6PM Lecture at the History Museum: From Beets to Bayonets: Colorado’s War on Migrant Labor – Register here.
In the early twentieth century, Colorado led the nation in sugar production, thanks to beets harvested by migrant workers across the state. During the Great Depression, however, some state officials felt that jobs in Colorado should be held by Coloradans rather than outsiders from other states or countries. A campaign to rid the state of migrant workers, predominantly Hispanic, included talk of a state-run concentration camp near Golden and culminated in a blockade of the state boundary with New Mexico. The bitter and often vicious effort failed, but it exposed cultural and economic divisions in Colorado that resonate nearly a century later. Join Dr. Derek R. Everett of MSU-Denver and Colorado State University to explore the Depression-era war against ethnic migrant labor in Colorado, why it failed, and what lessons it offers for today and tomorrow.
Dr. Derek R. Everett, a Colorado native who grew up in Arvada, teaches in the History Departments at Metro State in Denver and Colorado State University in Fort Collins. He has published books on western state boundaries and the Colorado State Capitol, and researches and writes on various subjects of Colorado and western American history.
Other Thursday Events:
9:15AM Baby Time at the Library
10AM Ladies Billiards at the Front Porch
10AM Toddler Time at the Library
10:15AM Toddler Time at the Library
11:30AM Wee Create at the Library
1-2:30PM Chronic Pain & Illness Support Group (map)
4PM Family Yoga at the Library
6PM Band Concert at Bell Middle School (map)
6:15PM Overeaters Anonymous at Natural Grocers (map)
6:30PM Overeaters Anonymous at the Methodist Church (map)
6:30PM Trail Stewardship Team Info Night
Thursday Music:
6PM Colin Patrick at Buffalo Rose
6PM Dave Frisk at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse
6PM The Low Road at New Terrain Brewing Company
6PM Open Pick Night at Over Yonder Brewing
8PM Karaoke at Rock Rest Lodge
9PM Karaoke at Ace-Hi Tavern
Golden History Moment
100 Years Ago
The March 11, 1920 Colorado Transcript included a front page article entitled, “Up-to-Date Health Laws Proposed for Golden.” In the wake of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, there was a new focus on public health measures. Golden’s City Council determined that we would have a board of health, consisting of three aldermen (as councilors were called at the time) and a physician appointed to be the City Health Officer. All physicians in town were to report contagious diseases to the Health Officer, who in turn would notify school authorities. The Health Officer would quarantine homes where such diseases were present, and the schools would make sure the kids didn’t show up in class. The Health Officer kept an eye on all epidemics in the state and reported to City Council when any were near Golden.
The original focus of the job was to contain communicable diseases, but it suffered from extreme scope creep.
Soon after the job was created, the City Health Officer also became responsible for testing the water in our reservoirs to look for signs of contamination. As automobiles became more common, more people were coming close to our mountain water supplies. In 1922, the Health Officer took legal action to prevent someone from building a gas station next to our reservoir on Lookout Mountain.
In 1925, he urged city council to ban those suffering with tuberculosis or other communicable diseases from camping in Golden. In 1926, he was investigating complaints about unsanitary corrals and outhouses in the city. City Council charged him with making an inventory of outhouses within the City limits and sending letters telling homeowners to get rid of them.
In 1927, he placed 100 houses under quarantine during a measles epidemic. In 1930, he ordered that all loose dogs be muzzled, as there were many rabies cases in the state. In 1946, in an effort to fight an impending polio epidemic, he worked with City Council to arrange for regular trash collection (a new concept at the time). The Health Officer also gave annual physical exams to every Golden High School student. For these many and varied duties, from 1920-1950 the City Health Officer was paid $50/year.
In the late 1940s, a Tri-County Health Association was formed. This group focused more on public policy and urging government to impose health laws. (Golden, and all other communities along Clear Creek, still sent their sewage directly into the Creek at this time.) In 1950, the Tri-County Health Association informed all cities with a population under 25,000 that they should dismiss their Public Health Officers in favor of letting Tri-County handle all health issues. Thus, Golden had its last Public Health Officer in 1950.
Preview of Friday Events:
9AM Dinosaur Ridge Volunteer Information Training Session
9:15AM Baby Time at the Library
10AM Open Studio at Foothills Art Center
10AM Free Legal Advice – Elder Law & Probate at the Courthouse (map)
10AM Toddler Time at the Library
10:30AM Toddler Time at the Library
12PM Grandmas on Strike About Climate Change at the Buffalo Bill Statue
1PM Railroad Museum Friday Tour – Railroad Kitchens
3PM Pi Day Celebration at the Library
4PM Vaccine, License & Microchip Clinic at Foothills Animal Shelter
6PM Persian New Year Celebration at the School of Mines
7PM The Mines Showcase
