Full house for courthouse celebration

Logan Dailey
Posted 10/19/21

The halls of the Niobrara County Courthouse were filled with residents and guests Friday

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Full house for courthouse celebration

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LUSK – The halls of the Niobrara County Courthouse were filled with residents and guests Friday afternoon for the Niobrara County Courthouse’s 101st anniversary celebration and dedication ceremony. The event was organized by Niobrara County Commissioners Patrick Wade, Elaine Griffith and John Midkiff, along with Niobrara County Clerk Becky Freeman and other county officials.

“On behalf of the Niobrara County Commissioners and elected officials, welcome to the celebration of the 101-year anniversary of the Niobrara County Courthouse, dedication of the building, presentation of the historical marker,” Wade said. “2021 also marks the 110th anniversary of the passing of legislation which created Niobrara County, allowing us to separate from Converse County.”

Midkiff led the attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by remarks by Wade.

“The people of Niobrara County are very proud of our courthouse,” he said. “We think it represents our people very well: shows excellent craftsmanship, function and stateliness; like our Niobrara County, it has stood the test of time.”

Pastor Ty DesEnfants presented an invocation for the event. Pastor Mark Lohr was originally requested to deliver the invocation, but he was unable to attend due to illness. 

Wade introduced the members of the commission and others present who are or were involved with the Lusk town government, Niobrara County government and a state representative. 

Commissioner Griffith presented an oral history of Niobrara County. 

“For 21 years, this area was part of the former territory of Converse County,” Griffith said.

She recounted how the region had experienced population growth, railroad expansion, development of coal mines, the arrival of homesteaders and the discovery of oil in the county and dry farming efforts. 

“The idea of a new county originated in Lusk and parts of the county furthest from Douglas,” Griffith explained. “Residents from Manville were opposed. Those living in the eastern section, including Lusk, were in favor. A spirited debate lasted for more than a year. Petitions both for and against the creation of Niobrara County were circulated. There was much political maneuvering and lives were threatened. The local newspapers The Manville Register and The Lusk Herald waged an editorial battle with The Lusk Herald for division and The Manville Register opposing it.”

March 30, 1911 marked the first unofficial county meeting where citizens discussed the ideas presented in favor and opposition of the formation of the county. In 1912, Lusk was chosen as the county seat by a vote by the people of the area.

“It was estimated that the 1913 budget for Niobrara County would be $15,750. We are a far cry from that,” Griffith jested. “On February 20, 1920, the courthouse was formally turned over to the Niobrara County Commissioners. There was no public ceremony because of the severity of the weather. 101 years later, the Niobrara County Courthouse stands in the center of Lusk, a lasting representation of the independence and the strength of Niobrara County.”

After Griffith’s presentation, special guest U.S. Sen. John Barrasso provided remarks about the event and presented a declaration for the Congressional Record of the 117th Congress, First Session, recognizing the Niobrara County Courthouse Centennial Celebration. 

“When Wyoming turned 100 in 1990, the president, then World War II hero President George Herbert Walker Bush came to Frontier Days and he talked about it,” Barrasso explained. “It’s amazing because what he said I think applies to everyone here today in this community. He said, ‘Wyoming is a special and sacred place, and its vision and values continue to inspire America.’ I think that’s what we see when we look out at the people who have come together to gather.”

Barrasso read the proclamation to the crowd.

The proclamation begins, “Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of the centennial celebration for the Niobrara County Courthouse in Lusk, WY.

“Niobrara County residents are blessed to live in this special place. Located on the plains and rolling hills of eastern Wyoming, the county is a gateway to the Black Hills and Central Wyoming. Its 2,400 residents center around the communities of Lusk, Manville, and Van Tassell. The county was created from eastern Converse County in 1911, and Lusk was chosen as the county seat when Niobrara County was organized in 1913. The name of the county comes from the Niobrara River, which begins its journey east of Lusk.”

The proclamation then explains how Niobrara County and Lusk became what they are today from their infancy. He also explains more about the courthouse itself and what made it unique.

“The building was finished in the winter and occupied in February 1920. It was the only courthouse in Wyoming with a bronze statue of Justice placed on top of the courthouse dome. However, the statue only stayed there for 10 years. Strong Wyoming winds caused the statue to constantly vibrate and shift, which damaged the roof. In 1930, commissioners voted to remove the statue and replace the roof. The statue laid on the ground behind the courthouse, until [one] day it disappeared, only to be placed a few days later on a hill overlooking the town. It remained there as a Lusk landmark until it vanished from that location as well. Stories say that some delinquents moved it to the bottom of an abandoned mine shaft. Rumors abounded in Lusk over the following years as to the purpose of the statue’s relocation. During World War II, the statue resurfaced and was donated to a scrap metal campaign for the war effort.”

Barrasso then described the courthouse and its entrances with “A Public Office Is A Public Trust,” and recognized the commissioners and County Clerk Becky Freeman for their efforts in “upholding this ideal.”

Barrasso concluded the proclamation stating, “Niobrara County has a storied and colorful past. Its people stand as an example of strong character and neighborliness and its courthouse a symbol of their ideals. Bobbi (Sen. Barrasso’s wife) joins me in celebrating the centennial of the Niobrara County Courthouse and the citizens who make this county special.”

Sen. Barrasso concluded his presentation and Commissioner Wade read a proclamation drafted by the Niobrara County Commissioners to recognize the event. After reading the proclamation, Wade, Midkiff and Griffith signed it before those present in the room.

After the proclamation, former Niobrara County Assessor Lorna Edwards, who served as the county assessor from 1972-1986, was chosen to cut a red ribbon in honor of the dedication of the building. 

Edwards stepped up to the ribbon with scissors in hand.

“I want you all to know that my job here was very important to me and my family. I am grateful. May this beautiful building, sturdy as it is, continue to serve us for many years,” Edwards said.

After the ribbon cutting, JoAnn Wade and other members of the Niobrara County Historical Society spoke about the historical marker they had donated to the Niobrara County Courthouse.

“We are very honored and proud to be part of this and to be able to dedicate the sign that we donated,” Wade said. “It’s due to the generosity of people’s donations and also the grants that we have received from Niobrara Recreation and from the Lodging Tax Board that we are able to start putting some historical signs around the town at our historic locations and start telling the story of our town.”

Pastor DesEnfants provided the attendees with a closing prayer. Following the closing of the ceremony, the commissioners treated attendees to desserts, conversations and tours of the courthouse. In addition, those attending were offered signed copies of Sen. Barrasso’s Congressional Record of the 117th Congress, First Session.