Pages of the Past

100 years ago

August 20, 1925

On Tuesday night the members of the Young Ladies’ class of the Baptist church gathered at the home of Miss Agnes Wheeler at a slumber surprise party in honor of Miss Agnes and of their teacher, Miss Opal Bruce. Those present were Misses Maxine Smith, Ada and Francis Pelley, Nina Peavler, Myrtle Johnston, Gladys Crosier and the honor guests. 

Miss Laura Mackenzie, the new librarian of the Big Horn County Library, arrived yesterday from Miles City, Mont., and has taken over her work. 

On the Jim Wheeler farm just north of the stock yards, there is a field of soybeans which is easy to get at, being close to the road. This is the first field of soybeans to be grown in this county as an experiment. They are growing well and will be ripe in two weeks’ time. 

75 years ago 

August 17, 1950

Men of the Wyoming Gas company early next week will begin decorating Fourth and C streets for the Big Horn County Fair & Night Rodeos of August 25 and 26, J.T. Bishop, company president, announced this week. The utility firm traditionally has offered this service. Lamp posts will be festooned with flags and colored bunting to add a festive air to the main business district during the week of the famous two-day celebration. 

Otto high school athletes have been notified to report for football practice this week, Boys to play football from our district are Larry Shepard, Melvin Anderson, Calvin Wardell, Kendall Yorgason, Grant Sanders and Roy Williams.

Members of the Basin Junior Chamber of Commerce, augmented by George Chapman and Pete Ode of the Town of Basin crew, turned out Sunday to begin the distribution of sign posts which will bear the names of Basin streets.

50 years ago

August 20, 1975

The Big Horn County fair got under way in Basin last Saturday night with a demolition derby sponsored at the fairgrounds by the Greybull Racing Assn. Attendance was good, according to Kip McIntosh. Twenty-two entries registered compared to 36 last year. Lawrence Good took first place, Second place went to Francis Getzfreid, Jr., and third place went to Bob Russell. Wally Tolman won the losers heat. 

Faculties and operating staffs for the schools of District 4 are complete, according to information released Monday by School Superintendent David McClaren. For the first time, schools at Hyattville, Manderson and Basin will function under the school reorganization plan as part of a single district. 

25 years ago 

August 17, 2000

Don’t even try to swap snake stories with Ken and Sherry Fink because you probably won’t come close to topping what happened to them last week. All was quiet in the Fink household in the wee hours of Aug. 10. Suddenly, at what Sherry estimates was around 3 a.m., Ken heard a hissing sound and thought it was the sprinkler system coming on. He couldn’t figure out why it would be turning on at that hour, so he quietly got out of bed, sans lights, walked out into the hall and something nailed him in the foot. As soon as Sherry saw it she knew it was a rattlesnake.