Fall Foliage in the Cemetery
Photo by Betsy Barr
Click to enlarge
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Monday, Oct. 28th
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- All day - Golden History Tours
- 10:15-10:45AM - Let's Dance - Registration Required
- 12-12:30PM - Mondays with the Mayor
- 12:30-2PM - Microsoft Excel: Basics
- 2-3PM - Virtual: Active Minds Monday
- 5-6PM - Bell Middle School PTA Meeting
- 5:30PM - Board Game & Euchre Night
- 5:30-7:30PM - Golden Comprehensive Plan Community Engagement & Feedback Opportunity
- 5:30-7:30PM - The Fundamental Principles of Art
- 6-9PM - Teach Me to Play! Mondays
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
Another peek over the fence at Clayworks by Patrick Klein
October 27, 2024 - Photo by Patrick Klein
Where are Golden’s Open Spaces? North Golden Hogback
Figure 1. Top Left: “Blue Flax” — Linaria canadensis (L.) Dum.-Cours. texana (Scheele) Pennell. Top Right: North Golden Hogback as seen from the Colorado School of Mines Survey Field. Bottom Left: View of Golden from the top of the hogback. Bottom Left: “Soapweed Yucca” — Yucca glauca Nutt.
By Tom Schweich
You may know that the City of Golden is revising our current Parks & Recreation Plan and writing our first Open Space Master Plan (https://www.guidinggolden.com/path-to-play). While Golden owns about 400 acres of Open Space, a challenge is distinguishing between Golden’s little bit of Open Space and the 57,000 acres of Jefferson County Open Space. Here is a description of one of about fifteen City of Golden Open Spaces.
North Golden Hogback is at the northern city limits between Colorado Highway 93 and Pine Ridge Road. North Dakota Hogback is a little more than 28 acres in size, but about 7 acres of that is reserved for the future realignment of Colorado Highway 93. In addition, about 4 acres are fenced and prohibited for public use because of unstable and hazardous conditions.
The structure of North Dakota Hogback is primarily Morrison Formation and Dakota Formation rocks of Jurassic and Cretaceous ages (100-160 million years old) that were tilted up vertically by uplift of the Rocky Mountain Front Range.
Between the tilted-up layers of sandstone were layers of high-quality fire clay that can be used in a variety of porcelain and ceramic applications. Mining of the clay from the hogback began possibly as early as 1866, and there is still interest in mining these deposits. The highly observable trench scars from the early mining days of this fire clay can be seen from Colorado Highway 93.
Somewhat ironically, mining the clay exposed previously unknown fossil crocodile and bird tracks. The original finds date from the 1930's but more recently paleontologists rediscovered the site and found more fossil bird and crocodile trackways and dinosaur footprints. The palaeontologic importance of these fossil tracks led to the inclusion of North Golden Hogback into the Morrison-Golden Fossil Areas National Natural Landmark. Unfortunately, the fossil tracks cannot be opened to the public because they are on unstable vertical walls of fractured sandstone.
City-maintained trail access to the North Golden Hogback Open Space is limited to a perimeter trail that runs along the west side of Cressman Gulch and separates the open space from the Canyon View residential neighborhood. Social trails on the east side of the hogback take hikers past interesting rock formations and mining tunnels left from another era.
The vegetation of North Dakota Hogback is a Foothills Scrub with a few ponderosa pines along the top, mixed-grass prairie on the western slope, and dry riparian in Cressman Gulch. There are 86 species of plants known on the Dakota Ridge site including good cactus biodiversity. Also found is “Blue Flax” — Linaria canadensis (L.) Dum.-Cours. var. texana (Scheele) Pennell, shown at top left. There is only one other collection of this plant in Golden, made in 1915 along the railroad tracks of present-day 8th Street.
Given its relatively isolated location and proximity to the foothills, it should be expected that this area will be home to large and small mammals, and a broad range of bird species, like those found on North Table Mountain nearby.
References
Anderson, Donna S. and Paul B. Haseman. 2021. Golden Rocks: The Geology and Mining History of Golden, Colorado, Golden, Colorado.
Houck, Karen J., Martin G. Lockley, Megan Caldwell, and Brandon Clark. 2010. A well-preserved Crocodylian trackway from the South Platte Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Golden Colorado. Crocodyle tracks and traces. Bulletin 51. 2010.
Lockley, Martin, Karen Chin, Masaki Matsukawa, and Reiji Kukihara. 2009. New interpretations of Ignotornis, the first-reported Mesozoic avian footprints: implications for the paleoecology and behavior of an enigmatic Cretaceous bird. Cretaceous Research. 30: 1041-1061.
National Park Service. 2024. Morrison-Golden Fossil Areas, National Natural Landmark.
Stewards of Golden Open Space. 2019-2024. North Golden Hogback Open Space. https://stewardsofgolden.org/north-golden-hogback
12:30-2PM - Microsoft Excel: Basics @ The Library
Create a simple spreadsheet by entering, editing and formatting data. Create and edit basic mathematical functions and formulas, use absolute and relative cell references and name sheets and ranges of cells.
Prerequisites: Intermediate computer skills including using a mouse, keyboard and Microsoft Word.
Space limited - register here.
2-3PM Virtual Active Minds Monday: Colorado Ghost Stories
Tiptoe through the haunted houses and ghoulish graveyards of the area with Active Minds. We will tell the ghost stories associated with the Stanley Hotel, Cheesman Park, the Molly Brown House and more as we visit the past and the past visits with us a bit.
Save your spot for this Zoom program. Log-in instructions will be emailed out approximately 30 minutes before the start of the program. For your security, please do not include your last name or only use your last initial when you register. If you are 13 years old or younger, please be sure you have a guardian’s permission to participate in this online program.
Call 1-669-254-5252 or 646-828-7666 to join by phone.
Meeting ID: 160 283 9630
Password: 268826
5:30-7PM Comprehensive Plan Community Engagement & Feedback @ Fire House 24
The City is holding a "Listening Session" tonight about their update to the Comprehensive Plan. This is the fourth in the series of meetings, but the first scheduled after working hours. It will be held in the Fire Station near the Heritage Dells neighborhood (151 Heritage Road - map).
The Invitation:
A Comprehensive Plan is a policy document that guides long-term decisions for the City, covering land-use decisions like rezoning, infrastructure investments, and programming choices. It lays the foundation for future zoning codes, which then turn the plan into reality.
There are many opportunities for public feedback in the coming months, we look forward to seeing you at one of the following events:
Wednesday, October 16, 10:30-11:30 a.m. -- Miners Alley Performing Arts Center (1100 Miners Alley)
Friday, October 18, 2-4 p.m. -- Go Farm Mobile Market (17801 W. Colfax Ave.)
Wednesday, October 23, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. -- CSM, Maple plaza
Monday, October 28, 5:30-7:0 p.m., -- Golden Fire Station No. 24 (151 Heritage Rd.)
There will be additional opportunities in November and December, stay tuned for details! Learn more about the Comprehensive Plan on the Guiding Golden page.
Golden History: Seasonal History: Golden's Previous Cemetery
152 Years Ago
Golden’s previous burying ground was on a hill north of downtown. It was called Cemetery Hill at that time, and is now Goldco Circle (map). The site was never formally laid out, so it was a haphazard kind of cemetery. It was also difficult to access: the hill was too steep for a wagon, and it was hard work for pall bearers to carry a coffin up the slope. These and other concerns were detailed in a letter sent to the Colorado Transcript editor, which appeared in the November 13, 1872 edition.
EDITOR TRANSCRIPT: I have been not a little surprised to see the apathy and cold indifference manifested on the part of the citizens of this place with regard to proper burial grounds. It is a fact remarked by strangers as well as by many citizens that the present place for interring the dead is a shame, if not a disgrace to the place. The graves are strewn around promiscuously without order or system, and beside, the grounds can never be ornamented, as water cannot be gotten upon them. And still further, the grounds belong to private individuals, and every one who inters upon these grounds is a trespasser, and will doubtless sooner or later have to negotiate for the land or remove the dead.
The letter went on to urge the town to buy some more suitable property to establish an official, permanent cemetery.
The town did buy land for that purpose the following year. The original 27 acres of land for the Golden Cemetery was purchased on May 27, 1873 for $425.
Many thanks to an anonymous donor for sponsoring Golden History Moments for the month of October.
Weather
Overnight: Mostly cloudy. Low around 54, with temperatures rising to around 57 overnight. West southwest wind around 8 mph.
Monday: Partly sunny. High near 74, with temperatures falling to around 72 in the afternoon. West southwest wind 6 to 9 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Low around 48, with temperatures rising to around 51 overnight. West wind around 9 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly Cloudy, 48°F
Tuesday: Chance Rain Showers, 61°F
Tuesday Night: Chance Rain And Snow Showers, 32°F
Wednesday: Snow Showers Likely, 42°F
Wednesday Night: Slight Chance Rain And Snow Showers then Partly Cloudy, 28°F
Thursday: Sunny, 55°F
Thursday Night: Mostly Clear, 37°F
Friday: Sunny, 62°F
Friday Night: Mostly Clear, 37°F
Saturday: Mostly Sunny, 57°F
Saturday Night: Partly Cloudy, 37°F
Sunday: Mostly Sunny, 56°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 and up)
Buffalo Rose, Buglet Solar, Foothills Art Center, Golden City Brewery, Golden Cultural Alliance, Miners Alley Performing Arts Center, The Golden Mill, Golden Chamber of Commerce, Golden History Tours, Morris & Mae Market, Miners Saloon, Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden Hayride Outpost, Kona Bowls, Unite Fitness, Tom Reiley, and Michael Mason
Friends:
($50-99.99/month or $550/yr)
Tall Pines Painting, Baby Doe’s Clothing, Goozell Yogurt & Coffee Paul Haseman, Donna Anderson, Carol & Doug Harwood, Beth Bidwell, Stephanie Painter, Greg Poulos, Joy Brandt, Ann Norton & Jonathan Storer, Mary & Don Parker, Saré Merrigan, and Nannette Johnson
Supporters:
($25-49.99/month or $250/yr)
Laura King and Scott Wilson, Bobby German and Alison McNally, Forrest Jones, Barry & Liz Bettis, Cheryl & Tom Schweich, Marjorie Sloan, Chris and Joyce Davell, Rick Flint, Forrest Jones, AC Development, Cynthia Merrill Tamny, Stephen Pero, Meg Van Ness & Steve Kalasz, Steve & Karla Schaefer, and Bud Rockhill
Members:
($10-24.99/month or $110/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, Casey & Gina Brown, Sandy Schneider, Mark and Cathy Pattridge, Cheryl G Leidich, Jen Rutter, Carol Abel, 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, Frank Young & Terre Deegan-Young, Kathy Hirons & Jack Markin, Jess & Anthony Monasterio, Ella Lyons & Jeanne Fritch, 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, and Traci Neuman Lacey.
Followers:
($5-9.99/month)
Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson, J.J. Fraser
