Art Gallery, gas stations and more

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent
With Leonard Cash
 
After wrapping up the history on the Newcastle Mortuary in last week’s installment of “History on Main,” historian Leonard Cash moves on to the art studio that occupied the Isabella’s building so many years ago. 
According to an article from the Sept. 1, 1966, News Letter Journal, George Butler (who served as a photographer in the Army during World War II, according to Cash) opened up a studio in the present-day Patrick Crow law firm and was having a grand opening Thursday through Saturday, featuring Komac Colorizer paints. Over that weekend, guests would be treated to a selection of paints, as well as free giveaways of decorating guides, coffee, donuts and “balloons and candy for the kiddies.” 
“A representative from Komac Paints will be at the store to assist persons with their decorating problems,” the article says. 
On June 12, 1969, the paper reported that Butler Art Gallery, Newcastle’s “first permanent public art display center,” was relocated to across the street into the former furniture store and mortuary building. The gallery featured 100 pieces of artwork from over 25 artists (most of whom were local), including six representational oils from Toby Birr, an 18-year-old from Sheridan, to be on display until June 18. Wyoming magazine was doing a feature story on the young artist for its June 10 issue. 
A few years later, Butler had “a book of Cambria pictures” on display, which contained over 40 photos, but it went missing, according to the Aug. 19, 1976, paper, so Butler requested its return. 
“Considerable time and effort went into compiling the book, and Butler would appreciate the return of the book,” the article says. 
According to the Aug. 16, 1984, issue, Howard Snider bought the portrait cameras and lights from Butler Studios and was offering “portrait service at 216 West Main,” which was the main entrance door at the Dale Barber Shop. Butler Studios would continue photography services “at present time.” 
Over a decade later, Butler decided to retire, according to a news report from June 8, 1995, so Bob Cregger bought the studio (Cash said Cregger’s wife was a curator at the Anna Miller Museum).
“After 45 years in business, George Butler wanted to retire. And Bob Cregger needed a job. Call it providence, but Cregger and Butler got together and each got what he wanted,” the article says. 
Selling the studio would allow Butler to spend his retirement years painting, which was his favorite thing to do, according to the article. Cregger was planning on running things nearly the same as Butler by continuing to sell paint and artist’s supplies while doing custom framing and photo processing. However, he decided to rename the store to “Lock En Booth,” which has a little story behind it. 
“Oh yes, we forgot to tell you just what that means! It seems that once upon a time in Scotland, people who could not pay their debts were locked in a booth located on the road to Edinburgh, Scotland,” the article says. 
To pay off their debts, these people had to make jewelry with silver that was supplied to them and sell it to the various travelers and passersby until they had enough to pay what they owed. 
“Just about any business you’re in is a Lock En Booth,” Cregger said in the article, adding that running a business meant no more vacations, making the owner locked to his store. 
That being said, Cregger decided to sell handcrafted silver jewelry in the store from artists to keep with the “Lock En Booth” tradition. He was hoping to display area artists (including high school students) in the upstairs gallery, and Mirl Freel Jr., an art teacher at a college in Great Falls, Montana, was already promising to donate some of his work. 
There was also discussion about some artists offering classes at the studio, as had been done in previous years. Once a week, Cregger also wanted to have musicians perform while he would sell flavored coffees. 
“The rooms can also be used for daytime meetings, something Newcastle always needs more of,” the article says. 
Butler and his wife thanked the “patronage of the people in the community,” and they enjoyed the support for their business “which helped put two boys through college.” 
“As the Lock En Booth, it should be just as successful,” the article says. 
Cash said that around the year 2000, Cregger sold his business in parts to several
different people (and it no longer sat in the Isabella’s building), and he and his wife moved to Arizona. The Isabella’s building sat empty for several years. 
While Cregger was the owner, Cash said that he and his wife, who owned Cashbox Ceramics, rented a portion of the Isabella’s building for their business. 
“Cashbox Ceramics got their start in that building,” Cash said. After sitting vacant for a few years, it became Isabella’s (Cash will go into more details about this in a few weeks, including some of his ghost stories).
“There’s some neat ghosts in this town,” Cash said.
Before moving on to the ghost stories, however, Cash wanted to include a section on the gas station that once occupied the lots many years ago. 
According to the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, a gas station was built in 1931 by Standard Oil Co. on the north section of block 10, lots 1 through 3. 
On June 23, 1937, the
paper announced that L.M. Howell retired as operator of the gas station, so employee Hugh Johnson took on the manager duties. 
Two years later, an article from Aug. 3, 1939, reported that thieves broke the glass of the door, reaching in to unlock the door, and stole $6 in small change from the gas station. 
“No knowledge of who the thieves may be was reported by local officers. 
Cash said he doesn’t remember much about this filling station, and the records are scarce and uneventful, so he decided to move on to the second gas station, starting with News Letter Journal records from 1951. 
According to an article from Aug. 23, 1951, demolition on the old gas station was to start soon to make was for the construction of the new Standard Oil Co. service station “on the site of the one now operated by Hugh Johnson president of the Chamber of Commerce,” which would be larger than the old one and “have facilities for more complete service.” Cash said it was made from metal. 
The Sept. 6, 1951, issue announced that Hugh Johnson retired as manager and “leasee” after 14 years, so Wilber Bell, formerly employed with Halliburton Cementing Co., was the new manager of the station, and Dean Munkers, who had already worked for Standard Oil for several years, was in charge of the Standard Oil built plant. 
Shortly after, John Ratigan must have taken over because moving two decades ahead to records from April 13, 1972, we find that Ratigan “announced that a new lease is expected to take over the operation of Ratigan Standard,” and he had operated the Standard Oil station for almost 20 years. 
“Most of the guys who had that station had it for a number of years,” Cash said. 
The article also mentioned that Ratigan purchased an auto parts firm, and no changes were to be made in the firm. 
Backtracking a little, according to the courthouse files, in 1960, Standard Oil Co. sold the station to American Oil. Co, and in 1976, it was resold to John E. Fordyce (who ran the bulk plant, according to Cash), and he later sold it to Robert Martens in 1980. 
Next week, Cash will wrap up the service station, and go into the history of the yellow house on Wentworth street, built by A.M. Nichols, who owned the warehouse previously located in the Isabella’s building.