We brought back the truly historical edition

Welcome to Lovell’s Days 2026 and with it the 56^th printing of our historical edition.

The Lovell Chronicle historical edition was launched by then publisher Ron Lytle in 1971 as a way to recoup some of the history lost when the Chronicle building burned in the early 1930s, taking valuable archives with it.

That first edition in ’71 included features on the glass factory, Lutheran cemetery, Main Street paving in 1910, the Medicine Wheel, the creation of Mustang Days (now Lovell’s Days) and more.

We have printed literally hundreds of historical stories over the decades, stories that tell the rich history of our remarkable community. It has truly been a labor of love for reporters and editors over time.

We deviated from the truly historical nature of the edition in 2024 and 2025, focusing on what makes our community special under the banner “We believe in Lovell and North Big Horn County” featuring various aspects of our community, from a superb hospital to the best sugar production anywhere.

Our special edition has returned to its roots this year with numerous stories by our wonderful staff historian and reporter John Bernhisel, along with stories by Karen Spragg and this editor.

Stories include the history of the Volga Germans who immigrated from Russia in the early 20^th century and launched the sugar beet industry in the West, the river formerly known as Stinking Water, the history of the Cal S. Taggart Visitor Center at Bighorn Canyon, the story of Tie Flume, celebrating our oldest veteran, Frank Wilkerson, early pioneer families in Lovell, the retirement of longtime North Big Horn Hospital nurse Jackie Bischoff and the tragic tale of Frank and Viola Annerer of the Dryhead country.

John B is a master researcher, and much of his work, and the editor’s research on the Annerer story, has been done by reading old newspaper stories on various archive websites, blending old and new technology.

Personally, I had great fun, guided by John, researching the Annerer story, a tragic tale of a young woman struck down by a bullet fired by her jealous husband, who then turned the gun on her lover, Seth Tripp, in a cabin north of the Caroline Lockhart Ranch. Frank Annerer said the bullet was intended for Seth, not Viola, and he was found not guilty by a jury in Red Lodge, even though Tripp also perished in the shooting.

Newspapers are the caretakers of history for thousands of communities across the country, providing day-to-day accounts of life that cannot be replicated anywhere else. Even in today’s internet world, the vast majority of reputable news stories are generated from newspapers or at least by journalists of the same profession.

Try to imagine a future world without newspapers. In 50 or 100 years, will people be able to look back on recorded history held in electronic files generated in the ever-changing technology of the modern era? Will we even be able to read files of today in 100 years? Think about the boxes of VHS tapes most families have sitting in the basement or a closet.

The point is, as antiquated as newspapers seem to be for some folks, we provide a valuable service by recording history in an easily accessed form. Here’s hoping we’re around for many years to come.

We invite you to enjoy this year’s historical edition and the regular edition of the Chronicle this week. And welcome to Lovell’s Days, a grand event, as usual, though we still miss the name Mustang Days.

Here’s to a fun week.