This early photograph shows President Theodore Roosevelt delivering a whistlestop speech in Casper at the Chicago and North Western Railroad Station. Photo courtesy of the Frances Seely Webb Collection, Casper College Western History Center.
When the Cheyenne Boosters visited Casper, the Natrona County Tribune noted this week in 1909, "Casper greeted the boosters with a street full of people waiting to get a glad hand to the folks from the south. … The Casper band—the crack musical organization of the state, and incidentally engaged to play in Cheyenne during Frontier—was on hand with a program of most enjoyable music." Pictured: Casper Band playing at Cheyenne Frontier Days, 1909. (Chuck Morrison Collection, Casper College Western History Center.)
The Petroleum Building at Center and Second streets dwarfs the Saddle Rock Cafe, lower left, pictured in 1954. On June 8, 1959, a dispute between picketing restaurant workers and the cafe's owner led to disturbance and assault charges. See story. (Photo by Ken Ball. Casper Area Chamber of Commerce Collection, Casper College Western History Center.)
Privatized: "Casper's old Washington School, known as Central School when the first part of it was built in 1890, may crumble under the bulldozer of progress, if the Casper-Midwest school board decides to … dispose of the highly valuable property to private interests." Pictured: Washington School at First and Durbin, circa 1962. It was sold that year to Wyoming National Bank and is now the site of Wells Fargo. (Frances Seely Webb Collection, Casper College Western History Center.)
Photo by Jerre Jones, courtesy Casper Journal Collection, Casper College Western History Center This February 1983 photo shows District Attorney Scott Evans briefing the press about 16-year-old Merri Kae Richards, whose body was found in a dumpster in Casper. Evans announced that a suspect had been arrested in the murder a week after the crime.
Photo courtesy the Jack E. Atzinger Collection, Casper College Western History Center This studio portrait shows Boney Earnest with his wife Nattie, taken in celebration of their 50th anniversary. Earnest died two years later and the photo was published in the Oct. 20, 1933, Casper Tribune-Herald to commemorate his passing.
"W. S. Kimball, Druggist." (No date). (Frances Seely Webb Collection, Casper College Western History Center)
This undated photo shows the old railroad depot at Waltman. Reported in the Sept. 30, 1908, Natrona County Tribune, the town of Mokoma was renamed Waltman. Photo by Chuck Morrison, courtesy Chuck Morrison Collection, Casper College Western History Center.
This undated photo shows the grave marker for George W. Pike, placed in Douglas. The gravestone was ordered by Pike's friend Lee Moore in 1908. Photo courtesy the David Collection, Casper College Western History Center.
This detail from an early photo shows the courthouse (left) and the jailhouse (right) as they were in 1908, when Adia Irwin and Frank Seese escaped through a hole broken out of the north wall of the jailhouse. Photo courtesy Frances Seely Webb Collection, Casper College Western History Center.
CAPTURED — The Jan. 30, 1958, edition of the Casper Tribune-Herald declared: "Multiple Killer Confesses: Charles Starkweather, 19, of Lincoln, Nebraska, slouches in Converse County jail in Douglas after his gun-point capture Wednesday [Jan. 29]. … (H)e dyed his shabby red hair with black shoe polish to mislead his armed pursuers." Execution by electric chair took place June 25, 1959. (Photo by Carl Ketchum. Chuck Morrison Collection, Casper College Western History Center.)
This early photo shows Durbin Street, looking south from the old Central School ground. In September of 1908, the Casper Town Council passed and ordinance requiring property owners on Durbin Street to construct concrete sidewalks in front of their respective properties. Photo courtesy Ruth Scott Hocker Collection, Casper College Western History Center.
Photo courtesy of Eva Huffard, Chuck Morrison Collection, Casper College Western History Center This early 20th century photo shows a sheep shearing operation. In the competition for grazing land between the cattle and sheep ranchers, Casper was a sheep town.
UNFORESEEN HARM — This week in 1909, Northwestern Asbestos Mills Co. machinery rolled toward Casper Mountain and Smith Creek, where the company would build mills to "manufacture the fiber into the various articles of commerce …, thus avoiding the shipment of the fiber to eastern manuracturers." The company also expected to use "waste product from the crushers … which will make excellent fireproof roofing, siding and the like for building purposes." Pictured: Asbestos mill near Casper (no date). (Art Randall Collection, Casper College Western History Center.)
For decades, Casper's schools required pupils to wear uniforms; here is an example of school uniforms from 1920. Pictured: Charles "Strick" Hemry and Kathleen Hemry. (Kathleen Hemry Collection, Casper College Western History Center.)
John B. Kendrick. (No date). Photo from Earle G. Burwell Collection, Casper College Western History Center.
"On Slate Hill, Headed for Pathfinder Dam, May 8, 1909. The "Reo" Chauffeuer [sic - Chauffeur], A. J. Mokler, E.Richard Shipp." (Mokler Collection, Casper College Western History Center)
The June 2, 1909, Natrona County Tribune announced the completion of the Pathfinder Dam. Construction (pictured) lasted five years. The diversion tunnel (lower middle with water rushing out) "was drilled through solid granite at an expense of $33,000." (Frances Seely Webb Collection, Casper College Western History Center.)
"When the matter of selecting a court house site was up for consideration two years ago [in 1907]," Hugh L. 'Colorado' Patton, pictured, "secured the deed for the lots and paid for them. … [Last] week a number of … citizens subscribed $1,200 and reimbursed Mr. Patton. … [The] city has commenced the grading and leveling of Center street between Third and Fourth avenue." Third is now First Street, and Fourth became A Street. (Courtesy/Frances Seely Webb Collection, Casper College Western History Center)
To the left of the Marshall Apartments (corner of Midwest and David) can be seen the Casper Hotel, probably shown in the 1920s. A daughter of 'Jailer Cook' ran to the hotel to summon help when prisoner Archie Kelsey attempted to escape the jail (not pictured, across the street to the west) this week in 1909. (Natrona County Pioneer Association Collection, Casper College Western History Center.)
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