Pages of the Past

75 years ago

November 23, 1950

The Basin Junior Chamber of Commerce this week commended Mayor E.W. Kinghorn, members of the town council, and employees of the Town of Basin, on their persistent efforts toward maintaining the appearance of the two main streets of the Basin business district. 

Results of an analysis of Basin’s water supply revealed this week that the disagreeable taste and odor which has affected the water for the last 10 days is caused by a chemical reaction between chlorine used in the municipal water purification plant and a phenal substance being introduced into the Big Horn River above town.  Three samples were sent to the state health department for analysis. One sample was raw river water, one from the settling basins after alum and lime had been added, and the third from water to which chlorine had been added. The phenal substance was discovered in all three samples, indicating that it existed in the river stream itself. 

The Shell-Sheridan road over the Big Horn Mountains was closed to through traffic today by the highway department. The road will remain closed to through traffic during the winter months it was reported.   

F.H. Woodruff & Sons have discontinued the raising of seed beans in the Wyoming area, E.W. Kinghorn, manager of the company’s Basin plant, announced this week. Mr. Kinghorn thus confirmed a report of long standing that the firm intended to curtail its operations in Wyoming. The basin installation will be maintained to process peas and radish seed. 

50 years ago

November 26, 1975

High winds and drifting snow interfered with highway traffic Monday night. U.S. 14 over the Big Horns remained closed to traffic as late as mid-morning Tuesday. Traffic in the vicinity of Pryor Gap Monday night was treacherous with slippery road conditions and extremely low visibility due to blowing snow. Nelson Wheeler, returning from Billings, encountered Mr. and Mrs. E.M. Kugler at Warren, Mont., where they were stranded after the car in which they were driving slid into the borrow pit and became stalled. Wheeler brought the Kuglers on to Basin and Kugler and his son returned to the Warren area Tuesday morning to retrieve the car. 

25 years ago

November 23, 2000

Martin and Kelli Mercer of Hyattville are the parents of a 6 pound, 11 ounce baby girl, Emma Cathryn, born at the Powell Hospital. 

Jessica Stricker is the Laura Irwin Elementary student of the month. The South Big Horn County Hospital District Board of Trustees didn’t get the clean bill of health it was hoping for during a recent facility inspection survey, which was by a state official. Instead, a few minor deficiencies were found. A letter outlining a plan of corrections has been sent to the state as soon as it arrives in their office, state officials could grant the SBHC board a provisional license to open the critical access hospital.