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Show Times Records Show Interesting Facts About Castle Valley Some interesting facts a-bout a-bout the ghost town of Castleton, and farm lands of Castle Valley, were found by the Historical Committee during the Utah Centennial Centen-nial year in 1947, and recorded re-corded in The Times Independent. Inde-pendent. lAccording to tho old files, the town of Castleton was founded by Lincoln Antles. The first Sunday school was organized) in 1904, as the "Christian Science", taught by Mrs. Antles and Mrs. McClain. The name of the first school teacher was not a-vailable, a-vailable, although it was remembered re-membered she was a lady from Grand Junction. In 1904 Ida M. Wells was teacher, tea-cher, and her pupils included includ-ed Jack Corbin, Daisy Davis Veda Roberson, and1 the Denny children. The school was held in an old saloon. A Mr. Thompson, a Miners Min-ers Racin Prnwnwtor. was the first Sunday School tea-1 cher in Castle Valley, in "The Union Sunday School." Arnold Aldrich was the first school teacher in 1839; pupils were Rose, Millie, Offi and Susie Scharf; Lila Fish, Dale Parriott and Rube Squier. One of the first Castle Valley dances was held in the old rock house belonging belong-ing to John Pace. Music was furnished by humming through combs covered with tissue paper. Food was served serv-ed throughout the event, ! and the dance lasted until long after daylight. Louie Fish was the first white child born in Castle Valley, born at the Bar A ranch house in 1890. The Castleton and Castle Valley residents had good times together. Once a party of 32 went 28 miles to Fisher Valley horseback to attend a dance. They danced all night, and ran horse races throughout the next day. Mrs. Fish made biscuits for the group for breakfast. The two fastest horses of the times were John Pace's "Sammy", and Mart Fish's "White Cloud." Another ghost town, Rich ardson, in Professor Valley, hosted the first postoffice in eastern Grand county. The date is unknown4 but it existed before 1888. Prof. Richardson was postmaster Frank Stahl made the trip from Cisco once a week to carry mail by horseback. In 1899 Castleton acquired ac-quired a post office, located locat-ed in a store owned! and operated op-erated by Lincoln Antles, also a postmaster. The mail was carried by team and (wagon from Cfisco once week, later twice a week. Jack Welch was the first mail carrier, though two men alternated as carriers. Furthur up the LaSal Mountain, a group of Miners Min-ers Basin residents combined com-bined forces and hired Tom Parriott to man the first mail route into the Basin. The mail was carried from Castleton. Later a government govern-ment contract was issued to Fletcher Hammond, who brought the mail on horseback. horse-back. Mrs. Sam McGraw was the first postmistress, but the date she assumed Keeping a postmaster was a challenge. In the 1920's the Castleton residents gave a benefit dance to raise funds to supplement the postmaster's "slender" salary so he would consent to keep the position. |