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Bird's Eye View of Casper, 1903
Charles W. Eads, who in 1890 established a mining camp known as Eadsville on Casper Mountain, claimed to have been
"the second man that came to Casper." He explainted:
"I located there on June 7th, 1888, and when I landed there was just one
man there, and that was John Merritt. He was on the bank of the river,
and was getting his supper. He was frying his meat on a bent stick and
making his coffee in an oyster can. I went up to him and asked if he
had any idea where Casper was, and he said he could hardly say, that he
had been looking for it about a week.
"I told him to come over and help me put up my tent and he could
camp with me. I had a tent and stove and a little grub and he said he
would just put in with me. So the next morning we talked over the
location, and we set up the first tent of the old Casper, and after
that I was familiar with all the transactions of Casper for ten years."
Center Street looking south from approximately the present location of the Townsend Hotel, Casper,
approx. 1893.
The three story building on the right at end of the street is the Grand Central Hotel.
John M. Trevett, born in Ireland, operated a confectionary store and later was the contractor for
St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church and a rancher.
Wyoming Derrick Printing Office, Casper, approx. 1892
The Wyoming Derrick was Casper's first newspaper, established in May 1890. Its name reflects that a year
before oil had been discovered in nearby Salt Creek. Its first editor was W. S. Kimball. After a year,
Kimball sold his interest and purchased a half interest in the Pioneer Drug Store. After numberous changes
of ownership and editors, the paper ceased publication in 1906.
Pioneer Drug Store, Center Street, Casper, 1892.
The drug store was owned by D. F. G. Bostleman and W. S. Kimball. The store advertised, among
other things, remedies for "Constipation and the Concomitant Evils of Impacted Feces." In 1894 Kimball bought out
Bostleman's interest in the store. Kimball served as mayor from 1903 to 1909.
Indians Dancing alongside Hotel DeWentworth, looking north along Center, 1894. The street
coming in from the right is present-day Midwest Avenue.
The town and its hotel failed to impress some. In 1891, Owen Wister passed through town. The comments in his
journal were terse: "June 13: In Casper. Hotel food vile. Town of Casper, vile."
Center Street, Casper, 1890, looking north.
Casper Photos continued on next page.
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