Lions Park, Yesterday
Photo by Barb Warden
Click to enlarge
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Monday, Sep. 23rd
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- 10:15-10:45AM - Let's Dance - Registration Required
- 12-12:30PM - Mondays with the Mayor
- 2-3PM - Virtual: Active Minds Monday
- 4-5:15PM - Historic Preservation Policy Study Open House #2
- 5-6PM - Bell Middle School PTA Meeting
- 6-9PM - Teach Me to Play! Mondays
- 7-9PM - Golden Concert Choir
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
What is in Bloom Along Golden’s Trails? Spiny Goldenweed!
Figure 1. “Spiny Goldenweed” — Xanthisma spinulosum (Pursh) D. R. Morgan & R. L. Hartm.
By Tom Schweich
With a watchful eye for a small, yellow-flowered subshrub among the dry grasses, you might find “Spiny Goldenweed” — Xanthisma spinulosum (Pursh) D. R. Morgan & R. L. Hartm. blooming now. I have seen it on Eagle Ridge, and in Apex Park, and most recently on Schweich Hill. During the “Save the Mesas” campaign of the mid-1980s it was found on South Table Mountain, though I have not seen it there. It is probably in all of Golden’s open spaces, but its small size and late blooming season may cause it to be overlooked. State-wide, it grows occasionally throughout Colorado, except for the northwest corner.
Both the common name “Spiny Goldenweed” and the scientific name Xanthisma spinulosum are accurately descriptive of this plant. Xanthisma is from the Greek "xanth" meaning "yellow" and "isma", the result of an action, i.e., being dyed yellow or just being yellow. Spinulosum describes the sharp little spines on the tips of the finely divided leaf lobes.
The first scientific record of our plant was a collection by Lewis & Clark (1804) on the Missouri River in what was then called the Louisiana Purchase. Thomas Nuttall (1811) also collected our plant on the Missouri River and took seeds back to England. Fraser’s Nursery in London was selling live plants in 1813. (I wish a Colorado nursery sold plants to the state’s gardeners.) Unfortunately, when Nuttall (1813) proposed the name Sideranthus pinnatifidus, he gave no description. This made his name an “empty name” (nomen nudum) that was not accepted.
Frederick Pursh proposed the first valid name for our plant — Amellus spinulosus Pursh — when he published the Lewis & Clark collections in his Flora of North America (1814). As botanists worked out the evolutionary relationships among plants in the late 19th and the 20th century, our plant was variously placed in Aplopappus, Haplopappus, and Machaeranthera, until modern DNA analysis showed that our plant is a member of the group named Xanthisma, giving us the modern name of Xanthisma spinulosum.
4-6:30PM Historic Preservation Policy Study Open House #2
12th Street Historic District
Join City Staff and our preservation consultant to review policy alternatives for the future of the City's preservation policy as discovered and collected from public feedback at the first open house from July 22, 2024.
Please note that there will be a welcome and brief introduction to the project at 4:15 p.m. and again at 5:30 p.m.
Discover where the Historic West is Celebrated!
Learn more on the HPB webpage.
Golden Community Center
1470 10th Street (map)
Golden History: Leaving Town
Riding on the Georgetown Loop Railroad
Click to enlarge
I rarely write about anything outside of Golden's city limits, but last Friday, I went to Georgetown in search of fall foliage. It was a bit early at that elevation, but I hear the colors were lovely just above Georgetown, on the Guanella Pass.
So what justifies including this excursion in GoldenToday? Because the Georgetown Loop Railway was part of Golden's Railroad--the Colorado Central!
The spectacular "Devils Gate" railroad bridge above Georgetown was built to serve the mines west of Georgetown. It was also a popular tourist attraction: excursion trains brought visitors from Denver to enjoy the mountain scenery.
The original bridge was dismantled in 1939, after rail service to Georgetown ended. Learn more about the history of the Loop.
In the 1970s through '80s, this short piece of the western end of the Colorado Central was rebuilt, to serve as a tourist attraction. It now operates as the Georgetown Loop Railroad and runs from Georgetown to Silver Plume.
They offer rides from March through December, with many holiday specials, including Easter, Father's Day, and holiday lights trains. They're offering PumpkinFest, AutumnFest, and Trick or Treat Trains in October, and the depot was already well-populated with skeletons and other scary creatures. We also spotted workers in the woods, stringing lights for the holiday trains.
The Georgetown Loop Railroad is a fun way to see the autumn leaves and experience a piece of Golden-related history.
Golden History: Needing the Railroad
Celebrating the arrival of the Colorado Central Railroad - Denver Public Library collection
Click to enlarge
For the last two days, I have written about the gleeful anticipation with which Golden awaited the Colorado Central Railroad in 1870. Today's article describes a moment in time at the other end of the railroad's life.
98 Years Ago
The September 23, 1926 Colorado Transcript describes a dispiriting meeting held at the Hotel Berrimoor (now the Table Mountain Inn). Representatives from the mining towns—Central City, Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Silver Plume, and Lawson—met with the attorney for the railroad. The Golden and Arvada Chambers of Commerce were there as interested parties in the continued existence of the railroad.
There were two points at issue—passenger service and freight service. Bus service had been instituted in Gilpin County, and most felt that it was an adequate substitute for rail passenger service. It seemed likely that bus service could be extended to the other mountain towns.
Of greater concern was freight service. As a Clear Creek County attendee explained:
...their great fear is that the discontinuance of passenger trains will be the first step toward the removal of freight trains and ultimate abandonment of the railroad line. They point out that in the event of the discontinuance of freight trains, the mining towns would be absolutely ruined, as it would be impossible to ship ore by truck. It was also pointed out that the prospect of taking off the passenger trains already has greatly injured the mining, as many investors and mine owners have called off mine improvements and operations. With the discontinuance of passenger service, mining operations are certain to cease on many properties and as a result freight shipments will slump and then the railroad company will have greater arguments for the taking off of freight service.
Golden resident Richard Broad pointed out that "fifty-six years ago this week the people of Golden were celebrating the advent of the railroad, and that now they were discussing its prospective obsequies." He agreed, however, that the railroad could not continue operating at such a loss.
The Railroad's representative said that, if the railroad could reduce the losses they were incurring by running passenger trains, they should be able to keep the freight trains running.
Passenger service through Clear Creek canyon ended in 1927. Freight service ended in 1946.
Many thanks to the Golden Rotary Club for sponsoring Golden History Moments for the month of September.
Weather
Overnight: Clear. Low around 47, with temperatures rising to around 50 overnight. West wind around 7 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 77. North wind 5 to 8 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy. Low around 53, with temperatures rising to around 55 overnight. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph.
Monday Night: Partly Cloudy, 53°F
Tuesday: Mostly Sunny, 76°F
Tuesday Night: Mostly Clear, 55°F
Wednesday: Sunny, 81°F
Wednesday Night: Mostly Clear, 58°F
Thursday: Sunny, 84°F
Thursday Night: Mostly Clear, 60°F
Friday: Sunny, 81°F
Friday Night: Mostly Clear, 57°F
Saturday: Sunny, 80°F
Saturday Night: Mostly Clear, 56°F
Sunday: Sunny, 80°F
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($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, Michael Mason, and Esther Kettering
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
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
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, 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, and Ken and Colleen Krantz.
Followers:
($5-9.99/month)
Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson, J.J. Fraser
