Search Castle Rock Magazine October 2021

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CASTLE ROCK NO. 214

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CONTENT ISSUE NO. 214 | OCTOBER 2021

10 FEATURES

8 DOWNTOWN EVENTS A photo glimpse of some of our favorite event offerings that take place downtown.

12 MEET JASON There’s more to Jason Gray than the title of Mayor. Get to know the man that leads our town.

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AROUNDTOWN

Tri the Rock Tri the Rock, the Town’s youth triathlon, was a great success.

Boys and girls of all ability levels showed their skills in three events: swimming, biking and running.

9/11 Memorial

Bike to Work Day

Residents who wished to observe a personal reflection on the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11 stopped by one of the two memorials in town. One is located at Station 151 at the Castle Rock Fire Department and the other is at 303 Malibu St.

Riders got back in the saddle at Festival Park to celebrate Bike to Work Day! This event celebrates commuters who choose to travel on their bikes. Thank you to all the cyclists who stopped by and the volunteers who made it another great event.

Best Places to Live

A Rally of Hope

Money magazine named Castle Rock No. 28 on its list of 50 Best Places to Live in 2021-2022. The Town is no stranger to this honor, having also been listed in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2019.

Castle Rock Police Department hosted “A Rally of Hope,” an event for mental health and suicide prevention awareness on September 29th; many groups came to support the event.

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DOWNTOWN EVENTS

2

Hometown Feel PHOTOS CREDIT - TOWN OF CASTLE ROCK

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daddy daughter ball

- Presented by Town of Castle Rock

February @ Castle Rock Recreation Center 2

CASTLE ROCK STARLIGHTING

- Presented by Castle Rock Chamber

Saturday before Thanksgiving at Wilcox Square and Festival Park

western heritage welcome

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- Presented by Town of Castle Rock

Last weekend in July in Downtown 4

fangtastic festival

- Presented by Downtown Castle Rock

Halloween @ Festival Park 8 SEARCHCASTLEROCK

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first fridays

- Presented by Castle Rock Chamber

First Friday of the month, June - September @ Festival Park 6

ducky derby Presented by Rotary Clubs of Castle Rock and Castle Pines Summers @ East Plum Creek and Festival Park

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farmers market Presented by The Original Castle Rock Farmer’s Market

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Saturdays Mid-June - October @ Factory Outlets Food Court 8

artfest

- Presented by Castle Rock Chamber

Saturday & Sunday in September @ Festival Park 9

classic rock cruise-in car show Presented by Vintage Car Club and Castle Rock Downtown Merchants Association Saturday before Father’s Day in June @ Festival Park

OCTOBER 2021 9

HISTORYHASHTAG

# Downtown History is rich in Castle Rock, and the 300 block downtown tells the story.

PHOTOS CREDIT - DOUGLAS COUNTY LIBRARY

300 block of Wilcox Street 1926 - The view is looking north.

Visible buildings include the First National Bank/Masonic building, Van Lopik Drugstore, and Carlson’s Sandwich shop.

300 Block of Wilcox Street If you were to take a stroll north on Wilcox street, you’d see a stretch of buildings along the east side of the street from Third to Fourth. Many of these date back as far back as 1900 and are known as the “300 Block of Wilcox.” This key row of buildings forms the east side of the historic Town square and contains eleven separate structures, making this block the Town’s most visually prominent and historically significant commercial block. The 300 Block of Wilcox Street gradually replaced Perry Street as the commercial center of Castle Rock after the stone Courthouse was built on the west side of the street in 1890. Anchored by the Masonic Temple at the south end, the block includes the B&B Café. The buildings between the café and the Masonic Temple have seen considerable alterations, but their uses, as offices mixed with bars, remain the same. Even after a century, this area remains a part of the heart of Downtown Castle Rock.

“Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Castle Rock, CO” – Town of Castle Rock Historic Preservation Board 10 SEARCHCASTLEROCK

Castle Rock and the town from the top of the courthouse, 1895

Castle Cafe - The Historic Keystone Hotel The well known Castle Café, located at 403 Wilcox Street, was originally built in 1901 and known (at that time) as the Keystone Hotel. The Castle Rock ryholite built structure had thirteen rooms on the second floor with the Tivoli Saloon on the ground floor. Ranchers, quarry workers and travelers would gather here and, in those days, the bar was known as one of the wildest in the area. No reports of any “wild west” shootouts were confirmed, but the occasional bar brawl did break out, forcing Douglas County to hire an extra deputy to patrol on paydays. He also was responsible for making sure inebriated cowboys didn’t ride their horses through the bar. After the turn of the century, the hotel and café became a stopover for those traveling between Denver and Colorado Springs. A dance hall was then built over the bar and throughout the next several decades, residents from around Douglas County would attend dances at the hotel as it became a community center. Over the years, the clientele may have changed, but much remains the same. The Castle Café has remained a part of the geographical and social heart of Castle Rock.

Fire Bell

First Firehouse Castle Rock’s fire department started in 1892 with a mere 300 feet of fire hose mounted on a homemade two-wheel cart. Three years later, a Fire Chief was named and instructed to organize a company of no more than seven people.

Those who joined were given partial uniforms that included caps, belts, and blouses. In 1903, the hose cart was crudely stored in a shed on Fourth Street between Wilcox Street and Perry Street.

Alerting people to a fire was done by ringing a bell mounted on top of a pole — no siren! On February 2, 1915, the first volunteer fire department was organized, consisting of 15 members plus three honorary members. It was not until 1922 that the fire department acquired a Ford hose truck and later that year they purchased an electric siren. In 1929, a GMC LaFrance Fire Engine was purchased.

Twenty-five years after the first volunteers joined the fire department they were finally able to move into their first fire house. In 1935 a building fund was started to construct the building and in 1939 the Castle Rock Firemen’s Association was formed. In February 1940, the building was finished, occupied, and the firemen held an open house at their new permanent home.

OCTOBER 2021 11

GET TO KNOW

Jason

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Mayor Jason Gray Whether you agree with his politics or not, you should get to know Jason.

The title of “Mayor” shares a linguistic origin with the military rank of Major, both ultimately derived from the French word majeur. The mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government.

A mayor’s duties and responsibilities are to appoint and oversee municipal managers and employees, provide basic governmental services to constituents, and execute the laws and ordinances passed by a municipal governing body.

Describing the job of a mayor conjures up images of someone wearing a business suit, sitting in a stuffy office, and posing for portraits all day.

That is not Jason Gray.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Mayor Gray several times and get to know him a little better. We met at his small business, Crowfoot Coffee, where he pulled up a chair and talked with me as if I was the only thing he had going on that day. Really, he had squeezed me in between two other appointments. But ten minutes in, he had put me at ease like we were two old friends just catching up after a long absence.

I didn’t want to talk too much about politics, policies, or the job of running the Town. My goal was to get to know the man behind the title. What I found was a gracious, extremely accomplished, and yet down-to-earth guy that really loves what he does. The following are some excerpts from questions I asked him.

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Q: Tell me about your family.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

A: I’m married to Kathryn Gray. She works for DCSD. She’s been there about 18 years. We have 2 sons, Aidan 21 and Keagan 19. They both work full time for Crowfoot and Aidan is now the head roaster.

A: I like to fish and camp. During the spring, summer, and fall. If you can’t find me in Town, more than likely, I am fishing or camping somewhere. I played college soccer and still follow the game. Our family has goats, chickens, bees, and a cat. I have co-written 10 novels, as well as a movie, written, and directed a play. Allan Harris of Castle Rock is the person who I work with and our pen name is Harris Gray. I’ve taken a little hiatus since becoming the mayor.

Q: How did you end up in Castle Rock?

A: I was transferred to Colorado in ‘98 from Alaska.

Then, when asked to come back to Alaska, I declined.

I knew I was going to do a coffee house and roastery.

I did my due diligence and decided on Castle Rock. I liked the growth curve and that it was still small enough to become involved in the community and make a positive impact.

Q: What were you doing in Alaska?

A: I worked for a coffee company based in Anchorage for about 10 years. I lived in Anchorage and Soldotna.

It was a great experience for me.

Q: Where did you play college soccer? Who is your favorite team now?

A: I played at Cental Washington University. I follow the Colorado Rapids; they are having a decent year. Also, Manchester City in England.

Q: Are the novels available somewhere to purchase?

A: The books can be purchased on Amazon. Under the pen name - Harris Gray

Q: You have a passion for coffee; how did that start?

A: I have been in the coffee industry for over 30 years.

Started in the late 80’s. I’ve been in wholesale, buying, roasting, etc. If it has something to do with coffee, I’ve done it. I still enjoy the industry. It’s changed so much.

Hopefully, I’ve changed with it.

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Wether you agree with his politics or not, if you have the chance to sit down and talk with Jason Gray, I would highly suggest you do it. It is a great conversation and you will get know a dynamic guy. You can catch him (and a great cup of coffee) at Crowfoot Valley Coffee.

OCTOBER 2021 15