Walsenburg
1889: The first issue of the new paper, the Walsenburg World, came out Thursday night. It is handsome boomy and creditable to its publisher – Mr. G.M. Magill. From the Walsenburg Cactus.
1897: Someone suggested the town buy bales of hay to put out for those vagrant cows which break into people’s yards and gardens.
1904: Mrs. M.A. Deardorff of Denver will show a selected stock of spring millinery at the Central Hotel, opposite the Klein Hotel.
1912: A jolly crowd of young folks, chaperoned by Miss Elizabeth Gent, spent Sunday afternoon at Lime Rock.
1918: Fred G. Walsen sold his La Plata and De Las Gallinas ranches of 400 acres to T.J. Quillian.
1925: Charles Cornwall, former county sheriff, was appointed road supervisor by the county commissioners.
1932: The Green Dragon Café under the management of Louis Barrack of Trinidad will open Saturday in the building formerly occupied by the Avalon Cafeteria next door to the Rialto Theater.
1939: One hundred and twenty-five students of St. Mary School have been fingerprinted under the Junior Chamber of Commerce’s Civil Identification Program.
1945: Memories of the last war were relived by J.E. Williams and R.R. Gowdy last night after hearing the U.S. 1st Army had crossed the Rhine River at Remagen. Both were members of General Pershing’s famed Rainbow Division and 26 years ago crossed at the same bridge.
1952: Howard Kountz, Walsenburg businessman for nearly 50 years, has retired, selling his interest in Pritchard Lumber to John Albright, former owner of Cuchara Camps.
1959: Louisa Sporleder with 66 years, Edna Levy and Lucy Williams with 54 each, and Frances Sears with 53 years, were honored for long-time membership in the local Order of the Eastern Star chapter.
1965: Named by the senior class as the cutest couple were Ruth Bachicha and Michael Galvez, and most athletic were Betty Bachicha and Louis Lenzotti.
1971: Completing a 180-hour Nurses Aides course at Walsenburg High School were Darlene Bobian, Geri Garcia, Evelyn Martinez, Rose Martinez and Roberta Montoya.
1978: Head Coach Dee Betts took over the high school boys basketball program in 1971 and now has a 107-35 record.
1984: Huerfano County High School’s first basketball team was sponsored by the Elks Club so it adopted the Elks’ colors of purple and white. The team won the state championship in 1911.
1991: John Mall High School winners in the Trinidad State Junior College science fair, Ted Sanders, Gary Vezzani and David Martinez, will go to the state competition in Fort Collins in April.
La Veta
1881: For Sale: 160 acres one and a half miles east of La Veta, 40 acres under cultivation, two log houses, ditch, outbuildings, $400.
1893: Ten or 15 three or four room houses would pay good rent here in the summer.
1901: Town Marshal Zimmerman has been busy laying sidewalks around Blocks 1 and 2, which have been needed for some time.
1909: Mr. Spicer, fireman on the Rio Grande’s water train, moved his family into one of the Kincaid cement houses on Ryus.
1916: The latest automobiles are equipped with electric light bulbs as speed indicators. At 10 miles per hour, a white light is shown, at 20, a green light, at 30 a red light flashes into view, and at 40 miles per hour a music box under the seat plays “Nearer My God to Thee”.
1922: La Veta’s high school basketball team defeated Walsenburg’s second team 7-3 and the Athletic Club defeated the Walsenburg first team 12-9.
1929: Died, Frank M. Eggleston, 77, evidently of a heart attack, while on the roof of his store feeding birds. He has been a resident of La Veta since 1875.
1936: Under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration, the school started serving hot lunches Monday. The first day about 15 were served, the second day about 85 and the third day, 150.
1942: Workmen are making good progress with remodeling the two-story stone building on Ryus Avenue for Odd Fellows Lodge. A heating plant will be installed in the basement and the first floor will be a dining room and auditorium.
1950: A large number attended the Chamber of Commerce dinner and meeting in the Park Lane Hotel Friday evening, causing extra tables to be set up in the lobby because the restaurant only seats 75.
1958: La Veta’s cagers edged Sierra Grande 34-33 in Alamosa last night to win the District II Class C basketball tournament and get a shot at the state tourney in Denver.
1966: Renee Goemmer, Miss Colorado Electricity, was among nine finalists of 9,000 representatives in the Miss Rural Electrification contest in Las Vegas, Nev.
1974: Cagers to play in the district playoffs tomorrow are Rick Ward, Rod Falk, David Magnino, Mike Gray, Steve Aguirre, Cass Cruz, Paul Morgan, John Sanchez, Bruce Neldner and Clarence Morgan.
1983: Town Board approved a request by John Sharp of Otsego Log Homes to install a temporary sewage pumping station at the 13-unit apartment complex, “The Fort”, to be built on Highway 12.
1992: Eighty some people attended a reception Saturday afternoon honoring Librarian Judy Welch who has resigned after holding the position for 15 years.
