Walsenburg
1899: Hunters of big game are advised that bears and mountain lions are prolific around the Pass Creek and Devil’s Hole areas, where they are killing cattle and horses.
1906: Spring Canon school has held its commencement exercises, the graduates being Annie Rogers, Ruby Capps and Arthur Arnold.
1913: Uncle Jerry Sullivan, watchman for the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad crossing on Main Street the past 10 years, was struck by a switch engine and died of his injuries.
1918: A total of $1,042.23 was raised on the 4th of July for the International Red Cross.
1925: School District #4, Walsenburg, Board of Education revised its standard contract for teachers but still, if women get married they are subject to dismissal.
1931: The Walsenburg Legion Juniors will face the Alamosa Legion Juniors July 12 in Cuchara Camps when the American Legion has its picnic and barbeque for the public. There will also be novelty contests and other sports.
1937: Workmen have started wrecking the old Colorado Supply Store at the end of West 7th Street to clear the way for the proposed route of Highway 160.
1944: A loaded pit car abandoned in the fartherest [sic] extensions of the old Walsen mine 55 years ago was brought to the surface by Cameron mine workers yesterday after the miners broke through into the old Walsen mine workings.
1951: Walsenburg residents have been bloating themselves and drowning their lawns with a daily water usage of 743 gallons per person for the past 42 days. That’s an equivalent of 2,972 milk bottles filled with water each day.
1958: An exceptionally large number of weed fires in the city has caused Mayor Don Haney to suggest homeowners not controlling their weed growth be penalized.
1965: The new publisher of the Huerfano World, S.M. “Mack” Nations, said the paper will no longer carry accounts of arrests, charges, or civil or criminal actions.
1971: Pete Kallas, 76, recalls his ship from Greece in April 1912 was 16 hours late in reaching port because it had changed course to assist the Titanic which had sunk before his ship could reach her position.
1977: Dance to the music of David Henry, with Brent and John, Saturday night in the Country Club at Rio Cucharas.
1983: Bob Crosby’s Donkey Basketball will be in Walsenburg Sunday, July 24 in the old St. Mary ballpark on West 10th Street in a game to benefit Sacred Heart Church in Gardner.
1988: Mayor Tom Powell expressed concern about escalating vandalism on city property after a spray painting rampage defaced sidewalks, the street and signs around the railroad depot visitors’ center. Council has asked the chief of police to assign foot patrols henceforth.
1994: County crews Wednesday completed moving furniture, displays and equipment from the former Walsenburg Mining Museum at 5th and Main to the new quarters in the old county jail, which cost $10,000 to build in 1896 but $40,000 to renovate.
La Veta
1900: Last Friday night about 11:30 some miscreant placed dynamite against two houses belonging to the San Fernando Copper Mining Company at Ojo and shattered them somewhat.
1905: Will Kincaid and Frank I. Walker ascended Old Baldy [Mount Mestas] one day and say it is 10 miles high and covered with enough broken rock to pave all the cities in the world.
1911: For Sale- the Capps property on Oak Street, including a good seven room house, a barn and other outbuildings on two acres of land. $2,000. Inquire of the La Veta Investment Company.
1917: Ira B. Gale was in town yesterday to arrange for the construction of a big warehouse, 36 by 72 feet, which the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company will build between the railroad tracks and the La Veta Garage on Main Street. It will be used exclusively for the storage of hay.
1923: The 1923 Chautauqua closed last evening and proved to be a success despite the failure of the local bank, earning a little more than $100.
1930: The afternoon baseball games on the 4th of July here resulted in Alamo defeating Ravenwood 8-4 and the A & B Happy Joe team of Walsenburg beating Alamo 6-0.
1936: H.E. Wilkins sells Red Crown gasoline at his garage at Ryus and Oak streets, and Howard Hanka handles Sinclair gas and other products at his station at the junction of Highways 160 and 111 at Ojo.
1942: Sput Kreutzer was the “winniest” man at the 4th of July contests, winning the Fat Man’s Race, the wheelbarrow race with his partner Joe Riggins and the three legged race with George Zember.
1949: Ben Veltri, former owner of the La Veta Cheese Company factory back in 1942, is now a state senator from Trinidad.
1956: Henrietta Duzenack of La Veta, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Duzenack, will represent the 4-H Council as a queen candidate for the Spanish Peaks Fiesta in Walsenburg.
1962: La Veta native Carlos Richman has taken over the duties of Tony Masinton for the Denver and Rio Grande upon the latter’s retirement after 52 years
1968: Featured on the 4th of July in Cuchara was a 42-star flag handmade in 1898 by the grandmother and great-aunt of the new store owner, David Baldwin.
1974: The 4-H Rodeo over the holiday weekend raised funds for the new 4-H Barn.
1980: Record crowds were on hand Friday and Saturday nights for the annual rodeo in which there were some 200 participants.
1986: The first nine holes of Grandote Golf and Country Club will open on Saturday and the greens fees are $10. A gas powered golf cart costs $12 for nine holes.
