Signals of a mine accident, and a funeral to go to

A group of miners with rescue equipment pose near the mouth of a mine in Las Animas County, Colorado. Many of the men hold face masks with tubes connected to respirator mechanisms strapped to their chests, about 1900. History Colorado.

	'Beats working in a coal mine

By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com

My mother said she remembered (even as a six-year-old girl,) growing up in the Cumberland Gap near the boundaries of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia – what an ominous sign it was, to see my grandfather in his blue dress suit during the week. 

It signaled there had been an accident at the mine and there was a funeral to
go to.

Or to hear “the siren” wailing from the commissary (company store) and to see both of her parents scramble over to the tipple – her dad as a mine foreman, her mother as a mining company nurse. Again, mine accident.

I remember my heart breaking with the news from West Virginia in early 2006.  

On January 2, 2006, rumors of a “miracle” quickly turned to tragedy when 12 coal miners were confirmed dead 40 hours after an explosion in Sago, Upshur County. One person who was trapped, Randal McCloy Jr., barely survived as he watched his 12 colleagues succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning.

My granddad worked all his life in the coal mines but none of his children followed him down that hole.

My uncles and aunts instead pursued difficult jobs in warehouses, and tanneries, and the building trades, and their own businesses. Or some of them went north toward Detroit and the auto industry.

I recall that generation (aunts, uncles, my mother, etc.) talking about their various blue-collar endeavors with always the common refrain, “It beats working in a coal mine.”

Many would add, “but it doesn’t pay as well.”

Though it has been 101 years, and it is a very different kind of mining, this area has felt such pain. The Jan. 28, 1904 edition of the Victor Daily Record cried out the headline, “The 15 bodies of the Independence accident were brought from the shaft house early yesterday morning to the two undertaking parlors in this city.”

We know also of other violence during the strikes and the dynamiting of the platform.

We know always of the caution required.

But still, no matter what profession we toil in, news of mine accidents is a terrible thing. Even on a bad day most of us can agree with my uncles and aunts.

“It beats working in a coal mine.”

Other incidents that are hard to forget. 

 

• Buffalo Creek Hollow, West Virginia, 1972

The Buffalo Creek Flood disaster occurred on February 26, 1972, when three impoundment dams on Buffalo Creek holding coal mining wastewater from the Buffalo Mining Company collapsed, one into the next, like dominoes.

Dam #3, the uppermost, went first. It had been built out of poorly selected mine waste and on coal slurry, not bedrock. Dam #3 had long exhibited problems, and in 1970 the state recommended an emergency spillway be built, which never happened. The mine operators assertively ignored federal regulations as well.

During the two days before the collapse, 3.72 inches of rain fell on Logan County, enough to push the water within a foot of Dam #3’s crest, which still had no spillway. The situation was precarious, but no warnings were issued. When Dam #3 fell, its toxic contents overwhelmed Dam #2, which also collapsed, followed by Dam #1, sending a wall of water 30-40’ feet high through more than a dozen towns along Buffalo Creek Hollow, home to some 5,000 residents.

Buffalo Creek was one of the worst West Virginia coal mine accidents in terms of lives lost, property destroyed, and damage to the environment. The death toll was 125 people, with over 1,110 injured. More than 500 structures were destroyed, mostly houses but mobile homes and businesses as well. It would be more than 30 years before the fish population that died in the suddenly toxic Buffalo Creek waters would be restocked.

A report by the West Virginia Ad Hoc Commission of Inquiry into the Buffalo Creek Flood concluded the Pittston Company, the parent of Buffalo Mining, “has shown flagrant disregard for the safety of residents of Buffalo Creek and other persons who live near coal-refuse impoundments.” Many of the lawsuits that followed were settled for far less than the original amount. Survivors collectively sued for $64 million and settled for $13.5 million. The state itself sued for $100 million and later settled for $1 million. 

 

Here in Colorado, we experienced terrible coal mining accidents, of course.

 

• The Hastings Mine Explosion was the deadliest mining disaster in Colorado history. Caused by the misguided striking of a match in the Hastings coal mine north of Trinidad on April 27, 1917, the blast killed 121 coal miners; one other worker died of overexertion while trying to recover the bodies. 

 

• January 27, 1942, Wadge Mine, Routt Co., Victor-American Fuel Co., explosion of gas caused by arc-electric machinery, 34 killed. 

 

• December 28, 1965, Dutch Creek Mine, Pitkin Co., Mid-Continent Coal Co., explosion of gas, 9 killed. 

 

• April 15, 1981, Dutch Creek No. 1 Mine, Pitkin Co., Mid-Continent Coal Co., 15 killed. 

---

No. 90 engine thought to be jinxed

In late sunshine I wander troubled.
Restless I wander in autumn sunlight.
Too many changes, partings, and deaths.
Doors have closed that were always open.
Trees that held the sky up are cut down.
So much that I alone remember!
This creek runs dry among its stones.
Souls of the dead, come drink this water!
Come into this side valley with me,
a restless old woman, unseemly,
troubled, walking on dry grass, dry stones.”
― Ursula K. Le Guin, “The Sun Going South"

 

 

A truck failed to yeild the right-of-way at a grade crossing east of Loveland resulting in a collision that killed brakeman Steppelman and the driver of the truck. (Phil Johnson photo).

Great Western Engine No. 90 cursed with bad luck? 

By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com

Some folks thought Great Western Engine No. 90 was subjected to some sort of train curse, or was just "bad luck." It had been through a lot of terrible accidents in its early life.

"At 7:15 P.M., November 7, 1944, truck driver Glenn Kelloge was headed north towards Wyoming with 30,000 pounds of packaged meat in his semitrailer," wrote Kenneth Jessen in his 1984 book Thompson Valley Tales. 

"At the road crossing between Denver and Cheyenne (the predecessor of I-25) and the railroad, the semitrailer was struck by G.W.'s largest and most powerful locomotive, No. 90. The impact severed the cab from the trailer and the heavy engine was spun around like a toy landing on its side. The solid steel draw bar connecting the engine was snapped in two."

"The trailer's contents were dumped all over the ground. As aptly put by Loveland-Reporter-Herald, "Much of the meat, including hams, found new homes during the night," says Jessen.

"When the locomotive tipped over, brakemann Wallace Steppelman was pinned and scalded to death by escaping steam. It took a great deal of time to free his body with a cutting torch. Steppelman died a horrible death. The G.W. employees disdained the people who came to the wreck and stole packaged meat." 

Along with other incidents over the years:

• On May 6, 1940, a major fire broke out at the GW's roundhouse in Loveland, with three steam locomotives still inside. No. 90 happened to be under steam at the time, and quick-thinking crews used No. 90 to pull all the other locomotives out of the burning building. The roundhouse fire cost the GW nearly $200,000 in damage, and the locomotives, including No. 90, sustained damage, but they were subsequently repaired.

• On November 7, 1944, No. 90 was broadsided by a truck at a grade crossing east of Loveland and knocked onto its fireman's side, with the truck being damaged beyond repair. Both the fireman and the truck driver were killed in the accident, which was deemed the worst rail disaster in GW's history. The GW sent 90 to the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad's (CB&Q) shops in Denver, where repairs on the locomotive took several months to complete.

• In 1956, No. 90 was hit by another truck, twisting and damaging the locomotive's side gear. The truck driver was killed, while No. 90's engineer and fireman were severely injured. The locomotive subsequently had to undergo repairs again.  

According to Save the Loveland GW Depots, The No. 90 engine was thought to be jinxed and described as the most accident prone engine Great Western Railway ever owned. The preservation group notes the following incidents.

Early on May 6, 1940, fire broke out in the Loveland roundhouse that cost about $200,000 in damage. Three locomotives would have been destroyed had No. 90 not been under steam. While the fire raged they used No. 90 to pull the other two engines to safety. As a result of the fire No. 90 had to have its cab replaced.

In 1944 she was hit by a truck broadside at the Bird crossing just east of Loveland. In this accident, the locomotive ended up on her side and facing the other direction. Her tender was disconnected and the truck was totaled. Tragically, the No. 90s fireman died in the incident as did the truck driver.
By 1954 she had been rebuilt a number of times and hardly resembled the locomotive that was first delivered.

A little over ten years later on the first day of the campaign in 1956, she was hit again by a truck while she was sounding the engine whistle and with warning flashers going. The truck driver was killed and the crew on the Great Western Railway escaped with a wide variety of injuries. Again, she had to be repaired.

"Despite being the engine with the most damage, No. 90 was the last engine in operation for Great Western running until 1967. Her last years leading up to her departure were focused on passenger travel and she was sold in 1967 to the Strasburg Railroad (Lancaster, PA) in 1967 for 23,000, " says the preservation group.

Her luck seemed to have changed when she went to her new home in Strasburg. See No. 90 in action at this link on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x84-odBbxo

Jackson’s photograph made land feature Elephant Rock relatively famous

 

By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com

 I saw an elephant a few miles west of here. The phrase “seeing the elephant” is an Americanism of the mid to late 19th century. 

The phrase appears throughout the United States in the Mexican-American War, the Texan Santa Fe Expedition, the American Civil War, the 1849 Gold Rush, and the Westward Expansion Trails (Oregon Trail, California Trail, Mormon Trail), the mythical elephant was an extremely popular way of expressing an overwhelming emotion. 

During the 20th century the phrase faded from popularity but when historians started taking note of its recurrence in historical newspapers, journals, and literature they often summed the elephant up too quickly and categorized it as a negative experience. 

Desolation and sadness may have been one trait of seeing the elephant, but it was certainly not the only or even the most prevalent. 

More often, American pioneers of the Overland Trails talk of the excitement and anticipation of heading west to see the elephant. Elephant “sightings” often begin with excitement and high ideals only to be disappointing or disenchanting. 

The high excitement followed by the low frustrations are what epitomize the elephant as something most wanted to “see” but few would have wanted to “see” again. ‘Been there, done that,’ I suppose, is the modern version. 

About 130 years ago, in the summer of 1885, William Henry Jackson unpacked his mule, unloaded his glass plates and his field dark room and took an iconic photograph that looks very much like Elephant Rock or Phoebe’s Arch of today. It became Print No. 1170 and part of his Sample Album, Colorado Book VIII, print No. 74. 

The book now is frayed, creased and cracked, but resides in the Denver Public Library’s Western History/Genealogy Department, right at the top of the downtown library. 

 Jackson’s photograph made the land feature Elephant Rock relatively famous with Stereoscopic prints of it being especially popular. I also found some interesting notes awhile back from the Proceedings of the Colorado Scientific Society’s road meeting held in November, 1892. 

The presentation at that program was developed by Geo. L. Cannon, Jr. who identified himself as a lecturer at the Rocky Mountain Chautauqua Assembly in the previous season. He titled it: Notes on the Geology of Palmer Lake, Colo., and the Paleozoic Exposures Along the Front Range. 

“A scarcely perceptible erosion ridge runs through town, from the base of Mt. Thompson to the Arkansas-Platte divide — the beginning of the crest of that great tract of upland country that projects far out into the area of the great plains. 

Near the Rio Grande Pavilion, drops of rain separated by a few inches space will start on that long journey to the Gulf by widely diverging paths, some falling north into Plum Creek drainage, and seeking the “Father of Waters” by way of Palmer Lake, Plum Creek, the Platte and the Missouri rivers; while other drops fall southerly into Monument Creek which joins Fontaine qui Bouille at Colorado Springs, this intern, the Arkansas at Pueblo, which empties into the Mississippi 400 miles below mouth of the Missouri River,” wrote Cannon. The report mentions distinctive landmarks in this area. 

“The views from this point are about the most beautiful in Colorado. To the west rise the precipitous walls of Mt. Hermon, Mt. Cannon, Chautauqua Crest and Mt. Thompson, towering 1,500 to 2,000 feet above the valley. to the east, the curious ‘Elephant Rock,’ Phoebe’s Arch, the Lion Head and castellated summit of Monument Creek, with its far-reaching, pine-clad mesas and frequent exposures of brilliantly -tinted rocks of fantastic forms. 

To the north lies Palmer Lake, and valley of Plum Creek, filled with numerous buttes, mesas and flat-topped ridges separated by gentle, undulating valleys. 

The gentler slopes are carpeted with a growth of silvery-green herbage, that contrast admirably with clumps of oak brush and dark pine forests, and with the warmer tints of the sandstone and granite exposures. In the early summer the hillsides are often a mass of purple-blue, or gold from the acres of abundant mountain flowers.

 The scenery of this vicinity differs from that of the points along the foothills, in the substitution of mesas and buttes for the usual hogback configuration,” he said. Jackson saw the Elephant. Cannon saw the Elephant. I have seen the Elephant. 

You too, ought to able to see the Elephant.

Wagner helped document the star for designation

A decade or more has past since I wrote this story for the Tri-Lakes Tribune about an important figure in the preservation and recognition of Palmer Lake Star. It appeared in the November 22, 2013 edition of the paper.

 By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com

For the 78th year (Now, 88th year), the Palmer Lake Star will again shine from Sundance Mountain and decorate the front range for the Christmas season. This is the first year (2013) the star is listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties.   

Unfortunately, Tim Wagner, who was instrumental in work that enabled that designation, won’t be able to share in the success in Palmer Lake this year. 

“I was a member of the Palmer Lake Historical Society Board with honor of preparing the star’s nomination for the register. Many folks assisted me including Tim Wagner, a Palmer Lake surveyor who completed a comprehensive survey of the star back in January 2009. Additionally, just before I met with the State Historical Preservation Board, Tim helped me answer several last minute questions they asked me. Sadly and suddenly, Tim passed away on January 20, 2013, two days after the board unanimously voted to list the Palmer Lake Star as a prestigious Colorado historical site, “ Jack Anthony said. 

“Tim Wagner’s 2009 survey was comprehensive and required him to traipse all over Sundance Mountain with his survey gear. The five-point Palmer Lake Star is comprised of 91 40-watt vibration resistant light bulbs and is built on a 14-acre site on Sundance Mountain. Tim determined Sundance had a 58 percent slope. He sure verified that steepness as he learned every inch of the star. Tim precisely determined the star 404.8 feet tall, 457.3 feet wide and 434.3 feet on the diagonal. He stepped up with his survey skills and passion for the star and helped ensure we were ready for the board with impressive data. Using Tim’s survey data I can say the Palmer Lake Star is the largest outdoor star in the world.” 

The Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department’s annual chili supper and star lighting is scheduled every year at the town hall.   

Anthony created a pamphlet to commemorate Wagner’s contribution.

 “I dedicate the pamphlet to the memory of Tim Wagner, who knows the star like no one else and who today gazes upon it from heaven above.”   

Tim’s wife, Joy says Tim would have been very excited to share in the success. 

“He was a very giving person.” Joy said. “It was one of his Legacy projects,” adding that he also was working to document rights of way for Palmer Lake all the way from the railroad bridge in Monument through town. 

"Tim was very proud to have earlier located the long lost center section marker for Palmer Lake Section 5, marked originally when the town was laid out in 1886."

Hundreds of years of growth and culture near the Council Tree

Hay stack and automobiles of peach pickers, Delta County, Colorado. Russel Lee photo, U.S. Office of War Information, 1940.

Delta was about agriculture, mining, land and water development

Ute Council Tree before truncation in 2017, Southern Ute Drum.

 
By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com

Many years ago, as my family traveled through Delta on the way to my grandparents house in Grand Junction, I marvelled at the low-lying onion cellars, the tall Cottonwood Tree, the produce stands, the stories of the McCarty gang's raid on the Farmers and Merchants Bank, and the colorful motel signage along the way.

"Although now just a truncated stump, the Ute Council Tree was once a towering specimen. It was estimated to be over 215 years old at the time of its death in 2017, with a crown that reached 89 feet in the air," says Atlas Obscura.

"It is believed that the Indigenous Ute people who lived in the area held tribal council meetings under the shade of the tall cottonwood, before their expulsion by the U.S. government in 1881."

"It is even claimed that Chief Ouray and his wife Chipeta negotiated treaties with white settlers at the site of the council tree, though there is very little historical evidence to back that up. In fact, when these events would have taken place the tree would have been much smaller and indistinct from the other cottonwood trees that were there. Still, the centuries-old tree became linked with the Ute people and given historic significance."

"In August of 2017, the last living branch of the massive cottonwood fell off, and the decision was made to cut down the dead canopy of the tree in the interest of public safety, leaving the remaining 23-foot trunk as a memorial to the tree and the Ute tribes," say Atlas Obscura.

 The City of Delta was established in 1882 as a trading post for the Ute people and early settlers. The City of Delta received its name because of the delta of the Uncompahgre River. The early days of Delta were about agriculture, mining, land and water development. The area was home to the Ute Indian people and filled with pioneer spirit."

Delta County Fair in 1939, Russel Lee photo, U.S. Office of War Information.

 Delta County was created by the Colorado legislature on February 11, 1883. The county was named for the City of Delta, which gets its moniker for its location on the delta of the Uncompahgre River. Delta County's story is also about the pioneers of agriculture, mining, land and water development. More than 100 years ago the Delta County area was the homeland of the Ute Indian people. Today, visitors can learn about the cultural traditions of western Colorado by visiting Delta County, according to the the County's site.

"Delta's 200-year old Ute Council Tree is an historic cottonwood that was designated a Colorado Landmark and is dedicated in memory of the Ute tribe's Chief Ouray and his wife, Chipeta. Interestingly, Chipeta is said to be the only Indian woman ever permitted to sit in council meetings, which were held at this site."

Also in Delta, visit the Delta County Historical Museum, which is housed in an old fire house. Here, you can see many items of interest from Delta's pioneer days, such as house wares, toys, clothing and early farming and ranch utensils. Fossil, dinosaur bones and a world-class butterfly exhibit with specimens from all over the world are on display here. The museum also has on display a robe from the 1800s that was worn by the King of Siam. Additionally, there is an eight-foot tall clock that used to be in the French palace of Louis the 14th. It is said to be one of only three clocks he owned. The museum also displays a bridle crafted by the western legend Tom Horn. 

Many people stop in to hear the story of the McCarty Gang and the hero William Ray Simpson, a local hardware store owner who brought the gang down.

Girl picking onions in Delta County, Arthur Rothstein Photo, 1939, Office of War Information.

 In Cedaredge, stop by Pioneer Town, to get a taste of frontier life during the past century. The museum's signature wooden silos are the last remaining structures of the Bar I Ranch, a cattle ranch that was established in the early 1880s. Walk along the wooden sidewalks of Main Street to visit the early-day businesses like a general store, print shop, saloon, bank, barbershop (which doubled as a dental office) and the jail house. The fossilized jawbone of a rare Mosasaur, a marine reptile, is also housed at the museum.

The Hotchkiss-Crawford Museum (970.872.3780) in Hotchkiss offer ample history experiences. Among the items on display are grinding stones, a lard press, post card photos from 1910, a butter churn, stamps used for fruit boxes and photos of Crawford from bygone days. Appointments can be arranged by calling the museum.

In Paonia the historic Bowie Schoolhouse has been moved to its current location from the Bowie mining camp. Here, visitors may see textbooks the students used, trophies they won and carvings on the desks. The museum is open through Labor Day 1-4 p.m.

 

Workers picking onions, Arthur Rothstein Photo, 1939, Office of War Information.

 
Electrification of this Western Slope town played a huge role in its evolution over the years, according to Delta Municipal Electric Light and Power, City of Delta.

"In 1897 the members of a small, western Colorado community named Delta led a remarkably different life from that of the present. Light and heat were provided primarily by burning kerosene and wood. During a town meeting earlier that year the townspeople requested that the city council investigate a lighting system for public and commercial uses," says the city site.

"On April 21, 1897 the Delta City Council passed an ordinance to approve W.S. Bristol and R.B. Bushaw to put in an electric light plant and granted a 20 year franchise."

"Land, funding and equipment had to be secured for the power plat; then poles had to be set and transmission lines strung and connected. Paperwork and bureaucracy existed even then, slowing the installation and hookup process. Finally, electric lights were turned on for the first time in the City of Delta on New Year's Day in 1903. To say the least, the community found this new, convenient source of light to be a great improvement."

At the turn of the century, only about 800 residents made up the population Delta. By 1910, the population had almost tripled. By the mid-1930's the city's dwellers had surpassed 3,000 and the need for additional electrical supply became increasingly apparent.

Local boys picking peaches, 1940, Russel Lee photo, Office of War Information. 

The Municipal Electric Light and Power System of the city of Delta was established in 1935. By 1938, three small Fairbanks-Morse diesel generators had been installed in the power plant. Two of these units were three-cylinder, 125kW engine/generators; the third was a four-cylinder, 172kW engine/generator.

Between 1939 and 1956 four additional Fairbanks-Morse engine/generator units of greater output were purchased and installed. These four units were later converted to use natural gas as well as diesel fuel. The seven generators provide a total output of 4989kW.

Although the population of the city of Delta remained the same from about 1940 to 1990, electrical usage had increased considerable both in homes and in business establishments. As technology improved the area's quality of life, the community's electrical usage required that the Delta power plant purchase additional electricity from neighboring utilities. This tie-in occurred in 1967, requiring the installation of a substation behind the existing plant.

The Fairbanks-Morse engine/generators with Woodward governors have provided an effective power source to the residents of Delta for nearly half a century but the Power Plant is no longer operational. The City of Delta purchases their power.

Delta, Colorado, John Margolies, photographer, 1991
 

Over time, the City of Delta now has 30 buildings which have received local designation. Eight buildings have received state designation and four buildings have earned national designation.

According to county information, many of the buildings in Delta are on the local and state historic registers are as follows: 

The Fairlamb House Bed and Breakfast was built in 1906 and was the first house in the area built by workers on an eight-hour work day. The Victorian house is constructed of Delta Brick from the Delta Brick and Tile Company. The historic Westways Court Motel was built in 1946 and still boasts its signature iconic neon sign. 

Many of the buildings in Eckert are built using local volcanic rock. The Eckert Presbyterian Church is nearly 100 years old and also boasts some fine examples of this unique rockwork. The historic Eckert Creamery, now a site for retail space, sold butter to the public until the 1980s. The Surface Creek Winery and Gallery doubles as an Oddfellows Hall on Sundays and sells wine and art the rest of the week. 

The Bross Hotel in Paonia is more than 100 years old and has been used as a lodging establishment throughout its history. It is now Bed and Breakfast. 

The Lovett House in Cedaredge was the original post office for the community and now serves as a delightful B&B. While in Cedaredge stop into the AppleShed Art Complex, once an apple packing shed, it is now used as retail space selling art, furniture, gifts and lattes. 

Russel Lee photo, U.S. Office of War Information.

Mrs. Tom Reilly, wife of FSA (Farm Security Administration) rehabilitation borrower, with guinea pigs. Near Hotchkiss, Colorado, October, 1939. Arthur Rothstein Photo, 1939, Office of War Information.

 Russel Lee photo, U.S. Office of War Information.

Delta County Fair, 1939, Russel Lee photo, U.S. Office of War Information.

 

Egyptian Theater, Delta, Colorado, John Margolies, photographer, 1991

Scrubbed by flood, named for gold, encouraged vanadium

 

Rio Grande Southern Rail Depot circa 1905, or 1910, Denver Public Library Special Collections. Men pose on the dock of the Rio Grande Southern Depot in Placerville, San Miguel County, Colorado. They wear duster and top hats, vests, and gold chains. The finial topped stationmaster's bay is behind them, with sign: "Placerville."

Placerville once produced 30 percent of the world's vanadium

 By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com

It was gold that originally led to the founding of Placerville, and it was named for the placer mines in the vicinity. In 1909, the town was almost completely washed away by flood. The original site was abandoned and a new depot and business section was built about a half mile upstream on the San Miguel River. The settlement first carried the handle "Dry Diggings," and then "Hangtown."

A family poses on their porch with their dog, Placerville, San Miguel County, Colorado, in 1908. Denver Public Library Special Collections.

Placerville was originally established as a small mining camp,  named after the placer gold mines located on the San Miguel River and Leopard Creek. The location became known as Old Placerville after the Rio Grande Southern Railroad constructed a depot and several passing sidings west of the original settlement, calling it Placerville.

 A man stands on the railroad tracks near a vanadium plant in Placerville (San Miguel County), Colorado. He wears a felt hat, suit, and a cigarette dangles from his mouth. A team of horses pulls a wagon up a dirt road toward the plant. Dark smoke rises from the smokestacks. (About 1920, History Colorado photo)

A. B. Frenzel discovered vanadium-bearing sandstone near Placerville in the late 1890s. The ore was in strataform bodies in the Entrada Sandstone (Jurassic) east of the town. The principal mineral was roscoelite, with minor montroseite and carnotite. By the fall of 1899, development was described as "of the most superficial character," although Frenzel had driven one tunnel 18 feet into the rock. By 1901-1902, Frenzel was excavating several thousand tons intended for shipment to Europe. Most of the Placerville ore was less than 3% vanadium, too low grade to pay for shipment to Europe, so in 1905 the Vanadium Alloys Co. built an ore-processing mill southeast of Placerville to recover the metal as ferro-vanadium, which it sold. At least five mines were active at one time, and by 1919 the two ore mills at Placerville were producing 30% of the world's vanadium. Through 1940, the mines produced about 3.7 million pounds of vanadium.

 

Men pose on columned porches of frame saloons in Placerville, San Miguel County, Colorado. They wear vests, suspenders, aprons, hats, and bib overalls. A dog and horse are to one side. Saloons and hotel burned 1919. Denver Public Library Special Collections photo created from W. C. Welbon, Placerville, Colo.

According to Colorado Encylopedia, Vanadium had been identified in Colorado in 1898, when an ore called carnotite in the Paradox Valley was found to hold vanadium, radium, and uranium. Vanadium saw limited production in the early twentieth century, but as with tungsten and molybdenum, demand skyrocketed during World War I. By the early 1920s, Colorado had shipped some 500 tons of the stuff. Production declined after the war. During the Great Depression, when the development cost was low, the United States Vanadium Corporation bought up vanadium-producing properties, revived old mills, and established new towns at Uravan and Vancorum. Production remained limited, but the infrastructure proved helpful when demand for vanadium ramped up again ahead of World War II.

Among the carnotite metals identified at the turn of the century, radium was the most immediately useful; it provided nighttime illumination and was valued for experimental cancer treatments. Western Colorado soon became the world’s leading producer of radium, and in the 1910s, the National Radium Institute built a concentrator near Naturita and a plant in Denver. During World War I, prices for radium soared when supply from Austria was cut off in Allied countries. At the same time, demand increased as militaries scrambled for radium to light up instrumentation at night. Radium briefly became the most expensive substance in the world, going for more than $3 million per ounce. Yet Colorado’s radium industry quickly died out after World War I, when demand dropped and new deposits were discovered in the Belgian Congo, says Colorado Encyclopedia.

Although carnotite was recognized as a minor constituent of the ore since its discovery, the amount was small, and no assays were made of the uranium content of the ore until World War II. Beginning about 1950, the small uranium content of the ore was also recovered from the ore.

The Placerville Schoolhouse, a one-room schoolhouse, which operated from 1908 to 1960. Today, it has been restored and operates as a sort of community center for the 300 plus residents in the area, according to to San Miguel County information.

 

The tracks of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad are washed out after the Trout Lake Dam break of 1909 in San Miguel County, Colorado. Shows the San Miguel River and utility poles. Joseph E. Byers, Sept. 5, 1909. Denver Public Library Special Collections.

In 1909, the failure of the Trout Lake Dam caused the flooding of Placerville as well as Sawpit and Newmire, according to the Daily Journal (Telluride), Sept. 6, 1909. 

"Placerville. Sawpit and Newmire well nigh destroyed. Large number of livestock drowned by the flood. Railroads will be tied up not less than three weeks. Great amount of inconvenience will necessarily follow,"  the paper reported..

Del Rio Hotel, Work Goose, Main Street Mancos, Manassa Mauler, Triangle, more.

Thing of the past ...

Dolores, Colorado, Dolores Del Rio Hotel

Year/era: about 1930

Photographer: Sanborn (Denver, Colo.)

Publisher: Sanborn Souvenir Co.

Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College, Nina Heald Webber Southwest Colorado Collection

 

 

Thing of the past ...

Pike's Peak from near Colorado City

Creator: Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942

Three women sit mounted on horses near Fountain Creek (El Paso County), Colorado. Pikes Peak is in the distance.

Date:[between 1880 and 1900?]

Glass negatives.; Imaged.; Image

Contributors W.H. Jackson Photograph and Publishing Co.

Format-Medium: Photograph

History Colorado

 

Thing of the past ...

Loveland artist Kirsten Kokkin creator of the "The Triangle" sculptor stands with the controversial statue that was installed in Loveland in August. The 7-foot-tall bronze sculpture shows a nude woman and a nude man holding another nude woman high in the air, forming a sort of inverted equilateral triangle of torsos and limbs. (AHMAD TERRY/ ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS)

Creator: AHMAD TERRY

Date: 7, 25, 2006

Donated to the Denver Public Library

by the Rocky Mountain News

 

Thing of the past ...

Champion boxer Jack Dempsey at Union Station

Creator: Rhoads, Harry Mellon, 1880 or 1881-1975

Date: [1919-1926]

Donor: Morey Engle

Boxer Jack Dempsey and actress Estelle Taylor, his wife, pose with a group of men at Union Station in Denver, Colorado.

Format of Original Material: 1 photonegative : glass, black-and-white ; 10 x 13 cm (4 x 5 in.); 1 photoprint ; 13 x 18 cm (5 x 7 in.)

Original Material Found in Collection: Harry M. Rhoads photograph collection

Type of Material: Glass negatives; Photographic prints

Condition: emulsion chipping on edge of glass negative. Formerly Engle #40250. Inked on glass plate: "R40250."; Title and "Woman in photo is Dempsey's wife, actress Estelle Taylor" hand-written on back of print.

Denver Public Library Special Collections.

 

Thing of the past ...

Rio Grande Southern narrow gauge motor car number 6

Creator : Richardson, Robert W.

Date: 1952

Summary: Three-quarter view of right side of motor car, from front end, close view; Work Goose (The Work Goose never carried passengers or freight. It was used in maintenance of way service.) Photographed: Dolores, Colorado, September 5, 1952.

Description 1 photonegative ; 7 x 11 cm. (2 3/4 x 4 1/2 in.)

Western History and Genealogy Dept., Denver Public Library

Thing of the past ...

Anaconda

Creator: Poley, H. S. (Horace Swartley)

Date: [1890-1900?]

The Ananconda schoolhouse, Teller County, Colorado, features the one-story wood frame structure with a hipped roof, rectangular front gable louver belltower, wrap around deck, and pediment drip molds. Scene also includes a small boy and a girl, a horse-drawn carriage, a side gable, board and batten residence and small wood frame residences. An eroded creek bed is cut in front of the school building.

Photoprint has red staining on front of it. Title hand-written on back of print.

Denver Public Library Special Collections

 

Thing of the past ...

Rico, Colorado

Date: 1890-1900

Firemen pull a hose cart (a hose wrapped around a spool with wheels) in Rico (Dolores County), Colorado. Firefighters wear leggings, shorts, woven shirts and caps. People watch from wooden sidewalks in front of businesses. Commercial signs read: "J.W. Burley & Co." "Dry Goods, Boots & Shoes," and "The Rico State [Bank]."

Condition: Edges torn. Title and date penciled on mat board.

Denver Public Library Special Collections.

 

Thing of the past ...

Fort Lewis, generator

Creator: Pendike Studio.

A man wears overalls and works on probably a belt-driven power generator at Fort Lewis High School (later Fort Lewis College) in Hesperus (La Plata County), Colorado. The generator reads: "Ames Iron Works."

Date: [between 1911 and 1913?]

Notes: History Colorado.; Handwritten on envelope: "C-Fort Lewis"; Title supplied.; R7200075277

Physical Description: 1 photographic print ; 13 x 18 cm. (5 x 7 in.) on album page.

Source: Gift of W.H. Eldridge, Ft. Lewis, Colo.

Is Part Of: History Colorado, subject file collection.

 

Thing of the past ...

Mancos, Colo.

Creator: Beam, George L. (George Lytle), 1868-1935

Date: [1910-1935?]

Unpaved Main Street in Mancos, Colorado, in Montezuma County.

Format of Original Material: 1 photonegative : nitrate ; 20 x 25 cm (8 x 10 in.)

Original Material Found in Collection: James Ozment collection of George Beam photographs, Digital Version Created From Photo loaned to Denver Public Library for digitization

Type of Material: Black & white photographs

Denver Public Library Special Collections.

 

 

Ute Pass, North Pole, Loveland Fire, Amache, Camp Hale and more

 

Thing of the past ...

Ute pass & Rainbow Falls

History Colorado, Buckwalter collection ; no. 890

Creator: Buckwalter, Harry H.

Lower Ute Pass, in El Paso County, Colorado; also shows Twin Creek, Rainbow Falls, the Bath of Venus, and a sign: "Grand Caverns."

Date: 1900, October 23

 

 

Thing of the past ...

The Depot, Woodland Park, C. M. Ry

Creator: Rose & Hopkins.

Date: [1890-1894]

The Colorado Midland railway depot at Woodland Park, Colorado; track and wooden platform at left, station at right with signage indicating dining room and Wells Fargo Express.

Format of Original Material 1 copy photonegative ; 9 x 11 cm (3 1/4 x 4 1/4 in.); 1 photoprint : albumen ; 18 x 24 cm (7 1/4 x 9 1/2 in.); 1 photoprint : albumen ; 19 x 23 cm (7 1/2 x 9 1/4 in.)

Original Material Found in Collection: Rose and Hopkins photographs. Album 4.; Rose and Hopkins photographs. Album 5.

Type of Material: Albumen prints; Film negatives

Geographic Area: Woodland Park (Colo.)

Denver Public Library Special Collections.

 

Thing of the past ...

Men at work on printing presses

Creator(s): Buckwalter, Harry H.

Shows employees of the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, Colorado at work on the printing presses. A printed newspaper rolls through the printing press. An article on the newspaper reads: "Sunday Magazine Section, Feb. 1902 Revival of the Death Penalties".

Date: 1902

Title-Alternative: History Colorado, Buckwalter Collection, Book V , no. 100.

 

Thing of the past ...

Pemberton - Colorado

Date: [1895?]

A carriage carrying three men is parked in front of a wooden commercial building in Pemberton, Colorado in either Douglas County or Teller County. Five men surround the wagon. The door to the shop is open. Signs: "Headquarters for Wetherald's Transfer and Stage Line. Hay Feed & Grain," "Time Table Between Pemberton & South Platte Leaves here 12 noon between here and Woodland Park Leaves Here 8:30 a.m.," "Stage for Woodland Park 8:30 a. m.," and "Restaurant. Pemberton Restaurant & Lunch Room."

Format of Original Material: 1 copy photonegative ; 10 x 13 cm (4 x 5 in.); 1 photoprint on cabinet card ; 12 x 19 cm (4 1/2 x 7 1/2 in.)

Digital Version Created From Bought from W. B. Milliken, Jr.

Type of Material: Cabinet photographs; Film negatives.

Notes: Photoprint has faded and yellowed, and the card to which it is attached has three holes in it. Title hand-written on back of photoprint.

Denver Public Library Special Collections.

 

Thing of the past ...

The Ninomiya family in their barracks room at the Amache Center

Creator: Parker, Tom, photographer.

Date: 1942 December 9

Interior view of the Ninomiya family's barracks at the Granada Relocation Center, Camp Amache, southeastern Colorado; shows Tosh Ninomiya at a folding card table reading a newspaper with a pipe in his mouth, Mrs. Ninomiya across the table from him, and another son standing, putting on his jacket. The room includes bunk beds, shelves, a table and stool made from scrap lumber. Floral curtains are at the pane window, and over a dressing table and shelves, striped bedspreads. A decorative shade hangs above a bare bulb on cord from ceiling. A mirror on the dressing table relfects a Japanese mask and the son's hand on his jacket.

Format of Original Material:1 copy photonegative ; 10 x 13 cm (4 x 5 in.); 1 photoprint ; 21 x 26 cm (8 x 10 in.)

Digital Version Created From War Relocation Authority.

Type of Material: Film negatives; Photographic prints; Black & white photographs

Notes: Photoprint's bottom left corner is torn off. Title and photographer printed on back of photoprint; additional information: "War Relocation Authority, Midland Savings Bldg., Denver, Colo. No: E-418, Date 12/9/42; Photo Location: Granada Relocation Center, Amache, Colorado; Data: (title) The mother's handiwork in preparing drapes, fashioning furniture out of scrap material, plus the boys ingenuity in preparing double deck bunks have made this bare brck floored barracks room a fairly comfortable duration home. Tosh Ninomiya, left, is charged with the responsibility of documenting the history of the Amache Center."

Denver Public Library Special Collections.

 

 

Thing of the past ...

First law office at Cripple Creek

Date: 1890-91

Charles H. Adams'(attorney at law) office, Cripple Creek, Colorado with a group of men standing in doorway of canvas tent with wooden frame; men include: George Carr (on horseback), Ed Bell (former marshall of Florissant, standing at far left), Preacher Babb (second from left), Bill Spell (fourth from left, standing next to doorway with deputy sheriff's badge and tilted hat), George Carr (man on horseback), Attorney Charles Adams (standing in doorway), and Edward Morton De LaVergne (seated in doorway); "Charles H. Adams attorney at law" sign affixed to front of tent and "Justice of the" sign affixed to side of wooden frame of tent.

Title from printed label on original halftone; photograph of a photograph reproduced in weekly newspaper "Great Divide" (volume 10, number 4, page 89) printed in December, 1893.

Denver Public Library Special Collections.

 

Thing of the past ...

Holiday Inn Magazine ... for traveling Americans. Front cover with Colorado North Pole Santa]

Names: Margolies, John, collector

Created / Published: December 1964.

Headings

- Santa Claus (Fictitious character)

- Holiday Inns, Inc.--1960-1970

- Amusement parks--1960-1970

- Houses--1960-1970

Ephemera--1960-1970.

Magazine covers--1960-1970.

Photomechanical prints--Color--1960-1970.

Genre

Magazine covers--1960-1970

Ephemera--1960-1970

Photomechanical prints--Color--1960-1970

Notes

- Title devised by Library staff.

- Cover of December edition of magazine which features Santa and group of people in front of Santa's house at the Colorado North Pole amusement park.

- Gift; John Margolies; 2008-2010; (DLC/PP-2008:151)

- Unprocessed in PR 13 CN 2008:151-4, container 100, F. 1

Medium: 1 photograph : color photomechanical ; sheet 28 x 22 cm.

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Thing of the past ...

Antlers fire

Creator: Buckwalter, Harry H.

A view of the burned remains of the Antlers hotel in Colorado Springs (El Paso county), Colorado. The hotel was destroyed in a fire on October 1, 1898. Shows a large section of burned rubble, spectators on the surrounding streets and local businesses in the background.

Date: 1898 October 1

Notes: "Hotels - Antlers - Colo. Spgs., Fire" handwritten on back of photoprint.; Accession number: 90.156.1279; History Colorado.; Condition: Emulsion is chipped.; Title and "C - Colo. Spgs. - Hotels" handwritten on negative envelope.

History Colorado, Buckwalter collection ; no. 709

 

Thing of the past ...

City Hall & Fire Station, Goldfield, Colo.

Creator: Noel, Thomas J. (Thomas Jacob)

Date: 2005.

The Goldfield City Hall and Fire Station located on Victor Avenue and 9th Street, Goldfield, Colo. Built in 1899, the two-story, simple Italianate style structure has been transferred to a new foundation with reinforced bell tower and roof.

Format of Original Material: 1 slide : color

Original Material Found in Collection: Tom Noel collection ; notebook, Teller County; Tom Noel photograph collection. notebook ; Teller County.

Digital Version Created From: Source: Loan, Tom Noel, 2014.

Auraria Library.

 

Thing of the past ...

Ski training: lesson in ski techniques at Camp Hale, Colorado

Creator: Julian, Mac

Date: [1943-1944]

Still from the Warner Brothers film: "Mountain Fighters." Fifteen Tenth Mountain Division skitroopers stand at the bottom of a small hill watching as a skier practices what appears to be the side step. According to the caption This is a lesson in herring bone, side step and traverse. Other skiers are arrive at the top of the hill from a trail visible on the right side of the image. Another soldier practices at the top of the hill, while two others look towards the man on the slope. Taken during training at Camp Hale, Colorado.

Format of Original Material: 1 photoprint : black-and-white ; 28 x 33 cm (11 x 13 1/2 in.)

Original Material Found in Collection: 10th Mountain Division Resource Center Collection

Digital Version Created From: Photograph Album 36; Album placed in TMD169 William J. Bourke Papers

Type of Material: Film stills; Photographic prints

Notes: "A lesson in herring bone, side step and traverse" written on the front border of the print. " A lesson in herring bone, side step and traverse -- Skier on slop [sic] is on way back," written in a different hand in ink on reverse. For physical location, see Photograph Album 36, William J. Bourke, Jr. Mac Julian Photographer embossed in lower left corner of print. Title supplied by cataloger. Vintage photographic print.

10th Mountain Division Resource Center, Denver Public Library.

 

 

Thing of the past ...

Denver Public Library Special Collections, [call number]

Title Colo. City Vol. Hose Co. team

Colorado City Volunteer Hose Company team

Date: September 1901

Colorado City Hose Team pose in front of the diagonal batten door outside the brick fire station, South Twenty-sixth and Cucharas streets, El Paso County, Colorado. The men stand wearing dark underwear shirts and shorts with arms crossed and their brass hose nozzle proudly on display in front of them.

Format of Original Material: 1 photoprint ; 21 x 26 cm (8 x 10 in.)

Type of Material: Photographic prints

Geographic Area: Colorado City (Colo.)

Notes: Stamp on back of photoprint: "Lester L. Williams, M. D., Colorado Springs, Colo."; Title hand-written on back photoprint; additional information: "In front of fire station on S. 26th St. at Cucharas.

Thing of the past ...

 Stapleton Airport

Date: 1947-1948

Stapleton Airport, Denver, Colorado, United Airlines passenger jet "Mainliner 300 NC37508" is on the tarmac. People stand behind the airplane; the terminal and control tower are in the background. Antennae and wind instruments top the roof.

Format of Original Material: 1 copy photonegative ; 10 x 13 cm (4 x 5 in.); 1 photoprint ; 20 x 25 cm (8 x 10 in.)

Type of Material: Film negatives; Photographic prints

Notes: Formerly F25963. Formerly X-11000117; Photoprint has crop marks penciled in margin. Printed in margin: "Please credit United Air Lines."; Title typed on negative sleeve; penciled on back of print: "1742."

Denver Public Library Special Collections.

 

Thing of the past ...

Colorado State Patroller David Copley (cq) shields himself from the blowing snow as he investigates a rollover accident involving three cars just north of Monument Hill in Douglas County Colorado on northbound Interstate 25 Tuesday morning April 5, 2005. No one was seriously hurt in the accident. (Dennis Schroeder / Rocky Mountain News)

Thing of the past ...

A corner, St. Vincent's Orphanage printery

Date:[1909-1925?]

Boys work in the printery of Mount St. Vincent's Home at 4159 Lowell Boulevard in the Berkeley neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. Shows a printing machine that reads: "Chandler & Price Co., Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A." and a statue of St. Joseph on a shelf on the wall.

Format of Original Material: 1 photographic print ; 10 x 13 cm (4 x 5 in.)

Digital Version Created From: Max 1980.

Type of Material Photographic prints

Denver Public Library Special Collections.

 

Thing of the past ...

Fire, the boys are trying to get their clothes on.

Date: [1915-1925]

The fireman, just out of their beds in their long johns, jump into their fire pants, upstairs in the firehouse, Loveland, Colorado. One man makes his way down the fire pole.

Format of Original Material: 1 copy photonegative ; 10 x 13 cm (4 x 5 in.); 1 photoprint ; 13 x 18 cm (5 x 7 in.)

Notes: Inked on front of photoprint: 29; C-178 lettered on original. Title typed on label on photoprint; additional information: "Bartholf Hose team was the first in Loveland. This was after the change was made to motor driven fire wagons. Loveland never had a horse drawn fire wagon."

Denver Public Library Special Collections.

Thing of the past ...

Littleton school interior

Date: [1900-1910]

Interior view of a small one room schoolhouse in Littleton, Colorado, shows young students reading at their wooden desks; a few look out the sunlit windows. The blackboard on the back wall has illustrations of a Thanksgiving turkey dinner, a squirrel on top of a pumpkin and dancing corn cobs, titled: The Moonlight Corn frolic. A cast iron stove is in front of the rows of desks and a lantern and paper loop chains hang from the ceiling.

Format of Original Material: 1 copy photonegative : black-and-white ; 10 x 13 cm (4 x 5 in.); 1 photoprint : black-and-white ; 13 x 18 cm (5 x 7 in.)

Digital Version Created From: Littleton Historical Society.

Type of Material: Film negatives; Photographic prints; Black & white photographs.

Denver Public Library Special Collections.

 

Thing of the past ...

Santa Claus on Denver's Civic Center

Creator: McClure, Louis Charles, 1867-1957

Date: [1929]

Night view of Greek Theater and Colonnade of Civic Benefactors, West Fourteenth (14th) and Acoma Street, Civic Center, Denver, Colorado; Christmas decorations on the Colonnade include: spotlit Santa Claus and his reindeer top arch; "Merry Christmas" illuminated across frieze, evergreen garland wrapped columns, large wreath with bow centered bordered by evergreen garland strung out to sides of archway, laced with lights; snow on sides of theater steps; streetlights and interior of colonnade illuminated.

Format of Original Material: 1 copy photonegative : black-and-white ; 9 x 11 cm (3 1/2 x 4 1/2 in.); 1 photonegative : nitrate ; 19 x 24 cm (7 1/2 x 9 1/2 in.); 1 photoprint : black-and-white ; 19 x 24 cm (7 1/2 x 9 1/2 in.)

Denver Public Library Special Collections.

Notes: Copy negative made from vintage photographic print. Title and signature hand-lettered on nitrate negative.

 

 

 

Thing of the past ...

Harry S. Maddox, station agent, Palmer Lake, Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (D. &.R. G.) , note Express Signage on corner, 1899. Maddox was later agent Monument, and had other local positions with D & R.G.

 

Thing of the past ...

Loveland street scene showing photographic studio in background.

History Colorado, Buckwalter Collection, Book V, no. 23

Creator: Buckwalter, Harry H.

A group of men sit on a bench in Loveland (Larimer County), Colorado. Business signs read: "Lunch Room", "Red Cross Employment Office," "Laundry", and "Photographs." Horses are hitched to a post.

Date: [between 1890 and 1910?]

 

Thing of the past ...

Ute Pass

Creator: Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942

A dirt road with a split log guardrail on Ute Pass, Teller County, Colorado. Shows Twin Creek, waterfalls, and a man in a horse-drawn buggy.

Date: [between 1880 and 1890?]

Notes: "3006 - Dup." etched on negative.; "Miller" and "11" inked on negative.; Accession number: 86.200.1906; Attribution to Jackson based on the photonegative's inclusion in the History Colorado William Henry Jackson Collection.; History Colorado.; Condition: Corner missing, taped, chipped.; Corner missing.; Formerly Jackson 3006A.; Handwritten on envelope: "Ute Pass?"; Title and "03006" inked on negative.; R7201020372

Physical Description: 1 negative : glass ; 26 x 21 cm. (10 x 8 in.)

Is Part Of: History Colorado, William Henry Jackson Collection.