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Feb 10, 2012
So, When Was That?
Very frequently, I am presented with glorious photographs of local places or people with no clue as to when the photos were taken. Less frequently, there will be a caption on the back of a photo saying, for example, that it is of “John Buchholz 1942.” Knowing that John Buchholz died in 1932, I am somewhat suspect that this photo was actually taken in 1942. Call me a cynic. So, what do we do about dating photos? We can... Read More »
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Jan 17, 2012
Art is Where You Find It
A picture is worth a thousand words. Whether or not Napoleon Bonaparte was actually the first person to coin this adage, newspapers certainly took it to heart. When digging through microfilm of older newspapers, I have always been happy to find great drawings included with stories, adding to the enjoyment of the topic at hand. Even advertisements in earlier times carried drawings that were entertaining as well as illustrative.... Read More »
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Jan 03, 2012
2011 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog. Here's an excerpt: A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 3,900 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 3 trips to carry that many people. Click here to see the complete report. Read More »
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Dec 28, 2011
Another Year of Local History
We’re now in that week preceding a new year. It’s time to make those resolutions. [Please do remember that one of last year’s resolutions was to label all your photos appropriately; that’s still applicable this year.] It’s time to visit with family and friends during a time of school vacations. It’s time to take advantage of those after-holiday sales… In the Eagle Valley Enterprise, December 29, 1911, we find life in Eagle progressing at a different pace, perhaps, but certainly... Read More »
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Dec 09, 2011
Ten Mile Mercantile Co.
We find all sorts of interesting things when walking in Eagle County. Many people are amazed at how much mining equipment is still out there, abandoned, for example. John Martinez, a resident of Red Cliff, found a metal sign for “The Ten Mile Mercantile Co.” while walking along the railroad tracks some years ago now. Read More »
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Nov 14, 2011
Lou Clark Layman
I met Lou Layman in 2009. Born Mary Lou Clark at Derby Mesa in 1933, Lou spent her last years living in Rifle with her dog, Norman. Not able to get around without difficulty, Lou invited me to her place to look at her photo albums and talk about her parents, both teachers in Eagle County and ranchers at Edwards. She shared her photos with us digitally, in addition to a history of her parents and some of her poetry. Lou graduated from the University of Colorado, School of Journalism and was... Read More »
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Oct 17, 2011
Thank you, Charley Vail
It’s that time of year when those of us on the Western Slope of Colorado take bets about reaching Denver due to weather conditions, accidents and traffic on I-70. While these considerations are valid, especially given the large number of travelers every day on I-70, the route to Denver was even longer in 1936. At that time, “…the most popular road from Denver to Grand Junction is through Fairplay, Buena Vista and Leadville,” according to Colorado Highway Engineer Charles D. Vail [Eagle... Read More »
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Sep 26, 2011
Unidentified but Eye-Catching
The cache of unidentified photos from the Nogal/Ping Hotel continue to attract attention. We have four albums available to the public and have even had a few people come in and put names to faces and give context to events. Since these are all local photos, identifying a person in one photograph means that a person has a name should he or she turn up in another. At this point, some of the faces are beginning to feel like relatives.... Read More »
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Aug 26, 2011
“Here’s the Church, here’s the steeple…”
Red Cliff, Colorado, has two extant churches, both built over a hundred years ago. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church on Pine Street above the town continues to hold worship services on Sundays. The building itself has seen many changes since its construction in 1889. Read More »
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Aug 05, 2011
Going, going, gone 1892-2011
Deconstruction of the Nogal-Ping Hotel [built in 1892] at the corner of Capitol St. and Hwy 6 in Eagle is done. Claude DeGraw took it down, piece by piece. Some of the pieces will be used elsewhere and some pieces are headed to landfill. During this process, Eagle County Historical Society member, Sandy Van Campen, took some great photographs of the building and some of the items found inside. Thanks to Sandy for this... Read More »
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