100 years ago: “Sheriff Fassbinder returned from a seven days chase after the horse thieves, Colyer and Freeman, who stole two of Wood & Morgan’s horses and three horses from Truby ranch. All the stolen horses were recovered. The two men however still are at liberty.”
75 years ago: “Now that the water emergency is past and all water using restrictions have been lifted, Durango people may once more bathe Fido twice a day and sluice down their children once a week if they catch ‘em.”
50 years ago: “Fire in a big wooden tank at Vanadium Corporation of America’s shut-down plant called out the La Plata Fire Volunteers. There was an estimated $5,000 damage. Volunteers controlled the fire to the single tank. Eleven men and three trucks answered the call.”
25 years ago: “If you haven’t used your car for six months, look under the hood before you start it up. That’s the advice of Doe Hays, who wishes she had. Hays pulled her 1979 Lincoln Continental out of winter storage to warm it up. After she returned it to the garage and went into her house, she smelled smoke. Then she saw flames. Apparently a family of mice or rats had made their winter home on top of her carburetor.”
Most items in this column are taken from Herald archives, Center of Southwest Studies and Animas Museum. Their accuracy may not be verified.
