Walsenburg
1889: William Grant, chief engineer and Superintendent of mines for the Colorado Coal and Iron company, says that they began work Monday at Santa Clara with about 50 men. He also says the Engleville is now running full, that Elmore [El Moro] is running 150 ovens and that the company has started two mines at Red [Road?] Canon, 20 miles north of Trinidad, which produce superior coking coal.
1894: H.E. Wheeler announces he is retiring from the Walsen and Wheeler Bank and Mr. Walsen will carry on the business.
1899: The Mexican Protestant church on Canute Baldonado’s lots downtown was torn down due to a ownership dispute and the small congregation is seeking somewhere else to rebuild it.
1904: Walsenburg has been experiencing a little touch of winter the past week. On the night of the 26th we had a little frost.
1909: A heavy rain on the hogback flooded most of the basements on Capitol Hill and flooded downtown streets, especially Gittings’ building at Third and Main.
1914: Mr. Hurley installed one of the newest innovations, a bottle washing machine, in his Bottling Works.
1919: A 74-year-old man was killed when his auto left the hogback crossing and fell 20 feet into the town drainage ditch.
1924: The first place First Aid team at Walsen is composed of Dave Davies, captain, George H. Turner, Earl Peet, J.B. Burns and Donald Haskey, with the “patient” being Ed Furlong.
1929: More than 1,000 children attended the “Dingling Brothers “ Kid Circus Thursday in the Valencia Theater.
1934: Alex Topping, of Ravenwood, shooting a dazzling 68, gained honors in the qualifying rounds of the city championship golf tournament with Ed Price and Tommy Thompson, each at 70, as his closest competitors and Ed Merritt and Frank Cowing right behind at 71.
1939: The huge Alamo mine northwest of Walsenburg has received a contract for 1,000 tons of coal daily this winter so will reopen under a lease by a Denver firm.
1944: A Boeing representative will be at the employment office, 112 East Sixth, today and tomorrow to recruit vitally needed war workers as beginning assemblymen on B-29 Super Fortresses.
1949: For Sale – For Quick Removal – Tipple, Washery, Stable, Hay Barn, Garage, and Other Mine Buildings – apply Colorado Fuel and Iron Corp., Phone 530.
1954: Beginning September 1, the state will take over the licensing of drivers from the county clerks.
1959: Priscilla Dratter received a grand championship in clothing and Ray Zgut got a championship in safety at the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo. Nancy Hicks was named reserve grand champion for her horse entry.
1964: William Leroy Cisneros, son of Mr. and Mrs. Pete Cisneros of Redwing, received his Master’s Degree in Secondary Education from Adams State College August 21. He was the St. Mary High School Valedictorian for 1959.
1969: The 44-year-old Walsenburg Pavilion on Eighth Street was destroyed by fire early Monday morning. It was built in 1925 by the late Archie Levy Sr. It was originally open air, but was roofed over including living trees and built of pine slabs with a solid maple dance floor.
1974: Christine Johnson, Charmaine Hernandez, Donna Vigil, Wanda Salazar and Elaine Burnett are vying for the 16 de Septiembre Queen contest to be held in conjunction with the Mexican Fiesta.
1979: Eggo Frozen Waffles, 69 cents; American Beauty Spaghetti, one pound 59 cents; Pueblo Green Chilis, 49 cents a pound. Black and White Grocery.
1984: Former Gardner resident Lars Kampmann is scouting the county for a location for a continental restaurant and catering service.
1989: Eva Herrera, 91, and Lester Costephens, 88, will represent Huerfano County Hospital’s Long Term Care unit in the Silver Queen and King contest at the Arkansas Valley Fair.
1994: Huerfano County received $11,883.42 in state lottery proceeds for the year, Walsenburg got $20,539.57 and La Veta, $4,435.87. Since its inception in 1983, the Lottery has provided $339,220.57 to the county and cities.
La Veta
1876: Sproul Brothers, Sam Bear (self-styled dauber) and Jack Coniff have got the largest blacksmith shop, wagon and paint shop there is in town, and what is more, doing a good paying business.
1881: J.M. Elrod will at once commence the erection of a new frame house 14 by 28 on Francisco Street east of Dr. Barber’s drug store.
1891: Town Board ordered that L.A. Drum be told to move his old barn standing in Locust Street at the corner with Francisco Street’s north corner.
1896: Anyone finding a buggy duster in the roads west of town and returning same to the livery stable will be suitably rewarded.
1901: L.A. Drum’s horse, frightened by the thresher that was passing by while it was hitched at the blacksmith shop, kicked the sulky to splinters.
1906: Charles Spielmann suffered three broken ribs by being dragged and run over by a wagon.
1911: The Alliance Coal Company has already built several dwelling houses at its mine north of Oakview and construction continues. A switch has been put in from the Oakview spur to receive coal which at present is being hauled in wagons over a good road just constructed for that purpose.
1916: Harry Hector and Adam Flockhart were down from the clouds this week; they are mining within a quarter mile of the top of the West Spanish Peak.
1921: Miss Eleanor Coe bravely disposed of a rattlesnake on the ranch lately.
1926: The Trinidad Chamber of Commerce is inquiring about our Balanced Rock which is one of the most unique specimens of its kind in the world.
1931: A party of picnickers from Walsenburg were joined by a bear while they ate their lunches along the trail on the West Peak on their way to Bulls Eye Mine.
1936: Mrs. Jessie Donegan reports the La Veta relief canning factory has put up 845 cans of peas, or 1,550 pounds, with 10 women employed. Now they are on to preserving beans and carrots.
1941: La Veta High School is seeing a decreased enrollment this year, with just 77 students including 27 freshmen, 22 sophomores, 13 juniors and 16 seniors.
1946: The Sunday Schools at the Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian churches have been suspended for the duration of the polio epidemic.
1951: Joe Robino installed an overhead track in his locker plant and rearranged the interior of the meat market and grocery.
1956: Mr. and Mrs. Elbert Kitchen, married in 1906, will be honored Sunday in the Baptist Church on their Golden Wedding Anniversary where there will be an open house and tea after the services.
1961: Died, Joyce Sherbondy, 46, the daughter of George E. and Maude Coleman who was born in La Veta in 1914. She leaves a small son.
1966: Mrs. Don Wagner and Mrs. Fred Klikus will be the school cooks this year.
1971: The children of Mrs. Paul Gilbert gathered with cousins to celebrate her 82nd birthday, the first time the family has been all together since before World War II.
1976: Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Konieczny purchased the house on Ryus Avenue once owned by her family, the Mestases, in her youth. Mrs. Konieczny was the sister of the war hero “Cowboy” Mestas for whom Mt. Mestas was named.
1981: So far, the enrollment in La Veta Schools stands at 207, up from 201 last year. This includes 113 students in the elementary grades, K-6, and 89 in the upper grades, 7-12.
1986: Building Inspector and Zoning Enforcement Officer Frank Jurecki resigned and Town Board appointed Trustee Tom Lessar to fill the position temporarily.
1991: John Taft, 90, won second place in the Arkansas Valley Fair Silver King contest. For his talent, he played and performed “You Are My Sunshine” on his harmonica
1996: Senior Citizens – 120 of them – enjoyed their first lunch in the new community center on Ryus Avenue. They decided then to donate the money in their treasury toward buying two refrigerators, a freezer, kitchen supplies, tables, chairs and two storage cabinets for the center.
