Natrona County Tribune, 1909

Response time -- "Want An Auto Fire Truck.

"At a special meeting of the town coucil ... the matter of purchasing an auto fire truck for the Casper fire department was up for consideration. A representative of an auto truck firm was present and explained the advantages of the machine, and while the council favored the purchase of such a truck, no definite conclusion was reached as to its purchase, but the matter will not be forgotten, and at some subsequent meeting the council may conclude to purchase one. ... Chief Harold Banner has been instructed to communicate with manufacturers and ascertain prices, etc."

Stairway to safety -- "Now for the Fire Escapes.

"At the meeting of the town council held Monday evening an order was made that all two and three story buildings, which were not already provided with fire escapes, would be closed to the public if fire escapes were not provided before the first of November, 1909. Fire escapes were ordered on all these buildings about two years ago, and while some readily complied with the order, others have entirely ignored it, but it is thought they will get busy now."

Casper Tribune-Herald, 1934

Stimulus working -- "BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT BOOSTED HERE ...

"Money expended for building construction and improvement in Casper during the first nine months of 1934 has already soared 280 per cent above the total amounts expended during the whole of last year. ... The increase may well exceed 300 per cent when this year's story is told. ...

"Building permits have aggregated $63,465 thus for the year as compared with total expenditures last year of only $17,980.

"The records do not take into account construction projects entailing less than $100 each. A host of minor jobs of shingling, painting, repairing, etc., have provided employment for construction and building tradesmen.

"Largest building permit granted this year was for the remodeling of the structure occupied by Montgomery Ward and company, which called for $17,000. Other recent construction activities were the Rialto-remodeling, $5,500; and alternations to the Gladstone hotel, $10,000."

Casper Tribune-Herald, 1959

In the event of an actual emergency -- "Civil Defense Officials Briefed on Survival Plan

"... The survival plan, which was developed in May, 1959, is a description of the course of action to be taken in a given crisis, describing in specific terms who does what, when, where, and how. It covers a plan of operations for emergency government to be used in the event of an enemy attack or natural disaster. ...

"(T)wo cities in Wyoming have been designated by the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization as target areas. ... Casper and Cheyenne ... were chosen ... because both cities have airport facilities for strategic aircraft and industrial or strategic retaliatory capabilities."

Tuning up -- An editorial Oct. 18 explained the "Secret of Success

"There are approximately 1,000 symphony orchestras in the United States. Many of these orchestras are fine musical organizations. Some are not. For every outstanding symphony orchestra performing today, there is a vigorous and active women's association behind it. The orchestras that are failing have either no women's association working for them or a weak and ineffectual one.

"Casper has a newly-organized Symphony Women's Association ... led by women willing to work and alert to the needs of the Civic Symphony. We hope it will develop into a strong and active association. If it does, there will be a fine Civic Symphony in Casper. If it does not, there will not."

Casper Star-Tribune, 1984

Unsafe at any speed -- "Magazine says trucks carry nuke cargos

"... The Department of Energy routinely uses unmarked trucks to haul nuclear warheads, plutonium, and warhead components throughout the nation on interstate highways -- including those in Wyoming -- the Progressive magazine reported. ...

"A single lightly-guarded truck may carry up to 12 warheads, with a combined explosive yield of 1.2 million tons of TNT -- the equivalent of about 1,000 Hirshima bombs. ...

"(T)he trucks sometimes carry warheads through Casper, Cheyenne, Buffalo and Sheridan on Interstate 25, through Cheyenne, Laramie, Rawlins, Rock Springs and Evanston on Interstate 90 [sic, I-80] and through Buffalo, Gillette and Moorcroft on Interstate 90. ...

"The article reported:

"* The trucks travel through all of the lower 48 states. ...

"* They pick up and deliver at 110 sites around the country, including Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne.

"* (T)he trucks ... are exempt from regulations requiring trucks to display signs that declare their explosive and radioactive contents.

"* State governors are kept in the dark about the nuclear traffic within their borders.

"* Three-fourths of the nation's warhead shipments are made by highway. Less than one fourth are by rail. ...

The couriers who drive and guard the trucks ... are armed with pistols, shotguns, automatic rifles and grenade launchers. ...

"(T)he trucks can be identified by the unusual square-rigged radio antenna on top of the tractor cab, by the unmarked, unpainted steel sides on the trailer; and by U.S. Government license plates on front and back, beginning with the letter E for Energy Department."

"A Look Back in Time" is made possible with the help of Western History Archivist Kevin S. Anderson at the Casper College Western History Center, which is open to the public. Quotation marks surround stories as they appeared in the Casper newspapers 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago, with their original grammar, punctuation and spelling, unless otherwise noted. You can contact Corryne at corrynedrake@gmail.com.