Walsenburg 1891: Jan. 20 was a record breaker at the Rouse mine, when more coal than ever before was loaded from any mine in the state of Colorado, 2,635 tons. It took 142 railroad cars to ship it. 1897: The county commissioners appointed Dr. C.M. McGuire county physician and recommended J.B. Aragon be made sheep inspector for this district. 1902: An explosion of unknown cause in the Pictou mine killed Pete Johnson, J.W. Brewer, who leaves a wife and eight children, and Frank Marquis, 24. Injured were Milson Phipps, brother of the mine superintendent, Andrew Simons and Domenick Pino. 1907: A contract was let for construction of a new store building with a hall upstairs on the vacant lot between Smith’s furniture store and Gordon’s saloon opposite the post office. It will be 90 by 33 feet in size with the second floor hall measuring 35 by 42 feet. 1912: We learn of the death of Harry L. Rhodes of Trinidad who was killed in the Tollerburg mine when he fell on a live wire. His widow is the former Mary Muir. 1918: As a part of the war effort, effective Jan. 13 stores and other business houses cannot burn electricity for advertising purposes on Sunday and Thursday nights. 1924: One hundred and twenty five members of the Walsenburg chapter of the KKK gave a public demonstration Saturday night on city streets and burned crosses on the hills above Main Street on the north and south ends of the city. 1931: Daniel Tenaco, 28, was killed by a trip of cars in the Kebler No. 2 mine at Tioga. 1937: Eli Hobeika, proprietor, announces his new South Main Liquor Store is open at 726½ Main Street, the building formerly occupied by the J.C. Penney store. 1943: A Victory Concert will be presented by the high school band and Victory Chorus featuring popular music in support of the war effort. 1949: WE QUIT. Our Loss – – Your Gain. Everything To Be Sold At Less Than Cost On Jan. 24. Maldonado and Maes, 615 Main Street. 1955: National Machine drilling equipment is being moved to a location site to test all formations for oil to the granite in the southern end of the Santa Clara Creek Prospect. 1961: Regular Bag of Spud Chips, 49¢, and Meadow Gold Chip-N-Dip, 39¢, together an 88¢ value, on sale for 75¢ at Schafer’s Grocery and Market, 609 Main Street. 1967: George Dick bought the first membership to the Walsenburg Golf Association. 1973: Officials of Rio Cucharas announced an early spring beginning on a new club house four miles west of Walsenburg
which will be of Spanish design and include an enclosed swimming pool. 1979: The Walsenburg Jaycees, organized in November, now has 25 members. Directors are Bill Bricking, Tom Simpleman, Herman Martinez, Hugh French and Tim Ricketts. 1985: Paperback Trading Post is now renting a video camera for your special events. 1991: Operation Desert Storm began Wednesday, Jan. 16, and the first of Huerfano County’s servicemen and women have arrived in the war zone in the Persian Gulf.
La Veta 1896: The ice is all gone and the skates put away, but chances are we shall have lots more cold weather before spring . . .1901: C.S. Lawton and W.A. Adamson are constructing a large ice house in the bank a few yards from the mill lake. It is to be 100 feet long and 50 feet wide and the ice will be piled 20 feet high. It will be filled with 2,500 tons of ice. 1908: Ice cutting commenced last Sunday and about 20 teams and wagons have been busy each day hauling ice to the [railroad] cars. So far 1,800 tons have been contracted for and this will keep the men hustling for another week, with the prospect of more contracts being secured if the weather remains favorable for cutting. 1914: All of the militiamen were withdrawn from La Veta on Wednesday; some were sent to Oakview and some were sent to Walsenburg. 1920: T.P. Steele and Al Coleman have the contract for moving L.M. Kreutzer’s ranch home into town and the foundation on Main Street is nearly ready. 1926: The Valley Road between this place and Walsenburg is being traveled since the bad weather; the upper road and Pinon Hill are impassable with ice and drifts. 1932: Nearly 1,000 head of cattle were driven over La Veta Pass from the San Luis Valley last week by Mr. Hansen and not one animal was lost. 1938: The Commercial Club was reorganized with memberships available for 50¢ a year. H.A. Howard is president, Dr. E. Jackson, first vice president, C.C. Webster, second, Edward E. Engberg, secretary and E.A. Stansbury, treasurer. 1944: Clayton Woodrow Hern sold his truck to Robert Weir and left for service in the Navy, but retained his trucking license for after the war. 1951: School children Marilyn Ruth and Anna Maria Richert and Marilyn Lammers provided the entertainment for Rotary Club last Tuesday night. 1958: Longtime Cuchara summer resident Lee Larrabee died at 84 years old. He owned and operated Star Grocery in Liberal, Kans., and Star Lumber with yards in six cities. 1964: Died, Charles Rutherford Powell, 87, former owner and operator of Cuchara Camps. He was born in 1876 in Girard, Kansas and accompanied his parents to Baca County then to the valley in 1896. 1970: The Redskins traveled to Sierra Grande Friday night where they beat the Panthers 64-59, led by Brett Arnold and Wayne Lupton with 18 points each. 1976: Walter Padilla of La Veta purchased Al Bumgardner’s Modern Barber Shop at 126 W. Seventh in Walsenburg. 1982: A group of students from Trinidad State Junior College spent the weekend cross country skiing on Apishapa Pass and headquartered at Carmen Goodwin’s West Peak Mountaineering Shop on Ryus. 1988: Cuchara Valley Resort reports 7,418 people have skied its slopes since Dec. 12, a 36 percent increase over the holiday season of last year.
