Coronavirus/COVID-19
Public Health References
CDC * Colorado * Jefferson County * City of Golden
Jefferson County is at Level Red, “Severe Risk.” Here’s the most recent Coronavirus report from Jeffco Public Health’s Case Summary Page:
Cases in Jeffco – Mon: 24,045 | Tues: 24,279 (+234)
Deaths in Jeffco – Mon: 511| Tues: 525 (+14)
Ever Hospitalized in Jeffco – Mon: 1,348 | Tues: 1,380 (currently 242) (+32)
Recovered – Mon: 19,165 | Tues: 19,468 (+303)
Known Cases in Golden – Mon: 819 | updated Mondays & Thursdays
Mines COVID Testing | Jeffco Fairgrounds COVID Testing | School of Mines COVID-19 case page. | Stage 2 fire restrictions | Sign up for exposure notifications.
Virtual Golden
8:30-9:30AM Virtual Power Training
10-11:30AM Everything Dinosaur Talks – Ceratopsians
10:15AM Baby Time with the Library
9-10AM Chamber’s South Golden Merchants/Community Development Committee/Downtown Merchants Meeting
6-8PM Open Snow & The Road West Traveled Powder Party – Colorado Mountain Club
6PM Golden Anti-Racism Collective General Meeting – Register
Real World Golden
9AM Golden Walks
10AM-5PM Holiday Art Market
Golden History Moment
After reading yesterday’s History Moment about WPA projects in Golden, a reader asked me why jobs were suddenly cut at the end of 1938. I did some research, and I’m still not precisely sure. There were changes at the Federal level that required local governments to provide 25% of the funding for projects. That tamped down demand, since state, county, and city governments still had Depression-type budgets. In addition, Colorado had elected a Republican governor in November of 1938. Republicans were fundamentally opposed to government-funded work programs, so that also contributed to quelling demand.
One of the things I enjoyed about this WPA-in-Golden research was learning about all the lesser-known projects that the agency funded.
The WPA Sewing Project employed women to produce clothing and bedding for the poor, aged, and infirm. Occasionally they were called upon to do special projects, such as sewing costumes for theater programs or making doll clothes as Christmas presents for needy children. The sewing room was set up in the old North School, at 6th and Washington.
School lunch programs came about through the WPA, which paid to install kitchens in schools and employed women to work in them. The lunches were initially intended to help “under-nourished” children.
Adult education classes in Golden included music, drama, arts & crafts, gym, swimming, shorthand, business English, bookkeeping, typing, dance, metalworking, leatherworking, and first aid. Classes were offered in schools, the Armory, and at Camp George West.
Canning centers preserved food for area farmers on a “share” basis. Farmers brought their produce to the canning centers. Fruit was processed with 75% being returned to the farmer and 25% being used to feed under-nourished school children. Vegetables were shared with 2/3 going to the farmer and 1/3 going to the schools. One canning center was set up in the Burgess House, at Ford & Water Streets.
One of the most popular offerings with Golden home-owners was the curb and gutter program sponsored by Golden’s Mayor Burt Jones. WPA workers installed curbs and gutters in front of homes at a cost to homeowners of 36 cents per foot. This resulted in government covering about 75% of the cost.
Summer camps for children offered supervised recreation and arts & crafts in Parfet Park and City Park (which is now gone).
Republicans tended to dismiss WPA programs as a waste of taxpayer money, and WPA workers as lazy and inept. Ever the Democratic newspaper, the Transcript always defended the WPA. They pointed out that Republicans had passed the Homestead Act.
IT WASN’T CALLED A DOLE THEN
But giving farms to deserving people didn’t suit the Republicans–it didn’t get rid of the public’s domain fast enough, so they gave to the railroads every alternate square mile for 10 miles each side of the tracks. These same Republicans tried to turn over all the oil lands to their gang but got caught–the teapot boiled over.
Colorado Transcript, Number 50, October 14, 1943
Many thanks to the Golden History Museum for providing the online cache of historic Transcripts and to the Golden Transcript for documenting our history since 1866!
