Walsenburg
1863: U.S Marshal Alexander Cameron Hunt was in our midst this week witnessing some land transfers on St. Vrain’s land grant.
1883: Our esteemed county clerk, Louis DeCamp, recently married Della Cowen, the school teacher at Gardner, at the home of J.D. Patterson on the Huerfano.
1893: S.W. Sharp’s fine residence, where the Sharpsdale post office was for so long, burnt to the ground last week.
1898: Unfug and Taylor’s business has so expanded they rented the Odd Fellows Hall in which they will store their feed and hay.
1903: The Colorado Fuel and Iron company is building a fence to cut off the hauling of coal from the McNally mine across their land to the railroad.
1908: The new political party in Huerfano County, headed by Fred G. Walsen, will issue a newspaper with Spanish and American editions, from an office in the back of Krier’s corner on Main Street at Sixth.
1913: We hear Mrs. William Krier, or Cecilia, is lying very low at her residence and her children, Mrs. Ernest Lidle, Mrs. Agnes Struck and Edward, have been summoned to her bedside. She came to this county in 1883, settling in La Veta but moving to Walsenburg permanently in 1898 when her husband was elected county clerk.
1918: Dan and George Summers enlisted in the Marines and left Monday morning for Mare Island, California.
1923: Mr. Summers of the Snodgrass Food Company is building a cottage in Cuchara Camps.
1928: Pete Dakas, proprietor of the Miami Cafe, is forming a local chapter of the Order of Ahepa to promote American citizens of Greek origin.
1933: Joint graduation exercises were held for the Upper and Lower Laguna schools last week, under the direction of teachers Esther Gonzales and Filda Manzanares. Graduates were Adeline Valdez, Caroline Pineda and Joe Tolmich.
1938: “First with the latest” – that motto has skyrocketed circulation of the World-Independent this week to 2,145 copies daily.
1943: Mr. and Mrs. Vanotti of Upper Bear Creek received word that their son Frank, wounded in North Africa, is improving from his wounds.
1948: Johnny Zubal’s strong right arm was in great form yesterday as he pitched the St. Mary Crusaders to an easy 4-1 victory over the La Junta junior league nine.
1953: Washington grade and junior high schools and Lower Badito were the winners of the annual grade school track meet in which 15 schools participated.
1958: Charles Martinez of the Walsenburg Junior High School Wildcats, received the trophy as the high scoring individual with 22 points in the Trinidad Invitational Track and Field meet.
1963: An estimated 50 percent of the 4,818 acres of wheat planted this year in Huerfano County has been lost to drought and wind.
1968: Elected officers of the Crownette Bowling League were Judy Benine, president, Violet Hickey, vice president, Janice Turkovich, secretary and Vickie Martinez, sergeant-at-arms.
1973: Trail Theater opens for the season May 23 with Walter Matthau and Carol Burnett in “Pete ‘n’ Tillie plus Clint Eastwood in “Joe Kidd”.
1978: New Colorado State Patrolman Clayton Dotter began his duties in Huerfano County May 8 and will soon move his wife Sandra and children Chris and Cathy here from Denver.
1983: Joe E. Faris and Sons want to buy back 34 county-owned lots, obtained through treasurer’s tax deeds, in the original Faris-Marlboro Estates.
1988: After 40 years in business under the same ownership, Mountain View Liquor and Service Station has closed its doors. Dan and Janie Lencz bought it in 1948 when it was a small frame building and they rebuilt it in 1955. They built the ‘pyramid house’ in 1977 before Janie sold it to Chuck Vialpando.
1993: Huerfano County Chamber of Commerce will have its annual Spanish Peaks Fiesta June 5 in Heritage Park. It will include a circus on the John Mall High School football field, parade, a Boy Scouts Matchbook Pinewood Derby and the Mitch Abila Memorial Softball Tournament in Fiesta Park, along with games and booths.
La Veta
1877: Both the La Grande and Depot Hotel are doing a rushing business and enjoy a reputation as first class houses.
1882: Members of the Baptist Church agreed that anyone absent from three meetings will be dealt with accordingly for misconduct.
1892: The May 6 meeting of the town board was presided over by Mayor Otsen with trustees Solomon Boyd, A.A. Foote, George Emerson, Frank Martin, William Krier and D.D. Ryus present. /s/ J.M. Jones, clerk and recorder.
1897: Those new porches James Elrod is constructing for W.A. Danks add much to the appearance of his house. They are a good specimen of the ability of James as a carpenter.
1902: Two warrants were issued this week for the arrest of the parties who have been stealing water.
1907: Frost, snow, sleet, rain and slush have been on the program for just about four weeks and all the fruit blossoms have been killed.
1912: A snowstorm Saturday through Monday hopefully ends seven months of inclement weather.
1917: Sidney Willburn has been appointed water commissioner for this district and Joe Pickens is to be his deputy.
1922: A scholarship to the state university is to be awarded to Miss Constance Ghiardi.
1927: Members of the senior class and the high school orchestra are giving a dance tonight to help defray the expense of football suits.
1932: Work on the highway between Ojo and La Veta Pass continues and the old bridge at the Mule Shoe is being torn out to be replaced by a concrete one.
1937: Virginia Kreutzer won the $59.95 RCA Victor Console Radio given away Tuesday night at the Rialto Theater.
1942: Died, Charles Dorian, 67, conductor for the Denver and Rio Grande Western on the La Veta-Alamosa run, died of injuries received when the hinged side of a freight car door hit him on the head. A former resident, he was well known here. [Dorian was the grandfather of the late Joan Hanley].
1947: Thieves entered Paul Ghiardi’s liquor store through Fred Kreutzer’s pool hall and stole two cases of whiskey, one of wine and about $25 in cash.
1952: Albert Joe Robino and Donna Louise Hayes were married in Christ the King Church May 18. The groom was attended by Paul Robino, Aaron Willburn and Joe Riggins, all wearing their Navy dress uniforms.
1957: Mrs. Murray Daniels, niece of Colonel Francisco, has agreed to deed a part of the old plaza, on the east, for a museum. The rooms are occupied by Albert Parks as a residence.
1962: This year’s graduates are John Beamer, valedictorian, Loretta Duzenack, salutatorian, Bonnie Dixon, Judy Griego, Marjorie Hasenack, Kathy Kiernan, Paul Logan, Theresa Sanchez, Janet Pene, Christine Quintana, George Rogers, Fred Scholes, Delbert Wagner and Charles Howlett.
1967: John Geiser was elected president of the Re-2 school board, Jack Britton, vice president, Evalyn Capps Walker, secretary and Thomas Kmetz, treasurer. Harry Willis is the other director.
1972: Irene Duzenack will be valedictorian and Charles Sawyer the salutatorian of the 15-member graduating class of ’72
1977: Spanish Peaks Garden Club and members of the La Veta Town Board jointly hosted a reception Sunday afternoon in Town Hall to unveil the new mural of the Spanish Peaks painted by artist Mary Hicks.
1982: The Valley Hardware team of Violet Hickey, Pat Wagner, Jo Rogers, Janna Shrout, Donna Galvan and Frankie Kerr attended the state bowling tournament in Grand Junction but reportedly spent more time eating than bowling.
1987: New members of the National Honor Society at La Veta High School are Wade Kreutzer and Lorinda Smith, seniors, Shannon Lemons and Patrick Johnson, juniors, Michael Lemons, JoEllen Murphy, Roxanna Haught and Eva Rodriguez, sophomores and Christy Bowman, Kevin Pochardt, Lacine Roberts and Mandy Wiggins, freshmen.
1992: The third and fourth grade students enjoyed a field trip Monday when they rode the Amtrak from Trinidad to Raton, accompanied by 12 adults. The group especially enjoyed the observation car.
