Quadra Dangle

Members of the Quadra Dangle Society; are especially excited to say that we have been a square dance club for more than 80 years in the same location. The story begins in 1946 when four Laramie couples got together to square dance in their homes. One of the couples was lla and Harry Davis. As the group added new members, the name Quadra Dangle was adopted. The club danced in various places until, with the membership still growing, they needed a larger place to dance. Harry Davis was the first caller for the club.

In April 1949 Grays Gable was put up for bid and the Quadra Dangle bought the building and 84 acres of land for $20,000.00. A group from Chicago wanted to buy the hall for a night club and gambling hall but the Union Pacific Athletic Club sold to the Quadra Dangle Society because they did not allow drinking on the premises. On June 7th, 1949 the property was purchased. Charles and Madge Coolican put up $10,000.00 and held the mortgage deed. The rest of the money was put up by the club members in the form of 57 twenty year notes from $25.00 to $200.00.

The club members worked at many projects to earn money to pay off the mortgage. On March 4,1955, two hundred and fifty members watched the mortgage burn. In 1973, Grays Gable was entered into the National Register of Historic Places. It is Wyoming Place #116. The building was named for Carl Gray (President of the U.P.R.R. at the time). This hall has two dance floors, one on the ground floor and a smaller one in the basement. The floors are a maple hardwood, pampering the feet of the dancers. The building is made of logs from the Snowy Ra nge area. Camping facilities are available for dancers. The Quadra Dangle club sponsored street dances in downtown Laramie and organized a Junior Quadra Dangle club for the young people. There were many benefit dances held at Grays Gables. Callers from all over the country have called squares here, Ed Gilmore, Cal Golden, Bob Osgood, Morris Sevada, Johnny LeClair, and many others. The Quadra Dangle Club was one of the first to help organize the Western Square Dance Festival in I950.

The Quadra Dangle club, at the present time, meets in the hall for main stream dancing on the second Sunday each month. Square Dance lessons are given at the club house on Thursday evenings normally September through December and January through May. The QD is a mainstream club and belongs to the Colorado Northeast Square Dance Council.
The Club callers are Dave Guille and Brian Deibert.