Cliff House

Photo by Patrick Klein
Click to enlarge
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Monday, May. 25th
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Golden History Tours
- All day - Golden Sports
- 1:45PM - Memorial Day Ceremony
- 6-9PM - Teach Me to Play! Mondays
- 6:30PM - Movement Monday Running Club
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
Construction Updates by Pat Klein: Mines Dorm on 19th Street

Photo by Patrick Klein
This property on 19th Street was formerly the home of Olympian Nils Christiansen. The new building will be an 800-bed sophomore residence hall.


Construction Updates by Pat Klein: The New City Hall

Photo by Patrick Klein
This property at 311 10th Street was previously the site of the Coors office building. The City bought the property in 2019 at a cost of $12.25 million.

The original plan was to adapt and reuse the building as City Hall, Police Department, history museum, Miners Alley Playhouse, Foothills Art Center gallery space, and possibly affordable housing, but staff subsequently decided that a new building, strictly for municipal use, would be more cost-effective. The new building will have a total repayment of $68.7 million.



The Golden Word - 05/25/26

Golden History: 11AM Flag Service @ Golden Cemetery

Flag Service, 2015 - Photo by Dave Powers
Click to enlarge
39 Years Ago
The Avenue of the Flags originated at the Golden Cemetery in 1987. They made their first appearance on Veterans Day (November 11th) that year, with a total of eight flags. It was a joint service project by the American Legion's Taylor-Miller Post 21 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4171.
The eight flags at that first event were all either coffin flags (flags used to drape veterans' coffins) or purchased to honor a specific veteran. The name of each veteran appears on the band of fabric that fixes the flag to the pole. The original flags are still flown every year, and the number has grown to more than 300.

Today's Events
The two Veterans Organizations will raise the Avenue of Flags at the Golden Cemetery (map) this morning at 7:30AM, and they will remain up until approximately 3:30PM. At 11AM, there will be a flag service in the Veterans section of the cemetery.
Golden History: 1:45PM Memorial Day Ceremony @ the Marine Corps Memorial

Flyover at the U.S.M.C. Memorial, 2015 - Photo by Dave Powers
Click to enlarge
50 Years Ago
In June of 1976 (the bicentennial year), foundation work had begun on the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, located at Highways 6 and 40. Part of that work was burying a time capsule 15-20 feet underground, to be opened 100 years in the future. (We're halfway there now!)
The capsule will contain letters from President Gerald Ford, Governor Richard Lamm and Colorado senators and congressmen to their successors in the year 2076. An inert gas—probably nitrogen—will be injected into the capsule to preserve its contents from deterioration. The capsule is 24 inches long, 8.5 inches wide and weighs between 40 and 45 pounds.... The memorial site was the idea of Golden resident Curus ‘Bo’ Bowers, who served with the Marines in World War II and during the Korean conflict.
Golden Transcript - June 7, 1976
The Memorial, funded entirely by private donations, was dedicated on August 24, 1977.

Today's Memorial Day ceremony will begin at 1:45PM. Please arrive by 1:30 p.m. Bring your own chairs if you are unable to stand for more than 30 minutes without assistance.
Guest Speaker: Sergeant William (Billy) Gallegos, USMC
Program
Location:
Marine Corps Memorial
Intersection of Highways 6 and 40 (Map)
Golden History: The Manner of His Demise

Colorado Transcript - May 25, 1870
Click to enlarge
156 Years Ago
The May 25, 1870 Colorado Transcript included the article, “Another Man Found Hanging.” That title implies that it was an unremarkable event…as does the fact that it appeared on page 2, second column, several inches down from the top of the page.
A railroad surveyor came into Golden to report finding “the remains of a man hanging to a tree…about two miles up Clear Creek Canyon.” The Justice rounded up a jury, and they headed into the canyon to view the deceased. He appeared to have been there for two or three years, as he was reduced to bones.
According to the Coroner’s report, he had been about 23. The head and three vertebrae were still hanging from the noose. The rest of the body was about ten feet downhill. They found $4 in his coat pocket, a silver watch, a Colt Navy Revolver, and a memorandum book containing the following words: “My name is George W. Hanchett. I live in Beloit, Wisconsin.”
Two men testified to having known the deceased. One said he believed Mr. Hanchett had been in possession of about four thousand dollars but lost it. He speculated that he didn’t want “his folks” to know what happened to him and so chose a remote place to hang himself. The inquest concluded that Hanchett’s death was a suicide.
The Denver News had a different opinion. In an article immediately below the aforementioned, an item reprinted from the Denver News said Hanchett had been “a freighter, a man of good character and well known by many of our citizens” The article said that Hanchett had last been seen two years ago. He had between $900 and $1100 in his possession and was intoxicated. He was seen with an unknown man and “there can be no doubt that this unknown man got Hanchett drunk, murdered and robbed him, and then hung him to a tree.”
Other than a June 1st report that his uncle had claimed the body, there were no more articles about the unfortunate Mr. Hanchett. We are left to choose whether to believe the inquest results or the Denver News version of his demise.
Weather
Overnight: Partly cloudy. Low around 55, with temperatures rising to around 58 overnight. West wind around 7 mph.
Memorial Day: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Mostly sunny. High near 82, with temperatures falling to around 77 in the afternoon. Southeast wind 1 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Monday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm. Mostly cloudy. Low around 55, with temperatures rising to around 59 overnight. West southwest wind 5 to 8 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Monday Night: Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy, 55°F
Tuesday: Partly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 78°F
Tuesday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy, 55°F
Wednesday: Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, 74°F
Wednesday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy, 55°F
Thursday: Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 79°F
Thursday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy, 56°F
Friday: Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 79°F
Friday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 55°F
Saturday: Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 75°F
Saturday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 55°F
Sunday: Partly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, 72°F
News About Golden - May 25, 2026

Tapped: Golden tightens water rules as Clear Creek snowpack falters
Denver Gazette
With snowpack feeding Clear Creek described as “pretty abysmal,” Golden officials are enforcing stricter outdoor watering limits and preparing for the possibility of several consecutive dry years.
Golden gets most of its water from direct flow rights in Clear Creek, which runs through the city. The water is then stored in the Upper and Lower Urad reservoirs and the Guanella Reservoir... Read more...
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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
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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

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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
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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