It’s truly the start of summer when the Bar D Chuckwagon holds its “dress rehearsal” and the community gets a chance to honor its history. (Never mind that summer solstice stuff, Memorial Day is the beginning of the season as far as I’m concerned.)
On May 24, more than 210 people gathered for the La Plata County Historical Society’s annual Community Heritage Awards, a pie auction, and, of course, the Bar D’s well known chuckwagon supper, including a musical performance by the Bar D Wranglers.
The honorees this year were the Montoya family and the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks Lodge No. 507. Both were well-deserved.
Davin Montoya and his wife, Theresa, both come from longtime local families. His folks have been in the Southwest United States since 1678, with roots going back to Mexico and Hernán Cortés himself. The Montoyas are descended from Cortés and his wife, the daughter of Moctezuma II. Their lineage in Spain goes back even further to Fernando IV of Castile, but that’s a story for another day. Davin Montoya’s great-grandfather Juan J. Jaquez was a territorial delegate to the House of Representatives before New Mexico became a state. Have I established the deep roots yet?
In Southwest Colorado, the Montoya side of the ranching biz goes back to his grandfather Jose Belarmino, who started raising sheep before the family moved to cattle after predators took too high a toll.
Theresa Montoya’s roots may not go quite that far back, but she grew up on the Centennial Farm in the Cherry Creek area, which was established by her ancestors in 1886, which is way earlier than most of us.
The Montoyas were joined at the event by a big chunk of their clan, including son Ted and his girlfriend, Alejandra Pascal, who flew in from Panama; son Jesse, his wife, Kerri, and Rhiley, 9, and Quincy, 7, who live in Hesperus; and son Cody who works at StoneAge Waterblast Tools in Durango. Son Michael and his wife, Erika, were busy protecting and serving as FBI agents.
The Montoyas aren’t just good stewards of the land, they believe in being involved in their community. Davin has been on the board of directors of La Plata Electric Association for 22 years, and both are active in the La Plata-Archuleta Cattlemen’s Association.
The Elks turned out in their gray jackets, with about 25 of the lodge’s 700-some members showing up to support Exalted Leader Brett Rundquist as he accepted on the lodge’s behalf. It was nice to see their historian, Ellie Goodman, on hand to preserve the moment for posterity.
The Elks have been active here since June 6, 1899, and in their iconic building at the intersection of East Second Avenue and east Ninth Street since 1926. In the days when it was one of the only institutions in town, it was the place to see and be seen.
The Elks have also made a huge difference in Durango, from thousands and thousands of dollars in scholarships to creating and running the Elks’ Picnic Grounds, where locals gather – not to mention a wide variety of charitable endeavors.
Bruce Spining perhaps said it best when he wrote about the Elks in his piece “Best People On Earth” in the May 5, 2013, edition of History La Plata:
“For many in this immediate community, the involvement of the Elks may often seem somewhat low-key and unheralded. Part of that may come from the vision itself, where promoting charity, justice and brotherly love is not for self-aggrandizement. In that sense, the Durango Elks have fostered a high level of organizational humility – keeping the focus on the activity instead of the organization.”
If you’ve never been inside the Elks’ Lodge, it’s worth a visit because it’s very cool. And on the top floor, the lodge maintains its own small historical museum that’s great fun to visit. The lodge often opens its doors for open houses and in the past has hosted a barbecue for the Fourth of July, so pay attention for your chance to visit this organization that has contributed to our community for almost 114 years.
The evening was also the swan song for museum assistant Brianna McCormick, whose husband, Joe, just graduated from Fort Lewis College.
The pie auction, organized by Rani Holt, kicked off the evening, bringing in almost $3,000 for the historical society. They’re still “ciphering” to calculate the total take for the evening, as Animas Museum Director Carolyn Bowra puts it, but it’s much needed for the museum.
As is always the case, the sponsors make all the difference in the world. For the Community Heritage Awards, that would be First National Bank of Durango, R.H. Crossland Foundation, Southwest Colorado Federal Credit Union, La Plata Electric Association, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and co-sponsor, The Durango Herald.
HHH
Happy birthday to the last of May and first of the June birthdays – Barbara Bush, Peter Bussian, Ken Jungerberg, Bruce Longwell, Matthew Longwell, Sara Martin, Mic McGrath, Laura Burnett, Jill Choate, Jeanette Hanna, Julie Kleva, Debbie Smith, Ken Jenkins, Benjamin Wiley, Tom Maloney, Becky Owen, Will Kolb, Max Patton, Jayne Griffith, Richard Loucks, Bob McGrath, Dene Thomas, Sloan Mazur, Jessica Steele, Barbara Edmanson, Jon Lupia, Kevin Schank, Linda Radosivech, Olivia Reynolds, Caroline Todd, Craig Dabovich, Marsha Porter-Norton, Bill Roberts, Beth Lamberson, Della Johnson, Richard Vaccaro, Malcom Cannon, Barb Casey, Jacob Peters, Alan TeBrink, Bridget Cahill, Darrell Gardner, Marcy Pugh, Dick Bell, Klare Nava, Mary Jo Rakowski, Gwyn Stites, Kyle Kirchner, Ronald Anderson, Roger Hausen, Tracy Kennedy and Shelley Plomske.
HHH
If you’re in the mood for some great music and some fun, too, don’t forget the Durango Barbershoppers big annual concert that starts at 7:01 p.m. at the Smiley Building Theatre, which is located at the intersection of East Third Avenue and 13th Street. (I’ve decided to put in locations for places because folks who are relatively new here don’t speak the same location lingo as those who’ve been here longer.)
The theme this year is “Hi, Neighbor,” and the guest quartet will be Blue Steel from Albuquerque.
HHH
There is just a little time left to book your seat at Liberty School’s “Round-Up on the Animas,” which will be a fun evening of Western music, cowboy poetry and a Western barbecue dinner at the Little Fishes Gazebo along the Animas River on June 9.
Organizers hope to raise some serious moolah for the school’s scholarship fund. The Liberty School, in case you’ve missed it, focuses on kids who deal with dyslexia and often, those who are quite bright as well.
Tickets are $100, and $60 is tax deductible. Call Cheryl Folwell to make your reservation at 259-4870 or email her at folwell@frontier.net.
HHH
“June brides” are not just a myth, so happy anniversary wishes go out to the last of the May anniversaries and a bumper crop of June couples – Jim and Barb Clair, Sam and Rebekah Eggleston, David and Claudia Engle, Bernhard “Bernie” and Diane Welle, Mike and Marcie Bray, Wynn and Linda Mack Berven, Jeff and Caroline Munger, Carter and Sue Hampton, Richard and Suzanne Loucks, Todd and Kati Sieger, Charlie Siegele and Deborah Uroda, Hayes and Esther Crapo, Alex and Cindy McLean, Peter and Lynn Rudolph, John and Peggy White, Doug and Debbie Wolfe, Jeff and Denny Thulson, John Condie and Wanda Ellingson, John and Carol West, Larry and Roberta Day, John and Mary Walters, Steve Parker and Geni Miller-Parker, Darrell and Sonja Smith, Jack and Bert Baker and Gip and Karen Aldrich.
