116 Years Ago
The August 25, 1910 Colorado Transcript provides an interesting glimpse of life in Golden in that era.
- Golden was enveloped by smoke from fires in the northwest.
- “Colonel” Theodore Roosevelt was expected in Denver the following week. (Roosevelt had actually served as President from 1901-1909…so why were they referring to him as “Colonel?”)
- Plans were in place for a Jefferson County Fair, which would be held at Lakeside Amusement Park.
- The Transcript was agitating to have gravel put on 10th Street. 44th Avenue (then called the “Golden-Denver Bouldevard”) was gravelled, and the Transcript worried that “automobilists, farmers and others who will travel over the new road (will) run directly from the perfect road in the country into deep dust or a muddy street as soon as they get within the city limits of Golden.”
- “Golden Woman Saves Girl from Death” described a woman, vacationing in British Columbia, who saved a girl from drowning by reaching down from a dock and catching hold of her hair until assistance arrived. The editor modestly neglects to mention that the “Golden Woman” was his mother, widow of George West, founder of the Transcript. (Go Eliza!)
- “Capital a Suffragette Stronghold” explains that whereas Suffragettes used wear “short hair, impossible frocks, a man’s hat and other cranky accompaniments of ‘queer views’,” the current cadre were more likely to be “modishly gowned, attractive and in most instances socially prominent…whose graces and talents are distinctly of the most feminine kind.” (The 19th Amendment was still 10 years in the future.)
- The Dollison store advertised that “American Beauty Corsets make beautiful women.” (No doubt intended as an aid for aspiring Suffragettes.)
- New owners were running the old French Smelter. They decided to assay the waste piles left by previous operators and learned that their dump was worth a fortune.
- The Golden Gem theater was scheduled to show “Trailed to the Hills,” which was filmed in Jefferson County and featured a number of locals in the cast.
- Fred Steinhauer had recently been appointed Superintendent of Denver Parks. Steinhauer was an 1899 Mines graduate and had been a baseball star during his time at the school. Steinhauer Field House is named after him.
- The Sheriff had made a quick capture of a horse thief, having located and jailed him within a few hours after learning of the theft. He found the man in Denver, put him in jail, and soon had a confession. The stolen horses & wagon were located in Watkins (map).
