100 years ago: “The force of a dozen more telephone repairers, who have been fixing the telephone under the direction of Wire Chief Ward Weaver, have finished the line to Hesperus and are now working in the Animas Valley where many poles are yet down and much wire trouble needs attention.”
75 years ago: MESA VERDE – “Members of the house appropriations committee in Washington are now being ‘called to order’ with a stone axe, fashioned and used by prehistoric Indians living in cliff caves here. Rep. Edward T. Taylor of Colorado, chairman of the committee, found the axe before the Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906. Recently he sent it back here and had it made into a gavel.”
50 years ago: MESA VERDE – “For the first time in its history, Mesa Verde National Park counted more than 2,000 visitors during January. Aided by moderate weather throughout the month, the park counted 2,300 visitors, an increase of 1,000 visitors over January 1963. The lower figure in January 1963 is accounted for by the fact that there was more than 19 inches of snow in the park during that month.”
25 years ago: “Up to two feet of snow and cold temperatures in Southwest Colorado since Friday have hampered travel and turned many roads into a demolition derby for motorists. The heavy snow also closed Molas Pass on U.S. Highway 550 from snow slides and created a high avalanche warning for the high country. Durango received 8.2 inches of snow on Saturday and another 6 inches were possible by Monday.”
Most items in this column are taken from Herald archives, Center of Southwest Studies and Animas Museum. Their accuracy may not be verified.
