Dudley "Dud" Fields

The Lusk Herald, December 14, 1967

Old Hat Creek Store Comes to an End With Estate Auction on Saturday

Merchandise and miscellaneous items from the Ht Creek Store, one of the area's oldest retail businesses, will be sold at public auction in Lusk Saturday, Dec. 16, starting at 11:00 a.m. This executor's sale to settle the estate of the late Dudley Fields will be held at Art's Auction Service in Lusk.

The Hat Creek Store, which was operated by Dudley Fields until his death on April 13, 1967, was one of the few old-fashioned, country general stores in existence. Among the items auctioned off Saturday are a doll collection and brass beds. 

Many of the fixtures at the old store and some antique items have been donated to the Lusk Museum which is maintained by the Lusk Lion's Club.

Until the death of Mr. Fields there had been a Hat Creek Store (although it was misplaced on Sage Creek along with Ft.Hat Creek) since the 1870's. Location of the store was changed three times. It was originally located on the banks of Sage Creek. Even after the closing of Ft. Hat Creek in the 1890's the store was continued in operation on the original site by Andrew Faulkner, father-in-lat of Mr. Fields. In 1921 the store was moved to a new location about one mile north of the original site.. In the mid 1930's the store was moved to its present location on Highway 85 some 15 miles north of Lusk.

Most of the items to be sold  will be of a modern nature the first being a quantity of fence posts. A 1958 Ford pickup and a 1937 Buick are included in the listings.