of “History on Main,” the state armory in Newcastle moved out of its downtown location and was in the process of constructing a new armory building next to the cavalry barns near Greenwood Cemetery. 
Historian Leonard Cash found in his records an article from the June 30, 1960, issue of the News Letter Journal that reported on the completion of the armory and its acceptance by the state of Wyoming. The Newcastle National Guard unit moved in. The dedication for the new armory was to be held sometime in August, while the old building was to be sold by sealed bids in the near future. 
The dedication ceremony was planned for a Saturday evening banquet at 7 p.m., according to the Aug. 25, 1960, News Letter. Newcastle’s Battery A was hosting the event with Maj. Gen. R.L. Esmay doing the honors of dedicating and giving an address. Some 375 people were invited to attend, including guard members and officials from the city, county and state. 
Batt. Cdr. Capt. Donald L. Boyer invited the public to see the new armory for themselves the following day on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. Visitors could go on tours and help themselves to free coffee and doughnuts. 
The Oct. 13, 1960, News Letter reported that the old armory building was to be sold to the highest bidder at a public auction on Nov. 15. The price of the building and the three lots it sat on was estimated to be around $28,000. Esmay said the National Guard could take no less than $21,000. However, no bids were offered, according to the Nov. 7, 1960, issue of the News Letter, so the building was to be reappraised at a lower price before it was put up for sale again.  
A few years later, in 1963, the artillery unit was hosting a Muster Day, according to the News Letter of March 8, 1962.
“Carrying on a tradition older than the nation, members of Battery A, 3rd Howitzer Battalion, 49th Artillery, Wyoming national Guard will observe ‘Muster Day’ Sunday,” the article said. “Muster day was a custom in the colonial militia, direct forebearers of today’s National Guard. Once each year the militia was mustered on the village green to actually count off the number of able-bodied men who
would be available to bear arms in an emergency.”
Boyer said there was to be an open house, a good opportunity for the young men who were interested in joining the Guard. 
Before starting his series on the armory, Cash went through his records about the former city hall building, which was on the lots beside the old armory building. During that series, we learned that city put restrictions on those lots and the lots of the armory (lots 1 through 5, Block 9), which allowed no gas stations to be built upon them. 
Continental Oil Co. was interested in buying the lots, but before doing so, they inquired about uplifting some of the restrictions, particularly the one on gas stations. According to the April 5, 1962, News Letter, the City Council deferred the action, but it was reported a few weeks later on April 18, 1962, that they granted Continental’s request. 
“Tuesday evening at a special meeting, the council waived and removed the restrictions that a filling station, garage or parking lot could not be operated on the two corner lots,” the article said. “The city is to receive $10 and other valuable consideration for the waiver and removal.” 
According to news reports from April 26, 1962, and May 31, 1962, another auction was to finally take place in an attempt to sell the armory again, and the date was set for June 1. The property had been reappraised at $18,000, and they couldn’t take anything less than that. The bid would go to highest bidder. 
According to the News Letter from June 7, 1962, Continental Oil (which is also Conoco) was successful in its quest to purchase the armory and was the only company
who bid. The bid was $18,000. The company also had possession of lots 1 and 2 and planned to build a service station on
all five. 
The old armory building was almost completely torn down, according to a news article from July 26, 1962. Contractor V.C. Thompson was responsible for doing the work of demolishing it.
The original cornerstone of the building, which was laid on Dec. 15, 1913, had an informal ceremony for its removal, reported the Aug. 9, 1962, newspaper. Boyer conducted the service and Lt. Col. Elmer Rogers of Cheyenne (but formerly of Newcastle) spoke at the ceremony, reminiscing about the construction of the building and other “historical happenings” from around the same era. 
Thompson removed the metal box, which contained historical items, such as articles from the Dec. 11, 1913, issues of the Newcastle News Journal and the Weston County Gazette, and articles from the Dec. 14, 1913, issues of the Sheridan Enterprise and Wyoming Tribune of Cheyenne. The box also contained lists of the grand lodge officers of Masons; state, county and city officials; armory board members; and a roster of the Newcastle Guardsmen. 
The items found were to be “preserved and later displayed,” according to Boyer. 
Even though the building is gone, some of the stone was used to make a memorial that is still in existence. An article from Sept. 27, 1962, said that the Keith Thomson Memorial, which rests in front of the courthouse, is a water fountain made from the former archway of the old armory building, built by contractor Thompson. Boyer was to dedicate the memorial on Oct. 7, and a bronze plaque was made for it. 
Cash said that Thompson used some of the same rock to build a wall around his house. 
 
The News Letter Journal/Leonard Cash history series continues in next week’s issue.