Walsenburg 1881: A mass meeting will be held May 7 in Walsenburg for the purpose of taking steps to protect the homes and property of settlers within the St. Vrain and Vigil Land Grant. 1890: The 700 foot trestle at the Rouse coal mine has been found to be too low, and the entire structure must be raised 30 inches to reach 25 feet at the lowest end and 42½ feet at the highest. 1896: Louis Sporleder left on the Denver and Rio Grande Wednesday to relocate in Tampico, Mexico. Mrs. Sporleder and family will follow when he becomes permanently settled. 1902: Wilson, the tailor late from Pueblo, opened a branch store between the business houses of Mr. Cowing and Mr. Sanchez. 1909: Wanted: At the Klein Hotel, a good yard man. Must be able to milk. 1915: Seven Syrians from Aguilar and nine from Trinidad came to Walsenburg and got into a fight with some of their countrymen of Walsenburg. An 18-year-old, the brother in law of Abe Cutter of Walsenburg, was shot
and killed in the fracas. 1922: The Walsen All-Stars baseball team changed its name to the Walsenburg Merchants and beat the La Veta nine 11-8 in its first game. 1928: Along with city clean-up program, prisoners in the county jail were put to work cleaning the grounds surrounding their temporary abode. 1934: The Walsenburg Merchants opened their annual baseball season by downing the Gardner Boosters 14-3 Sunday afternoon. 1940: A new stone 105 by 60 foot warehouse has been started at the fairgrounds, the ninth structure to be built there. 1946: Chief of Police Ralph Levy, the designated city building inspector, reminds residents that building permits must be obtained for a fee of $1.00 for each $1,000 worth of construction. 1953: No Parking Problems – When You Shop By Phone. “We Deliver The Goods”. Schafer’s Grocery and Market, 608 Main Street, Phone 191. 1959: Ralph Levy, veteran of World Wars I and II and former police chief, was appointed justice of the peace by the county commissioners. 1965: The City Pharmacy building belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Riccotone at the corner of Main and Sixth streets has been sold to Dr. Ronald A. Ferrendelli of Trinidad for approximately $15,000. 1971: Robert Meyer has resigned from his position as executive director of Walsenburg Housing Authority after 10 years service. 1977: Huerfano County Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a spring fashion show Friday, May 13, in Rio Cucharas Country Club. 1983: City Council has received a barrage of complaints since setting up “Tourists Only” signs at the free parking spots on east and west Sixth Street. 1989: Inmates in the Huerfano County Jail have been complaining about the quantity and quality of the meals furnished by Huerfano County Hospital, calling them “slop”.
La Veta 1877: The man arrested for assault to kill jumped on a horse held in readiness by his friends and galloped across the prairie. Town Marshal McHolland with commendable dispatch also mounted and chased him until they were obscured from sight by the bluffs. A large crowd of spectators viewed the race, and odds were the fugitive would escape. Not long after, two horsemen appeared in the distance and the accused is now in our jail awaiting trial. 1883: R. Thompson sold his blacksmith outfit plus a good supply of iron, to a Mr. Goemmer, a newcomer from Kansas. 1888: Town Board approved a request from the road supervisor that a team and wagon may be hired to assist him in hauling rubbish from the streets. 1895: It has been decided to cut a ditch south of town at the end of Cherry Street to catch the underflow of the Cucharas River for a supply of water to the town. All work will be donated. 1901: Died, Huldah, 23, wife of Charles Hector, of appendicitis. She had been married for three months. 1907: Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Fulton have taken over management of the La Veta Hotel and are thoroughly renovating the premises. 1913: E.R. Coleman secured the contract to build a stone residence for David Firm in the McComb Addition and William Fey will do the woodwork. 1920: Hubert Fay, son of Mr. and Mrs. C.L. Martin, died after surgery just three days after his 17th birthday in California. He had just left La Veta two weeks previously. 1926: Lawrence Kreutzer has purchased what is known as the old Daigre place adjoining town from Central Savings Bank in Denver. 1932: A heavy snow fell Saturday, saturating the ground with water and the farmers are rejoicing. 1938: La Veta Pass was closed last Thursday due to a heavy fall of snow, though only six inches fell in town. 1944: Dr. L.W. Lee has sold the hospital building to Pete and Katheryn Gross. 1950: Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Taft and sons moved into the Murrell house on Oak Street last week. 1958: It has snowed every day lately in Cuchara, and another six inches fell Saturday on top of the 13 inches already accumulated. 1964: A new 4-H Club called the Sew-Aways was organized recently with Donna Disert, president; Christine Aguirre, vice president and Glenna Lee Tracy, secretary and treasurer. 1970: Elden Falk and Rev. Scroggin are doing the carpentry work at the Mountain View Baptist church in which an apartment for the minister is being built in the basement. 1976: Miss Tammy Smith, 17, was crowned Miss Huerfano County in Walsenburg ceremonies and will represent the county in the Miss Colorado Pageant in July. 1982: Ray and Janet Scarberry have left their employment at Yellow Pine Ranch in Cuchara and are managing the Rorick Ranch near La Veta. 1988: Town Board agreed to let Dave Molyneax tear down the old lumberyard buildings on East Ryus for the materials. The site must be cleared to make way for the new post office. 1994: Science teacher Emery Ashby proposed to the Re-2 School Board that he and his students develop a natural history museum in their building.
