Walsenburg
1890: A pistol dropped out of the pocket of Ed Farr at the Twin Lakes Hotel last night, discharged and wounded him in the knee.
1899: Died, Jose Manuel Valdez, born in 1837 in New Mexico and who moved to this area from Conejos County in 1867. He leaves a wife and children Tirso Valdez, the ex-county assessor, Victoria Atencio, Manuel Valdez, Elisa Atencio, Natividad Martinez and Entimeo Valdez.
1906: A string of loaded coal cars escaped and ended up at the bottom of the slope in the Midway mine Saturday. Fortunately no one was hurt but the mine was shut down for the day for repairs.
1911: The 1910 census shows an increase of 59% in population. The 1890 census shows Huerfano County had 6,882 residents, in 1900, 8,395 and for 1910 there were 13,320.
1917: The Merritt brothers shipped 10,000 fat sheep which filled five freight cars and sold for about $10,000.
1923: Paul Wayt is building two new bungalows in Wayt’s Court on east 5th Street.
1929: A Girls Athletic Association of 38 members was formed at St. Mary High School and elected Anna Canaparoli, president, Frances Mauro, vice president and Pierina Ruffini, secretary.
1936: Approximately $4,800 in old age pensions will be allotted to Huerfano County’s 526 pensioners, which represents about 70% of the usual monthly payment.
1942: The Huerfano County High and Washington school bands will jointly sponsor a giant carnival Feb. 14 with a supper, games, booths and bazaar, to raise funds for new equipment.
1949: Former Redwing resident and graduate of HCHS, Monroe Fox, 33, who was blinded when a member of a naval demolition team during the invasion of Iwo Jima, is on the honor roll with a straight A average at Adams State College where he is studying pre-law.
1956: Huerfano County’s extended drought was broken last night by a snowfall that left four inches in the city.
1963: Norma Panion of St. Mary High School and Carol Zalesny of Walsenburg High have been named local winners in the “Homemakers of Tomorrow” contest.
1970: Alfred H. Stephens retired Friday from the First National Bank in Walsenburg after nearly 46 years in the business. A native of Walsenburg, he began with the bank in 1923 after graduating from HCHS.
1976: Greg Gomez, 1975 WHS graduate, is the second leading scorer on the Air Force Academy Varsity Reserve basketball team.
1983: The Huerfano Re-1 Board of Education decided to try the four-day week during the final nine weeks of school this spring before approving or rejecting the measure, said to be a cost cutting one.
La Veta
1881: After the disappearance of her husband Cal, Mrs. Feasle brought her children into town to stay and she will do washing for gentlemen or families.
1897: A young man started after his best girl Saturday evening to take her sleigh riding. Just before he got there his horses ran away leaving him to walk home all alone in the cold and dark.
1905: A snowstorm finally visited La Veta Tuesday and Wednesday, leaving a foot of snow. Ice cutting will commence Monday if the ice is at least 12 inches thick.
1912: One hundred and fifty opera chairs have arrived for Mr. Steele’s moving picture show, The Photoplay.
1919: C.L. Martin sold a 17-month bull weighing 1,580 pounds to Mr. Parsons of the Purgatory valley for $1,100.
1925: The high school literary society took a bob sled Thursday evening to spend the evening with Ruth and John Goemmer out at the ranch.
1931: The farmers’ union is giving an old time entertainment at Kincaid Hall this evening. Seventy-five cents gets you eats and dancing.
1938: The Huerfano County Young Democrats Club elected Jack C. Stone, La Veta, president; Ramon Vigil, Gardner, first vice president; J. Frank Cordova, Walsenburg, second vice president; Fred Sabon, Walsenburg, secretary and Joe O’Rourke, Walsenburg, treasurer.
1945: The Selective Service must have 330,000 more men by July 1 and there probably will be no escape for men under 30 years old who are physically qualified.
1952: Forest Ranger Lewis E. Cummings measured 40.3 inches of snow with a water content of 12.8 inches on La Veta Pass Thursday, which is quite a bit above the average.
1959: About a foot of snow was received in La Veta Monday and Tuesday accompanied by sub zero temperatures and high winds. The schools were closed due to the roads drifting in.
1965: The first gasoline war of the new year dropped the cost to an average of 24.9¢ per gallon for regular at the three local stations.
1971: Mr. and Mrs. Otto Goemmer lost their Butte Ranch home early Monday morning in a fire which leveled the two-story, eight room frame structure three and a half miles southwest of La Veta.
1977: David Perkins and The Bionic Dog will provide music for a dance in the La Veta Lodge Saturday night.
1984: The new 5,000 square foot town maintenance, EMT and fire department building at Ryus and Main streets, costing about $65,000, is being clad in brown tin.
