Walsenburg
1862: Norton W. Welton has been named assessor for this county and James Horan and Rufino Wilkins are justices of the peace for their districts. 1881: Rev. Father Ussell has gone to Toes [sic], N. Mex. on a visit. Mr. Joseph Bourcey accompanied him as an interpreter. 1894: The commissioners considerately awarded the county printing to the World for the remainder of 1894. Thanks. 1900: A company of men from Pueblo began this week fixing up and finishing the Catholic Church here. Soon it will be ready for dedication and upon completion will be an ornament to the town. 1906: The Sporleder Orchestra will give a concert on May Day in the Presbyterian Church. 1912: In a one sided game at Maitland, the Walsenburg Cubs beat the home team 25-0. 1918: Declaration Day, an observation of the date the United States declared war on Germany one year ago, brought out about 1,000 spectators for the parade in Walsenburg. The Star Theater was filled to overflowing for the patriotic speeches afterward. 1925: The Lee Brothers Wild Animal Show with 50 clowns will be in Walsenburg on Thursday. 1931: Twenty-five miners, unemployed, with pick and shovels and five trucks, leveled off the streets of Toltec camp and surfaced them with slag from the mine dump. 1937: Secretaries and stenographers are organizing a union in Walsenburg with about 100 members. 1943: Some 65 servicemen from the Pueblo air base were given a royal welcome to Walsenburg last night when they came for the bond rally and they had plenty of dance partners later, provided by the USO. 1950: The Huerfano County High School baseball squad whipped Sopris 13-5 and will face the La Veta Redskins tomorrow. 1956: Evelyn Lara and Leroy Meehan of El Fandango will appear on KCSJ-TV tomorrow. 1963: Died, Juliana Osckle, 90. She was born in 1873 in Cucharas and married Charles, deceased, in 1893. Of her 14 children, four sons and two daughters survive. 1969: Walsenburg High School “B” Squad cheerleaders for 1969-70 will be Marie Vigil, captain, Cherie Santi and Susie Hudson. Heading the Boys Pep Club will be Dennis Garcia, president, and Steve Price, vice president. 1975: A push button drive up banking system has been added with a third lane at First National Bank in Walsenburg’s Drive-Up at Sixth and Albert streets.. 1981: More than 400 youngsters turned out last Saturday afternoon in Swimming Pool Park for the annual Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Walsenburg Elks Club. 1987: In the continuing discussion about the need for a new county jail and a site for it, first brought up several years ago, a possible location suggested might be the Dallafior property where Pritchard Lumber used to be on East Fifth Street.
La Veta
1877: Town board allowed the paying of $23.50 to Town Constable J.A. Soward for his “servises” from Feb. 14 to April 2, and to election judges Andrew Francisco, John Shank, J.C. Adams, Frank Field and John Kemp, $2.50 each. 1883: The merry jingle of sleigh bells were heard Monday for the first time in many weeks. 1889: The west approach to the Francisco Street bridge is being lost to high water. 1896: F.M. Eggleston was busy the early part of this week setting out quite a number of box elder trees around his town lots on East Francisco Street. 1902: During March, 23 deaths were recorded in Huerfano County, including two in Walsenburg and two in La Veta, but mostly in the coal camps. 1908: George Hansen has purchased Mr. Carson’s interest in the Good Goods Grocery and the firm will be called McLain and Hansen. 1915: Men have been at work this week cleaning the town ditch. 1921: For Sale – 6 good lots adjoining city park on east Field Street, $20.00 each. Apply George Pickens. 1927: Our recent weather has been good for the soil but bad for the soul – snow, rain, wind, mist, frost and a damp, chilly atmosphere. 1933: A gang of men has just completed cleaning up the unsightly trash pile on the road to the cemetery and the public is ordered not to use the place as a dumping ground. 1939: Two railroad cars of materials for the construction of the new town reservoir arrived this week. The reservoir, to be built by WPA labor, will double the city’s water supply. 1945: Sara E. Marker died at the home of her son Lawrence in Alamosa. She was born April 5, 1870 in Georgia. Survivors also include her sons Dewey and Evan of La Veta, brothers Morgan and Josh Patterson and sister Pearl Kitchen. 1951: A large and attentive capacity crowd attended the local dance troupe’s performance Friday night in the high school auditorium despite the inclement weather. The program benefited the P.T.A. 1958: Work continues on the air field by the Chamber of Commerce and the only hazard remaining to be removed is the telephone line. 1964: The Angelovich family, whose ranch home east of town burned down last week in a heavy windstorm, are currently living in Ines Prator’s home west of the creek on Virginia Street. 1970: Kenneth Seaman, 50, 302 E. Francisco, died of a heart attack. He was the son of Benjamin, a former county commissioner from La Veta. 1976: About 100 children from three years to 12 turned out for the annual Rotary Club Easter Egg Hunt in Town Park, held, as usual, in rain and snow showers. 1982: First National Bank in Walsenburg will give $4,500 in matching funds to the Friends of the Arts Guild’s new gallery under construction in Town Park. 1988: New officers of the La Veta High School National Honor Society are JoEllen Murphy, president; Shannon Mayfield, vice president and Anella Bridges, secretary. 1994: JoEllen Murphy will graduate May 14 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from Colorado State University.
