100 years ago: “The fire department was called out by the fire at the City Coal Mine on the edge of town, which burned down the office and was threatening to destroy the tipple. By hard work the firemen managed to save the tipple, after laying 1,050 feet of hose to get water on the blaze.”
75 years ago: “Spud Lake surrendered plenty of fine trout to J.G. English, who returned to town with plenty of evidence that other anglers hadn’t caught all the fish.”
50 years ago: “With dedication of its new plant less than a month away (Oct. 8) The Durango Herald began installation of its new four-unit high-speed Fairchild News King offset press. The overhead monorail, which will later be used in handling rolls of newsprint was utilized in putting the units of the press into place. Trial runs of the new press could be made as early as next week.”
25 years ago: “The construction site of a newly approved affordable-housing project near Hermosa has been sabotaged in a style reminiscent of Edward Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang. Disappearing survey stakes, nails scattered on the grounds and Karo syrup dumped in the fuel tanks and hydraulics of a D3 Caterpillar have been reported in recent weeks. Abbey chronicled in his book the adventures of environmentalists who employed drastic measures to stop development. The Hermosa project initially drew violent opposition from neighbors.”
Most items in this column are taken from Herald archives, Center of Southwest Studies and Animas Museum. Their accuracy may not be verified.
