From our files: Ewing-Snell ranch house burns 10 years ago

100 years ago, Dec. 18, 1925

The Cowley Progress

State Treasurer John M. Snyder and Architect William Dubois of Cheyenne were here last Thursday and selected the site for the building of the state tuberculosis sanitarium on the Broadmoore tract south of town. The building will face south and east, which will allow for the greatest amount of sun space for patients. The building will be 100 by 70 feet, fireproof and three stories high of brick and stone. The first unit will cost approximately $120,000 and will be a 30-bed hospital.

The third story of the building will contain quarters for the infirmary and semi-ambulant cases. The second story will have the medical and business administration, also part of the service section consisting of kitchen, dining room, diet kitchen and storerooms. The first or ground floor will contain additional service requirements, such as heating plant and rooms devoted to occupational therapy. Sun porches will be built at each end of the building upon which patients may rest.

75 years ago, Dec. 21, 1950

The Lovell Chronicle

Mr. and Mrs. A.B. Kinnam of Oregon Basin announce the engagement of their daughter Dione Alberta to Newton B. Gorbutt, son of Mr. and Mrs. M.C. Gorbutt of Lovell. A Yuletide wedding is planned for the 19^th of December at the LDS Church in Cody. Miss Kinnan graduated from Cody High with the Class of 1950 and is now employed as bookkeeper for the Shoshone Garage and Implement Co. Newt is employed with the Western Construction Co. in Lovell.

50 years ago, Dec. 18, 1975

The Lovell Chronicle

The annual rush to get license plates in 1976 will be altered in several ways with the switch to a three-year system of licensing. There will be no reserve numbers issued the first 21 days of January, since every 1975 license plate stays with the vehicle owner. Instead the owner will have to buy one blue sticker, about an inch square which reads “Wyo 76” and has a serial number on it. This will be placed on only the lower right of the rear end license plate.

Though the sticker is small compared with the two license plates that used to be purchased each year, it is double the price in state taxes. For instance, the state fee on automobiles used to be $7.50; that doubles to $15. The same is true for truck fees, which started at $7.50 and go higher according to weight.

25 years ago, Dec. 14, 2000

The Lovell Chronicle

Three area men brought some hardware from the State Arm Wrestling Championships in Douglas December 9 at the Oasis Restaurant. Devin Bair of Byron captured first place in both the left and right hand divisions at 154 pounds. Jamie Petrich of Byron took first place in 198 pounds in the right hand division and third place in the left hand division. Travis Davis of Lovell was fourth in the left hand division at heavyweight. With their first-place finishes, Bair and Petrich qualify for the World Championships in October in Petuluma, California.

10 years ago, Dec. 17, 2015

The Lovell Chronicle

A piece of local history was lost last Wednesday when the ranch house at the Ewing-Snell Ranch, one of four historic ranches in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, burned to the ground. It was an emotional loss for local history lovers and members of the National Park Service staff, some of whom painstakingly restored the venerable structure several years ago. The ranch house was used for many events and scientific and artistic residencies.