Clear Creek Canyon Park
"Nice and green and full of birdsong" - Photo by Joyce Davell
Click to enlarge
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Friday, May. 22nd
- All day - The Friday Tour
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Golden History Tours
- All day - Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- All day - Golden Sports
- 9AM - Golden High School Graduation
- 9:30-10:30AM - Rooftop Yoga
- 10:15-10:45AM - Toddler Time - Registration Required
- 12-10PM - Anniversary Party @ Mountain Toad
- 4-7PM - Family Climb Night
- 5-7PM - Spring Member Reception | Tom Sarmo, Rob Bell, Chris Mora
- 7:30PM - Pump Boys and Dinettes
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
9AM Golden High School Graduation @ Marv Kay Stadium
Location:
Marv Kay Stadium
1250 12th Street (Map)
10:30AM and 1:30PM The Friday Tour @ Colorado Railroad Museum
Each Friday, join us for an hour of exploring a different aspect of Colorado’s railroad history. Each tour covers a specific theme.
Tours are subject to change and are based on guide availability. Each week’s theme is explored using a variety of museum resources to help bring the subject to life with the understanding that guests are welcome to continue their visit on their own after the tour. Today's Topic
Location:
Colorado Railroad Museum
17155 W. 44th Avenue (Map)
12-10PM Anniversary Party @ Mountain Toad
Mountain Toad Brewing is celebrating its 13th anniversary this weekend. They'll have food trucks, an ice cream truck, live music, special anniversary glassware, and "lucky 7" special release of seven tadpole beers. More information
Location:
Mountain Toad Brewing
900 Washington Avenue (Map)
5-7PM Spring Member Reception | Tom Sarmo, Rob Bell, Chris Mora @ Foothills Art Center - Astor House
Join us for the Member Reception of Aiming To Miss: Tom Sarmo, Rocky Mountain Muses: Rob Bell, and The Articulate Robots of Chris Mora, at our Astor House Location. Become a Member for FREE to RSVP to this event. Join or renew your membership today at foothillsartcenter.org/join. More information
Location:
Foothills Art Center - Astor House
1133 Arapahoe Street (Map)
Tickets Now On Sale for Next Weekend's Dinosaur Express
Railroad Tracks will Meet Dinosaur Tracks on the Dinosaur Express Train at the Colorado Railroad Museum, May 31 + June 1
Dinosaurs are coming back to Golden, Colorado…only this time, they are arriving on the Dinosaur Express Train! On May 31st and June 1st, railroad tracks will meet dinosaur tracks for a weekend of family fun at the Colorado Railroad Museum as the Dinosaur Express Train chugs into the station.
The world’s first Stegosaurus and Apatosaurus fossils were discovered at nearby Dinosaur Ridge, and Golden is where the first T-Rex tooth fossil was found. So, it’s only fitting that two of every kid’s favorite things—dinosaurs and trains—come together for this fun festival.
New this year, online pre-reserved tickets include BOTH admission and a train ride. Since this is a limited capacity event, advance purchase is recommended before tickets become extinct!
On-Site Admission & Ride: $22 Adults, $12 ages 2-17, $20 Seniors ages 60+. Order Online in Advance & save $5 per ticket! Online Admission & Ride Pricing: $17 adults, $7 ages 2-17, $15 seniors ages 60+. Free for members and visitors under age 2. All Aboard!
For tickets and more info, visit coloradorailroadmuseum.org/dinosaur-express-train.
Saving Local News
Left: May 19, 1869 Colorado Transcript | Right: Transcript printing office - Golden History Museum collection
As regular readers know, I am a big fan of the historic Colorado Transcript archive--it's where I find most of the stories that I relay in my daily history articles. They have almost every issue from December 19, 1866 through March 16, 1969. I love the fact that every issue is a snapshot of life in Golden at that moment in time--the issues that City Council is discussing, the ads by local businesses, society news, etc.
In 1969, the Colorado Transcript became the Golden Transcript. Those issues are available through April of 1995. They cover some events that I observed firsthand, such as the rebirth of downtown, the creation of the kayak park, the rec center, the golf course, the "new" County Courthouse, and the 1% growth limit. There again, it's so useful to be to be able to check exact dates and recall who was saying what at the time.
Golden is incredibly lucky to still have a local newspaper (and it's still the Golden Transcript!), but I have worried about news archives in our increasingly digital world.
There are digital news organizations all over the country (and Canada!). I have long wondered--what happens to our collective archive when our hosting companies go broke, change hands, or shut down?
When I learned that the Internet Archive, Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), and the Poynter Institute were launching a program to address this very issue, I wanted to be part of it. I applied and was accepted into the first cohort of Today's News for Tomorrow. They plan to "crawl" my site once a month and make it permanently available.
They did their first crawl on March 30th, and the results were impressive. They captured not only the events of March 30th, but every newsletter going back to March of 2024!
I look forward to seeing the technology advance and the number of participating news organizations expand. Check out some of the other news organizations in the inaugural cohort! Note that the sites marked "No captures found for this URL" were archived, but the owners use paywalls and don't want free versions available until sometime in the future.
I like to think of my counterpart, 100 years hence, using the archive of GoldenToday to see what was happening in Golden in 2026.
The Golden Word - 05/22/26
Live Music for Friday, May. 22nd
- 5:30-8:30PM Lionel Young Trio @ Buffalo Rose
Buffalo Rose (Sky Bar Stage) - 7PM Kara Grainger and The Michael Hornbuckle Band
Buffalo Rose (main venue) - More Live Music
5-8PM J.K. Halvorson @ Coda Brewing
5-8PM Live Music @ Eddy Taproom
5:30-8:30PM Andy Eppler @ Barrels and Bottles
6-8PM DJ "There's an Ape for That" @ Mountain Toad
7-10PM DJ Patio Set featuring DJ Tyler @ Etta Jeanne
7PM Karaoke @ Wrigley’s
9PM Karaoke @ Ace Hi Tavern
For more information, visit the Golden Today Calendar
Golden History: Geijsbeek Pottery
Geijsbeek Pottery – Golden History Museum collection
Click to enlarge
125 Years Ago
The May 22, 1901 Colorado Transcript celebrated the arrival of Geijsbeek Pottery. This firm was led by a pair of brothers–Samuel and J. B. Geijsbeek–and financed largely by Golden people. It used local clay and was seen as the harbinger of a major ceramics industry for Golden.
It is with no little pride and gratification that we today present a picture of the buildings recently completed in this city for the manufacture of white table-ware, toilet sets and the like, the first and only one ever started west of the Mississippi river, and it is with equal gratification that we are enabled to state that all the materials entering into the manufacture of this product are found in inexhaustible quantities within two miles of the plant, excepting some of the chemicals which are manipulated in the laboratory connected with the factory.
The Pottery was located along the railroad tracks (on 8th Street), on the site of the new Baseline Apartments. The railroad delivered coal and shipped the finished goods. The Golden Water Works provided water and Golden Illuminating Company provided power. The kilns went online in August of 1901 and a month later they were building an addition for another kiln.
The business failed quickly, By October of 1902, the company’s assets were being sold to satisfy creditors. There were a few attempts over the years to revive the industry, but none succeeded.
In 1918, local builder Oscar Nolin purchased the building to demolish it and sell the usable construction materials. The August 22, 1918 Transcript reported that he had sold a hundred thousand bricks to be used in construction of a Denver hospital. In October, the City purchased “a number of heavy timbers taken from the old Geisbeek pottery, for use in building bridges.”
Despite this failure, pottery did become a vital industry in Golden, beginning with Herold China and Pottery in 1910 and continuing today as CoorsTek.
Weather
Overnight: Mostly cloudy. Low around 43, with temperatures rising to around 45 overnight. North northwest wind around 5 mph. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Friday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Mostly sunny. High near 62, with temperatures falling to around 60 in the afternoon. East northeast wind 2 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. South wind 2 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 46°F
Saturday: Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 69°F
Saturday Night: Mostly Clear, 48°F
Sunday: Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 80°F
Sunday Night: Partly Cloudy, 54°F
Memorial Day: Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 82°F
Monday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy, 55°F
Tuesday: Partly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, 79°F
Tuesday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy, 54°F
Wednesday: Mostly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, 75°F
Wednesday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy, 53°F
Thursday: Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 75°F
Supporters
Many thanks to the people and organizations who support What’s Happening in Golden? If you would like to support local news, please CLICK HERE!
Sponsors:
($100/month or $1,175/year)
Buffalo Rose, Buglet Battery, Foothills Art Center, Golden Cultural Alliance, Miners Alley Performing Arts Center, The Golden Mill, Golden Chamber of Commerce, Golden History Tours, Miners Saloon, Clothilde Elingbow, Michael Mason, Earth Sweet Boutique, and Colorado Railroad Museum
Friends:
($50-99.99/month or $575/yr)
Tall Pines Painting, Baby Doe’s Clothing, Paul Haseman, Donna Anderson, Carol & Doug Harwood, Stephanie Painter, Greg Poulos, Ann Norton & Jonathan Storer, Mary & Don Parker, Saré Merrigan, The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, Vic DeMaria, Unite Fitness, and Joy Brandt
Supporters:
($25-49.99/month or $285/yr)
Laura King and Scott Wilson, Bobby German and Alison McNally, Forrest Jones, Barry & Liz Bettis, Cheryl & Tom Schweich, in memory of Marjorie Sloan, Chris and Joyce Davell, Rick Flint, Forrest Jones, Cynthia Merrill Tamny, Stephen Pero, Meg Van Ness & Steve Kalasz, Steve & Karla Schaefer, Bud Rockhill, Steve Enger, Kristie Brice & Mike Schwartz, The Golden Hotel, Kurt & Janet Siegfried, Ella Lyons & Jeanne Fritch, Robert Thresher, Tonie Mattox, Centennial State Wealth Advisors, Steve & M.L. Richardson, Jeremy & Stephanie Keller, AC Development, Golden PT & Pilates, and Frank Young & Terre Deegan-Young
Members:
($10-24.99/month or $115/yr)
Brad Miller & Julie Bartos, Holly Thomas, Jim and LouAnne Dale, Ann Pattison, Thomas Hoffman, Carol Abel, Brian Quarnstrom, Sandra Curran, Bobby German and Alison McNally, Kathy Smith, Karen Smith, Carlos & Nancy Bernal, Robert Storrs, Michele Sannes, Elaine Marolla, Dixie Termin & Ron Miller, E Tom Hughes, Crystal M Culbert, Patrick A. Madison, Alice Madison & Jim Kalivas, Deb Goeldner, Christopher Ball, 6th Chair Home Services, Dot & Eric Brownson, Rosemary Coffman, Emeline Paulson, Sandy Schneider, Mark and Cathy Pattridge, Cheryl G Leidich, Jen Rutter, Frani R Bickart, Jennings and Litz, Bill Sedgeley, Nancy Hughes, Justin L Wade, Kathi Eggers, Traci Case, Donna Owen, Leslie D Lutz, Karen Oxman, Catherine Skokan, Ross Fraser & KC Gilliland, Lynne Haigh, Elizabeth Hilliard, Kathy Hirons & Jack Markin, Jess & Anthony Monasterio, Heather Duncan, Lee Ann & Pete Horneck, Carol Cameron, Cheryl Williamson, San Daugherty, Jim Garner, John and Carol McEncroe, the Golden Welcome Center, the Golden Transcript, Koshare Eagle, Ken and Colleen Krantz, Traci Neuman Lacey, Jo Barber, Jamie Cookinham, Kermit Shields, Meridee Cecil, Colleen & Michael Ramey, Nancy & Pete Torpey, Jax Baker, Simon Maybury, Rose McLaughlin, Cameron Chambers, Joyce Gravina, Patrick Klein, Barb Robie, Richard Caldwell, Janice Waring, Sam & Marilyn Baron, Carmen Johnson, Mary Eiberger, Kevin Nichols, Ed & Carol Freza, Laura and Curtis Moore, Ruth Hund, Shelley & Jerry Devitt, Eileen Masterson, Kate Olivier, Amy Korengut, Pam Logan, Clare Shier, Wendy Weiman, Marge Frueh. Nannette Johnson, Edgar Walker, Bivy Beer Bar, Nancy Cooper, Jane & Mike Templeton, and Vicki Greivel
Followers:
($5-9.99/month or $55/year)
Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson, J.J. Fraser, Mel Perkins, Bob Hamilton, Steve Stevens, Vicki Olson, Emily Kurzinski, Nanette Johnson, Peyton Gibson, Sally Berger, Kristen Morgan, Joyce Sutton, Mary Rains, Craig Champlin, Stan Swisher, Bill Way, Chris Toney, Alicia Zimmerman, Tamara Feucht, Carie Chimbel, GoldenBrokers, and Elizabeth Coil
