Walsenburg
1889: Contractors will find a complete stock of builders hardware at M.L. Swift and Company. The new store in the Walsen block also sells groceries, fruits, flour, general hardware and stoves.
1895: The Dick brothers will build a large brick building just west of the hardware store, facing Seventh Street, for their bottling works. The stables will be in the rear.
1900: Burglars entered the Klein Saloon through a side window and abstracted some $12 in cash.
1905: Jose Ambrocio Martinez, son of J.P. Martinez, prominent resident, married Magdalena Valdes September 16 in St. Mary Church. She is the daughter of the Honorable J.A.J. Valdes but was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Benito Atencio when her mother died. The wedding ball was held in Mazzone Hall.
1910: The carnival is in town, filling the streets with shows and concessions for three blocks and the big tents go far back into the side streets.
1915: We invite you to step in any evening and hear our new orchestra at the Star Theater. For September 21, Fritzi Scheff stars in “Pretty Mrs. Smith”, a Paramount picture.
1920: Mrs. Fenton Babbitt and sons Paul and Wylie, who have been in Cuchara Camps all summer, have returned home.
1925: Walsenburg’s first modern apartment building will be built at Main and West Third streets for $20,000. It will be brick, 80 by 33 feet, and contain six apartments.
1930: The sixth [railroad] carload of cauliflower will be loaded today in Walsenburg for the northern market, from the John Vigil ranch east of town and the Walter and Charles Hudson places on the lower Huerfano.
1935: The new 1936 Atwater-Kent metal tube radio is on display at Wayt Lumber Company, 508 Main.
1940: A drive to reduce radio noise in Walsenburg per ordinance is being undertaken against static and interference.
1945: Mrs. Max Lepkovitz of Walsenburg has been named chairman of the War Orphans’ Educational Loan program of the American Legion Auxiliary for Colorado.
1950: Election of class officers took place this week at St. Mary High School. For the seniors, Bernard Friel was elected president, Louis Spagnola, vice president, Ann Colnar, secretary and Ida Marie Major, treasurer. Barbara Bak was elected president of the junior class, William Ugolini, vice president, Floyd Cordova, secretary and Evelyn Nogare, treasurer.
1955: Herbert Furphy, Huerfano County coroner from 1932 to 1938, will take that office again to replace his son Thomas, who is going to law school.
1960: Rosalie Lopez and Lucretia Korach of Walsenburg have enlisted with the Air Force and are in training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.
1965: Huerfano County gained 9.4 percent in retail sales during the first six months of this year over last, or $4,476,000 compared to $4,091,000 last year.
1970: Eugene Gebinine Jr. won the annual Huerfano County Chamber of Commerce 4-Wheel Drive Rally, Myrrl Smith of La Veta was second and Dan Guadagnoli placed third.
1975: The annual St. Mary Bazaar will be Saturday, October 25 with a roast beef and ravioli dinner under the supervision of Josephine Marcon and Angie Felice. There will also be bingo, a cake walk, dart contests, a shooting gallery and other games. $1000 will be offered in cash prizes.
1980: City Attorney Mike Kupec is exploring how other cities deal with junk and abandoned vehicles so council may draw up an ordinance concerning them. The council is working with the Chamber of Commerce on its study of the proposed $26,000 year-round City-County recreation program.
1985: Rocky Hills is the director of the new substance abuse center which opens next week at the Huerfano County Hospital and Medical Center. His wife, Debbie Hills, R.N., is the head nurse at the hospital.
1990: Louis R. Hoyer, eye physician and surgeon, is opening an office at 228 North Main Street.
1995: Club Rio will have a grand opening of its lounge and spa Friday, September 22, with live entertainment and snacks. Chris Galvan is the manager.
La Veta
1882: J.W. Culler has opened a new restaurant in Mill’s old stand, serving meals at all hours. He also sells canned goods, tobacco, cigars, ice cream and lemonade.
1887: At the town meeting Tuesday night the board adopted the proposed ordinance on the prohibition of the sale of liquor in La Veta as well as the ordinance on gambling.
1897: The enrollment in the school is now 118 with 30 under Professor Taylor in the upper room, 39 with Miss McGinnis in the intermediate department and 49 under Miss Lester in the primary.
1902: Jake Marker is complaining about somebody opening the headgate of his reservoir and wasting what water it contained. Such an act in a season of this kind is enough to make a saint swear.
1907: G.A. Mayes informs us he will build 20 or 30 rooms onto the former Gould home and to put up a number of rustic cabins. The resort is to be known as “Cuchara Camps”. It is the intention of Mr. Mayes to keep burros and saddle horses for the use of his guests.
1912: This was the shortest summer on record: the last spring snow was June 17th and the first fall of winter on September 14.
1917: Miss Rilla Gross is teaching at the Echo Canon school this term and Miss Lila Lougheed has charge of the Ritter again.
1922: Ranger Karl Gilbert reports the discovery of a fossil bed northwest of Blue Lake, probably the same one found by E.A. Strange some years ago.
1927: Mr. and Mrs. Levy Kincaid were hosts at a radio dinner to listen with their guests the big fight yesterday evening.
1932: Ellis Smith was given a lively farewell party recently before he departed the next day to attend college in Flagstaff, Arizona.
1937: The Pepper Furniture Company team of Pueblo will meet the Valdez Miners on the La Veta diamond for the league championship game this coming Sunday.
1942: Beginning Monday, September 24, pasteurized milk will be furnished to La Veta school children for one cent a day, through the services of the Huerfano County Association of National Defense.
1947: The county built a fine new road up Indian Creek to replace the one washed out this past summer. It is on a higher grade, has all new bridges and will serve the lumber camps in the mountains.
1952: The P-TA will present an all-local talent play September 25 and 26 featuring Rose and John Goemmer and John Girearias. Humorous skits will be performed between the acts by the Girls Glee Club. All proceeds will go to the high school to buy equipment.
1957: It has been decided to form a historical society to maintain and run the new museum. Society officers will be Milt Utt, president, Jeanette Thach, vice president, and Amelia Sporleder, secretary-treasurer.
1962: The La Veta Redskins fell to Manassa Friday afternoon 12-7 with J.B. Geiser scoring the lone touchdown for the home team.
1967: The La Veta High School Pep Club now has 30 members. Officers are Donna Disert, president, Cindy Britton, vice president, Dee Disert, secretary and Barbara Leatherwood, treasurer.
1972: The Redskins went on the warpath Friday afternoon by scalping the Lathrop Youth Camp Blue Devils 94-0.
1977: The first meeting of the new La Veta tree board was last Wednesday in Town Hall and Ralph Hickey was appointed temporary chairman by the town board.
1982: After months of discussion, Town Board adopted a comprehensive zoning ordinance that will go into effect October 30.
1987: Because of the number of children walking on or in east Virginia Street, Town Board agreed to place four-way stop signs at the corners of Virginia and Poplar to slow vehicular speed.
1992: Died. Joseph C. Linscott, 69, on September 7. He was born in 1923 in La Junta and had been a resident of La Veta since 1926. A 1941 graduate of LVHS, he served in the Navy in WWII and was on the USS Lexington when it went down in the Battle of the Coral Sea. He was a carpenter and married Juanita McAllister in 1975. He leaves his sister Letha Zellar, Walsenburg, Bernice Rose, Ina Church, brother Paul and his stepchildren.
