Walsenburg 1891: Sunday a large smokestack 100 feet tall was erected at the Rouse mine and a small stack 70 feet tall was raised on Monday. 1897: The assessor reports his latest figures show the 8,970 acres of coal land in Huerfano County are valued at $84,760 and the 9,951 acres of railroad lands are worth $675,560. 1903: As of today, Oct. 1, the Denver and Rio Grande Express Company ceases to exist and the business is to be conducted as the Globe Express Company under new management and new officers. 1909: The winter is coming on. You will have to have a talking machine to pass away your evenings. See at Fred E. Klein’s. 1915: See the Victor Talking Machines, Edison Disc and Cylinder Phonographs, and Baldwin Pianos at Fred Klein’s. 1920: Several times this paper has called
attention to the many young boys aged eight to fifteen found on the streets, in pool halls, and running wild generally both day and night, yet nothing has been done. 1926: The proposed union depot of the D&RG and the Colorado and Southern will be 32 by 119 feet and built of red brick with a green tile roof. 1931: T.Q. Montez, his daughter Mrs. Albert Vigil and her children were all injured to some degree when their team ran away when frightened by a large motor truck near the R.G. Inman ranch at Gardner. 1937: Olga Barbari of Pictou and Leroy Price of Alamosa were married yesterday by Justice of the Peace Luz Gonzales with Mina Ghiardi and Pete Stamis serving as attendants. 1942: Mr. and Mrs. Juan M. Lucero, both natives of Cucharas, were married September 29, 1892 and just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. She was the former Paula Manzanares. 1946: John Ibanez was elected president of the St. Mary High School junior class, Moses Cordova, vice president, Rachel Martinez, secretary and Tommy Martinez, treasurer. 1952: Rubinoff and his famous violin will arrive tonight and will present several concerts tomorrow, sponsored by the Lions club for benefit of the Huerfano County Public Library. 1958: For initiation, freshmen girls at Huerfano County High School wore can-can slips over jeans, inside-out sweatshirts and painted noses, while the boys sported Bermuda shorts with long underwear, girls’ sweaters, makeup and jewelry. 1964: The Santi Motor and Oil Company will host the grand opening of its new Rambler “66” Service center just north of Walsenburg on Saturday, Oct. 3. Jimmy Santi is the manager and Felix Cruz, assistant. 1970: DelCarbon mine, closed last Thursday by the federal mine inspector, was re-opened Monday by order of Gov. John Love to fill the needs of area residents, over 80 percent of whom rely on coal for their heat. 1976: The congregation of the United Methodist church will build a new parsonage for the Rev. Caro Russell and his family, probably just north of the church, to replace the current residence which is 70 to 80 years old. 1982: An estimated 700 people attended the Plaza de los Leones Fiesta dance Saturday night for which Al Hurricane provided the music. 1988: Re-1 School Board expects to lower its total mill levy by approximately 6.1 mills for 1989 after deliberating with ARCO’s tax specialist. ARCO is Huerfano County’s largest taxpayer and pays more than half of the funds the school district receives.
La Veta 1895: Mrs. Henry Daigre and her daughter Miss Eva left La Veta to make their future home in Florida. 1901: The memorial services in honor of President William McKinley were held in the Opera House while all business houses were closed. The different organizations marched from the hall to the school as a body, met the students and all marched back to the hall. 1906: Mrs. M.M. Springer has purchased two lots between her hotel and the La Veta Café from A.H. Edmisten for $600. She hopes to build an addition onto the hotel. 1912: The new school building finally opened Monday, September 22 with an enrollment of more than 150 including 23 scholars in the high school. 1918: Most hunters have tramped the hills until they were footsore and weary without seeing a sign of game in this vicinity. 1924: Members of the Town Board held a special meeting on Monday and authorized the setting aside of part of the town ranch for a golf course and recreation ground. 1931: W.F. Owen marketed 8,000 pounds of green garden peas grown on his two acre plot, netting him three cents a pound, a respectable profit. 1936: La Veta’s first snowstorm of the season came in Saturday about noon and when the snow let up Monday afternoon there were 30 inches on the ground. The snow was very wet and heavy and did considerable damage to trees, ranchers lost their hay crops, telephone and electrical wires were broken so there was no power in some of the homes. 1942: Twenty-five years ago, a 50 foot addition was built onto the east end of the depot that contained two waiting rooms and an office. The west part was converted into a freight depot. 1946: The ban on public gatherings due to the polio epidemic was finally lifted and the school opened for regular classes September 23. 1952: The Boy Scout troop in La Veta is under the sponsorship or Rotary Club and the leadership of Lawrence Morneau. 1957: Mr. and Mrs. Art Cadogan sold the Branding Iron café to Mr. and Mrs. Larry Wheeler. 1963: The Redskins defeated Sanford 41-13 to tally their third win of the season. 1969: Carrie Dee Engman is opening a dance academy for all ages with ballet, tap, modern jazz, acrobatics, tumbling and ballroom dancing available. 1975: Mrs. Caroline Sporleder celebrated her 90th birthday with family and friends with dinner at the La Veta Lodge. 1981: The building fund of the Friends of the Arts Guild now stands at $3,552.50 and ground will be broken Saturday for their new gallery. 1987: A total of 112 golfers, including 10 women, participated in the first annual Grandote Golf and Country Club’s Autumn Scramble.
