Free Lance began in Van Tassell

by Gloria Johnson

The Van Tassell Booster was started in August 1920 at Van Tassell by John Pendray, who was a banker at the time and another man named Martin (we're not sure whether that was his first name or last name).

There are no files of the early years of the paper but it is known that the paper was bought by James E. Mayes in the early '20's and later moved to the town of Lusk by Mayes into the building well known by all as Old Ironsides or the Iron Clad building. It was the only building to be moved to Lusk from the tent town of Silver cliff in 1886.

It housed the paper which was renamed the Lusk Free Lance when Mayes moved the equipment up from Van Tassell, and remained the home of the Free Lance until the paper was sold to the Lusk Herald in January 1957.

James E. Mayes was a veteran newspaper man having spent 40 years in the newspaper game when he decided to call it quits and retire. He sold the Lusk Free Lance to Arthur F. Vogel in April 1930 with the change effective with the April 17th issue.

Vogel was no newcomer to the newspaper business having worked on the Illinois State Register-Journal in Springfield, Illinois before coming to Wyoming.

Like his contemporaries in the newspaper field, Vogel started by learning the printer's trade at the "cases." After working in Des Moines, IAS, Omaha, NE, and Denver, CO, he came to Lusk and became a printer for the Lusk Herald until 1920, after which, he was connected with the Casper Herald and the Casper Daily Tribune.

He returned to Lusk and was acting manager until 1926 when he became stockholder in the Lusk Herald Company. Vogel bought the Free Lance with the belief that the town needed two papers. The paper contributed much to the Democratic party under his guidance.

Many youngsters learned the newspaper trade under Vogel and there are many still living in the community that worked at the paper one time or another. Still others went on to larger papers over the country. A daughter, Yvonne, helped with the paper while in high school.

Vogel was editor and publisher of the Free Lance until his death March 22, 1956. From that time, his wife Ada and daughter Gloria continued to publish the paper until it was sold to the Lusk Herald effective with the January 24, 1957 issue. Both women had been associated with the newspaper for a number of years, 20 for Mrs. Vogel and six for Gloria (now Johnson). The price of a subscription had never been raised during the 37 years of publication. Vogel had two younger children, Chuck and Linda, who also grew up with the newspaper.

After the paper was sold to the Herald, the building stood empty for several years, then became the thrift shop for the Episcopal church. The building was razed in the 1970's and the front of the building moved to the back of the Stagecoach Museum to be preserved for history.

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