La Veta
1881: The road to the summit of Cucharas Pass is ballasted with boulders as high as a bed post, broad as the national Republican platform and long as moral law. It is a first class disgrace to Huerfano County.
1897: The peace and quiet of our law abiding (?) town was ruthlessly disturbed on Saturday evening by the discharge of a firearm in the hands of a party who imagined he had a “grievance”.
1905: Mr. and Mrs. J.P.; Stranger entertained some 40 guests in their new upstairs hall Monday, having invited just about all the card players in town.
1914: Fred Dryden is helping Edwin L. Smith in his big furniture and hardware store on the corner of Francisco Street.
1922: Four Army trucks loaded with building materials and equipment arrived to begin work on the Cucharas Pass highway.
1928: A new six-foot vein of coal has been opened in the Oakdale mine, and even with the three shifts put on this week, the supply should last for at least 20 years.
1936: The roof of the Railroad Park filling station was painted this week, adding much to the appearance of the building.
1943: Ethyl Is Here! Try it in your car for more mileage and better performance. Young Brothers Garage, Main at Virginia.
1949: The Spanish Peaks Garden Club was organized Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 20, at the home of Mrs. Lee Cox with 19 members.
1956: A refrigerator is a place to store leftovers until they are old enough to throw out.
1964: The Spanish Peaks Grange observed its 25th anniversary. It has a membership of 36 but topped 100 during the war years.
1970: Elected officers of the senior class were Eugene Quintana, president; Bucky Padilla, vice president; Nancy Culbreath, secretary and Marie Sanchez, treasurer.
1976: Well, the Friday Night Bridge Club is back to its old tricks, meeting on Tuesday.
1981: Thirty-five members and guests of the Spanish Peaks Garden Club gathered in Town Park Sunday with potluck offerings for a steak fry using the park’s grills.
1987: Cuchara Valley business people are planning the first annual Oktoberfest on Main Street, with an enclosed beer garden, two bands, crafts, food and games booths.
1990: Carl, Lorraine and Rod Drum are doing steady business at the Burger Station at the corner of Main and Virginia.
Walsenburg
1883: L.B. Sporleder is erecting a new business building on Main Street for a furniture store, carpenter and gun shop.
1899: The Cactus has breathed its last and the Yucca is its successor. There are new owners and William Butler is the new editor.
1906: The woman who buys her goods at the corner store is better off than the woman who goes tearing off to Pueblo after imaginary bargains.
1915: Of the 93 school teachers employed in the past year in Huerfano County, 15 are men and 78 are women.
1924: $1,000 worth of damage on the ranch of Manuel Maldonado seven miles west of Walsenburg was caused by a fire that destroyed livestock, a wagon, the first crop of hay and agricultural implements.
1931: The Huerfano County cauliflower crop should reach 42 railroad carloads with the 34 scheduled to leave next Monday.
1938: Miss Anna Mae, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Micor of Maitland, will become the bride of Stephen Pierotti Sept. 24.
1944: Damacio Vigil will retire as county clerk after this term after serving since 1931. His son, Damacio Jr., will run for the office.
1952: This year’s officers of the St. Mary High School sophomore class are Patricia Bellotti, president; Gerald Repola, vice president; Geraldine Zgut, secretary and Robert Tangney, treasurer.
1958: Mr. and Mrs. Jack Bellino recently opened Bellinos’ Style Shop, specializing in apparel for women and teenagers, at 624 Main and the grand opening was Saturday.
1963: C.E. Leonard, who has operated a gift shop at 701 Walsen Avenue since December of 1953, is moving to Idaho.
1969: A total of 39 people attended the annual Huerfano Basin Stockgrowers Association and Huerfano County Cowbelle picnic, this year held at the Lewis and Virginia Edmundson ranch near Apache.
1975: The Chadwalkees will have the grand opening of their new pizza parlor and game room at Dakota Kamp one mile north of Walsenburg this weekend.
1983: Jim West of Gardner defeated Wally Padia of Walsenburg to win his third straight club championship at the Walsenburg Golf Club Sunday [actually, it was his fourth straight win, and not his last].
