Son of George Cassteel & Rebecca Johnson. Married Amanda Rohwedder on February 14, 1912 in Burlington, ND.
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Submitted to the Burlington, ND Centennial Book by Blanche Casteel Griffin:
The Casteel Family
James F. Casteel came to Burlington approximately 1905 or 1906. He married Amanda Rohwedder February 14, 1912 in the Presbyterian parsonage, the service being performed by a Rev. L. C. Eames.
At this time Jim (as he was known to everyone) was managing the Farmers Home Hotel and Amanda was a local telephone operator. Later they operated a restaurant also in Burlington. Son, Lyle was born in 1913, daughters Blanche (Sis) in 1915, and Hazel in 1925.
The following are memories from Blanche (age 11 when we left Burlington). I have a faint recollection of living on a farm (the churn and cream separator especially) but home was in the one-story house facing the city jail (swinging on the iron barred cell doors). The large white house beside us was occupied by a Mr. and Mrs. Broyles (or Boyles). He was a Civil War Veteran and give (sic) me a mini-ball he picked up on the field after the Battle of Bull Run which I still have. Later a Mr. and Mrs. Henry Kluver and daughter, Irma, lived in the house. Mr. Kluver was President of Kluver Motor Co. of Minot and Vice President of the First State Bank of Burlington. Irma their only child died at age 5 in 1923 and was buried in the Burlington Cemetary (sic). I still have Irma's Book of Bible Stories that Mrs. Kluver gave me and I had pasted Irma's obituary on the inside cover.
Across from the Kluver home was an old house occupied by my bachelor Uncle Claus Rohwedder. Anyone connected with Burlington in any way should remember Uncle Claus. After a childhood illness, Claus over (should probably read Claus never) developed to his full mental capabilities. He could read and write, kept up on current things and given a job to do would carry it out. He was Burlington's one man street department, quoting the late Bob Schloer, who really kept Main Street clean.
On Main Street, I remember the Harthouse confectionary and Ice Cream parlor. He paid 5 cents a piece for gopher tails. Lyle would trap them and cut off their tails and if I could I'd swipe one now and then and turn it in for a nice big ice cream cone. I also remember the Bugge Store where all your groceries and practically everything else was bought. (My first super market). I remember the Post Office operated by the Volkman's, the big grain elevators and depot where my brother took his pony "Dynamite" and sold rides to kids on the passenger trains when they stopped.
During this time my dad worked in mines, ran a road-building crew and a threshing outfit. My mom cooked in the cook-car and I'd wake up on my cot and see the long table lined with men eating breakfast. When today's trailers first came out, I remembered back to the cook car and bunkhouses of yesteryear and they speak of horse power today that's really what it was then--everything pulled by horses. My dad had a big barn full of horses (at one time before he was married Jim also ran the local livery stable). The heavier the equipment the more teams it took to pull it. Between jobs the equipment and horses were returned to Burlington and parked right behind our home. One day when my dad and brother were in Minot a prairie fire headed over the hills towards Burlington coming over the hill where the old dynamite shed was sitting. People were moving out--riding and walking--taking what they could carry but my mom talked some of dad's crew into hitching up the teams and plowing a wide swath across the sides of the hills for a fire break. It really worked or my folks could have lost everything.
I also remember the ball games. Burlington always had a team and my dad played and sometimes managed. Everyone took a picnic lunch and drove out on the prairie where the only standing was a back stop. The teams parked their wagons, buggies, or big touring cars on opposite sides of the field and the yelling, screaming and honking that went on packed in a lot of enthusiasm. Everyone had a good time even when the game ended in an argument or even a fight.
I remember the big red brick school house that Margaret Schloer says is finally gone. (Sure glad I did get back there a couple of times to take some pictures.) Sledding down flag pole hill and taking the spills, picking June berries in the revines (sic), helping drain the cistern when an unfortunate rat drowned in it and finally the auction sale in 1926 when everything was sold and we came West.
Mom and Dad celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1962. Mom passed away in 1966 at age 78 and Dad followed her in 1968 at age 87.