Voices from the Past

June 3, 1921

Valuable Violin totally wrecked

A 400-year-old violin, owned by Mel Miller, musical composer of East Fork, this county, was totally demolished when a saddle horse Miller was riding tripped with him and in falling crushed the instrument beyond repair. This violin had been in Miller’s possession forty-one years and it had a superb tone. He had refused an offer of $1,500 for it. Miller knew that the instrument had age behind it but its pedigree was unknown until after the accident. On one of the thin strips of rare wood that made up the violin’s construction, Miller was able to discern a date of “17” with the two figures following blurred.

Miller was coming to Broadus to take his place in the six-piece orchestra for the Masons’ dance. He had ridden horseback the 25 miles from East Fork and was near his destination a short distance from Powder River when his horse tripped over a small obstacle and fell. While Miller himself escaped uninjured, his violin got crushed upon impact. He tenderly gathered up the remains of his violin and felt the bereavement as keenly as though some beloved relative had been lost to him. Later he borrowed another violin from D.R. Finch and took his place in the orchestra.

May 31, 1946

Star Theater bought by Hay Creek Rancher

Aaron Macy, who for the past twenty years has operated Macy’s Hall and the Star Theater in Broadus, announced this week that he had sold out his interests here to Carl Schaffer, Hay Creek rancher. For many years, Mr. Macy operated the hall for dances and roller skating, but in later years the hall was rebuilt into a theater and talking moving picture machines were installed. The sale includes the building, lots and theater equipment. The sale price was said to be $6,500. Mr. Macy is the Powder River County Treasurer and his term expires next March. He will live in Broadus until the end of his term but his plans beyond that time are indefinite.

June 3, 1971

New Business now open in Broadus

A new business firm is now in operation in Broadus. Broadus TV Service opened recently in the former office of Stevenson’s Television in the Edwards Building.

Ken Gali, who recently completed a course in television technical work at a Denver, Colo. trade school, is manager of the new business. Gali will operate the shop and is in charge of all sales and services. The new business handles a full line of Zenith television sets, stereos and tape recorders, according to manager Ken Gali.

May 30, 1996

Wes Powell hangs up his hard hat

Wes Powell started contract pumping in 1965, the first oil well drilled and completed in Powder River County. From that first well the drilling became quite extensive from then on.

As wells were completed, Powell took on more and more pumping. Then in 1972, when Sam Gary took over the Belle Creek field, Powell hired on with him. By 1988, Sam Gary sold to Exxon U.S.A. Powell got six of his buddy pumpers and formed High Co. Pumping Corp. They did contract pumping for Exxon for a little over a year. He was then hired on permanently to Exxon. He was employed there for six and one-half years. During that time he spent seven weeks in Cut Bank, for Exxon, which he enjoyed.

In the course of thirty and one-half years of employment with the Belle Creek Field, he was employed by 17 different companies.

Powell said the oil field has been very good to him, because as a result both his sons were able to stay on the family ranch. He said he saw good and bad of what an oil field can do for the country.

Powell retired on April 30. His plans are just to spend time enjoying his family.