Walsenburg
1882: In one hour Monday $730 was subscribed toward a new Presbyterian Church, for which $212 has already been raised. They expect to need about $1,500 to build a church of cut stone. 1889: A special edition of The Cactus is expected to appear this week, advertising the benefits of Walsenburg and Huerfano County. Five thousand copies are to be printed. 1896: In our search to fill these yawning columns, all anyone knew was it had snowed, yet we are expected each week to have some new or startling piece of news for the public maw. 1903: George Daniels, who claimed he would kill all the Slavs, stabbed Frank Furphy [an Irishman] in a Maitland saloon but Frank is expected to survive. 1910: The Ladies annual St. Patrick’s Social on the 17th in Elks Hall featured specialty artists of the Pueblo Elks Minstrel Troupe which kept the audience in one continuous roar of laughter from beginning to end. 1918: Miss Alice Victoria Curry appeared in her graduation concert Tuesday evening in Miss
Carolyn Sporleder’s studio on West Sixth Street. 1925: Brynley Jones will represent Walsen school in the county oratory contest and Tim Valdez in the spelling bee. 1931: President S.M. Andrews of the golf club invites the public to a dinner in Community House Thursday, March 26, to begin the annual membership drive. 1938: Anyone over the age of 15 may enter the talent contest in the Valencia Theater starting April 15, with the winner to compete in the Rocky Mountain competition. 1945: Motorists who have been suffering from a dearth of A book gasoline will be able to bring out the family bus tomorrow when the A-15 gas stamps become available. 1952: Kid Goats, one-half or whole, 60¢ lb., Pork Liver, Sliced, 29¢ lb., Armour’s Chili with Beans, 16 oz. Can 28¢. Safeway Store. 1959: Died, Maria La Cruz Valdez, 95, the widow of Civil War veteran Juan Santes Valdez who died in 1917. 1967: George M. Best, 1938 graduate of Huerfano County High School, has been awarded the nation’s second highest award for meritorious service with the U.S. Army. 1973: The approximately 55,000 square foot building formerly occupied by Sure-Built Modular Homes plant and the 12 acres of land it sits upon will be sold to the highest bidder. 1979: The Miss Huerfano County Scholarship Pageant is open to young women between the ages of 17 and 26, with the winner receiving a $500 scholarship and trip to the Miss Colorado contest in July. Contestants are judged on talent, swimsuit and evening gown competitions. 1987: Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) paid its taxes of $2,806,259.22 Wednesday, of which approximately $1.6 million goes to Re-1 School District. The company employs 34 at the Sheep Mountain facility which currently produces 300,000,000 cubic feet per day.
La Veta
1877: Court house proceedings have been brisk during the past week. Sundry drunks and street fights were disposed of, by which the town’s treasury and empty pocket books of the officials were replenished [note, the officials mentioned here were the town judge and constable, who were paid from the receipt of fines]. 1883: L.W. Burtch has ordered a new assaying outfit, including a pair of fine scales, and in a few days will be prepared to do assaying in better shape than heretofore. 1897: A gang of boys were in the habit of breaking into the school house at night to play cards, so the school board had the windows nailed shut. But nails did not prove a hindrance and the gang entered anyway. The board has secured the names of the culprits and about next October when the district court meets, the roll will be called. 1904: W.H. Gould, who recently bought the old Dodgion place on the upper Cucharas, is improving his ranch home with the addition of a veranda. He plans to have tents and camp stoves available for summer people, and also will have a coach to transport them from the train. 1911: About 200 people visited the special Agricultural demonstration train when it stopped in La Veta. 1919: Tom Wheeler has purchased the old stables and lots east of the Methodist Church on Francisco Street. 1927: Commercial Club elected W.H. Harrison, president; C.F. Boyd, first vice; J.H. Kincaid, second vice; E.C. Stream, secretary and C.C. Webster, treasurer. The club now has 25 members and meets the third Tuesday of every month. 1933: Ell Smith bought the Nehi Bottling Works in Denver and will be assisted in the business by his sons Delmar, Leslie and Lloyd. 1939: Eight teams participated in the basketball tournament here Saturday with St. Mary High School “B” team of Walsenburg winning first, La Veta, second, and Fort Garland, third. 1946: A large amount of material is on the ground for the new building of Albert Amidei on the site of the old La Veta Hotel on Ryus Avenue and construction is expected to start within a short while. 1953: The La Veta P-TA will sponsor a minstrel show March 25 and 26 in the high school gym, directed by Mrs. Maurice Bailey. Endmen will be John Goemmer, Charles Masinton, John Jivares, Ernest Robinson, Larry Morneau and Charlie Ottinger. 1961: Juniors on the honor roll were John Beamer, Loretta Duzenack and Kathy Kiernan. 1968: About 40 people attended the covered dish dinner in the Fellowship Hall of the First Baptist Church Wednesday evening. 1976: With this issue of the Huerfano World, the La Veta news will be included in the Up the Valley column by Nancy Nielsen, as Carrie Hamilton has entered Trinidad State Nursing Home. 1982: The Valley Voice will sponsor a Meet the Candidates for the two men vying for mayor, Fred Austin and Garry Mayfield, the two women running for treasurer and the 15 men and one women seeking election to the six trustee positions. 1989: The Spoon River Players will present a dinner/theater performance March 25 in Baker Creek Restaurant at Cuchara Valley Resort. The $15 per person cost includes a prime rib dinner.
