81 Years Ago
The September 7, 1944 Colorado Transcript described a complaint sent to City Council by citizens in the East Street neighborhood. Their petition stated that:
We, the undersigned, hereby present the following complaint and recommendation regarding the riding of horses on lawns, yards and other private property within the city limits of Golden.
This disturbance has been going on ever since the riding stables east of Golden started operating, but it has become worse of late. Many of these riders seem to have no respect for the rights and property of others and have damaged lawns time and time again. They have ridden at high rate of speed through yards where children are at play and if this is allowed to continue, some major accident is likely to occur.
The residents requested that Council enact an ordinance “prohibiting riding of horses on lawns and other private property, with penalties for violations.”
The petition was signed by 16 residents, including Mrs. Foss (owner of Foss Drug), Paul Reeves (designer of the Howdy Folks arch), and Geo. Koch (Jefferson County Sheriff).
Two weeks later, the Transcript reported that the owners of several local stables had attended City Council and were “very anxious that those who rent horses comply fully with the Golden ordinance.”
Curiously, though the residents had requested an ordinance to keep horses out of their yards, away from their children, and off their lawns, the actual ordinance passed by Council covered only public property.
382. Section 25.
Any person who shall, in this city, immoderately ride or drive any animal or animals in any highway, street, alley or other public place, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than five nor more than one hundred dollars.
Perhaps existing trespassing laws already covered incursions on private property. Perhaps the “very anxious” stable owners warned their renters to stay out of residential neighborhoods. At any rate, the issue didn’t appear again in the Transcript.
