La Veta
1877: The bill submitted by J.D. Patterson for attending a sick pauper for $19 was denied by Town Board because only $11 is allowed for this purpose.
1883: Frank Lawrence is striking some good ore in the Copper King lode on the Spanishe Peaks, the assays are running $175 in gold along with some silver and copper.
1893: At present, everybody seems to be very busy – coughing, sneezing and blowing their noses.
1897: We want it clearly understood that it was not one of our readers who enquired “whether it was not cold work harvesting winter wheat at this altitude.” That party who made the above inquiry was the half brother to the girl who wanted to see a tobacco field “plugging out”.
1903: In consequence of mentioning the Juveniles’ entertainment last week as a “nigger show”, we seem to have caused some offense.
1908: William Klein of Walsenburg has rented the north half of the Mauldin building on the east side of Main Street and intends to open a confectionery and bakery around the first of April.
1913: There are eight herds of purebred Herefords around La Veta now with the best known being those of the Firm brothers, H.B. Sager, A.A. Campbell, E.C. Harrison, Sumpter Martin, Goemmer Brothers and the Kreutzer brothers.
1918: Adam Richards and his wife are again living on Veta Pass where he is pounding the brass keys for the railroad company and handing out the U.S. Mail for the settlers.
1923: Mrs. A. Richards has returned to town to assist her mother, Mrs. A.C. Mauldin, in her millinery store.
1928: Orval Clark was granted a lease on the unopened streets and vacant blocks between Blocks 5 and 12 on the west side of the river to use as a muskrat farm at a rental of $5.00.
1933: The three-day bank holiday declared by Governor Johnson Saturday was a surprise, and when it was followed by the president’s proclamation Sunday evening closing all banks for four days it left people dazed.
1938: La Vetan Addie Baker, 56, was struck and killed by a train on Seventh Street in Walsenburg. She had lived here since 1928 and was the mother of Frank Baker, 16, and mother-in-law of Guy Tompkins, 22, all of Ojo.
1943: Warren Farrar is giving classes in farm machinery operation and repair in his service garage. He already has 12 students.
1948: The John Tompkins family moved into town recently from Ojo and are now occupying the Roy Spangler residence west of the river.
1953: The Colorado Excelsior and Mill Company is starting up its sawmill after several months of sitting idle. Workers have been cutting logs meantime and a large supply is now on hand. Eighteen is the current employment in the mill and in timber cutting. George Welsby remains as manager.
1958: Lee Sneddon, who was a star athlete at La Veta High School, will coach the Pueblo County High School track and field squad this year. His brother Lloyd is a mainstary on the current basketball team.
1963: Young Edward Joseph Sanchez, 24, died in an auto accident in the San Luis Valley. He was the son of Annie Sanchez and leaves brothers Ernest and Henry Charlifue and Frederick Sanchez and sister Mrs. Paul Gomez.
1968: La Veta seems to have a fair share of the snow season for the past three months, with an average of two storms per week. Right now there are 18 and a half inches on the ground.
1973: Rolling clouds of dust swirled over Huerfano County Tuesday and caused several accidents on the highways.
1978: D’s Drive-In has been sold by Tom and Dee Lessar, who have operated it for the past four years. New owners are Betty Bowdino and Wayne and Gloria Jean Kreutzer and it will be known as the B&K Drive-in after it reopens April 29.
1983: Linda Taft was appointed new Town Clerk to replace Elsie Cannonm so will resign her position as Town Trustee.
1988: Neal J. Cocco, 36, a resident of La Veta since July of 1981, has announced his candidacy for County Commissioner District #2.
Walsenburg
1889: Uncle Sam Patterson received the appointment of Deputy Sheriff of Huerfano County and entered duties this week.
1893: Santiago Valdez of Cucharas is shipping wood to Colorado Springs.
1899: Tuesday’s gentle zephyrs did a general delivery in the distribution of trash about town and demolished the smoke-stack on Langley’s livery barn.
1903: Leonides Valdes took three loads of lumber to Cucharas to repair the dam for the Stevens and Valdez ditch.
1909: The Neelley-Caldwell hardware store on Main Street was burglarized early Thursday morning and about a dozen pistols and a Meerschaum pipe were stolen.
1913: The southbound Denver and Rio Grande trains will again temporarily use the old tracks between Pueblo and Cucharas Junction.
1919: Plans are being made to build a new elementary school house in the McKinley district, west of Rattlesnake Buttes, due to the rising population.
1923: During 1907 through 1920, 34,802 coal miners were killed in this county, just 16,000 fewer than all the American soldiers killed in the world war.
1929: The Woman’s Civic League will improve the union depot grounds by planting grass and shrubs and soon a cement driveway will be built.
1933: Because we are going to have beer again doesn’t imply we won’t need water. Wonder if it wouldn’t be wise to conserve our water as much as possible in case this drought continues.
1939: “Range Racketeers” have been stealing provisions, clothing, guns and supplies from various sheep camps while the herders are out ending their flocks.
1943: The O.P.A. has frozen the retail sales of butter, lard, margarine, shortening and cooking and salad oils for one week.
1949: The annual style show of the Walsenburg Civic League will be Thursday, March 31, with the proceeds to benefit its projects for the public library, tennis courts, playgrounds and to repair the railroad depot park.
1953: H.F. Uhl and C.J. Schewelka have dissolved their partnership in the sheet metal and heating business at 129 West Seventh Street.
1959: Dr. Walter S. Chapman was graduated from medical school in 1896 and was involved in the Spanish American War. After his release, he moved to Old Rouse in late 1898 to be company physician and has lived in Huerfano County since. He was born in Oregon in either 1872 or ’73. He moved to Walsenburg in 1911 with his wife, the former Stella Keyes, whom he married in Michigan and died in 1957. They have two children, Walter and Frances. During his many years here, he has served as both county treasurer and coroner, as well as health officer of Walsenburg.
1964: Huajatolla Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution met Wednesday night in the home of Mrs. Carolyn Sporleder to honor this year’s D.A.R. Citizen of the Year, Miss Mary Watson of La Veta High School.
1969: Georgia Kay Kilmurray, granddaughter of the Frank Mauros, will appear on television Saturday on Wide World of Sports as one of the 60 girls competing in the International Bikini Beauty Pageant.
1974: Washington School cheerleaders for the 1973-74 school year were Angie Swartzendruber, Pam Crump, Jamie Figal, Mary Murr and Shelia Hudson.
1979: The Miss Huerfano County Scholarship pageant is open to young women between the ages of 17 and 26. The contestants will be judged on talent and the swimsuit and evening gown competitions. The winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship and go to the Miss Colorado pageant in July.
1984: Faye Lucero and Rumalda Trujillo, who helped start Mother’s Club in 1934, were honored as 50-year members at a banquet in the Walsenburg Golf Course.
1989: The county commissioners agreed to pay one third of the $16,000 needed to pave the cart paths at the Walsenburg Golf Course.
1994: The bus trip to Cripple Creek to raise funding for the elementary students bound for Washington, D.C. $970 was raised.
