Walsenburg
1890: Tommie King, 50, last night while intoxicated, fell into the well behind the Stock Exchange Saloon of John Brown and was discovered dead this morning.
1898: Bob Mandolini and Dave Evans were shot and killed in the Pictou saloon.
1904: Joe Mandolini, on account of his wife’s health, is compelled to sell his saloon at Pictou.
1911: There was no school in the Hill building Tuesday, Jan. 3, on account of the bursting of the steam pipes.
1918: Segundio Gonzales, printer at the Independent office, shot Night Marshal Joe Santistevan in the hip.
1925: Alonzo Martinez and Esebio Abeyta pled not guilty of the murder of Simon Vigil in front of the church at Cucharas Plaza.
1931: Mrs. Andrew Todd of Bear Creek froze to death while walking home from La Veta and Mrs. Jack Alt’s body was found frozen in an arroyo near Barbour coal mine.
1938: Thieves broke into the Santi Service Station at 724 W. 7th St. during the night and made away with approximately $100 worth of tires, tubes and oil.
1943: Stamp No. 28 in the war sugar ration book No. 1 is now good for one pound of coffee from Jan. 4 until Feb. 8. Sugar Stamp No. 10 is good for the purchase of three pounds of sugar through Jan. 31.
1949: The mercury in Walsenburg dropped to 15 below and the cold winds continue to drift snow and cause icy conditions.
1955: Only two minor disturbances marred the peace and quiet of the city over the New Year weekend and today electricians are busy taking down the holiday lights in the downtown area.
1961: Msgr. Howard L. Delaney and Gerald Ariano were named to the airport committee of the Huerfano County Chamber of Commerce.
1967: The West Fourth Street Grocery, an establishment in Walsenburg for 57 years, was gutted by fire shortly before noon Friday. Owners Mr. and Mrs. Louis Guigli say it is an $8,000 loss, but their eight-room home attached to the store was undamaged.
1973: An estimated $5,500 in guns, ammunition, cameras and other merchandise was stolen from Biondi’s Sporting Goods, 605 Main, on New Years Day.
1979: Employees of the Federal Homes Corp. modular home factory now building its first unit are Bud Walters, Don Blasingame, Herbert Menegatti, Densel Bolin, Ernest Montano and Mario DiMatteo.
1987: A valve in the heating system of the county courthouse malfunctioned and pumped hot water into the offices of Judge Claude Appel, Probation Officer Chris Skarmas, the treasurer’s office below and onto the desk of the county extension agent in the basement.
1994: Law officers chased a 15-year-old from just north of Trinidad, through Walsenburg, La Veta and Cuchara, but lost sight of him near Weston.
La Veta
1883: The New Year was welcomed at precisely 12 o’clock by the worst din that ever aroused from peaceful slumbers a quiet and law abiding citizen. Every engine at the roundhouse screached [sic] while the ringing of bells and unearthly yells added to the commotion.
1897: The loss on J.B. Petrie’s dwelling by fire was set by J.P. Kearns at $712 and on the furniture, $531.38.
1903: The burglars who entered Fred Bombard’s saloon left their handcar at the Walsen switch and headed north on foot.
1910: With eggs at 50 cents a dozen and butter at 40 cents a pound, it would seem that somebody could make a profitable business supplying the home market.
1917: Dave Clark has lost several fingers as the result of an accident in the Adamson coal mine.
1924: Thermometers registered 18 below zero Sunday, followed by a two day thaw but New Year’s Day brought in a regular old fashioned blizzard.
1930: A heavier than usual wind Sunday blew down three light poles and some trees.
1935: It is stated that more than four times as much property was sold at the delinquent tax sale this year than last. This doesn’t look as if the recovery wave has hit Huerfano County yet.
1941: John Smalley was severely injured when he was caught under falling rock in his coal mine a few miles up Middle Creek. He was assisted out by his son Pete with Junior Caldwell, who found his leg was broken and he had numerous abrasions.
1947: Six to 10 degrees below zero temperatures were registered this week and several light snowfalls were received.
1953: The Pentagon has released the latest Korean casualty list which shows 22,627 Americans have died and 93,000 plus wounded since the start of the war.
1959: The two day snowstorm and ensuing windstorm left four foot drifts around this section of the county.
1965: Particularly savage winds continued to pummel the area this week and dust storms reduced the visibility to practically zero. No moisture was received.
1971: La Veta and Cuchara received nearly two feet of snow while temperatures plunged to 25 below zero.
1977: The value of building permits issued last year in Huerfano County totaled about one fifth of 1975.
1984: La Veta was without telephone service from Saturday to Wednesday.
1991: Temperatures dropped to record lows the last few weeks of 1990, with the lowest recorded 20 below zero. About a foot of snow was received.
