Walsenburg
1880: Turkey and cranberry sauce please.
1890: Married, John L. Halsey, Pueblo, and Laura A Williams, Gardner, and Robert Owens, Birmingham, and Anna Price, Pueblo. [Robert Percy Owens was the author of “Huerfano Valley As I Knew It”, copywritten in 1975 and privately printed, a wonderfully informative, if poorly organized book, and a treasure trove of early county history]
1895: Mr. T.P. Steel is the new short order cook next door to George Klein’s saloon. His wife is the sister of Mr. Klein.
1900: Walsenburg Shooting Association will give a Thanksgiving shoot November 25. Prizes are 40 turkeys and 150 chickens. Entrance fees are 30 cents to shoot turkeys and 15 cents for chickens.
1905: The county commissioners have just finished making the sewer connections in the court house and now will put the water in the building both for closet and drinking purposes.
1910: The La Veta-Pueblo water train now leaves Walsenburg for the north at 8:40 a.m. and 2 p.m. It arrives back in Walsenburg at 10:45 a.m. and 4 p.m.
1915: Members of the junior class were hosts for the first high school dance Friday evening.
1920: The county assessment for 1919 is $14,317,448 compared to $13,795,931 in ’18.
1925: One of the county’s first dry farmers, Jose de la Paz Martinez, 69, died at his home at Laguna Sunday.
1930: Walsenburg has now been isolated for three days by the blizzard. Schools and churches are closed, all social acts have been postponed and there are no groceries delivered. Abandoned cars are everywhere.
1935: The WPA and NRA [Works Progress Administration and National Recovery Administration] have moved to the Levy building on West Seventh and the FERA [Federal Emergency Relief Administration] office is now in the Young building over Haney’s Barbershop.
1940: The City of Walsenburg set a 14-mill levy for 1940-41, the same as is now in effect.
1945: All rationing of meats, butter, fat, and oil will end at midnight tonight.
1950: The Burress Memorial Chapel will have a grand opening Sunday when it reopens after extensive remodeling.
1955: Approximately 700 Huerfanos, young and old, will have had their chest X-rays for tuberculosis by 5 p.m. today when the mobile unit at Huerfano County High School closes down.
1960: The home of Mrs. Donna Martinez and five children at 321 East Fourth was gutted by fire Friday afternoon.
1965: The drive to have the body of Estefana Bent Hicklin moved from an unmarked but vandalized grave in old St. Mary Cemetery to beside that of her husband in Colorado City is being led by Mrs. Laura Halsey, said to be Colorado’s oldest native.
1970: The county commissioners propose a budget of $296,065 for 1971 without raising the mill levy, and Huerfano School District Re-1 adopted their budget of $788,23 which requires an increase of $76,593, but also with no mill levy increase.
1975: Gardner Rancher and Businessman John McNabb is the new president of the Huerfano County Farm Bureau. New directors are Frank Maldonado, Frank Velarde, Joe Crump and Robert Barnes.
1980: City of Walsenburg Finance Director Richard Ridge told members of the Council he and the Utility Office staff will send out the first billings from the new IBM computer in December.
1985: Steve Glorioso was elected Volunteer Fire chief, Rich Abila assistant chief, J.J. Corsentino, captain, and Wayne Toller, secretary.
1990: Tony Villa will celebrate his 100th birthday Sunday. He was born in 1890 in Italy as one of six children. In 1908 he moved to Pennyslvania and in 1920 to Las Animas County where he married Teresa Branco in Trinidad in 1923. In 1934 they moved to Tioga. She died in 1981. The family will host an open house in his honor in Mazzone Hall for friends and family Sunday from 2-5 p.m.
1995: About 100 civic leaders and interested parties were treated at a party given by Corrections Corp of America which plans to build a privatized prison in Walsenburg Industrial Park.
La Veta
1880: Former Territorial Governor A.C. Hunt and President William J. Palmer of the Denver and Rio Grande stayed overnight in Todd’s Hotel while on an inspection tour.
1895: Charles Mack of the upper Cucharas raised more than 100 tons of potatoes and is selling them in Rouse as fast as he can haul them.
1900: The team of Lawrence Kreutzer ran away from the flour mill Tuesday, crossed the river with a flying leap where the bridge over Francisco used to be and tore east through town until they ran into a tree.
1905: According to W.G. Kimsey’s informal census, 89 people live in 18 households in McComb Addition, making an average of three children per family, while south of the tracks the population is 357 in 100 households,or an average of 1.5 children per household.
1910: The prospects are again promising for the Indian Creek country and coal may be mined on a large scale in the vicinity ere long.
1915: Buy Oakdale Coal, lump $4.75 per ton delivered, or $4 at the car Leave orders at the bakery or with Elmer Read, back of Goemmer’s blacksmith shop.
1920: The new restaurant being opened by Mr. Tinsley will fulfill the railroaders’ long felt want for a short order place where they can get good food at any time of the day or night.
1925: Thursday is Thanksgiving Day and others besides the turkeys will do the gobbling.
1930: Once again we call attention to the advisibility of hiring an early bird to scrape the sidewalks after a snowfall.
1935: We are told that a project for surfacing the streets is soon to be underway. There have been so many contemplated projects that seeing will be believing.
1940: About 24 inches of snow fell in the La Veta vicinity over the weekend, the best snowfall so far this season.
1945: Joe Robino, formerly with the La Veta Cash and Carry, will be the operator of the new La Veta Locker Plant on Ryus Avenue when it is completed.
1950: Mr. and Mrs.Amadio Cassai celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary November 19 at their ranch home. He came to Walsenburg in 1899, and she, Anna Vignocchi, in 1900 and they were married in the county courthouse. They lived in Pictou at first and in 1910 moved to La Veta. They had seven children, four of them still living, Clara Bauer, Desolina Elley, Bruno and Armano.
1955: Twenty-five Years Ago – More than 30 coyotes were run down and killed during the deep snow. Their pelts are bringing in from $5 up to $25 apiece.
1960: The La Veta Redskins, defending champions of Class C high school football, defeated New Castle in the semi-finals and will go to the state finals.
1965: Taking part in the Junior-Senior Play, “Arizona Dude Ranch”, will be Renee Goemmer, LeeRoy Wright, Jim Willie, John Klikus, Barbara Quinlan, DeEtta Brgoch, Beverly Kirkpatrick, Kenny Arnold, Travis Hickey, Lloyd Weir, Julie Ann Tracy and Carmel Roybal.
1970: Died, Lawrence Bowdino, 54, rancher. He was born March 7, 1916 and in 1934 graduated from La Veta High School. He married Betty Rogers Williams in 1956. He leaves a son, Michael, and step-daughter Gloria Jean Williams, his father John, brother Charles in Brazil and sisters Alice Duzenack and Rose Logan.
1975: Musical Director Martin Enke said this year’s Christmas program December 16 will feature the elementary students in a choral drama, a musical program by the Elementary Beginners Band and performance by the High School Stage Band.
1980: Pat Turman, Mitzi Scarberry, Shannon Jameson and David Andreatta were cited for exceptional work during the La Veta High School band’s performance at the Jazz Show recently at Adams State College.
1985: James Johnson, new owner of the “Old Mill Lake” property outside of La Veta, approached Town Board about annexing his 70 acres which he proposes to develop into a 400-unit RV Park.
1990: About 150 attended the open house of Dr. William Cluff and the La Veta Medical Center.
1995: Cuchara Ski Valley will have a hiring clinic for instructors on December 2 and 3. The resort will open December 16.
