SOME OF THE EARLY TOWNS IN CROOK COUNTY.
HULETT, WYOMING
Town of Hulett was named for the first to settle in the area in 1881. Their mail to Spearfish, Dakota Territory, weeks and even months passed without any word from relatives and friends "back OnMarch 1, 1886, a Post Office was in the homeof Mr. and Mrs. Louis , Mr. Hulett was appointed Postmaster, he held until August 25, 1894.
Mail was carried on horseback and with a pack horse, when necessary, twice a week from the Forks Post Office, five miles east of the present town of Aladdin. The Forks Post Office was discontinued many years ago. Later the mail was carried from Minnesela, then from Belle Fourche, South Dakota.
Some of the early mail carriers were George Draine, Clyde Oviett, and John Berg. Albert Taylor, Troed Pearson, Alfred Nilson, Joe Farrell and Matt Whalen were others.
Willard A. Ripley became the next Postmaster and moved the office to the present town of Hulett. Other Postmasters until 1921 were James M. Cole, Augustus L. Ripley, Columbus C. Storm, John B. Baxter, Richard L. Bush, Elmore Engle and Inez T. Chittim.
Harvey, Edgar and Charles A. Wood opened the first store near Mr. Hulett's home in 1890 or 1891.
The beginning of Hulett at its present location was a store built in 1896 by Augustus L. Ripley with a dance hall above. This burned down and the present Cash Store was built on the lot.
The first school in the area was near the Hulett's home, the first schoolhouse in the new town was north of where Neiman's sawmill is located. The next school was north of the present Post Office.
A bridge was built across the Belle Fourche River at an early date and was repaired and replaced several times as the spring floods made it impossible to ford the river for long periods at a time.In 1924 an ice jam caused the river to flood the town. No great damage was done but it caused a great deal of excitement.
The town was platted in 1904 and the First Baptist Church was organized October 30, 1904, by Reverend Thomas M. Coffey, Pastor and assisted by Reverend Jacob Samuel Fallis Wood.
The Hulett State Bank was founded and opened on Monday, May 13, 1907. The President was John Pearson; Vice President, Jay A. Wood; Secretary, C.C. Storm; Directors, John Pearson, C.C. Storm, W.E. Tinckom, John T. Mahoney and Jay A. Wood. This building burned in 1925. On November 16, 1931, the bank was merged with the Sundance State Bank.
Herman Harry Gunderson published the first newspaper, "'TheIntermountain Globe". He also had the U.S. Land Office. Through his advertising many settlers came to the area. Later the paper was run by Mr. Irwin."The Blade" was in a building across the alley from Clarence Pearsons Saloon. Paul Yoeman ran it and later moved it to Lightning Flats. Clarence Pearson remembers that as a boy he worked in the office of "The Blade" running the inker and folding papers for fifty cents a week.
The first hotel was built by Charlie McCoy about 1906, west of where the Bush and Pearson store was later built. It was managed by Mel Brown at first, but later sold to Mr. and Mrs. William Tinckom.
Charlie McCoy was also a photographer and he traveled throughout the area in a covered wagon from his home in Hulett.
The first livery stable was owned by W.A. Moore. At one time there were two livery stables, William Tinckom, Fred Sutton and Carl Chaffin as owners.
Doctor Townsend had an office in Hulett in 1908. (Dr. Townsend originated the $200 a month Townsend Pension Plan). He moved from Hulett to Belle Fourche.
Dr. Loutham was the first doctor then Dr. J.L. Bostwick. Dr. Adams was the first Dentist. E.S. Richey was Justice of the Peace. When Justice Court was held, Mr. Gunderson would plead the case for one side and Mr. Kerr, the opposite side. They were called "Friends of the Court".
The first blacksmith shop was owned by Ben Bunch, followed by Abe Brown, Robert Tate and Sherman Brimmer. At one time Hulett had a tin shop and two pool halls. Ed Kerr owned a shoe store and did shoe repairing. Hal E. and Archie Turnearue operated a drug store and ice cream parlor. Louis J. Schiller owned and operated a flour mill and later a planing mill until he was murdered September 13, 1933.
The Odd Fellows built a hall about 1908 near the post office, bank and hotel. The Rebekah Lodge was instituted February 7, 1912.
Fire entered into the story of Hulett's growth. On January 4, 1925, the bank, hotel, pool hall and Odd Fellows hall were destroyed by fire. In 1933 the flour mill burned and the high school went up in flames in the 1940's. Vasey's Merchantile Store and Neiman's sawmill were destroyed by fire and Merle Johnson lost his sawmill a couple of times. They have been rebuilt.
In the spring of 1908 John Youngman, a member of the Hulett Tie and Timber Company, sent 4100 ties down the Belle Fourche
River to Belle Fourche, South Dakota. A boom was constructed across the river near the Rodeo grounds at Belle Fourche. There men with teams dragged the ties out of the river and piled them along the railroad track. The trip with the ties took 23 days, several men accompanied the ties on the drive with a houseboat. This boat was made by Mr. E.C. Powell and his son Vernon.
MOORCROFT, WYOMING
Before the coming of the railroad, there was a store and a combination saloon and road-house on the Belle Fourche River, at the mouth of Donkey Creek. These were run by
Jake (Jew Jake) Kaufman. Mail was left there as the stage traveled from Buffalo, Wyoming to Spearfish, South Dakota. This post office, LaBelle, wasn't satisfactory to the inspectors, so was moved to the A K ranch three miles below on the river. The new office was named Moorcroft by Mr. Stocks Miller, after his hometown in Scotland. With the coming of the railroad in 1891, the post office was moved to the depot and John Porter (foreman of the 101) was postmaster. However, the depot agent took care of the mail for him. In 1892 a mail route, making three trips per week was established between Moorcroft and Sundance, Wyoming. This route, which was driven by John Craft and C.W. Plato, also carried passengers.
One of the first depot agents was High Weaver. The first section foremen were Frank O'Connor and F.N. Zinn. Their families ran the section house which was the only eatery. Tom Cooney was section foreman and his brother, John, ran the pump house on the river. Water was pumped from the river, piped to the section house and depot for domestic use. It was used for the steam engines on the train.
L.H. Robinson came from Whitewood, South Dakota in 1893 and set up a store in a walled tent about twelve by fourteen feet. The post office was moved to his store and he served as postmaster for seven years.
The Jeremiah Noonan family (nine children) came in 1897. Mr. Noonan served as section foreman for fifteen years. In 1901 they built the town's second hotel. J.K. Somers, who succeeded Lou Robinson as postmaster, had built a hotel in 1897.
The first school teachers were Lucy Nefsy, Maggie and Jennie Davis, who held classes in private homes. A schoolhouse was built in
1901, followed by a High School building in 1909. In 1929, a gymnasium was added to the original High School building.
J.A. Whitcher owned a livery stable in 1900. He sold it to Frank G. Hazelton, who operated it until gasoline came of age. Mr. Hazelton had Moorcroft's first car, a Reo.
Doctors stayed only a short time. Dr. N.H. Baker was the first. He was followed in quick succession by Doctors Metz and Nathan. A lady doctor, Elizabeth Newcomer, came in 1906.
In 1906, the Moorcroft Bank was organized with L.H. Robinson, W.J. McCrea and John W. Rogers as officers.
There was a lumberyard established in 1908 by George Briggs and his son, Stewart. J.L. Michaels had a barbershop and pool hall. Charles F. Shilling printed the first copy of the Moorcroft Times, November 5, 1909. It was followed by the Moorcroft Blade, published by E.J. McKinney on December 8, 1910.
There was a Bible study class begun in 1905 by H.W. Baintan, a state missionary for the Presbyterian church. Like the doctors, there was a series of pastors; Reverend Higgins, Reverend Van Horn, then a Reverend Grain. In 1909 Reverend C.T. McCambell raised a thousand dollars and a new church was constructed. The first church officers were: H.G. Fetter, James K. Somers, S.A. Gutherie and Mrs. Mary McAllister.
The Noonan family started St. Patrick's Catholic Church in 1916. On the third Sunday in April, 1917, it was dedicated by Reverend John T. Nicholson. The lot for the building was donated by the Lincoln Land Company, and construction costs were $800.
Moorcroft was incorporated on October second 1906 with Frank Hazelton as mayor. Other officers were: Charles Lewis, clerk;, Dr. Newcomber, treasurer, and Steve Daily, mar-shall. The councilmen were: W.K. Somers, John F. Daley, J.L. Michaels and Charles Kir-by. C.E. Kackley was Justice of Peace. W.K. Somers was the town's first lawyer, and later a U.S. Commissioner.
In the early 1900's, Moorcroft supported three general stores, two hotels, two newspapers, one bank, one meat market, one post office, one drug store, one pool hall-barber shop, one cafe, one novelty store, one lumber yard, one grain elevator, one bakery, one flour mill, one creamery, one abstract office and FIVE saloons.
Livestock was the main industry, starting with the early trail herds. During 1894, there were thirty-two herds passing through Moorcroft from Texas. These herds consisted of from two to four thousand head of cattle and would string out for miles.
Moorcroft was the largest shipping point on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad until shortly after the end of World War II. During the 1890's it was the largest shipping point in the United States.
In the spring of 1899, the Standard Cattle Company placed this grocery order as they prepared to go on their spring roundup:
5500 lbs. flour @ $2.25 per hundred 2000 lbs. Arbuckle coffee, whole kernel
@ 27 cents per lb. 1800 lbs. dried fruit; prunes, peaches,apricots, apples @ 10cents to 14 cents per lb.
203 lbs bacon @ 11.50 $ per lb.
100 lbs hominy @ $3.00
3 kegs pickles @ $1.40 per keg
2 bs. pepper @ 16.50 per lb.
5 lbs. baking powder @ $1.22
25 lbs. tea @ 31 cents per lb.
1 barrel salt @ $4.90 per barrel
500 lbs beans @ 5cents per lb.
3 kegs syrup @ $1.49 per keg
100 lbs. onions @ 4cents per lb.
20 lbs. lard 1.25 per lb.
100 lbs. oatmeal .03.25 cents per lb.
100 lbs. cornmeal @ 2cents per lb.
Gradually the trail herds vanished and individual ranches came into being.(Source: Crook County Historical Society Mrs. D.B. (Frances) Ruland and Mrs. Harley (Shirley) Rathbun
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