100 years ago: “Al Hubbard is reported to be preparing to ship something like 2,200 head of his sheep to the markets, very shortly. This will be some little shipment to handle. His lambs are said to average about 63 pounds a piece.”

75 years ago: “Two motorists who picked up a hitchhiker in California brought him as far as Pagosa Springs, then turned him loose on U.S. Highway 160 atop Yellow Jacket divide – minus his trousers. The two motorists picked up the 18-year-old and they apparently ran out of money and needed some to buy gas.” They took the young man’s pants and other clothes he was carrying to sell for gas money and left him on the highway. The two men were later caught.

50 years ago: “The first Durango-Silverton Appreciation Day train ride was declared a complete success by the 608 who made the trip to Silverton.”

25 years ago: “His identity is hush-hush, but Clock and Bell Tower Committee members are so excited, they can’t keep quiet. A master clocksmith has been found to repair the 1891 original La Plata County Courthouse clock – and he’s a Durangoan. The man, who insists on remaining anonymous until the project is complete, is repairing the clock for free. The committee hopes to raise $40,000 for the clock and bell’s repair and the bell tower’s construction during the expansion of the courthouse.”

Most items in this column are taken from Herald archives, Center of Southwest Studies and Animas Museum. Their accuracy may not have been verified.