Walsenburg 1898: Mike Quintana went to Santa Fe to complete the sale of a land grant belonging to his mother. The consideration will be $15,000. 1904: J.P. Furman and E.J. Devaney of Trinidad have purchased the Lidle meat market and the slaughter house recently built by Schneider and Devaney. 1909: William Krier purchased the sixty feet fronting on Main Street belonging to A. Levy, presently occupied by Parson Brown’s barber shop, Ernest Krier’s jewelry store and Charlie Martin’s barber shop, for $8.000. 1914: The housewives are out with their rakes burning piles of trash and dead leaves; the businessmen sit in their offices dreaming of shovels, worms, fish and many things – a sure sign of spring. 1920: The Dick and Gardner service station on North Main has been sold to a Mr. McKee of Pueblo and will be the agency for Oldsmobile cars and trucks. 1925: George Nicholas will open the St. John Café on Friday in the room formerly occupied by Wade’s Café on the Sixth Street side of the Dick building on Main. 1930: For Sale: Ford 1926 one ton
truck. Warford transmission, closed cab, stake body, in A-1 condition. $225.00. Sears Motor Company. 1936: Between 250 and 300 garments daily are being turned out by the 59 workers of the Works Progress Administration sewing project on North Main Street where there are two shifts of workers. 1942: Coal miners living in Walsenburg but working in mines some distance from the city will be eligible for new tires despite rationing, if they transport four or more workers at the same time. 1948: City Council will consider this week the proposition to purchase Martin and Horseshoe Lakes from the Coler Ditch Reservoir Company. 1953: Richard Micek said the Bear Creek and Santa Clara areas received some two inches of much needed precipitation in snow and rain because he seeded the clouds. 1959: Pat Jesus Valdez, 30, died from an accident in the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company steel plant in Pueblo. He leaves a wife, Ruth, two daughters and three sons. 1964: Seventeen building permits amounting to $15,500 were issued in Walsenburg during March. 1969: Strawberries, 3 pints $1.00; 18 oz. Cornish Hens, 79¢; Breaded Shrimp, 1½ lb. pack, $1.98. Safeway Store. 1975: Heavy snows in the mountains during March brought water content measurements to well above average, from 150 to 170 percent of the 10 year average. 1981: Water content in the snowpack on Huerfano County’s watershed is 60 percent of normal, and Walsenburg’s total precipitation for March was 2.31 inches. 1987: Seniors receiving all As for the third quarter at John Mall High School were Brandon Habib, Abby Medina, Sandi Pfaffenhauser, Esther Salas, Sara Smircich, Frank Trujillo and Stephanie Vigil. 1993: Huerfano County youth will present the musical drama, “Joy Comes in the Morning”, at 6 p.m. Easter Sunday, April 11, in the Youth Center Theatre.
La Veta 1877: The first case of natural death in our town was that of Lafayette Kauffman, aged 7 years, who died of typhoid pneumonia. After the appropriate services by the reverends, a procession formed and the remains were carried to and interred in the new burial ground. 1883: Dave Ryus and Fred Pischel attended the county commissioners’ meeting to secure an order to grade the bluff across the Cucharas River on Locust [Main] Street, which will open a new outlet to the north and east from town. 1897: When Dave Ryus gets to be street commissioner he will level off that pile of dirt on the west side of Main Street east of the depot. 1906: Goemmer Brothers are building a $325 dipping plant and will be ready to dip by April 15. Price is 20¢ per dip and capacity is from one to five head at one time. 1911: We understand W.A. Adamson has offered his park on Oak Street to the school board for $1,500 if they will build a school there. 1917: Sherm Shaw, with his sons Lawrence and Raynaldo and daughter Leila, are on their way from Nebraska to move into their newly purchased ranch, the Bert Bates place just north of town. 1923: Last Wednesday was the first day of spring, and how it did snow! 1930: Eugene Fischback, new owner of Adamson’s Park and campground, will build himself a home on the high ground facing Oak Street. He will build another nearer the creek for a rental and there is an older one already on the property. 1937: Bill Simon has installed a new perforated sound screen at the Rialto Theater and the first movie to be shown will be “Theodora Goes Wild”. 1941: Issued today to all homes and farms around this area is a 32-page Rotogravure spring and summer catalog from Howard Lumber and Supply Company of La Veta. 1947: Fred Wagner resigned as Town Marshal after serving several years to begin contracting work at Cuchara Camps, where he says 20 new cottages will be built this summer. 1952: General Dwight D. Eisenhower will submit his resignation as supreme Allied commander in Europe next week to prepare to campaign for the office of President. 1958: Newlyweds Mr. and Mrs. William Riggins were honored at a wedding dinner at the home of the groom’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Smith, where the bride’s parents, the Paul Wolfs, were co-hosts. 1966: Died, Robert Levy Kincaid, son of Joe K. Kincaid and a native of La Veta. He leaves his wife Rita, sons Joseph and Dr. Daniel, and sister Mrs. Adolph A. Unfug. 1973: The Vanishing Breed will play for a dance Saturday evening, April 7, in the La Veta High School gym. Tickets are $1.00 in advance or $1.25 at the door. 1979: Thirty-eight people attended the Senior Citizen luncheon and bingo Monday including two from Gardner and 14 from Walsenburg. 1985: La Veta Town Board agreed to have 15,000 tons of gravel crushed to alleviate the current poor street conditions.
