100 Years Ago

Aug. 8, 1918

Goshen County Journal

Sgt. Frank Coats home on furlough

Sgt. Frank Coats, formerly minister at the Methodist Church here, is home on sick leave from Camp Lewis, Wash., where he has been training for some time past.

He had a misfortune to injure his knee cap while at athletic drill about four weeks ago, suffering a broken cartilage and throwing the knee out of joint. Doctors are unable to say if the injury will be permanent, but hold out hopes of ultimate recovery.

Sgt. Coats was allowed 10 days furlough to visit his wife, whom he married just prior to going away to training camp.

Manpower bill introduced

A new administrative manpower bill, extending the selective service act to all men between the ages of 18 and 45 inclusive, was introduced Monday in both houses of Congress.

The measure was referred to the military committee. Congressional leaders plan to have it considered this month.

Senator Chamberlain presented a communication from the Secretary of War, showing the number of men affected by the bill. Figures indicate 2,398,000 men between the ages of 18 and 20 and 501,000 men between 32 and 45 would be subject to military service.

75 Years Ago

Aug. 5, 1943

City officials may improve air port

Realizing that improvement of the local airport may be a boon to Torrington during the post-war period, city officials were approached Tuesday evening by civil engineers who offered their services in the event any decision is reached in the near future.

A. E. Slee, city engineer of Longmont, Colo., and Ramon Runyan, who have formed the partnership of Runyan and Slee, laid their proposition before the council and mayor. Slee complimented our officials for the improvements made in Torrington without the services of an engineer on the permanent payroll of the city. 

He suggested, besides improvements of the local airport, the construction of a band shell in the city park.

Large crowd witnesses 

salute to farm laborers

In recognition of the splendid cooperation among farmers, volunteer workers and others on the Food Production front, Gov. L. C. Hunt paid tribute to Goshen County Victory Farm Volunteers and Women’s Land Army workers at a public meeting in the Lingle Park on Saturday evening.

The meeting, sponsored by the Emergency Farm Labor Committee and the County Extension, was attended by more than 1,000 Goshen County residents.

Gov. Hunt, in telling of Wyoming’s contributions to the war effort, told of the greatness of agriculture in the state and the need for all-out effort to produce and harvest food. The Lingle program is the first of this nature to be held in the state. Credit also goes to the Lingle community and Goshen County for the best use of volunteer and non-farm labor as members of the Crop Corps.

50 Years Ago

Aug. 5, 1968

Bond cost minor for average taxpayer

According to the “Friends of the Library,” the $70,000 bond issue for a new library would amount to 54-cents per year, per $1,000 assessed valuation for the average county taxpayer.

Normally, property with a market value of $10,000 has an assessed value of approximately $2,500, or one-quarter its actual market value. Property with an assessed value of $3,000 would cost an additional $1.62 per year for the bond issue. A retirement period for the bonds has been set for five years.

The Goshen County Library is supported by taxes from the entire county. Wyoming Library Laws have set up the system on a county basis so there are no city supported libraries in Wyoming.

Little Leaguers cop Nevada regional

The Wyoming State Little League champion Torrington All-Stars won the regional tournament at Elko, Nev., last week. The red-hot conquerors shutout Colorado State Champions Grand Junction 5-0 on Thursday and edged Reno, Nev., 4-3 in the championship finals game on Saturday.

The Torrington boys advance to the Sectional Tournament in Gallup, N.M., to meet Albuquerque, N.M., on Tuesday. The winner of that game will play the winner of a game between Tucson, Ariz., and Phoenix, Ariz., for the championship. 

The tournament winner will advance to another sectional competition in Portland, Ore. The winner of that tournament will advance to the National Tournament in Williamsport, Penn.

25 years ago

Aug. 4, 1993

Tigers repeat as state champs

With many in the Torrington baseball community still buzzing over last week’s victory by the Babe Ruth 13-year-old all-stars in the state championship, the community’s American Legion diamond squad, the Tigers, shoved its way into the spotlight Monday as it won the Wyoming Legion Title for the second consecutive season.

And just as its Babe Ruth counterparts had, the Tigers captured the crown in dramatic fashion, storming back from a 7-3 deficit in the last two innings of the title game against the Wheatland Lobos, to notch an 8-7 victory. Even more ironic for local diamond buffs was how Monday’s Tigers comeback in Evanston was launched, by a three-run Jim Bob Humphrey homer. 

Sportsman’s range may be shot down

The fate of the land housing the Goshen County Sportsman’s Club shooting range will be debated in a public meeting this Friday.

Wyoming Game Warden Joe Gilbert, an advocate for the range, said the 80-acre tract containing the shooting range has been nominated for sale by the grazing lessee who wants to convert the land to private ownership. The shooting range consists of three acres of what used to be a gravel pit.

Gilbert contends the grazing lessees, Howard and Donna Beth Downer, want to purchase the land and get rid of the range because it is close to their home. Donna Beth said they wish to purchase the land because people are shooting in areas with cattle close by and are leaving gates open, allowing cattle to get out.