By Forrest Stone
Herald Staff Writer
100 years ago: Measles arrived in Durango, and Dale, a high-school girl from the lower La Plata, was “the first victim.”
75 years ago: The shortage of rubber because of war efforts became severe enough that drivers were urged “to organize pools with their neighbors” and warned that no car should “traverse the highways with empty seats during the national emergency.”
50 years ago: A shortage of irrigation water was predicted for the area. Nearly all the snow had disappeared from medium elevations. “Only a very small amount of snow remains at the high elevations. Stream-flow throughout the state has been below normal,” said area conservationist Robert K. Griffin.
25 years ago: A man from Crested Butte sought approval from the La Plata County Planning Commission of a proposal to create “Trappers Crossing,” a development of an estimated 174 residences and a 2,910-acre, 18-hole golf course in Wildcat Canyon.
Most items in this column are taken from The Durango Herald archives, Center of Southwest Studies and Animas Museum. Their accuracy may not be verified.
