Voices from the Past

July 22, 1921

Homestake Doing Local Coal Work

Joe Marengo, accompanied by another man, arrived Monday night from Lead, S.D., to work at the Sand Creek coal bank this summer in the interests of the Homestake Mining Company. He brought with him a supply of tools and is prepared to stay until fall. It is said that Marengo will improve the roadway from John Rogge’s place to the mine, making it more accessible for teams and wagons. The coal mine is about five miles west of Broadus and has an exposed vein nearly 30 feet in thickness.

July 19, 1946

Powell Ranch Yearlings Set Record at Billings

Powder River County fed yearlings topped the market at Billings on July 8th with the highest price ever paid in Billings for that type of stock. L.D. Powell and Sons shipped a load of the fed yearlings to the Billings market and part of them sold for $19.80, the all time high at the Billings market. Powell & Sons have for years specialized in raising fine Hereford cattle. They have a herd of purebreds and have built up a large market for their bulls.

Moorhead Ranch Sold for Near Record Price

What is thought to be a record price was paid recently for a piece of Powder River County land. Woodrow Ewalt paid $3,000 for 187.75 acres of land to Thomas M. Preston. The land is located in sections 28 and 29 in township 7 south of range 49 east. This price is over $15 per acre and it is the small acreage that has made it bring such a big price. Mr. Preston moved from his place last winter to take over the management of his sister’s ranch on Powder River between Broadus and Powderville.

July 22, 1971

McCurdy Contributes Museum to School System

“It was a grand gesture and a stroke of luck for the Powder River County schools when Mr. McCurdy contributed his museum to the school system.” This was the comment of Superintendent Ray Mace when plans were competed to move Mac’s Museum to the high school building in Broadus.

R.D. (Mac) McCurdy, who is the originator and curator of the museum, and his sons, Neal and Bob, and daughter, Mrs. Dick (Claire) Shamley, recently agreed to the new location of the museum. Mr. McCurdy and children own all the museum’s articles which consist of over 10,000 items. The museum contains rock and mineral collections, sea shells, moths and butterflies, Indian artifacts, and a large variety of other educational material. Specimens in the collection have been obtained from nations throughout the world.

Superintendent Mace became interested in Mac’s Museum this summer and its vast wealth of educational material. After conferring with McCurdy and the school board, the plan was agreed upon to house the museum in the school building where children and all others who are interested would have ready access to the valuable educational resource.

Mr. Mace said: “The students of Powder River County will have access to much valuable information and a wealth of historical knowledge at their fingertips. The museum falls into three basic categories of archeology, anthropology and the biological sciences. There is much to enrich the teaching of courses in these areas besides the aesthetic values and pleasures of browsing through a museum.”

“The people of Powder River County can be proud to have such a valuable asset contributed to the schools. There will be much work in setting the museum up so it can be utilized as an educational resource, but Mr. McCurdy has been gracious and intends to lend much time and effort to the project. Plans are in the works to put much of the history on magnetic tapes so the wealth of information that Mr. McCurdy carries in his head will be preserved.”

“We hope to have a basic ‘set up’ by the time school opens and some finishing touches added by the time we have open house for the public on the new addition.”

Mr. McCurdy is busy planning the move and has started packing a few things. He said he plans to use his present showcases, glassed frames and filing system for the time being. He added, “I am in hopes that the school may be able to obtain a grant to finance needed improvements. As it stands now there is no money to finance needed improvement in the display and cataloging systems.”

He plans to begin the move early in August to the old library room in the high school.

Mr. Mace added, “I think the school system is very fortunate to acquire such an item and may it always be used with care and to advantage.” (Editor’s note: Mac’s Museum is now located in the Powder River Historical Museum, in downtown Broadus.)

July 18, 1996

Reunion Golf Tourney Results

Results of the All-Class Reunion Sunday, July 6 golf tournament have been posted by organizer Gary DeGooyer.

Winning the tourney was the team of Doug Stuart, Carole Richards and Jim McGill, who finished with a score of 68. Don Voorhees, Dixie Wilson, and Trent McDowell came in second (by 3 inches of string) with a score of 69. Shane LaPlant, Jason Arithson, and Jim Espy won third with a 69 – no string left. In fourth place with a score of 70 was the team of Rick Hessman, Brett Emmons and Wayne Alderman.

Flag prize winners were: hole 1, long drive in the fairway, ladies, Billie Knudson; hole 2, shortest drive, Josh Gardner; hole 3, closest to the pin out of the sand, Pat Franklin; hole 4, two dollars in the pot – the one closest gets the money, Rick Hessman; hole 5, long putt in one on the green, Jim Moutrey; hole 6, closest to the pin in two, Gordon Christianson; hole 7, closest to the hole in one, men and ladies – ladies, Linda Cole Bianco and men, Don Vorhees; hole 8, closest to the string on the drive, Dick Craft, and hole 9, long drive fairway, men, Moory Wilson.