La Veta
1901: F.L. Dryden is at work on his residence next to the Adventist church. The street will shortly have to be opened up and graded if more residences are built.
1907: Dr. Mayes has already nearly completed a bathhouse at his sulphur springs at the gap on the Cucharas. He plans to build eight or ten small cottages for visitors.
1915: Adam Flockhart says he is going to run a soft drink counter in the east room of the Spanish Peaks Hotel on Ryus Avenue.
1921: A truant officer is to be hired for the local schools, so look out, kids.
1926: The Open Forum and Nature History Club [i.e. “sidewalk superintendents”] which has been meeting on a bench under a spreading box elder tree all summer will soon have to move to warmer quarters.
1931: The First National Bank of La Veta was robbed by an unmasked gunman yesterday afternoon of about $2,300 in currency. He got away but the car was found near Badito with a flat tire and was identified by the buckshot in the car body.
1936: In 1935, 551 Huerfano County farmers milked 2,039 cows, producing 603,963 gallons of milk, and 307 farmers reported churning 28,247 pounds of butter.
1941: Following a fine weekend with high temperatures, snow and frost visited the La Veta area Monday, killing all growing crops, fruits and garden vegetables.
1947: The senior class of La Veta High School elected Joe Riggins, president, Elsie Jo Falk, vice president, Josephine Germano, secretary and Barbara Brown, treasurer.
1952: The cost of living has hit an all-time high for the sixth month in a row.
1960: The heavy frosts of the past two or three weeks have spread bright glowing colors on the mountain sides.
1967: Statistics show about 2,900 cars passed daily over Highway 160 north of La Veta in July and nearer to 4,000 in August.
1972: Jack Britton revealed some 75 people bought land the past summer in the Spanish Peaks Development above Cuchara.
1978: Although Nancy Dick lost her bid for Lieutenant Governor in Huerfano County, she won statewide and will be Governor Dick Lamm’s running mate in November.
1983: The new commercial center at Panadero is done and will open this fall with six stores and offices.
Walsenburg
1903: J.P. Kearns’s insurance business in future will be handled by George Dick, who also leased the office building.
1910: John Henderson was fined $10 and costs for hitching his team to a tree on Fifth Street, which violates the ordinance.
1917: Edward C. Butler, Colorado & Southern baggageman, was instantly killed Friday evening when he fell through the open door of the baggage car on the train’s arrival in Walsenburg.
1922: While digging storm sewers on South Main between Seventh and Eighth streets, workers uncovered a very old skeleton believed to be that of an Indian.
1928: Fifteen teachers have been employed for the 350 children enrolled in the Walsen and Cameron district schools.
1933: Brunk’s Comedians opened a week of vaudeville shows here Thursday night with a performance of “Because She Loved Him So” and some specialty acts.
1938: Archie Levy says his company has moved 19 houses into Walsenburg from the nearby coal camps during the past six weeks and he has contracts for six more to help ease the current housing shortage.
1945: Cecil D. Caldwell, owner of the Caldwell Electric Company, purchased the Young block in the 500 block of Main Street now occupied by his company and Haney barber shop, plus the law offices of Romilly Foote and Angelo F. Mosco upstairs.
1953: Eddie Caldwell is to open an air ambulance, charter air service and flight instruction business for Walsenburg.
1959: Rev. Barnard Casper is asking for donations of pinon nuts to be sold to pay for repairs to Sacred Heart Church and St. George’s School and other parish buildings.
1965: The board of education for District Re-1 gave preliminary approval for the proposed general fund budget of $585,967.
1971: The new motor bike division of the annual Huerfano County Chamber of Commerce four-wheel drive rally was won by Charles Keeler, assistant manager of Safeway, Robert Price, second and Gene Benine, third. There were seven entries.
1977: Huerfano native Senon Martinez, 77, will be grand marshal of the fourth annual Fiesta de la Plaza de los Leones parade Saturday which will feature 22 units.
