Walsenburg 1882: John Furphy has resigned his position as superintendent of the Walsenburg coal banks after three years. 1889: Thursday, Dec. 7, the Rouse mine produced and loaded more coal – 2,105 tons – than ever before. This is better than any other mine in the state. 1896: Olagareo Rodrigues of Malachite and Miss Polly Trujillo of Poison Canyon were married in Walsenburg on Wednesday. 1902: The Thanksgiving Ball given by the people of Hezron, with good music by the Hezron Orchestra, was a very successful event. The floor was in fine condition so dancing was kept up until an early hour. 1908: A leak in the water main on West Fifth Street Monday made a pretty good river bed out of Main Street until the leak was repaired. 1915: A son was born Dec. 4 to Enoch Brunelli and a daughter to Frank Owens on the eighth. 1921: Norman F. Kastner, formerly of Iowa, is the new cashier at Guaranty State Bank. 1927: Juan Pacheco, guard, was elected captain of the St. Mary High School basketball team, according to Coach Bonfadini. 1934: Richard Bailey of Walsenburg, president of the junior class at the University of Colorado, will be in charge of the annual Prom at that college. 1940: Huerfano County High School is requesting the donation of magazines for use in the library for school work. Call 77 and a student will pick them up. 1946: The employment situation in Huerfano County during November was relatively dark, with the heavy snow stopping logging, lumbering and the beet harvest, and the strike closing the coal mines. 1952: For Christmas – Ladies 17-Jewel Watches, $19.75. E.W. Krier, Jeweler, 518 Main Street. 1958: The Bob Mapes family of Las Vegas, N. Mex., have moved onto their new Huerfano County ranch 14 miles northwest of Walsenburg on the Huerfano River. The property was purchased from G.E. McNabb. 1964: Selected semi-finalists in the annual Voice of America contest from Walsenburg High School are Karen Blase, Rose Piazza, Sherie Bucci, Theresa Bobian, Norbert Valdez and Tina Stinson. 1970: The opening of the Hanover Modular Homes, Inc., factory has been delayed until at least February after high winds destroyed the steel girders. 1976: Less than one third of Huerfano County’s 4,150 registered voters turned out Tuesday to defeat a $535,000 bond issue to build a 60-bed skilled care nursing facility adjacent to Huerfano Memorial Hospital. 1982: City Council formed the Walsenburg Conservation Trust Fund to handle monies from the new state lottery which begins next year. 1988: An unknown young man robbed Broadway Liquor at 434 West Seventh last Friday, saying, “I hate to do this, but I need money for my
family”. 1994: Bill Downey of The Variety Store was elected president of the Huerfano County Chamber of Commerce, succeeding Supt. Mike Hinnegan. Randy Tyner, manager of Duckwall’s, was elected vice president and Pat Stehwien of Pat’s Place will be treasurer.
La Veta 1877: Town Board approved a move to make repairs to the Grange Hall to make it suitable and comfortable for patients during the present sickness. 1883: With the removal of Town Clerk and Recorder J.B. King to Walsenburg, H.A. Tanner was elected to the office until the April election. 1892: The Town of La Veta will offer a $15.00 reward to be paid on the conviction of anyone, Especially boys, found Disturbing the peace or doing Malicious damage to any property within the said town limits. 1899: The price of hay is on the rise – we heard of one ranchman asking $14.00 a ton. 1907: A fire on the R.A. Hayes ranch Wednesday night burned up his milk house and wind mill tower. 1913: The Vories brothers are building a new slaughter house near the main road south of town to town lake. 1919: Mr. Harrison, who once hauled coal from Indian Creek with a yoke of oxen to supply the town, was here from the western slope to visit his son Emmett. 1926: The Spanish Peaks Serenaders are going to give a dance at Alamo on Christmas Eve and another one here in La Veta on New Year’s Eve, while the Harmony Orchestra will play at a dance here Christmas and New Year’s nights. There’s no lack of the terpsichorean recreation. 1933: Dear Santa Claus. This is a list of Christmas presents I want. First I want a watch and a sled and a pair of skates. I’m a boy about 10 years old and I will be 11 in January. Be sure and come. Gilbert. 1939: The Denver and Rio Grande roundhouse in La Veta is being dismantled. J.T. Manning says it was probably built in the late 1870s. The turntable for the engines was dismantled several years ago. 1945: A girls basketball team has been organized with Mary Lou Wagner, Nola Goss, Verna Bell Moore, Jewel Parker, Madeline Hurley, Barbara Boyd, Roxie Boyd, Marie Pascoe and Edith Marker on the first string. 1951: Elected officers of Tuesday Night Study Club were Dorothy Arnold, president, Daisy Nauerth, vice president, Doris Tracy, secretary and Lorraine Courtright, treasurer. 1957: The Booster Club is reported to have made $88.00 on its dance last Friday night. 1963: County Treasurer Tom Solomon reports 73 parcels of property were sold for $6,066.97 in the annual tax sale this week. 1969: Died, Mary Agnes Hamilton Kreutzer, 91. She was born in 1878 in La Veta and married Lawrence Kreutzer in 1902. She leaves sons Earl J. and J. Malcolm, daughters Sadie Marker, Mrs. Earl Thornton and Mrs. Lee Crump, and sister Daisy Campbell. 1975: Valley Art Center will hold a pre-holiday Open House Saturday from 2 to 9 p.m. displaying many new items by local artists. 1981: The county building inspector reported that $4,628,688.50 worth of building permits have been sold this year, mostly for construction at Panadero Ski Resort and ARCO’s drilling sites. 1987: The La Veta High School choir under the direction of Peggy Arnold will entertain the United Methodist Women’s Patience Circle at noon Dec. 16 at its covered dish luncheon, which is open to the public.
