Chaffee County was established in 1879 and named for Jerome Chaffee, Colorado’s first United States Senator and local investor. The history of Chaffee County and the surrounding area is a rich mix of many influences, particularly cultural and economic forces. The area was originally settled by the Ute Indians, for whom many of the local mountain peaks are named. Early in its history, the area experienced an influx of explorers, miners, railroad expansionists, farmers, and ranchers. The influence of each has dwindled over the years, but their mark in the history of the Salida and central Colorado area is evident throughout the valley.
Today, the region is known for its stunning beauty; the dozen or so 14,000-foot mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains; the Arkansas River; and a host of other attributes that, all combined, have labeled this region as a must-see for tourists and a dream location for retirees.
The draft timeline was developed by Earle Kittleman of Salida.
Visit this link for a historical timeline of our next-door-neighbor, Poncha Springs.
Salida Record, Oct. 6, 1903: All of the furnaces excepting one at the Ohio & Colorado Smelting & Refining Company smelter are idle today on account of a walk out of the employees. A few men remained and the management is keeping the one furnace going full blast.
The strike has been expected for several days. Its cause is the changing from the eight hour day to the twelve hour day. Conferences were held between representatives of the employees and the management but no agreement could be effected and the men walked out.
There was no disturbance whatever and so far there is not the slightest indication of any. Before quitting the men drew the fires so that there is no injury to the plant. They have no complaint to make against the management as to treatment or conditions, save that they will no accept the new wage terms as offered.
Salida Mail, March 18, 1904: Mr. G. DeLage has this week returned from the east, where he has been organizing a company for the operation of the New York group of claims near Romley, in the Chalk Creek district. The New York group of claims is considered to be a valuable property and the company is expecting to make a shipment of ore within a few days.
The company which is called “The Buena Vista and Colorado Mining Company, ” has the property under lease and is well pleased with the present showing. A two-foot vein is now being worked, the ore from which gives assay returns of $75 per ton.
Salida Mail, April 22, 1904: A smelter employee suffering from lead poisoning was taken in charge by the County Physician Cochems the first of the week and placed in the Red Cross Hospital for treatment. Later he became so violent that it was necessary that he should be removed to some place of safer keeping and was taken to the city jail, where he was held until he could be removed to the county hospital.
Salida Record, April 23, 1904: W. H. Covey was down from Whitehorn yesterday and reported that the recent strike made in the Last Chance looked better than ever. A 4,000-pound block of seventy-dollar ore from this property will be exhibited at the St. Louis fair.
Salida Record, April 30, 1904: L. L. Covey, superintendent of the Last Chance mine at Whitehorn was quite badly injured by a falling rock Tuesday morning. Fortunately, the rock did not strike Mr. Covey in a vital spot or the injury would have been more serious than it was. Mr. Covey will be back at work within a few days
Salida Record, May 5, 1904: Chas. Fowler has within the last few days discovered a bed of hot water crystals within a short distance of the city. Several beautiful specimens are on exhibition at the Board of Trade and at the Chesapeake Restaurant.
Salida Record, June 27, 1904: A. N. Denyers of Pueblo, representing a heavy mining syndicate, passed through Salida this week en route to Monarch. Mr. Denyers was accompanied by a force of men who will be put to work opening up a new discovery of high grade ore in that district.
Mr. Denyers is indirectly connection with the steel works at Pueblo. A smelter test made of the ore from the property which this syndicate is to take hold of gives a return of $87 per ton, so it the deposit is anything like as large as believed the new property represents a most valuable proposition.
Salida Mail, March 7, 1928: John Nigro, who is operating the lime quarry at Wellsville, where his father, Frank Nigro and a workman recently were blown up and killed in an explosion of a buried bomb, reported to the police yesterday that thieves had carried away a jack hammer valued at $250 besides a number of sledge hammers and loading forks.
The thieves also drained the oil out of the crankcase of the truck and filled it with water. The quarry was forced to suspend operations because of the theft of the jack hammer. The police have a clue to the culprits.
Salida Mail, Oct. 29, 1928: Mount Princeton granite, which is quarried at Mount Princeton in this county will be used in the construction of the new county and city building in Denver. A telegram was received yesterday in Salida from Mr. Milne, a granite dealer of Denver, stating that Varnum & Bates, who had been awarded the contract on the lowest bid, did not furnish bond in the required time, and the contract will go to Peter Seerie who is one of the owners of the Mount Princeton quarry.
In order to get the granite out it may be deemed advisable to reconstruct the narrous gauge railroad from Nathrop to Mount Princeton. The quarrying will give work to a large number of men for a long time. This may be the means of establishing the quarry on a permanent basis of heavy production because the use of the granite in the Denver building will give the stone wide advertising.
The construction of the new building is to be started in a few weeks.
Salida Mail, Feb. 12, 1929: Marble quarries between Salida and Wellsville have a greater variety of colors than any marble in any other place in the world. it is taking precedence over Italian and Belgium marble and the demand at present is greater than the output. This is the statement of Roland Winburn, mining engineer, who is in charge of the U. S. marble company quarries on the North side of the river at Wellsville.
Mr. Winburn has been developing the quarries for three years and he spends much of his time in Salida. he is employing only four men at the quarry and four at a factory in Canon City where the marble is crushed, molded in cement and polished into high class flooring and interior decorating material.
Salida Mail, April 30, 1929: Ten men are now employed in the plant of the Mount Cross Granite Company and more will be added from time to time as the supply of stone increases. The company is now hauling stone from its quarries over the Cottonwood Gulch road but a permanent road will be in Ute Gulch. Two carloads of stone are now awaiting shipment. The machinery in the plant is steadily increasing in output. Forty men will be employed in the plant when it is operated at full capacity.
Salida Mail, May 13, 1953: Zirconium ore has been discovered east of Salida on property owned by Commercial Minerals, Inc., a locally-owned corporation, Frank Mansheim, field manager, announces.
The zirconium ore was found to be associated with feldspar, biotite and calcite. The sampling and detail work was furnished by the U.S. Bureau of Mines.
Mansheim says, “We have a thirty foot shaft sunk on the property and numerous trenches show considerable ore in place. The property, no doubt, will be turned to a large industrial firm that has the resources and the know-how to undertake the venture. We are strictly a prospecting company.”
The Mountain Mail, July 31, 1978: The initial plans of the Ohio and Colorado Smelting and Refining Co. began in 1902 on Jan. 11, and exactly 74 years later on January 11, the Salida Smelter was listed on the National Register as a landmark.
Now owned by the Salida Museum Association, the smokestack is truly an incredible visual site, as much as it is a storehouse of history. According to State Historical Society officials, the huge column is the only one of its kind left standing in the state, and Salida Museum Association President Judy Micklich, says that steps are being taken to put an eight foot chain link fence around the stack to help with its preservation.
The Mountain Mail, March 18, 1979: When expansion work at Calco, Inc., of Salida is completed in about three months, the firm expects to more than quadruple its present work force of seven people.Extensive renovation work at the plant costing in excess of $2 million is expected to be done by this summer.
The plant is located on the east side of the Arkansas River across from Salida Hospital. When the calcium carbonate processing plant gets into full operation it is expected to employ up to 30 people. Plant foreman Roy Hicks said Calco will operated seven days a week around the clock. Production is expected to climb from the present 75 tons per day to more than 240 tons daily.
The Mountain Mail, July 20, 1979: The Cubs of Den 8 headed up Monarch to tour the Madonna Mine. While waiting for the train, the boys examined rocks in the tailings pile, rocks on display, the stuffed animals and old mining tools. After putting on hard hats, they rode the train a quarter-mile into the mine, which they found chilly after the summer weather. The running water surprised them and they asked many questions about it.
The train stopped to show the hand tools, and they learned how the miners set the powder and loaded the ore cars for the mules to pull out. At the next stop, they looked at the old hoist and cage where ore cars were brought up from lower levels.
Salida Mail, Aug. 25, 1903: One engine and tender, the baggage car, two day coaches and a tourist sleeper of the third section of train N. 1 were derailed and wrecked by the giving away of a bridge near Nathrop last Friday night. The circumstances leading up to the wreck, as told by some of the victims of the accident were that the train was running at a rather slow rate of speed on account of the condition of the track which had been weakened by a tremendously heavy fall of rain during the earlier part of the evening. The bridge that was the cause of the accidents was hidden from view by a sharp curve and as the head engine made the turn Engineer Reardon saw that the water was running over the track, but it was then too late to stop. Throwing open the throttle the nervy engine driver tried to pull the train over the sagging framework. The head engine passed over in safety but the second one left the rails, the baggage car dropped into the gap and the two coaches and the sleeper were scattered out over and along the track. The wreckage was an awful sight and that dozens were not killed outright or horribly mangled seems almost a miracle.
Salida Mail, Aug. 26, 1903: The immense amount of passenger traffic that is now being done on the Rio Grande is breaking past records. The traffic this week has been immense and it was on this account that the band concert of Wednesday evening had to be postponed, many of the members of the band being compelled to work overtime in the yards. It is expected that the concert will be given tonight.
Salida Record, Nov. 12, 1903: The local railroad shops and round house have been at last provided telephone service. At the request of many of the workmen employed at the round houses and shops, the company finally consented and the Colorado Telephone Company has placed a line across the river at the swinging bridge and made the necessary connections.
Salida Record, March 4, 1904 :A serious wreck under very peculiar circumstances occurred Saturday evening on the South park road between St. Elmo and Nathrop. The train with two engines, thirteen cars of coal and a passenger coach, was coming down a steep grade. There was a fierce wind blowing and snow was falling. A forest fire was burning near the track and added to the perils of the place. A rock slide came down on the track ahead of the train and the engines and cars were piled up. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt though crew and passengers suffered from the elements while the fire came near consuming the train. The spectacle of wind, fire, snow and wreck was a thrilling one.
Salida Record, Sept. 30, 1904: Yesterday evening train number 69 which leaves Salida at noon ran away down the western slope of Marshall Pass and as a result fourteen coal cars and the engine are a pile of wreckage at the bottom of the embankment. That no lives were lost is remarkable considering that this is as bad as any of the previous wrecks that have occurred at this exact spot, the last one having occurred about a year and a half ago when Harry Goldwater and Nelson Van Pelt lost their lives.
Traffic will be delayed until this evening, at least, as much of the wreckage is wedged in the cut and will require considerable work before it can be clear for travel.
Salida Mail, Oct 14, 1928: Railroad business on the Salida division including the narrow gauge lines, is humming. All regular train crews are at work and besides the students several extra men are now on the board.The increased business includes sheep, cattle, Western Slope fruit and California fruit, besides the ordinary run of freight.
Salida Mail, Dec. 10, 1928: Wages were better in the transportation business in the Arkansas Valley a half century ago than they are today even with the recent increase allowed railroad men by the federal board of arbitrators. Fred A. Seelinger, who retired from active service on the D. & R. G. W. Railroad Oct. 22, under the pension rules, can testify to that. Mr. Seelinger was a railroad engineer from March 1, 1885 until his retirement, and for the last twenty seven years he pulled passenger trains.
Mr. Seelinger was here before the railroad. In fact he was absorbed by the railroad. In 1879 he was driving stage coaches between Cleora and Leadville and between Cleora and Canon City and that was two years before the railroad reached Leadville. The railroad was hurrying to Leadville to get the tonnage of ores.
Salida Mail, April 7, 1929: Engine 1701, one of the new type of passenger locomotives purchased by the D. & R. G. W. Railroad arrived in Salida with train No. 1 Wednesday afternoon and made the trip through from Denver to Salt Lake City. This is the first time this feat has been accomplished.
A crowd gathered at the depot to see the new engine and Engineer R. E. Condon was on hand to pilot it to Minturn. The railroad has purchased ten engines of this type.
The engines have 70 inch driving wheels. The weight on the drivers is 264,900 pounds. The length of the engine and tender is 100 feet 6- 1/4 inches. The tank has a water capacity of 14,000 gallons and a coal capacity of twenty tons.
The Mountain Mail, Dec. 10, 1953: Monday afternoon at 1:30 Denver and Rio Grande narrow gauge engine 485 made its first solo trip and ended up on its side in the turntable pit, a broken little engine. In railroad parlance engine 485 “walked off,” traveled about 200 feet when it came to the turntable, and crashed into the pit.
Leonard Abbott, a roundhouse employee, was on the engine when the walk started but jumped to safety. No one was hurt but property damage could be quite extensive. No figure could be given today on damage but railroad officials said it might run into several thousand. Total replacement cost on a steam narrow gauge engine would be about $25,000
Salida Daily Mail-Record, Aug. 30, 1954: Chaffee county road crews are improving the Tincup pass road, now passable by automobile, from the top of the pass down to St. Elmo. Major improvement work has started at the top of the pass, working down. The road was traversed by a caravan of Jeeps and pickup trucks, with 54 persons making the trip under direction of Dick Lane, public relaltions chairman of the Chamber of Commerce.
The road over Tincup pass into the town of Tincup once was a wagon and stage coach route, probably in use before the Colorado and Southern built their narrow gauge railroad over the Continental Divide. The road once was used as a mail route. In those days road builders threw rocks along the side of the road, giving the appearance of a ditch..
The Mountain Mail, Nov. 25, 1978: Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad officials have refused to confirm or deny rumors that the company plans to raze the Salida depot.
A spokesman in the president’s office said destroying the building has been considered, but no decision had been reached. The depot now serves as the roadmaster’s office, and houses various communications facilities.
No passenger has boarded a train in Salida for more than a decade, and last summer, the agency was closed. Several uses have been proposed for the Salida depot if the railroad is willing to sell the building and lease the land, including using it for a museum for old fire equipment. However, no group has organized to save the building if the railroad decides to get rid of it.
The Mountain Mail, August 24, 1979: The 30th annual Fly-In Breakfast and Air Show, this weekend at Harriet Alexander Field, promises to be a spectacular treat for all, especially anyone intrested in aeronautics, aerobatics, and aircraft. The event is sponsored every summer by the Salida Flying and Civic Club.
Salida Record, July 22, 1904: People of the east generally find it hard to believe that Colorado is a leader in the production of a large variety of fruits and vegetables, and it is almost incredible what can be done in this state if a sufficient source of irrigation can be secured.
In Chaffee County the raising of fruit is comparatively neglected. A few ranchmen and residents generally are taking up this matter and in nearly all cases with excellent success. The culture of berries and small fruits for the supply of this city alone represents a large and lucrative field and one that is waiting for someone to take it up.
Of course market gardening is already carried on to some extent but the amount of produce that is shipped into Salida every day tells the story of how nearly the local market is supplied.
Salida Mail, May 3, 1929: F. J. Doveton is reaching for the lettuce crown. He has leased fifty acres of the Charles Matlock ranch in the Nathrop district and has planted it to lettuce. The crop is already up and is making a good stand. Mr. Dovetonis handling the crop on the shares plan. Each acre should yield a carload of lettuce if the crop is normal or enought to make more than half a trainload.
Mr. Doveton was out to see the crop Sunday and is well satisfied with the progress. The lettuce growers are confident of a good crop this year and a handsome price.
Salida Mail, August 9, 1929: The heavy rains have practically ruined the early remaining lettuce crop in Chaffee County. The fields were so wet the growers could not harvest their crops and it only takes a few days to ruin a crop.
On the other hand the rains are beneficial to the later crop which will be ready for market beginning August 15. The lettuce crop has been a success so far but it would have been a tremendous success if the rains had not been so numerous during the last ten days.
Salida Mail, August 9, 1929: Buena Vista will have a bigger and better Lettuce Day this year than ever before. The new airport will be dedicated at 2 o’clock next Sunday afternoon when the Curtis Flying Service and the Y. & R. Airways will furnish planes for the stunts. There will be no charge for this affair. On Monday the big parade, free barbecue, parachute jumps, airplane stunts, rodeo and dance will be the features.
Salida Mail, May 15, 1903: J. H. Raven of Detroit has charge of the auction sale of Strait Brothers auction sale and he says that although a large quantity of the stock has already been disposed of that it will require some time yet to close out the entire stock. As soon as business matters can be satisfactorily arrranged the partnershiip will be dissolved. For some time past the older brother, J. H. Strait, has been in very poor health and has decided to spend the summer in the hills on a cattle range. Charles E. Strait, the younger brother will return to the east and engage in business there, first taking a course of training in high-class engraving and watch making. Since locating in Salida both gentlemen have been identified among our most prominent business men and their removal from the city will be very generally regretted. The elder Strait owns a large amount of Salida property and will continue to make this his home.
Salida Mail, June 6, 1903: An addition is being made to the second floor of the Hively building. Two rooms are being added to the one story portion in the rear which are connected with the office suite of Drs. Parker and Kramer. The new rooms will be used by Dr. Kramer while the room now used by him will serve as a reception room for both doctors and the present reception room will be added to the private rooms of Dr. Parker.
Salida Mail, July 18, 1903: Drs. Kramer and Parker are now located in their rearranged, enlarged and improved office suite in the Hively building. Dr. Parker has the front suit of two rooms while Dr. Kramer has the two new rooms in the rear. A common reception room between accommodates both. The suites are handsomely furnished and the occupants are justly proud of their quarters, for there are few to be found that afford better accommodations.
Salida Mail, Dec. 10, 1903: L. C. Beasley of the Salida Brokerage company, moved this week with his family into the residence on D Street owned by Mrs. Bassett of Leadville.
Salida Record, April 13, 1904: In addition to a general remodeling and cleaning, the Monte Cristo Hotel is to be enlarged by a two-story addition.The addition will be about sixty feet long and the intention is for a part of this addition, at least to be used as the offices of the dispatchers, and others, who are now located on the second floor of the hotel, and the rooms now occupied by them will be placed at the disposal of guests.
Landlord Osborn of the hotel is desirous of making the Monte Cristo one of the most popular stopping places in the state and is on the right road to this end.
Salida Record, July 22, 1904: Mr. and Mrs. Cope have recently taken charge of the Bon Ton Hotel and are satisfying the old patrons and incidentally making new ones for the businesss every day. Mr. Cope has had considerable hotel experience having at one time been affiliated with his brother, H. C. Cope, in the management of the St. Claire hotel.
The Bon Ton is admirably situated to catch the tourist trade and under the guidance which Mr. Cope will be able to give the business it should be a lucrative one.
Salida Record, August 26, 1904: B. F. Spencer, representing the Continental Crude Rubber Company, came in from Denver and imparted the information that the machinery for establishing the Salida plant for extraction of crude rubber from the rubber plant, had been shipped from Denver previous to his departure. Owing to the slow progresss of freight trains it had not reached here this morning but is expected onn every train.
The old creamery building will be utilized to accommodate the plant and it is expected by the time the rubber plant is ripe for treatment, which is after the first frost, the machinery will all be placed and everything in readiness forlmaking rubber. The importance of this announcement will be realized when it is stated that this will be the first plant of machinery established in the world for the purpose of extracting crude rubber from the native plant, and the first crude rubber extraction plant of any sort whatever ln the United States. The success of the enterprise means the inauguration of a vast industry for arid America.
Salida Mail, May 30, 1928: Horace G. Frantz informed the Chamber of Commerce Tuesday evening that he will go on with his plans to enlarge and beautify the trout farm even if no stock is subscribed here, but he desires the co-operation of the people of Salida in making this the biggest attraction in this section of the state.
Mr. Frantz received a cordial welcome and was assured that the Chamber of Commerce, while making no recommendaitons regarding financial investments of any kind, feels kindly and enthusiastic about his project and wishes him success.
Mr. Frantz already has sold several large blocks of stock in Salida. It is probable that the entire issue of stock soon will be taken over by Eastern investors.
Salida Mail, Feb 17, 1929: Salida will have its first airplane in a few weeks, and there will be a flock of them here before summer. Earl Rorer and R. D. Young will leave today or Saturday for Wichita, Kan., where they will attend an airplane show, visit several factories and select a plane for their own use. Mr. Young who has had training as an aviator will take further flight instructions in Wichita.
“Salida should have had a landing field long ago,” said Mr. Rorer yesterday. “It has been our plan to sell airplanes here but we have been waiting on a field. We will wait no longer.”
Salida, Mail, March 18, 1929: Waggoner’s Tire shop will remove April 15 to the Continental corner at First and E streets. Ground was broken last week for a tire repair shop 40 ft. x 60 ft. and as soon as this is completed the move will be made.
The new location will give the Waggoner Bros. further opportunity for their growing business and will enable them also to handle gasoline and oils.
Salida Mail, April 29, 1929: One and a quarter million of rainbow trout will be hatched at the Frantzhurst Trout Farm this year to supply the market in 1930. Figuring the average loss of young fish it is expected that these eggs will produce 600,000 pounds of fish in a year which will be worth a half million dollars. This is an idea of magnitude of a business that has sprung up in Salida.
Salida Mail, July 18, 1929: Property owners on Second Street between E and G streets are signing an agreement with the Public Service Company to install ornamental lighting. eight ornamental poles will be surmounted by a globe containing 348 candle power lights. There are now eight poles to the block on F Street, but the lights are only 100 candle power. The new lighting system will give nearly three and one-half times as much illumination.
Salida Mail, June 6, 1953: The Frantzhurst Rainbow Trout Co., advertised as the largest trout farm in the world, went under the sheriff’s auction hammer Tuesday for a bid of $130,000 to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. The property, the result of a project started in 1926 by Horace G. Frantz, Sr. represented an estimated investment of over three quarters of a million dollars.
The farm, which has been second only to the Royal Gorge Bridge in attracting tourists to this area, has the capacity to start and rear over a million trout at any given time. Commericial trout have been shipped all over the world from the installation.
Salida Daily Mail-Record, April 23, 1954: Perhaps the highest greenhouse in the United States is located near the mouth of Chalk Creek Gulch at an elevation of 8500 feet. In addition, it is heated with natural hot water from the Hortense Spring, supposed to be the mother spring of 35 or 40 offshoots burbling in the vicinity at the mouth of Chalk Creek Gulch.
Whe Jack P. Wright sold his former greenhouse in Waverly, Iowa, and bought a small acreage at the base of Mt. Princeton, he wasn’t looking for an “easy” way to make a greenhouse pay, but as he aptly expresses it himself, “…I just built the greenhouse here because this is where I want to live.”
Salida Daily Mail-Record, July 28, 1954: Public Service Company of Colorado workmen have started on the job of installing the new mercury-vapor street lighting system in Salida. Representatives of the company would not commit themselves as to hwen the lights would be turned on. At present workmen are drilling holes in the sidewalks, preparatory to putting in the bases and setting the poles.
The Mountain Mail, Sept. 12, 1978: “Salida, heart of the Rockies” was revealed to a surprised audience attending the grand opening of the Chaffee County Bank Saturday morning.
Salida — Heart of the Rockies?
It’s a song…”Where the Arkansas River sparkles in the sun..
“And rushes through the valley in the pines…”
That’s how the song about Salida starts. The record was revealed just prior to the ribbon cutting.
Roy Bown, president of the Chaffee County Bank, presented the song to Mayor Ed Touber who in turn presented it to the Heart of the Rockies Chamber and Executive Director Val Bergman.
“We believe this record is something that everyone here can take pride in,” Bowen said. “We’re sure that people will want to send records to their friends and relatives in other cities and states.”
The Mountain Mail, Oct. 13, 1978: Shavano Air, the locally owned air commuter service, celebrated its first year of operation Sept 19. In its first year, Shavano flew more than 1,100 passengers and hauled more than 10,000 pounds of freight.
Giving credence to Salida’s claim to be the state’s sunshyine capital, only 21 of 678 scheduled flights were cancelled due to poor weather. The small airline makes two round-trip flights daily between Salida, Leadville and Denver, and one round-trip on Sundays.
The Mountain Mail, Dec. 17, 1978: For more than six decades, Starbuck’s Dairy has been delivering milk to its customers at their homes in Salida and Chaffee County.But that record of more than 62 years of service ends on Friday when Starbuck’s will discontinue door-to-door deliveries, a victim of changing times and the march of the inflation.
Glen Starbuck, the owner and operator of the dairy, said continuing the home deliveries was a losing proposition.
“The price of vehicles, gas and labor make it prohibitive to continue making the deliveries,” Starbuck said.
The Mountain Mail, March 19, 1979: This summer, when tourists and your friends and relatives come to Salida, they may want to find out about the area without borthering you for details. They’ll stop in at an impressive airy, carpeted and nicely decorated buildling, the new Chamber of Commerce building on U.S. 50, next to the Salida Hot Springs Pool.
The $24,000 Heart of the Rockies building was completed in July.
“We’ve noticed the increase in drop-in traffic already,” said Valarie Bergman, Executive Director. The chamber moved to the new location to be more accessible to tourists traveling through the area. The old office was located on Third Street.
Salida Record, June 14, 1904: Some boys playing in an up-town alley found a dead centipede a few days ago. It was not generally supposed that any of these deadly creatures existed in this climate and if one was ever seen alive and at large here no report was ever made of it. it is possible that the dead one found was thrown out of a specimen jar.
Salida Record, Sept. 23, 1904: The hearts of the hunters about town were caused to beat faster than usual by the sight of a black bear being hauled into town by John Jay.
The bear and her two half grown cubs were seen near Maysville Sunday by W. W. Champ, Clay Cromwell and Earl Wilkins. Several shots were fired before the old bear was hit. After the old bear was killed the party made an effort to capture the two cubs alive but one of them escaped and the other was killed. The carcass of the old bear was brought into town and sold to Hutchinson’s market and a part of it served to the Gold Bug party of investors at the St. Clair hotel.
Salida Mail, April 4, 1928: Mrs. Byrd Fuqua has returned from the Glenwood Lion Hunt and reports a wonderful time, despite the warm weather that spoiled the hunt.
Believing that she could get the lion at Mr. Harvard that has had free reign for over a year in the deer and mountain sheep herds and has been terrorizing the ranchers of north Cottonwood, she took a sportsman’s chance and brought her Glenwood guide and dogs back with her. They have been scouring the territory and have found evidence of big game.
They intend to stick to the hunt until the lion has been bagged.They plan to take the lion alive and ship it to the St. Louis Zoo.The hunters who are staying at the foot of the mountains are Miss Anna Donley, Melvin Bay, Lee Dillon and a Paramount movie camera man.
Salida Mail, April 29, 1929: One and a quarter million of rainbow trout will be hatched at the Frantzhurst Trout Farm this year to supply the market in 1930. Figuring the average loss of young fish it is expected that these eggs will produce 600,000 pounds of fish in a year which will be worth a half million dollars. This is an idea of magnitude of a business that has sprung up in Salida.
Salida Daily Mail-Record, May 25, 1954: Sixteen of Salida’s best salesmen are dead, Charles Thomson, Chamber of Commerce manager, reported Thursday morning. The “salesmen” are the fish in the pool on the Chamber grounds at Third and F streets. Thomson relates that the fish put in the pond last summer died at the end of the season from undetermined causes.
C.E. McMath, fish culture expert who is managing Frantzhurst Fish Farm, maintains the fish died from the chlorine in the water, and cites the low death rate of fish at the farm and also in the Costello tourists court ponds. C. L. Glenn, city water commissioner, said there isn’t any more chlorine than in years past and the fish hadn’t died before. Insufficient oxygen was blamed for the loss last fall so this spring fewer and smaller fish were put into the pond–and they died. Thomson said 16 fish were put in the pond tuesday, with 4 dying Wednesday and the other 12 floating top-side down this morning. Thomson says the fish were a terrific tourist attraction.
The Mountain Mail, April 8, 1979: A mountain lion escaped from his cage in Poncha Springs but was recaptured a short time later on its owner’s property. Wildlife Conservation Officer Ken Wagner said he received a call around 5:30 p.m. yesterday from Walter Banner, who works for John Norris, owner of the mountain lions. Banner told him a lion had escaped the cage, and he had turned dogs loose to tree the big cat, and asked Wagner to get a tranquilizer gun so that they could get the lion down. “Turning the dogs loose was a good idea,” Wagner said, “that was the best say he could have kept the cat from going anywhere.” While the cat was treed, Wagner attemped to run down a tranquilizer gun, and called Norris, who was in Chicago, to see about dosages.
“It’s pretty hard to run down a gun on short notice, ” the WCO said, “so I decided to go out there and check the situation out.” When he arrived at 7 p.m. at Norris’s place, “the guy ran out to me and said ‘You’re not going to believe this, but we got the cat out of the tree.'”
Wagner said Banner had apparently run a rope with a loop on the end through a piece of pipe, to make it rigid, and has snared the cat while the dogs kept the feline in the tree. Norris has a license from the Colorado Division of Wildlire to keep mountain lions. He is still facing litigation following an incident last year where a lion was loose in the Colorado Springs airport.
The Mountain Mail, July 9, 1979: Betty Worden was not seeing things on July 5 when she was driving in the location of Co. Rd. 140 and U.S. 285. She reported she saw a mountain lion lying in a barrow ditch located betweeen the Padoven and Norris residences in that vicinity. When contacted, John Norris, owner of the animal, said his female cougar had gotten loose. He said she had gotten loose a number of times in the past, but always returned home. Wildlife Conservation officer Willie Travnicek contact Norris and gave him 10 days to secure the cats or have them confiscated.
Salida Mail, May 14, 1903: The filling in of River Front Park continues and as the proper level is reached with the gravel, soil and rubbish which are spread over the surface. By fall the park should present a beautiful appearance.
Salida Mail, Aug. 19, 1903: At the Board of Trade meeting to be held tonight, the matter of utilizing the Poncha hot springs water by piping it to Salida where a system of baths and pools can be installed, will be thoroughly discussed. Salida is the stopping point of many tourists every day of the year and if the waters from the Poncha springs can be brought to Salida there is no reason why the city should not enjoy as good a reputation as a health, pleasure and bathing resort as any point in the state. Here in our immediate vicinity we have as beautiful spots as grace any state of the union and with the necessary bathing pools, summer hotels, etc., that attract the summer vacationist and health seeker, why should we not receive our just share of the pleasure and health resort business that is assuming such gigantic proportions all over the country?
Salida Mail, June 21, 1929: Buena Vista awoke this morning and thought the town was burning down. The lettuce storage and ice house belonging to the Buena Vista Lettuce Association which is located along side the railroad track on the north side of town had caught fire presumably from sparks from the engine of train No. 15.
When the fire was discovered at five o’clock it had gained such headway that the efforts of all available fire fighters were unable to save the storage shed. However, the packing sheds which are alongside were saved with little damage, although they had caught fire. The storage shed burned to the ground along with a carload of lettuce crates which had arrived yesterday.
Salida Mail, July 31, 1953: The Hortense hot springs, source of water for the famous old Mt. Princeton Hotel and water supply for Silver Cliff Lodge, quit flowing sometime Friday night.
John Bayuk, hard rock miner, and Jim Rayburn, supervisor at Frontier Lodge and a geologist believe that something moved beneath the surface, blocking the flow of the springs.
Parker Wilmington, a member of the staff at Silver Cliff Lodge, said this morning that the geologic occurrence was discovered when they attempted to turn on the hot water Saturday morning and there just wasn’t any. Some steam was coming through cracks in the rocks. Up until ten days ago, the springs were the sole source of water for Silver Cliff Lodge.
Salida Mail, Nov 29, 1902: One of the liveliest sessions held by the city council in many years was that of Monday night. The council room was crowded with businessmen and it seemed that about everybody present made a speech, while some of them made several. The cause of all this was an attempt to remove all signs from the streets unless they be attached to the fronts of buildings and then without projecting over the walk. It was found that the ordinance regulating signs would not admit of such severe construction and finally the incident was closed by calling the matter off and waiting until another ordinance could be framed. The council was divided in opinion on the matter, some wanting to absolutely prohibit all signs in front of buildings, except on the front of the building itself. The storm of indignation that burst from the businessmen has seldom been equaled.
Salida Mail, March 7, 1903: It is currently reported that the Jarret brothers will start a weekly paper in Salida soon, to be devoted to the interests of the Democratic party. It is understood that local Democrats are assisting the venture.
Salida Mail, May 6, 1903: Among the other improvements that Salida is making this spring, the care of the park should not be forgotten. Everything there is in very good condition, but a little more irrigation just now would be a good thing. The great need in the park is seats. There is no place in the city where people may go to sit quietly and take a little fresh air. By all means iron seats should be provided.
Salida Mail, May 7, 1903: Perhaps the most notable section of the city in the matter of residence improvement is west First Street. Since the building of the smelter began, this section took a boom and now there are neat cottages where a year ago there was only sand, cactus and soap weed. There are several houses now building and five contracts are about to be begun. The water main has been extended and the next necessity is for an arc light and the improvement of the street. This street has become one of the most prominent in the city and should receive the public improvements that its prominence warrants.
Salida Record, March 25, 1904: The work of cleaning River Front Park is now under way and the ditch for the water pipe is almost completed. The filling-in process that has been under way there for the last year or two has shown great results, and the site is now ready to receive the finishing touches as a park. During the last few months a heavy supply of soil and fertilizer has been spread over the ground and as soon as the water is piped in seed will be sown and a lawn started.
With a continuance of the work that is now well started, River Front Park can be made one of the beauty spots of the city, and in fact, of the whole country. This park will be one of the first things seen by the incoming stranger and one of the last seen by the outgoer, so it is for the city’s good that is should present the best possible appearance.
Salida Record, April 8, 1904: The time of year is at hand for the dog detective to get in his finest kind of work and judging from the number of dogs to be seen growling and fighting on the streets any day, the field is open for consideration. The man who pays tax on his dog has paid for the privilege of keeping the animal and generally the dog is worth it, but the multi-colored, worthless, ownerless curs are a nuisance and should be gotten rid of.
Salida Record, Aug 12, 1904: The Delta Independent says that it is claimed that the United States revenue officers have discovered that a blockade distillery has been operating for some time in the mountains of Montrose County. United States marshalls have been at work for some time endeavoring to locate where the whiskey was being made and altlhough the blockaders have operated with great secrecy it is said that evidence has been secured and that arrests are likely to follow.
This brings to mind the rumor that illicit distilling has been carried on not far from Salida and it is true that revenue officers have visited Chaffee county several times to discover if possible if such is really the case. Nothing has ever been discovered however, that would lead to the confirmation of the rumor.
Salida Mail, Sept. 30, 1928: A petition to remove the county seat of Chaffee County from Buena Vista was filed late Monday evening with the board of county commissioners sitting in Buena Vista. The petition contained 1300 names, which is 200 more than required, according to J. A. McKenzie, Ralph Roberts and George Whitmore, who had charge of its circulation.
The citizens of Buena Vista have employed Eugene Bond of Leadville as their attorney to examine the petition. The county commissioners are meeting today and will continue to meet until all the names on the petition have been checked against the tax roll to ascertain if those signing were qualified.
Salida Mail, Dec. 2, 1928: The county commissioners issued an order at their meeting in Buena Vista Monday that the county seat be removed to Salida, in accordance with the result of the recent election. No date was fixed for the removal. The various plans for housing the county seat in Salida will be considered later.
Citizens of Buena Vista are holding meetings and are taking legal steps to block the removal of the county seat. Reports have reached Salida that when the records are about to be moved an injunction will be sought. The protest will be based on the legality of the recent election.
Salida Mail, April 23, 1929: Engineers are making soundings for the foundations of the new dams to be erected by the Public Service Company at Maysville, This work will cost close to $100,000 and the money will be spent largely for payroll. The work will start as soon as weather permits and a large force of men will be employed for several months.
Salida Mail, May 5, 1929: Federal Prohibition Officer Nusbaum came up from Pueblo Saturday night and on Sunday morning made a raid on a secluded spot in the hills near Centerville where he found a remnant of a still, a large amount of mash and a small quantity of whiskey. He said he had been summoned by George McDonald, who reported that the still belonged to Mrs. Wilford Woll. Mcdonald and Mrs. Woll were placed under arrest charged with violating the prohibition law.
McDonald declared to the officers that Mrs. Woll hired him to operate a still and was to divided the profits with him, but that when the proper division was not made, he called the federal agent. Mrs. Woll denies any knowledge of the still or any agreement with McDonald.
Salida Mail, July 19, 1929: Elmer Stephenson, 47 years old, brother-in-law of T. J. Hampson of Medford, Oregon, formerly of Salida, died July 11 at his home in Yampa. Particulars of his death were not received here. Mr. Stephenson was one of the guides for Theodore Roosevelt on his Glenwood Springs hunt. He was one of the original rangers in the Forest Service and he is credited with having shot the biggest bear ever killed in the West. He killed the bear when he was only a fourteen year old boy.
Salida Mail, May 29, 1953: City employees were constructing a platform adjacent to the cement slab in Alpine Park today. The platform will be used as a stage for the orchestra and other purposes. There will be a cabinet for storing the piano, public address system, etc.
Salida Daily Mail-Record, Jan. 21, 1954: The flashing red light, to stop F Street traffic at First Street, is now in operation. The light can be seen for blocks. Police also report that motorists who previously didn’t see the stationary sign, stop for the red light. First Street traffic does not stop.
Salida Daily Mail-Record, Feb. 17, 1954: The spiral road circling Tenderfoot Mountain and providing one of the best views of the Arkansas River Valley, is being repaired and in some places widened. County and city crews have been doing blasting and other work the past several days.
The steps leading to the house on top of the mountain were blasted away. They will be rebuilt after fixing a parking space for six or eight cars. The road also will be widened so two cars can pass at the top.
Tenderfoot drive was built by public-spirited Salidans, assisted by boys from the Reformatory, in 1926. An engineer estimated the job would cost $27,000. Since nobody had that much money, everybody pitched in with picks and shovels. Work started on Washington’s Birthday and was finished on June 2 the same year.
The Mountain Mail, May 6, 1978: Despite the clouds and snowflakes, it’s official now.
Salida Mayor Ed Touber last night proclaimed Salida as Colorado’s “Sun Capital.”
The full text of his proclamation was:”Whereas, Salida is known statewide for its fine climate and large number of sunny days, and “Whereas, Salida has more sunny days during the year than any other community in Colorado, and “Whereas, the people of Salida take great pride in this enviable record, “Therefore, I mayor Edward Touber, by the authority vested in me by the people of Salida, proclaim the City of Salida to be Colorado’s sun Capital, and call upon all people to note the quality, excellence, clarity, extraordinary brilliance, and unfailing consistency of sunshine in Salida, Colorado.”
The Mountain Mail, May 3, 1979: For the first time in a decade, the San Isabel National Forest’s Salida District is getting new trees. Hard at work west of Buena Vista are between six and a dozen workers(the exact number depending on how much temporary help is available on a given day), swinging their mattocks to loosen the ground and create a narrow, foot-deep gap for the two-year-old seedling.
The 82-acre areas being planted is bereft of trees due to an old burn, according to Mike Lloyd, assistant district ranger. “We’re doing the planting for a variety of reasons,” he said, “it improves the watershed and game habitat, and, in a century or so, should provied some saw timber.”
The Mountain Mail, Aug. 28, 1979: Chaffee County government entered the computer age yesterday, but not by unanimous consent of elected officials. By a 2-1 vote, the county commissioners tentatively decided to order an IBM Systems I computer to help with county business. Initial costs for the purchase, set-up and programming of the system were estimated at $45,000.
Salida Record, Feb 12, 1904: Many patrons of the opera house noticed with pleasure a new stage setting used at the time of the concert by the New South Jubilee Company and remarked that it was the prettiest parlor scene they had ever seen on the local stage. The scene was designed and painted and set up by Charles Eastman, the local stage manager. The materials used are old canvases and frames but the excellent result would never lead one to believe it.
Salida Record, March 3, 1904: Alpine Park has received a fine coat of fertilizer that will make the grass more beautiful than ever this spring. River Front Park is now almost entirely filled in and is being surfaced with soil. it is hoped that it will be grassed this spring. When this is done Salida will present a pretty appearance from the depot.
Salida Record, June 22, 1904: Although the day was not as pleasant as it might have been, the Sunday excusions and band concert at Wellsville hot springs afforded recreation to quite a number of Salidans. The afternoon was threatening and rather cool, but the band playing on the streets drew a large crowd to the depot and filled a train of three coaches.
Salida Record, July 29, 1904: The Salida Shops Base Ball team encountered the Leadville “Topics” at the ball park in the Cloud City Sunday. The result was not very flattering to the Salida team, the score at the end of the ninth inning standing at 10 to 3 in favor of the Leadville team. Up to the eighth inning the game was close, but in favor of the Salida boys on the score of 3 to 2. In the eighth however, fickle Fate turned her back on the visitors and the Leadvilleites hurried eight scores over the plate.
Salida Mail, June 6, 1928: The Big Parade! That is the feature of the Salida Auto Show which is giving the management most concern at present. It is expected to be the biggest automobile parade ever held in Salida, with cars of every make and every age and every size in line. Salida will be traveling on rubber that day.
Bob Russell says he fears there are so many cars in Salida that all the people will be riding in them and there will be nobody on the street curb to watch the parade go by.
It is planned to have the various makes of cars grouped together and to this end the owners are requested to confer with the Salida dealers about the meeting place before the parade commences.
Salida Mail, Aug. 25, 1928: The new electric signs were erected yesterday at the East and West entrances to Salida to guide tourists who arrive after dark. The signs were a long felt want. Coe Branch was chairman of the committee which raised the funds by subscription and which ordered and placed the signs.
Salida Mail, July 26, 1929: The annual G. A. R. picnic held Wednesday at Wellsville Hot Springs was attended by a good crowd of circle members and their families and three old soldiers, H. C. Boon, Jmes Kendall and E. M. Paine. The latter were taken down by Mr. and Mrs. L.B. Stewart who remained for the day. A delicious picnic dinner was served at noon in the pavioion and the afternoon was spent in games and swimming.
Salida Daily Mail-Record, July 7, 1954: Salida Sports Area, Inc., has received papers of incorporation and work is underway to develop the Monarch pass ski course. The corporation expects to purchase a double chair lift, about 3,000 feet long. The chair lift will go clear to the top of the Continental Divide and affords a magnificent view of both the West and Eastern slopes.
Salida Daily Mail-Record, June 21, 1954: A crowd estimated at upwards 3,000 enjoyed the Boat Race parade.
Seventeen floats were entered. Judges were Harry C. Tinsley, Careton T. Sills and Joseph A. McKinnery. First prize winner in the international category was Argys Market, with a Dutch mill and tulips. The Poncha springs Cub Scouts, dressed as “cannibals,” also won top honors in the kiddie parade.
The Mountain Mail, July 6, 1979: The relationship between gasoline and tourism is a close one in the Rocky Mountains, for nearly all tourists arrive by automobile. Thus it came as no surprise that the drop in tourism is very close to the decrease in gasoline supplies from last year.
We have from 80 to 90 percent as much gasoline as in 1978; we also have from 80 to 90 percent as many tourists as a year earlier. Tourism is an important part of the local economy, and its decline this summer will show up in a number of places where the economic effects won’t be good. But local businessmen seem to be reacting well to the problem; newer activities, such as rafting, seem to be picking up some of the slack; and overall people seem to be making the best of a bad situation.
The Mountain Mail, August 9, 1979: The Monarch Recreation Corporation, including the Ramada Inn at Garfield, the Monarch Ski Area, and real estate in Garfield, has been sold to an investment firm headed by Jerry Rodgers, a Los Angeles industrialist.
Elmo Bevington, the principal owner of the corporation and the man who built the ski area and the hotel into a major recreation development, has sold his interest in the corporation, the transaction closing this week.
The Mountain Mail, Aug. 17, 1979: There are literally dozens of events scheduled this weekend in Buena Vista to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the town. Such events as a pancake breakfast, hot air balloon rides, rock drilling contest and a Centennial Parade are planned to get the even started. Also planned for the weekend celebration is a garden show, an old timers picnic, log rolling contest, bubble gum blowing and beard contests, horseshoe pitching, a tug of war, burro racing and a street dance.
The Mountain Mail, Aug. 20, 1979: The Salida Concerts of the Aspen Music Festival completed its second season here Saturday. On hand for the last of the six concerts were Edgar Stearns, the chairman of the board of the Music Associates of Aspen, and Jan Collins, the organization’s business manager, along with their spouses. At a recpetion at the Salida Inn following the concert Stearns said he believed the Salida series would continue developing.
Salida Mail, April 4, 1903: The saloon of Joseph Haffner was closed on Tuesday at midnight and Mr. Haffner retires from the business. He has been in rather poor health for some time past and has decided to return to Germany, perhaps permanently. For the present he will spend a few days at Poncha Hot Springs in order to recuperate, leaving for Germany in about a month. Mr. Haffner has conducted a saloon on the German style in Salida for many years past and will be missed by a certain patronage that was fond of his German cooking, Sweitzer, Limburger and lager beer. As no ready buyer was found for the business, which is quite extensive, the place was closed at the end of the regular license term.
Salida Mail, July 31, 1903: Miss Sadie Keeton has recently resigned her clerkship in the Golden Rule store and signifies her intention of spending some time at least in “just resting.”
Salida Mail, Sept. 30, 1903: Frank Fitch, the twelve year old son of Engineer Thomas Fitch, who was shot in the foot by a companion several days since, is not improving as well as is desired. The wound is a bad one, nearly the entire heel of the foot being blown off by the charge from the shot gun.
Salida Mail, Oct. 14, 1903: W. L. Hance returned Friday night from a visit to Hannibal, Missouri, his old home. He went to look after business matters as he owns property there and has other interests, but incidentally he greatly enjoyed the street fair and carnival that was on during the week of his visit. He says that the carnival was better than anything of the kind he has ever seen in the cities of the size of Hannibal or even ten times its size. The electrical illuminations were specially fine as well as the public and private decorations. Mr. Hance says that since there is such a strong link of relationship between Salida and Missouri in general and Hannibal in particular that he feels sure the many Salidans who still cherish fond remembrances of the old town will feel a thrill of pride at any success which she may achieve. He was sorry not to be in Salida during our own carnival week but he thinks he had more fun in old Hannibal.
Salida Mail, Dec. 17, 1903: C. H. Ramsay, principal owner of the Golden Rule store, was up from Greeley Tuesday and Wednesday looking after the business of the store and arranging for beginning work on the new building.
Salida Record, April 6, 1904: Chas. Fowler, proprietor of the Chesapeake restaurant, has submitted a sample of the clay-like deposit recently discovered by him to Chicago experts for any analysis. The substance is of much value for polishing silverware, etc.
Salida Record, April 9, 1904: John Demphy, employed in J. M. Collins’ liquor store, has of late perfected and secured a patent on an electrical burglar alarm calculated to make life most strenuous for the housebreaker who goes up against it.
The alarm is so constructed that it may be attached to a door, window, or any other entrance in such a manner that it is practically impossible for a person to tamper with it without sounding the alarm. When started the alarm may easily be heard for blocks and one situated in the business part of town may be plainly heard at the depot. The firm of Barto & Dennison now have their store equipped with one and the First National Bank and quite a number of business houses and private residences expect to have the arrangement put in shortly.
Salida Record, April 27, 1904: On Saturday afternoon four vagrants were arrested and three received sentences of five days work on the streets. On Monday, however, they rebelled and refused to soil their hands with labor, and the rest of their sentence was served out on a bread and water diet. This bread and water diet ideas is a good one, it’s less expensive to the city and is not likely to tempt vags to board on the city.
Salida Record, April 29, 1904: To those who have spent much time in the perusal of J. Fennimore Cooper’s descriptions of what “injuns” were in his day, the idea of a survivor of the Mohicans working diligently in a tailor shop fashioning the garb of civilization may seem a trifle out of the ordinary.
The fact is, however, that J. J. Gannon needed an assistant tailor and the one who is now employed in that capacity is a descendant of the tribe who at one time ruled a large part of Nebraska and neighboring states.
Salida Record, Jan. 20, 1905: Otto Friske, a ranchman living near Nathrop, is just now an attraction in the eyes of the officers of the law on account of a complaint having been lodged against him on the charge of cattle stealing. Several days ago Sam Lavinsky of this city while buying hides in the country, called at the Friske ranch and found Friske at work skinning a beef. The efforts of Friske to conceal the brand on the hide aroused the suspicions of Lavinsky and he reported the matter to Mel DeWitt, local brand inspector, and the bran was recognized as that of A. D. Cantonwine, a ranchman near Nathrop.
Salida Mail, April 4, 1928: Mrs. Byrd Fuqua has returned from the Glenwood Lion Hunt and reports a wonderful time, despite the warm weather that spoiled the hunt.Believing that she could get the lion at Mr. Harvard that has had free reign for over a year in the deer and mountain sheep herds and has been terrorizing the ranchers of north Cottonwood, she took a sportsman’s chance and brought her Glenwood guide and dogs back with her. They have been scouring the territory and have found evidence of big game.
They intend to stick to the hunt until the lion has been bagged.They plan to take the lion alive and ship it to the St. Louis Zoo.The hunters who are staying at the foot of the mountains are Miss Anna Donley, Melvin Bay, Lee Dillon and a Paramount movie camera man.
Salida Mail, Oct. 6, 1928: Mrs. L. M. Giffin, mother of Mrs. Emery Lines, was the inspiration for a lovely party given by her daughter Wednesday afternoon at her home.
A beautiful profusion of autumn leaves and flowers decorated the rooms of the house. Cards and needlework formed the diversion of the afternoon, at the close of which a lovely two course luncheon was served. Twenty-two guests enjoyed the affair.
Salida, Mail, Dec. 17, 1928: Teachers of the second grade in the Salida public schools are putting out the “standing room only” signs. Their classes are more than filled, but still they come. The teachers now have forty-one in each off the second grade classes, and at the present rate of increase there will be more pupils than the teachers can handle after the Christmas vacation.
Emery Lines, secretary of the school board blames it on the ex-servicemen. He says the men returning from war proved an easy prey for the shafts of Cupid and were married in bunches. The offspring of these marriages is now in the second grade. Mr. Lines is willing to admit that Salida also is attracting more settlers and that these people are bringing children here with them, but most of the blame he puts on the soldiers.
Salida Mail, March 5, 1929: Two dusky damsels of Salida’s colored population met in front of the post office one afternoon this week and proceeded to settle some difficulty which had arisen between them, according to Queensbury tactics. Before any serious damage had resulted bystanders interfered and later the kinky-haired Amazons were taken in charge by the police and the next day were given a change to state their troubles to Magistrate McGovern. Ten dollars and costs for each was the opinion of his honor in the case. One of the women produced a tenner and was released, promising to be good.
But the other was unable to meet the demands of the law, and in consequence the romantic name “Lucille” has adorned the city jail register for the last few days. Lucile, unfortunately, became involved in difficulty of an illegal nature once before and as a result of the same served a term in the penitentiary, and an effort will be made on her release to convince her that the altitude is too high here and that she ought to seek a change of climate.
Salida Mail, July 30, 1929: Puttees and socks, which the police say Roy Millard was wearing on the night George H. Whitely says a murder was committed in Salida, were taken from his home by the police and Assistant District Attorney Rush. Stains on the garments were analyzed by a chemist who reported that stains on them were of blood. Millard stoutly denies any knowledge of a murder, but the police say he admits helping Whitely to steal a car from the Mineral Hot Springs.
The police doubt the story that a murdered man was placed in a creosoting tank but they believe that there is ground for suspicion that a murder has been committed.
Salida Mail, May 15, 1953: Harold R. Koster’s office today has more the look of a florist shop than an insurance and real estate office. In a surprise move today 15 national instance companies which the Koster office represents decorated the local office with flowers in honor of Koster’s 30th anniversary in business and his 60th birthday.
In addition to the flowers, Koster’s office is also overflowing with 42 representatives from the companies he represents insurancewise. Every company has made it a point to have representatives here in honor of the occasion. Most of the companies have been represented in the Koster office the entire 30 years he has been in insurance.
Salida Daily Mail-Record, Oct. 17, 1953: Boulder — John Bayuk, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Bayuk of Salida, is a member of the 1953 Colorado University freshman football team that will open the season against Colorado A&M this Saturday at Folsom field.
Bayuk will be playing fullback in the game which will get underway at 2 p.m. Thus far, he has been working in Coach Ray Jenkins’ first backfield unit.
During his high school days, Bayuk was a three-sport letterman. He gained four letters in football and track and three monograms in basketball. in 1953 Bayuk sparked the Salida Spartans to high honors in the Colorado State track championships. The promising Colorado back weights 210 pounds and is 6 feet one inches tall.
Salida Daily Mail-Record, Aug. 17, 1954: A bolt of lightning struck the pumphouse at the Tonly Pasquale place, north of the Arkansas River. C. L. Glenn, street commissioner, discovered the damage around 3 pm when he checked the plant to see if the pump was working, and it wasn’t. The bolt burned out the fuse, automatic switches and so forth. Workmen had the plant back in shape about 5 pm. Glenn recalls this is the third time lightning has struck the building.
The Mountain Mail, June 9, 1978: Steve Frazee, district court probation officer for Chaffee and Fremont counties, is retiring at the end of the month.
Frazee, 68, was graduated from Salida High School in 1926 and Western State College in 1937.
After teaching English and journalism in La Junta, he embarked on a writing career which resulted in more than 50 books and numerous short stories.
Frazee said he plans to spend more time writing after he retires.
The Mountain Mail, Oct. 6, 1978: Guards at the Colorado State Reformatory at Buena Vista reported a possible inmate escape yesterday afternoon. However, at 6:25 p.m. they found the suspect hiding in a false ceiling in the academic building within the reformatory complex. Robert Magers, 18, was reported unaccounted for when he did not report back to his housing unit as instructed.
Salida Record, June 2, 1904: At 11:30 last night Hotel Turret was discovered to be on fire and so much headway had the flames gained that the building and contents were totally destroyed. S
Seven or eight inmates of the hotel were asleep when the alarm was sounded, and although every efforts was made to rescue all of the the accodent was a fatal one. The dead and injured are: RAYMOND ZOOK, suffocated and burned to death; H.J. GREGORY, badly suffocated but now out of danger. The remainder of the inmates escaped only partly clothed and saved little or nothing of their effects. No explanation of the cause of the fire is offered by any one. No wind was blowing at the time, or it is altogether probable that the affair would have been more disastrous than it was. Fridey’s hall, about 25 feet west of the burned building was saved only by great effort. Both the hotel and the hall belong to E. R. Fridey of Salida.
Salida Record, Aug. 19, 1904: Sunday witnessed a typical electric storm with more or less damage resulting.On the mesa, where the storm was at its worst, the telephone system was very much disabled. Residents of the locality say that electrical appliances in their homes snapped and cracked until it was deemed hardly safe indoors. Mr. and Mrs. S. W. Sandusky, who watched the storm from the rear veranda of their mesa home, saw the lightning playing upon the foothills adjoining the city and in many instances saw it strike the trees and cause them to burst into flames.
Salida Mail, Aug. 20, 1929: A fire of undetermined origin which broke out in the Browns Canon School house on Friiday night, resulted in the loss of the entire building, a one room frame structure, and all contents. Residents of Browns Canon were notified of the fire of telephone calls from Salida. Many people here saw the reddened sky caused by the blaze. Attempts were made to put out the fire but it was too far underway to be controlled. The building burned to the ground.
The building is to be rebuilt as soon as possible and a temporary school will be established in a rented building for the opening of school. Miss rose Post will teach again this year.
Salida Mail, Aug. 30, 1929: The bodies of deer and cattle floated down the Arkansas River Tuesday night. Chicken coops, sheds and lumber piles hurtled under the bridge as a crowd of watchers stood in the rain to view the river at its worst flood stage in the history of Salida. The river was eight feet above normal. Eleven hundred feet of the Rio Grande railroad washed out between Browns Canon and Nathrop and it looked like a two day job to repair it, but traffic was resumed early Thursday morning. Meanwhile passenger trains were detoured over the narrow gauge between Salida and Grand Junction.
Salida Mail, Feb. 4, 1930: Chaffee Country has a petrified forest, some of the tree trunks of which are several feet long. The curiousity is located near Centerville. L. Z. Foreman brought in a specimen a few days ago and presented it to President Mayes of the Chamber of Commerce.
The trees were impregnated with silica. A considerable area of the forest remains and properly exploited would attract many tourists.
Salida Mail, July 31, 1953: The Hortense Hot Springs, source of water for the famous old Mt. Princeton Hotel and water supply for Silver Cliff Lodge, quit flowing sometime Friday night.
John Bayuk, hard rock miner, and Jim Rayburn, supervisor at Frontier Lodge and a geologist, believe that something moved beneath the surface, blocking the flow of the springs.
Parker Wilmington, a member of the staff at Silver Cliff Lodge, said this morning that the geologic occurrence was discovered when they attempted to turn on the hot water Saturday morning and there just wasn’t any. Some steam was coming through cracks in the rocks. Up until ten days ago, the springs were the sole source of water for Silver Cliff Lodge.
The Mountain Mail, Oct. 14, 1978: There are probably very few people in the Salida area who can remember the old stage curtain which used to hang in the old Maysville schoolhouse before it was closed in 1939.Members of the Poncha Springs Boosters Club have been storing the old hand-painted canvas curtain for several years now, but yesterday the people of Poncha Springs presented it to the Maysville chapter of the Salida Museum Association, which is restoring the old schoolhouse as an historic landmark.
Salida Mail, Aug. 25, 1953: A construction company from McMinnville, Ore., has started repair and redecorating job at the Salida post Office. Local labor is being used except for the foreman,, Robert Stotler, postmaster, reports. Exterior woodwork is being repainted and the front doors are being replaced.
The Mountain Mail, Aug, 1979: As Salidans prepare to celebrate the city’s centennial next year, they might pause to consider that tomorrow marks the bicentennial of the first visit by Europeans to this area. For on August 28, 1779, a military force led by Don Juan Batista de Anza awoke near today’s Poncha springs, and headed off across the valley that would someday hold Salida. His was the first recorded visit to the Upper Arkansas Valley by Europeans..
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