100 years ago: “ The Hidden Children, Robert W. Chambers latest novel, and Arizona, a novelization by Cyrus Townsend Brady of the great romances of the Southwest by the same name, seem to be the most popular books of those just placed on the shelves of the public library.”

75 years ago: BAYFIELD – “The Presbyterian Ladies Aid met with Mrs. Wayne Sower. After a business meeting delicious refreshments were served to 25 members.”

50 years ago: “The U.S. Forest Service gave its enthusiastic endorsement to the new Purgatory ski area proposed by Raymond Duncan, 24 miles north of Durango, one-quarter mile west of Highway 550.”

25 years ago: “Construction costs of the Animas-La Plata Project’s first phase are now estimated at $422 million, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Although the bureau updates its figures each year from construction-cost indexes, the most widely quoted estimate has been $380 million, which was based on 1985 prices.”

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