Voices From The Past

From The Examiner Files

 

September 15, 2022



September 15, 1922

Getting Ready to Ship Cattle

The latter part of this month many stockmen from this county will start their cattle to the railroad for shipment to eastern markets.

Gene Garber and Ord Ames will load cattle at Kendrick station on the Burlington September 24th. H.F. Riggs and Martin Nagels will load at Moorcroft September 29, as will also Frank T. Kelsey. Other shipping points will be Gillette and Belle Fourche.

DeLos Selway, Sidney Smith, W.J. Simmons are Pumpkin Creek stockmen who have already made stock shipments from Miles City. Tarbell & Orschel are the first stockmen from this county who had cattle on the South Omaha market. J.F. Blenkner shipped from Miles City with the Rowseys. Numerous other stockmen from this county will soon be ready to hit the trail for market.

Tarbell & Orschel received $7 for their steers and $5 for their cows which is a higher price than received last year. Since then the market seems to have declined for J.F. Blenkner received $6.50 at a top price for steers and $4.50 for cows.

Since the last reports, however, another improvement is noted in the market quotations for on September 11 on the Chicago market beef ranged from 50 cents to $2 higher. The prices on good grade meats at Chicago September 11 were: beef, $16-17.50, veal, $16 to $20; lambs, $23 to $27; mutton, $12 to $15.50; light pork loins, $26 to $27; heavy loins, $13 to $20.

September 12, 1947

Few Veterans Cashed Terminal Leave Bonds

There was no rush to cash terminal leave bonds in Broadus Tuesday morning, the date set by Congress when the bonds could be cashed. On Tuesday, there were 29 veterans of World War II who presented their bonds for cash. Up until Tuesday of this week, the total number of bonds cashed amounted to 33. The total value of the bonds cashed was $6,699.59. There were about 400 veterans of World War II in Powder River County and most of these are the possessors of terminal leave bonds. The bonds were cashed by the Powder River County Bank and much of the receipts from the bonds were put on deposit in the bank.

September 14, 1972

Gas Plant is Thing of the Past

By Mrs. Roy Irion

According to K.L. Knickel, superintendent for Milliron Engineering Co. Inc. of Pampa, Texas, the Belle Creek gas plant will be moved completely by the time this has gone to press. On Friday of last week, a huge crane arrived from Billings on three trucks to complete the dismantling of the processing plant which was once a thriving industry in Powder River County. The crane, belonging to Strong, Inc., of Billings has the capacity of lifting 70 tons and is shown lifting a seventy-eight foot gas processing tower from its base to be loaded on to trucks and hauled to near Roosevelt, Utah. Gary operating employees, as well as Millrion employees are on the sight in Utah putting the plant back together. The large tower weighed in excess of 23,000 lbs. The Strong, Inc. crane was also used to load the seven 27,000 lb. motors and the 38,000 lb. compressors on to the trucks. All trucking of the plant was done be B.F. Walker trucking company. It took about fifty loads to move the four million dollar gas processing plant to Utah.

Mr. Nickel commented that he was at the site when the plant was moved into the Belle Creek field and never dreamed at that time that he would see the day when he would be moving it again. Gary Operating Co. will be operating the plant in Utah. Eleven families have moved from the Belle Creek community to Roosevelt. There are two more families to move before Sept. 15th. Leaving Powder River County with the Milliron crew will be Don Strait, son of Mr. and Mrs. Vonnie Aguiniga and family, Mr. Bob Adkinson and Mr. and Mrs. Tom Stolp and family. Stolp is the son-in-law of Dean Cox of Belle Creek.

Other local men employed by Milliron the past few months have been Mike Earley and Dave Richards, whom Mr. Nickel said have not inquired about going to Utah with him but that he would take them if they want to go. “I could not have had a better crew than I have had here in Powder River County,” were Mr. Nickel’s final remarks, “these boys know how to work and are not afraid to put in a day.” A compliment on our local youth!

At Roosevelt the pouring of cement is well underway with 900 yards of the 1100 yards of cement foundations for the plant already poured. Overseeing the installation in Utah are Ralph Milliron, owner of the company, and Mr. Malcom Meeks, as well as Bob Williams, foreman for Gary Operating Co.

Soon the sight of this once thriving industry, which at its peak of production employed about twenty men, will be returned to meadows, only the empty space will remain as a landmark in Powder River County, making history. The tax revenue from the plant was between $1300 and $1400 in 1971, however, in 1972 it would have come under a new law, under which it was no longer termed a new industry and the taxes would have amounted to much more than previously had been paid under the new business law. Thus, our tax evaluation will not show much change with the moving of the plant, except that the county has lost an industry as well as some of its population. The school system seems to be the shortest with all of these families moving out of Belle Creek.

But who knows, maybe the coal will bring new industry of even the possibility of opening up the long unproduced Pumpkin Creek gas field will become a reality in the future.

 

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