Snowy Morning on North Table Mountain
Photo by Jen Rutter
Click to enlarge
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Wednesday, Jan. 8th
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- All day - Live Music
- All day - Golden History Tours
- 9-11AM - Golden Walks
- 9-11AM - Golden Startup Coffee
- 10:15-11:15AM - Discovery Play
- 10:15-10:45AM - Toddler Time - Registration Required
- 3-5PM - Virtual/Call In: Hard Times Writing Workshop
- 5-8PM - Bingo Night
- 6-8PM - Learn to Use Your Sewing Machine
- 6-8PM - Jones Presents Aesthetics & OCTOPUS Film Screening
- 6:30PM - Trivia Night
- 6:30PM - Historic Preservation Board Meeting
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
Puzzle: Downtown Golden, Early '50s
If you're reading this as part of your morning newsletter, visit the website to work the puzzle.
Pro Tips!
You can make the puzzle harder or easier to work by choosing the number of pieces contained in the puzzle. Before clicking "OK" to start the puzzle, click the 9-Dot symbol and select the number of pieces you want to tackle.
You can start with only the edge pieces (just as you might with a real life puzzle). Click the Frame button, as shown above. Once you've completed the frame, all the other pieces will appear.
Make the puzzle bigger (and easier to see as you work) by clicking the "Full Screen" button.
6:30PM Historic Preservation Board @ City Hall
- Meeting Agenda
- Watch the meeting streaming live starting at 6:30PM
- Attend the meeting @ City Hall Council Chambers - 911 10th Street - (map)
- Send comments on any of the following topics to planning@cityofgolden.net
- Provide in-person comment (limited to 3 minutes) during the meeting, at 6:30PM.
Golden has been losing homes in its historic districts. In some cases, owners decide that it would be easier to scrape an old home and build anew. In others, the homeowners add major additions that dwarf the historic home and do not match in style. Sometimes people demolish everything except a thin veneer of the original home.
In response to this trend, the Planning Department hired consultants to survey residents and write a new Historic Preservation Plan. The Historic Preservation Board will conduct their final review of this plan tonight. The next step will be sending it to City Council for their approval.
The memo summarizing the report begins on p. 5 of the meeting packet and the report itself begins on p. 7.
Live Music for Wednesday, Jan. 8th
- 6-9PM Chris Koltak @ Miners Saloon
- More Live Music
4-8PM Chrispy @ Mountain Toad
6PM Live Music @ Rock Rest Lodge
For more information, visit the Golden Today Calendar
Golden History: Breaking Ground on New Year's Day
Very early Colorado Central Railroad Locomotive – Dan Abbott collection
Click to enlarge
157 Years Ago
The January 8, 1868 Colorado Transcript described Golden’s unique New Year’s Day celebration. The City was nine years old at that time, having been organized in 1859, when Colorado’s gold rush began. It was a very small town: the population had been only 1,014 for the 1860 census, and that number had been declining ever since.
Golden City’s continued existence hung on William Loveland’s ability to build a railroad that would put the town on the map. Mr. Loveland had been busy looking for suitable routes and trying to round up investors.
In the waning days of December, Loveland returned from his latest trip and was able to announce that the Colorado Central & Pacific Railroad Company was “a go,” and that they would begin breaking ground for the new route on New Year’s Day. There was much rejoicing, and on the afternoon of New Year’s Day…
An impromptu procession was formed consisting of about a hundred men, all armed with picks, shovels, and axes, who proceeded to the initial point. Ere long the crowd increased to about two hundred and fifty as earnest people as ever engaged upon any undertaking. The…spot where the work was to begin is about half a mile from the center of town, upon the northern limit of Golden City.
Upon reaching the spot, the crowd paused to hear several flowery speeches and toasts. The speeches were greeted with much cheering, and finally the crowd set to work.
Stakes for the commencement of grading having been driven by the engineers, Col. Carter, President of the Company broke ground, by lustily shoveling upon the road…and the crowd present commenced, and labored for an hour as if the whole fate of the great enterprise depended upon their exertions; about two hundred feet of road-bed was handsomely completed.
And so the town celebrated New Year’s Day, 1868, with a great sense of optimism about the community’s future.
It took until September of 1870, but the Colorado Central Railroad was completed between Golden and Denver. Since Denver had a rail line to Cheyenne, which was on the Transcontinental Railroad, this meant that Golden was then connected to the world!
The Colorado Central’s chief reason for existence was to connect to the rich mining towns west of Golden. The railroad reached Black Hawk in 1872, Idaho Springs and Georgetown in 1877, and Central City in 1878. As an industrial hub, a trading center, and the home of the Colorado Central Railroad, Golden thrived.
Weather
Overnight: Mostly clear. Low around 12, with temperatures rising to around 15 overnight. West southwest wind around 6 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny. High near 43, with temperatures falling to around 38 in the afternoon. West southwest wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 16 mph.
Wednesday Night: A chance of snow after 2am. Mostly cloudy. Low around 24, with temperatures rising to around 27 overnight. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.
Wednesday Night: Mostly Cloudy then Chance Light Snow, 24°F
Thursday: Chance Light Snow, 28°F
Thursday Night: Partly Cloudy, 12°F
Friday: Sunny, 39°F
Friday Night: Mostly Cloudy, 28°F
Saturday: Chance Light Snow, 40°F
Saturday Night: Slight Chance Light Snow then Mostly Cloudy, 18°F
Sunday: Partly Sunny, 32°F
Sunday Night: Partly Cloudy, 16°F
Monday: Mostly Sunny, 32°F
Monday Night: Partly Cloudy, 15°F
Tuesday: Sunny, 37°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, Miners Saloon, Golden Hayride Outpost, 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, Ann Norton & Jonathan Storer, Mary & Don Parker, Saré Merrigan, The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, Joy Brandt, and Vic DeMaria
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, Bud Rockhill, Steve Enger, and Kristie Brice & Mike Schwartz
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, 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, Traci Neuman Lacey, Jo Barber, Jamie Cookinham, Kermit Shields, Meridee Cecil, Vicki Olson, Colleen & Michael Ramey, Nancy & Pete Torpey, Jax Baker, Simon Maybury, John & Carol McEncroe, and Rose McLaughlin
Followers:
($5-9.99/month)
Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson, J.J. Fraser
