100 years ago: “Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Abee motored in from their Texas Creek ranch, reaching town at 8:30 a.m. There are some bad pieces of road to cover but the trip of 16 miles was made in about one-third the time it takes to cover it with a team.”
75 years ago: “A two-day institute for teachers and leaders of the WPA (Works Progress Administration) education and recreation program is being held in Durango. An exhibit of the products of the WPA crafts classes will be open to the public.”
50 years ago: “Purchase of the historic Grand Imperial Hotel in Silverton by a Colorado Springs-Durango company headed by Karl E. Eitel, manger of the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, was announced. Purchase price for the Grand Imperial, built in 1881 when Silverton was a booming mining community, was not disclosed.”
25 years ago: “Donald F. Whalen, acting president of Fort Lewis College, told the State Board of Agriculture that he plans to retire July 31. Whalen, 57, has been part of FLC for 29 years. He stepped in as acting president in December 1986 following the resignation of Bernard Adams, and inherited a $765,000 deficit.”
Most items in this column are taken from Herald archives, Center of Southwest Studies and Animas Museum. Their accuracy may not have been verified.
