Canon City's 150th Anniversary

here we have . ere we are

Winery Est. 2002 | Monestery Est. 1926

Stately Farms Prior to 1889 property located at 1607 Sherman Avenue, Lincoln Park—Cañon City, CO has been a working farm. In 1912 the property was purchased by the Kirkton family. According to historical records, millions of tulip bulbs were grown on the six acre parcel. People from all over made the trip in the spring to see the tulips, irises, gladioli, and peonies in bloom — a show place in Southern Colorado. Thomas and Kirkton Wholesale Company brokered and shipped produce and bulbs extensively as one of the largest wholesale warehouses in Southern Colorado. Since the farmhouse was built in 1889 to current the property has been a farm raising and selling flowers, bulbs, produce and hay. Many families have called the farmhouse home. StatelyFarms purchased the property in 2015 with plans to return the property to its original pristine presence in the community. The original carriage houses are now home to The Store where only naturally grown produce raised on the farm is sold.

1607 Sherman Ave, Cañon City ty, y CO 81212

719-275-3936 • Monday - Saturday ww www ww.statelyfarms.com w

CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY •JUNE 7, 2022 • 3

A Celebration of Cañon City By Carie Canterbury Daily Record

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ost birthday parties last a couple of hours or maybe part of an evening, but the City of Cañon City is celebrating its 150th anniversary all year long. And the guest list is limitless. Sesquicentennial celebrations officially kicked off in January, but the planning started more than a year ago. The City of Cañon City, Cañon City Chamber of Commerce, the Royal Gorge Regional Museum & History Center, and the generous contributions of Cañon City residents, businesses and organizations have made this megaparty possible. Mayor Ashley Smith and List Studts, the director of the Royal Gorge Regional Museum & History Center, have been busy working alongside several volunteers planning events and hanging historical

Ashlee Sack / Daily Record

Banners for Cañon City's 150th anniversary are on display at the Royal Gorge Regional Museum and History Center.

banners in targeted locations across town. Feature First Friday events have highlighted paleontolo-

gy in the area, “What I love about Cañon City” programming, and a historic trolley tour. If you haven’t been able

to attend one of these events, don’t worry. These are still happening on the first Friday See CELEBRATION, pg. 18

Upcoming 150th Anniversary Events June

3 - Feature Friday, Ghost Walk Tours sponsored by the Prison Museum 3 - Jazz at the Plaza, 6:30 p.m. 11 - Flashback on Main (bolstered current event)

July

16 - Cañon Turns 150 Concert at the Royal Gorge Bridge

October

7 - Feature Friday, Ute Tribe: Our Ancestral Nation. Film and Presentation 8 - Reintroduce Temple Cañon and Ute Tribe celebration

1 - Feature Friday Outdoor Recreation & Conservation sponsored by Rio 1 - Jazz at the Plaza 6:30-8:30 p.m. 22-23 - White Water Festival (bolstered current event)

4 - Feature Friday - Bridge to the Future sponsored by Fremont Adventure Recreation

August

December

November

2 - Feature Friday, Christmas Tree Lighting and Miracle on Main Street Holiday Craft Market sponsored by DBA and FCA September 3 - Parade of Lights For more information, visit https:// 2 - Feature Friday, Growing Up in Cañon, sponsored by Fremont Adventure www.canoncity150.com/. Recreation and Boys and Girls Club 5 - Movies at the Plaza, 7:30 p.m. 6 - Picnic and movies at the Plaza, 5 p.m.

4 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

Courtesy Photo / Daily Record

A banner commemorating Cañon City's 150th anniversary hangs over U.S. 50.

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CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY •JUNE 7, 2022 • 5

Cañon City’s adventure continues D

ear George Rockafellow, I ran into your great-great-grandson at the grocery store the other day. He has a great-grandchild of his own now and it put into perspective, as we are celebrating Cañon City’s 150th Anniversary, your legacy as Cañon City’s first mayor. Firstly, you should know wild rumors have been running amok that back in your day Cañon City had a choice to vie for either becoming home to a prison or university. The truth, as you well know, is the Colorado Territorial Prison was built before Cañon City became a city and before Colorado even became a state. Even so, this area has become home to several prisons that have offered us job continuity resistant to the ebbs and flows of the national economy. Along with the stability of the correctional industry, Cañon City has seen exciting times; from the railroad war

in the Royal Gorge, the competitive dinosaur fossil hunting bone wars, and Hollywood westMayor ern film indusAshley try. Today, the Smith Royal Gorge Bridge, under city ownership, generates about $3 million a year to supplement Cañon City’s government operations. Other tourist activities, such as river rafting, mountain biking, hiking trails, rock climbing, jeep tours, and the Holy Cross Winery are molding our identity. While you may be surprised that mining is no longer the driver of Cañon City’s growth, you’ll never guess what is — technology. Our little rural region was designated as Colorado’s second tech sector, the first is Denver, the third is Boulder. We have regular visits from state and U.S. Senators, the Office of Economic Development

and International Trade. With the leadership from TechSTART, we are achieving national recognition for cyber-security, iCloud storage, robotic farming equipment, and Fitbit-like sensors that help with bruxism. We are frequently featured as the prototype for the new rural America. It’s revolutionary! Also revolutionary, is the revival of older buildings and campuses that have been sitting vacant and/or dilapidating for years on end. During our 150th Anniversary, the Fremont Bank, Hotel St. Cloud, St. Scholastica campus, and Abbey campus, are taking advantage of our city council’s newly adopted Historic Preservation and Urban Renewal Authority tax incentives and seeing rebirths that will catalyze further revitalization, businesses recruitment, and jobs. I have to tell you Mayor Rockafellow, every single one of our high school students participate in a workforce internship program and

capstone project. We’re the No. 1 public high school in Colorado for per capita early college credit attainment–90% of our 200-student Class of 2022 will graduate with college credit, 3 of them with associate’s degrees, and 34 with more than 50 credits. Nearly half of our teachers are adjunct professors with our local community college. We also won the fourth PTECH grant in the state, the only rural one in the country, giving our high school STEM students the option of two free years of college. Our high school also places in the top ten nationally every year for our CAD program, recently placed in the top third for National Cyber League, and was awarded the Colorado Succeeds Award for Excellence in STEM Education. Another thing George. I’m not quite the mayor you’d expect being from 1872. In the year 1920, women got the vote and now, in 2022, I’m See MAYOR, pg. 33

Brief history of Cañon City builds his cabin, oil is discovered 1861: Formation of Fremont County with Cañon City as the county seat 1870: First public school 1871: Territorial Prison is built

Incorporation 1872-1899

1872: April 2 – Cañon City is incorporated 1873:Denver & Rio Grande Railroad reaches Cañon City 1876: First newspaper begins printing 1880: Denver & Rio Grande Railroad runs Carie Canterbury/ Daily Record its first trains through the Royal Gorge 1886: Hotel St. Cloud moves from Silver The Rudd house sits behind the Royal Cliff to Cañon City, Cañon City Ladies Library Gorge Regional Museum and History Association opens library

Center at 612 Royal Gorge Blvd.

Pre-Incorporation 1859-1871 Long before any settlers arrived, this land was home to the Uncompahgre Ute people. 1860: Cañon City platted, Anson Rudd

Festival 1959: South Cañon annexed by Cañon City 1974: East Cañon annexed by Cañon City 1980: The first rafting company appears in the City Directory 1983: Downtown designated as a National Historic District 1992: Stegosaurus “Mr. Spike” discovered in Garden Park 1995: Ruth Carter, first woman mayor 1999: Dinosaur tracks discovered along Skyline Drive

The 2000s

2004: New City Hall built at 128 Main St. 2009: First Whitewater Festival in Cañon City The 1900s 2013: Royal Gorge Fire (June 11) burns 1905: Skyline Drive is built 3,218 acres 1906, 1912, 1923: Acquisition of Royal 2021: Point Alta Vista re-opened to the Gorge, Temple Canyon and Red Canyon parks public as a trial 1929: Royal Gorge Bridge built — Courtesy www.canoncity150.com 1939: First Cañon City Music & Blossom

6 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

READY To give you the power to do more. CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY •JUNE 7, 2022 • 7

No Place Like Home

For Cañon City’s oldest living residents, there is no other community they would rather be

By Sue McMillin Special to the Daily Record

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n 1929, the year that Albert DiNardo and Ray Pittman were born, there were fewer than 6,000 people living in Cañon City. Though small, the town nestled alongside the Arkansas River was big in beauty and possibility. Their families came to work in the mines, farm, and to raise dairy cows. And they stayed because it always felt like home. For DiNardo, now 93, it’s a home from which he has no desire to stray, and for Pittman, 92, it’s the place to which he always wants to return. The two men were honored at the city’s 150th Jubilee on April 2 for being among Cañon City’s oldest living residents. Both have deep ties to the community through their work and involvement in fraternal organizations. Lois Pennington Merwin, 102, also was honored at the Jubilee but was unable to attend. She died April 4. DiNardo and his twin brother, Mario, were born here May 9, 1929. Their father immigrated from Italy in 1921 to work in the coal mines and his wife and two older boys followed in 1928. They soon had fruit orchards and a couple acres of vegetables growing on their land in Lincoln Park. Although Pittman was born in California, his family history in the city begins in 1898, when John Rhoades arrived via covered wagon. Both of his parents were born in Cañon City and after a brief

Kristy Gotham / Special to the Daily Record

Albert DiNardo and Raymond Pittman are accompanied by the 2022 Cañon City Music & Blossom Festival Queen and her court during the City's 150th Celebration on April 2 at Cañon City High School. Pictured from left to right are Payten John, Second Attendant; Annamarie Drake, First Attendant; DiNardo, Pittman, Destiny Jordan, Queen, and Alyssa Merlino, Miss Personality.

Courtesy Photo

An undated photo of Lois Pennington Merwin, left. Merwin, 102, was honored at the city's Jubilee celebration on April 2 but was unable to attend. She died April 4.

move to California they returned when Pittman was

8 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

nine months old. As boys, Pittman and

DiNardo each worked their family farms. When Pittman’s father was called away to train pilots for World War II, his son went with the family for a few months but soon returned to live with his grandparents and work at his dairy farm. He didn’t mind the hard work but noted with a bit of wistfulness that it kept him from playing football or other sports in high school. That would be the end of Pittman’s farm work, but for DiNardo working in orchards and making cider would become his life’s passion – and he’s still at it. It started with a dilemma. See OLDEST, pg. 41

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CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY •JUNE 7, 2022 • 9

Royal Gorge Bridge & Park rebounded after wildfire By Carie Canterbury The Daily Record

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Royal Gorge Fire Stats

ditor’s Note: This article originally was published on June 11, 2018.

When Human Resource and Public Relations Manager Peggy Gair was driving to her job at the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park on the morning of June 11, 2013, she felt like she was standing in a hair dryer. “I thought, ‘This day is so weird, so dry,’” she said during an interview looking back at the five-year anniversary of the Royal Gorge Fire. So when flames were spotted, she wasn’t really surprised. As the blaze moved closer to the park and evacuations were ordered, Gair began packing her car with items from her office, including her camera and computer hard drives. “The craziest thing I remember about that day is people standing in line wanting their money back, and we were telling them to ‘go,’” she said. “We said, ’email us, just go,’ but they were determined to get their money back.” Gair eventually went on about her other work in town that day, but she worried that the park would miss out on two or three days of business in the heart of tourist season. “I had no idea that nothing would be left that next morning,” she said.

Fire Erupts

By the evening of June 11, the fire had ravaged 48 of 52 structures on both sides of the bridge. Within hours, about 100 residences and businesses in

Size: 3,218 acres: 2,156 acres on city property; 561 acres on private lands; 501 acres on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Injuries: None reported. Structures damaged/lost: 48 structures at the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park were destroyed. No homes were lost. Cause: Likely human-caused.

burned. This bridge was built to withstand the ages of time.” Former Mayor Tony Greer toured the park just two days after the fire. He said it almost had the feel of a graveyard. “I remember thinking that it was a similar feeling of seeing photos of Chernobyl, where everything had been evacuated and abandoned suddenly, and there were charred remains,” he said. “I remember going through the Wild West area on the south side of the bridge, and there were wooden tombstones that were still smoking, which was really eerie.” The fire was declared 100 Daily Record File Photo percent contained June 16, A view of the Royal Gorge Fire, taken from the Royal Gorge but the river remained closed Bridge, just minutes before evacuations were ordered at the so crews could remove debris park June 11, 2013. and the aerial tram that fell to the area also were evacuated, The fire burned about 3,218 the bottom of the canyon. The park’s elk, buffalo, bigthe Cañon City Water Treatacres, but fortunately, no horn sheep and saddle horses ment Plant was on standby for homes were lost and no injucame through unscathed (one evacuation, roads were shut ries were reported. down and the Arkansas River America’s tallest suspension even giving birth to a bull calf five days later, named was closed from Spike Buck bridge virtually was Smokey) and the Plaza Thethrough Cañon City. untouched. ater containing archives of the In a preemptory and cau“That was a very patriotic bridge’s history survived with tionary move, the Colorado moment for me because it is minimal exterior damage. Department of Corrections American made,” Gair said. The bighorn sheep later evacuated 905 offenders from “It has withstood all kinds of went back to their owner, and Colorado Territorial Correcweather, and then it survived See FIRE, pg. 12 tional Facility. this fire with only 100 boards

10 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

Garden Park offers important, exciting scientific discoveries

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arden Park is an area north of town with many steep and rough rock outcroppings flanking the many farm fields that gave the area its name. However, these unassuming rocks hold a priceless treasure more valuable than gold to many scientists: bones from the dinosaurs and other animals that inhabited Colorado — 150 million years ago during the Jurassic period. In 1877, Garden Park became part of the “Bone Wars,” a rivalry between Othniel Charles Marsh, a professor at Yale, and Edward Drinker Cope, a pro-

fessor at Haverford College. Each man had hired locals to supervise the excavation and Joshua shipment of Broussard large dinosaur bones out of Garden Park. Marsh hired Marshall P. Felch, a local farmer and Civil War veteran who found bones in a hillside near his farm and Cope hired Oramel Lucas, a teacher who found many large bones while hunting. Both quarries produced dozens of well-preserved bones, which both scientists quickly began reconstructing and naming.

They publicly criticized each other’s work and character, drawing public attention to the feud and to the newly discovered ancient giants. There are stories of spies, fossils being destroyed, digs blown up, and workers stealing from the other sites. There is probably embellished details, but it is likely some bones were destroyed to keep them away from the other crews. However, many bone and tooth fragments we now consider important were discarded during excavations. Between their quarries in Colorado, Wyoming, and Kansas, Marsh “beat” Cope in the Bone Wars by naming

80 new species and Cope naming 56. However, the Bone Wars was not the only time Garden Park has shown its treasure. In 1915, Dall DeWeese excavated a partial Diplodocus, the first dinosaur for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science’s collection. In 1937, Fredrick Kessler, a teacher and later curator at the local museum, and a team of volunteers excavated a nearly intact Stegosaurus stenops, which later became the state fossil and is now on display in DMNS. The most intact Haplocanthosaurus delfsi was excavated over many months by See DISCOVERIES, pg. 35

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FIRE from page 12

the buffalo and elk were sold to local Colorado ranches. The Cañon City Police Department has determined that the fire likely was humancaused, but no other information has been provided. Gov. John Hickenlooper on June 12, 2013, declared disaster emergencies for three fires burning in the state, including the Royal Gorge Fire, and June 14, he toured the area. The Fremont County Office of Emergency Management said the cost to fight the Royal Gorge Fire ended up totaling nearly $3 million.

“It was a very good thing that local people anticipated this loss to the city and started making their big purchases here,” he said. “Sales tax was no different than previous years. We got about a fivepercent increase based on the improved economy in 2014 and the locals making purchases.” The city prepared for a worst-case scenario by cutting the 2014 budget pretty severely, and they anticipated the lease payment from the bridge would be smaller than usual. The agreement stipulates the management compaFinancial Impact ny still had to make a lease After The Fire payment, based on a percentSince its opening nearly 90 age of the prior year’s sales. years ago, the park has The city collected in 2012 a attracted more than 25 million lease payment of $1.6 million, visitors and has had a positive and in 2013 and 2014 collecteconomic impact on Cañon ed about $1.3 million each City. year. Once the bridge The city allocates its reopened, the lease surpassed income from leasing the park the $2 million mark. and a portion of ticket and The city received $2.1 milmerchandise sales to three lion in 2015; $2.3 million in funds: a minimum of 20 per2016; and $2.5 million in 2017. cent is required to go to the “We rebounded fantasticalpark improvements for operaly, and that’s a testament to tions of city parks; quality of the community itself,” Greer life fund for matching grant said. “I am really proud of the dollars; and the remaining way the community reboundbalance goes to the general ed and responded to the crifund for city operating sis. I think we are a better expenses and capital improvecommunity for it.” ments. Greer said the council’s biggest concern in the aftermath Recovery Efforts of the fire was the local econo- and Rebuilding When officials saw that my and the merchants who depend on tourism for their nearly everything at the park livelihood. had been reduced to rubble, “I remember asking our the city realized that the redecommunity to maybe go out sign of the park was an opporand have dinner once a week tunity to redefine the commuor do a little shopping locally nity’s identity. where they might not be Greer, former city adminisinclined to do so to maintain trator Doug Dotson and the the basis of our economy, and late councilman Kevin Ditthey did,” he said. more met with managers Cañon City Finance Direcfrom the bridge and park regtor Harry Patel agreed that ularly to work on design the potential impact on the ideas. economy was worrisome, but “We were looking for more it ended up turning out better of a national park feel for the than anticipated. architecture, but the design-

12 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

ers came in with more of a design that had a Bass Pro Shop type of feel with some Six Flags type elements in it,” Greer said. “Doug, Kevin and I really sat down with a yellow legal pad and drew some sketch drawings of what we envisioned and presented those to the architectural group, and they responded quickly.” About $1 million in grant funding was garnered to help with the post-fire mitigation and tourism marketing. The next spring, crews began work on an Emergency Watershed Protection Program that includes about 850 acres that are watershed drainage areas that impact the Arkansas River. They also aerially dropped about 25,000 pounds of native grass and wildflower seed over the burn area and mulched most of the burned trees to provide some extra protection from erosion and to help protect the seeded areas.

large observation deck, equipped with comfortable seating and a large fireplace, overlooking the gorge and bridge. “I am extremely proud not only of the quality of the design, its usability and its efficiency of the entire park but also of the upgrades that we were able to make because of the insurance, we were able to upgrade facilities outside of the bridge and park itself,” Greer said. “I think overall, although it was really hard to see at the time, it was really a blessing in disguise, everything had sort of evolved over many, many years and sort of had been toppled together, and we were able to develop master plan in a relatively quick fashion and really have a park that has a common theme and feels like it goes together.” Since re-opening, managers are focusing on adding more entertainment in the park from Memorial Day to Labor Day. In addition to daily A New Beginning After months of demolition shows, the new outdoor amphitheater hosts the sumand clean-up, officials broke mer Park After Dark series. ground for construction in Gair said managers plan to January 2014, and in August implement a means of transof the same year, the bridge portation to the bottom of the and park conducted a “soft gorge to replace the historic opening.” incline that was destroyed by Community members and the fire, but it likely will take dignitaries celebrated the grand re-opening of the Royal another two to five years. Attendance had declined Gorge Bridge & Park during since 1996 when nearly a ceremony May 8, 2015. 505,000 people visited the Since fully re-opening, bridge and park. In 2012, the attendance has increased five last full season before the fire, to six percent each year. Gair said the cost of demoli- attendance was at its lowest at tion and the rebuild was about 265,933. “We were on our way to an $30 million. The park added many new attractions, includ- exceptional year in 2013, but we will never know,” Gair ing a zip line, gondolas with floor-to-ceiling windows, and a said. The park’s first full season children’s playland with stateafter the fire was in 2015 of-the-art playground equipwhen attendance hit 333,697, ment, a carousel and a water and it has continued to climb, pad. The new visitor center uses reaching 338,964 in 2016 and then 358,005 in 2017. fire-blackened Royal Gorge The Royal Gorge Bridge & Bridge planks on its outside Park celebrated its 90th annidécor. It includes a gift shop versary in 2019. and Café 1230, which has a

My Place in History S

even score and one decade ago, a mildly rugged group of selfdistinguished men set forth to stake this town’s claim on this vibrant and topographically diverse region we now call Cañon City. Our fertile lands and the crops they produced are the very reason we still celebrate every year on the first weekend in May. All that aside, I will not bore you with a regurgitation of historical facts of this area, but rather a point of view of my generation’s slice of time here. My place in the history of this community is as insignificant as a mosquito on the back of a stegosaurus. But if one would take a brief moment to look past visions of grandeur, they just might

come to see that this community has such significant stories lying just below the surBrandon face. Mares So much tranquil beauty and adventure surrounds us in this vast and unfettered land that we should all dare to preserve and celebrate it whenever the opportunity may present itself. As a small child, I was raised in a tiny house near Margaret Park at the base of the hogbacks — the youngest of three sons to a wonderful and hardworking mother who blessed us with the strength and independence necessary to survive each

other. Anyone with older siblings will surely know that is a feat unto itself, but the memories I have cultivated from being raised with my two brothers in this community are some of the most cherished gifts I will ever possess. After graduating high school here, I uprooted myself to set out on my own adventures under the bright lights of the big city, only to find myself drawn back to Cañon for the calmness, charm, and passion that only my hometown could provide. Playing in the Arkansas River was one of the best pass times to look forward to as a kid. When school was let out for the summer, along with the furious wrath of sweltering temperatures, the

river was our place to wind down and chill. I remember being introduced to what we all referred to as “skurfing” (it was Luke’s idea), which was basically just a long rope tied to a tree with a makeshift board that we would ride into the Arkansas in an attempt to “rodeo” our river’s mild midtown rapids. I remember building up the courage to rope swing from a tree at Skunk Hollow and dropping off into the river like a Hollywood stuntman, only to dangerously float down a couple hundred yards in order to find a calm place to climb back to shore. Both of those are perfect examples of what not to do, considering our lack of adult supervision.

See PLACE, pg. 39

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Royal Gorge Museum & History Center / Special to the Daily Record

Buckskin Joe in 1958.

Buckskin Joe was a huge hit Attraction once dubbed the largest Old West Theme Park in the nation

By Brooke Johnson Daily Record

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ditor’s Note: This article was printed in the Daily Record on Aug. 10, 2020.

On Aug. 19, 1859, a group of gold seekers formed the mining town of Buckskin Joe. Named after the group’s leader, Joseph Higgenbottom’s choice of clothing material, the town was situated along Buckskin Creek, 90 miles northwest of Cañon City. For seven years, the creek bed drew prospectors from all over, transforming the tiny tent community into a town of 2,000, with hotels, boarding houses, homes, and saloons. A grocery store, as well as a Post Office, was operated by H.A.W. Tabor, and his wife, Augusta. Tabor would go on to later serve as a United States Senator. With the arrival of the post

Royal Gorge Regional Museum & History Center / Special to the Daily Record

Gus Salardino with actor Sam Elliot in 1991. Elliot was at Buckskin Joe in Cañon City to shoot the television feature 'Conagher.’

office, the town needed an official name, and the name Laurette was presented, a combination of Laura and Jeanette Dodge, the only two females in the town. While the official name became Laurette, the town always

14 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

was referred to by the more popular Buckskin Joe. In 1862, Buckskin Joe was named the county seat for Park County by popular vote and remained until 1867, when it was moved to Fairplay. In 1866, the mill that is

said to have produced $1.6 million in gold was closed and the townspeople began moving shortly after. By 1874, there were only 50 people left in the once-bustling mining town, and by 1880, most of the houses had been moved to other communities or torn down, leaving only the Tabor Store, a gambling hall and a small cemetery to mark where the town once stood. While the mining town faded away, several of those who lived there made their mark and their stories are still shared today. One of the legacies left behind is reflected in the naming of Mount Silverheels, named after a young dancer who called Buckskin Joe home. The girl, Silverheels, cared for the many miners who were sick during the 1861 Smallpox outbreak. While the call for help to nurses in Denver was left See ATTRACTION, pg. 38

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Early days of Cañon City, area By Brooke Johnson Daily Record

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ditor’s Note: This article first was published in the Daily Record on Feb. 3, 2020.

Long before there was a Gold Rush that brought settlers to the hills surrounding the Pikes Peak Region, the Native American people were the first to call the mountains, plains and Arkansas River — which now make Fremont County — home. The first documentation of European settlers to the area was as early as 1806, according to some reports. Lt. Zebulon Pike and his team chose the area for their temporary winter quarters in their search for the source of the Arkansas River, before moving on to explore Wet Mountain Valley in the spring. The first settlement in the area dates back to 1830 when a few Mexicans and a French Canadian named Maurice built a fort-like settlement on the Arkansas River where the Adobe Creek empties. For 17 years, they grew vegetables and trapped but eventually abandoned their homesteads in 1847 because of the rising conflict between the Mountain Indian tribes with the tribes from the plains. The 1850s saw an increase of people arriving in the area on their way to California. And by 1859, several settlements had become established and the Territory of Jefferson with a population of roughly 34,000 was organized. However, the organizers failed to secure Federal sanction and the area remained part of the Territory of Kansas, though residents would continue to refer to it as the Territory of Jef-

Main Street in Cañon City in 1874.

ferson. For the most part, the U.S. Congress ignored the Territory of Jefferson and the Territory of Kansas clash over land rights, as they were dealing with heated feelings between the south and north and talk of secession. While things were coming to a boiling point in one area of America, the west was primarily focused on one thing — gold. The Gold Rush of 1859 was drawing people to the Pikes Peak region in droves and companies were jumping at the opportunity to capitalize on the influx of people. In October 1859, the Smith brothers, who established Fountain City (modern-day Pueblo), arrived in Cañon City, intending to establish a townsite to capture whatever trade opportunities from people moving to the gold country that their town might miss. The area had become well known as a trade area for Indians and trappers and the beautiful location with a river and hot springs seemed like an ideal place to start a new townsite. Inspired by the

16 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

Royal Gorge Museum & History Center / Special to the Daily Record

impressive Royal Gorge, they deemed the site as Cañon City using the Spanish spelling of Canyon. They erected one house and the Robert Middleton family became the first residents of the new town. However, after a few months, the group decided to focus on the Fountain City site and left the Cañon City project to die out. In August 1860, Anson Rudd along with his wife arrived in Cañon City, a settlement with a population of roughly a dozen. Mrs. Rudd describes their arrival in a 1903 interview. “We camped underneath the cottonwoods, which were near the river above the Soda Springs. Nearby were two cabins one occupied by the Middleton family and the other vacant, so we concluded it would be best to put our stove in the empty cabin and use our wagons for sleeping apartments,” Mrs. Rudd said. “Looking down Main Street, not a green thing was in sight, but on River Street, a new hotel had just been opened by G.D. Jenkins. There were several unfin-

ished cabins and a blacksmith shop and a place where one could find a few groceries, whiskey, bread and something called pie bread dough.” Originally from Pennsylvania, the Rudds had moved all over and found themselves in Denver in 1860. In an 1884 interview with Historian H.H. Bancroft, Anson Rudd has this to say of Denver: “My impression then was that Denver was a dead town, about as large as the exodus from it as there had been to it. Many were disappointed in the mines, pronounced them as humbug and returned.” Several records report that the Rudds had originally planned to move on to California from Denver but because of reports of Indians attacking traveling parties, they decided to head to Cañon City. Shortly after arrival, Anson Rudd got to work on building his cabin, Mrs. Rudd wrote in a letter years later that she prepared and served Thanksgiving dinner for the commuSee EARLY, pg. 18

We Share a Rich History F

rom Spanish conquistadors and Ute Indians to renowned explorers and courageous pioneers, Fremont County’s history is as rich as it is varied. The story of our home was steeped in the oil fields of Florence, anchored in the solid walls of Old Max, cultivated in the apple orchards of Penrose, and nurtured in the ranches of Garden Park. Millions of years ago, dinosaurs roamed this land, leaving behind fossils and other telltale signs. Plants and other forms of life disappeared underground to form our natural coal and oil resources. Hot springs erupted from the earth. Erosion carved the majestic Royal Gorge, which has been the focal point of Fremont County since prehistoric times. Lt. Zebulon Pike explored

the canyon in the winter of 1806 by traveling down the frozen Arkansas River. Settlers soon Debbie Bell arrived to find a perfect piece of property, and the once-wild area was tamed to accommodate human habitation. The county is named for famed explorer Captain John C. Fremont, who arrived in 1843. Houses and businesses sprouted up seemingly overnight. Coal camps soon arrived, and the first oil well west of the Mississippi River was drilled here. Small towns prospered and some became ghost towns, while others flourished. The area was officially formed in 1861, more than 150 years

ago, as Fremont County, one of the 17 original counties when Congress established the Colorado Territory on February 28, 1861. We were a county before Colorado was even a state! The cities of Cañon City and Florence soon incorporated; Brookside, Coal Creek, Rockvale and Williamsburg became official towns. Other named places sprouted up, including Coaldale, Cotopaxi, Hillside, Howard, Lincoln Park, Park Center, Parkdale, Penrose, Portland, Swissvale, Texas Creek and Wellsville. While each community has its own identity, we meld together to show our county pride! Through the years, at least five Fremont County towns have officially dissolved to become ghost towns: Adelaide, Calcite, Chandler,

Siloam, Whitehorn and Yorkville. Although no longer incorporated, the residents of these towns continue to be an important part of our shared history. Soon after Fremont County became official, the first Colorado Territory Prison was built here in 1871, five years before Colorado became the Centennial State in 1876. Since that early time, Fremont County has been home to a large number of state and federal correction facilities. But corrections are only part of the local history. Natural resource extraction has also been important. As early as 1872, oil was selling from the Oil Creek area. Nearby, large coal reserves provided further impetus for the railroads to push a route See SHARE, pg. 37

Congrats to Cañon City on celebrating its sesquicentennial!

As a fourth generation resident of Fremont County, I am happy to have so many great memories in Cañon City and the surrounding areas!

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CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY •JUNE 7, 2022 • 17

EARLY from page 16

nity in a half-finished cabin with snow blowing through the uncompleted roof. Anson Rudd painted a picture of life during the earliest day of Cañon City in a series of letters he wrote in 1938 to his daughters reminiscing the past. “The log cabin which was erected in 1860 was the mansion of deluxe of the town as it had the first wooden floorboard of any house in the place,” Rudd said. “In celebration of finishing the palatial residence, a dance was held on the floor. The nearby hills were alive with deer. Out on the prairie and to the north roamed antelope and buffalo and back in the hills were to be found wild turkeys and the Arkansas River was filled with an abundance of trout.” The nearby California gulch area mines closed in the winter and the town saw roughly 500 miners and prospectors move to town. While the population seemed to be growing, it mainly consisted of males. Anson Rudd reported that there were roughly five women in the town, and they were treated with the greatest respect as though they were creatures from another world. A “People’s Court”

was organized that winter with the mass increase in the population as the town had no laws to maintain order. While a noose hung over Main Street the group of six citizens, including a few lawyers with Rudd serving as clerk of the court, strived to maintain justice through a court-like process instead of the gun and hangman’s noose that had been favored by the most western settlements. The Cañon City Claims Club was also established that year, a vigilante organization that often settled squatters cases with a gun. According to a 1960s article, their records are preserved at the Fremont County Clerk’s building.

The town was flourishing with a rough population of about 900. Rudd’s interview reflected that money was scarce and deer hides were often used for payment as large profits could be made selling them back east, sometimes with a profit margin of $4 per hide. The town seemed to be on the uprise and got a second chance at becoming a recognized townsite when Buell & Boyd, experienced surveyors, arrived from Denver and laid out and published a plat of the area to include 1,280 acres. However, the project failed as the group exhausted all their funds.

The Cañon City Times started publication in the fall of 1860 becoming the town’s first newspaper. Several articles from September of that year read: “Our streets for the past week have been the scene of much activity. New and expensive buildings are going up. On Sep 25: The plains are alive with men and the fall of the woodman’s ax is heard early and late getting out building material. The quarries are busy too and we learn that there are parties getting out adobes for houses. It is probable that

L. Calkins, a stone worker, arrived in Cañon City and built the first stone building in the town bringing a polished look to the town mainly constructed of log buildings. Contracting out nearly a dozen more stone buildings, he soon found himself over-expanded and unable to pay for the materials he had requested for the wood floors and lacking funds to pay his laborers. While there are reports that a lynch party formed, several townsmen helped him escape leaving behind multiple half-finished

stone buildings. Stagecoaches arrived almost daily from Denver and Colorado City, bringing supplies to the bustling town; however, mail seemed to have difficulty in reaching the area. Rudd’s 1884 interview recounts a time when Mr. Wetmore walked the 60 miles to Colorado Springs to retrieve the mail. William Gilpin, the first Governor of the new Territory, established a three-member committee consisting of Anson Rudd, J. B. Cooper, and Lewis Conle to draft the boundaries of Fremont County, and Cañon City seemed to be on the way to becoming one of the leading towns in the new Territory of Colorado. However, a happy ending was not quite yet in store for Cañon City. The war between the states was intensifying and Cañon City, like many other settlements, found itself divided by Union and Confederate Sympathizers. Troops that had once helped protect the western route for travelers were now needed back east and instead of pursuing gold men pursued justice for what they deemed right. By the end of 1862, Cañon City was almost a Ghost Town as the last of the residents packed their bags and bade the remaining family, the Rudds, goodbye.

of our community’s history.” Cañon City’s longest-living residents were honored and March 31 and the jubilee celebration and fireworks April 2. families enjoyed old-fashioned carnival games and live In addition to the fireworks, entertainment. the newly renovated “C” on Still ahead, there will be a Skyline Drive was lit for the movie at Macon Plaza, a confirst time. cert at the Royal Gorge “The moment that stands out to me so far for the City’s Bridge and much more. “I am excited for the movie 150th was the City Fair at the festival in August,” Studts high school and seeing the long line of people waiting to said. “One of the movies that will be shown is a silent movget in,” Studts said. “It was ie that was filmed here in amazing to see that many 1914.” people participating in the So pack up the family and celebration and being a part

grab a neighbor or a friend and save the date. A complete listing of all upcoming events may be found at www.canoncity150.com. On behalf of all of those who have been planning and hosting the year-long celebration of Cañon City’s sesquicentennial, we hope you enjoy taking a walk down memory lane with these stories highlighting significant events and places, and some guest columns shared by locals who recall their fond memories of growing up here.

CELEBRATION from page 4 of each month through December. Some of the special programs are being tied into regular events, but with a 150thcelebration spin. For example, the Cañon City Music and Blossom Festival gave a nod to the sesquicentennial by having former and current mayors serve as the parade grand marshals. Perhaps the signature events of the year were the formal sesquicentennial gala

18 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

200 residence will be erected in this place and vicinity this fall. This looks like town making.”

Why a prison museum? By Sandy Dexter The Daily Record

Now, officially called the Museum of Colorado Prisons, its mission is to collect, preserve, conserve, exhibit, hether we like it or and interpret the historical not, prisons and heritage of the Colorado Cañon City have a state and federal prison syshistory that predates Coloratems. do’s statehood. Obtaining money for the Territorial Prison, the prinecessary repairs and restoma donna of Colorado’s ration of the empty building, penal system, sitting at the which had been used for end of Main Street, is still everything imaginable, open for business after openincluding the training of swat ing its doors in 1871. In the teams, wasn’t an easy task. 151 years since, she has seen The museum is strictly a bloody riots, daring escapes, Carie Canterbury / Daily Record non-profit affair and not fundinfamous inmates, flamboyThe Museum of Colorado Prisons is located at 201 N. First St. ed by Cañon City, Fremont ant wardens, two men County, or the state. Between lynched, 45 deaths by hanggrants from various organizaIt took an act by the State tory. The group included a ing and 32 more by gas, sittions, fundraisers, and pribank president, the editor of Legislature to allow this downs and hunger strikes, vate donations, the museum garnered National attention, the Daily Record at that time, eclectic group a 99- year opened its doors on June 18, lease of cell house 4, the and had a movie made about a community shaker and mover, a former warden, a “old” former Women’s Prison 1988, and, is still, 33 years her. located on North 1st. Street, later, able to fund itself. Early in the 1980s, a group retired D.O.C. (Department Prior to opening, the call of civic-minded citizens real- of Corrections) guard, and a just outside the walls of “TerSee MUSEUM, pg. 33 ritorial”. ized the need to save this his- realtor.

W

CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY •JUNE 7, 2022 • 19

Cañon City residents worked to bring ‘Supermax’ here By Carie Canterbury The Daily Record

W

hen it was announced in 1987 that the Abbey complex was for sale, Fremont County officials met with the Federal Bureau of Prisons representatives to see what the cost might be to convert the facilities into a federal prison. Soon after, the Abbey officially was off the market, but the BOP still wanted to set up a facility in Fremont County. According to archives at the Royal Gorge Regional Museum and History Center, BOP planners looked at four potential sites in Fremont County, and residents launched a campaign that raised $120,000 to purchase a site to give to the bureau for a prison facility. In August 1988, the bureau approved an environmental impact study for a 400-acre site south of Florence and went on to host several meetings to garner feedback from the public. The next year, the Senate approved funding for the federal prison and plans went into motion to build one of the largest federal prison complexes in the country. The funds raised by the community ended up being used as seed money for grants to extend water and sewer lines to the facility. The total price tag for that project alone was $1.3 million. According to a Daily

Jason Connolly / Getty Images

In this file photo taken on Feb. 13, 2019, shows a view of the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility, also known as the ADX or ‘Supermax,’ in Florence.

Record article, the BOP requested 200 more acres and agreed to purchase a total of 600 acres through the Fremont Economic Development Corp. for $150,000. The complex had a completion date of August 1993 at a total construction cost of $150 million. Officials planned for 2,350 beds and about 750 staff. When it was all said and done, the cost was about $185 million for the complex, which included a 473-bed minimum-security federal prison camp (opened in July 1992), a 1,140-bed mediumsecurity federal correctional institution (opened in January 1993) and the 856-bed high-security U.S. Penitentiary (opened in February 1995). The nation’s highest security prison, “Supermax,” opened at the end of November 1995 with the arrival of

20 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

25 inmates. The inmates included John Gotti, a New York Mafia godfather; Chicago El Rukn gang leader Jeff Fort; Navy spymaster John Walker and Charles Harrelson, who murdered a federal judge, and was the father of actor Woody Harrelson. Known widely as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies,” the Administrative Maximum Penitentiary, was set up for 484 inmates who would live in single cells. “This prison will help make secure streets and communities of America,” then U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno said during a tour of the facility and ribbon-cutting in 1995. “The inmates we will house here are the worst and most dangerous in our prison system.” The complex is home to foreign and domestic terrorists, persons found guilty of espionage, organized crime

figures and those convicted for a host of other crimes. “The United States Administrative Maximum Penitentiary represents the best in prison management to provide the security and safety we need to lock up the worst and most violent criminals in the country,” Reno said during the tour. A Daily Record article states that on several occasions, protesters had stood outside the gates of the complex to protest what they considered to be cruel and inhumane treatment of inmates. Reno, however, said those allegations hadn’t been supported by studies. Reno said she wished she could take juvenile offenders on the tour and “let them hear the clang and bang of the doors closing on people who will be staying in prison for a long period of time.” The federal complex has been, or currently is, home to several dangerous, notorious criminals, including domestic terrorists Terry Nichols, Ramzi Yousef, Eric Rudolph and Ted Kaczynski. The most recent notorious criminal to make the Florence complex his home is Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the federal prison population was 44,215 in 1987 and steadily increased to 64,000 in 1991; 106,000 (projected) in 1996; 135,000 (projected) in 1999; and 174,391 in 2019. The number dropped by the end of 2020 to 151,283.

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Ecology Park flourished into a bustling nature hub

By Olivia Johnson The Daily Record

advocate for the ecology park and worked tirelessly alongside a team of fellow outhroughout the ages, doors enthusiasts such as educators have tasked Rick Romano and the other their students with commissioners to maintain pushing the boundaries of the park’s welcoming facade both their minds and bodies. to visitors. The 1994-95 Cañon City High Payne hailed from an School Environmental Club already well-established love was no exception. of the outdoors as he had After the Temple Canyon previously sat on the recreLandfill closed in 1993, the ation district board and loved land (though a rough portrait the outdoor adventures that of what it could be) was seen Cañon City had to offer. Tracy Harmon / Special to the Daily Record Under his prompting and as a blank canvas by memCañon City High School Ecology Club president, Sherri Jeffries, bers of the Environmental supervision, the parking lot won a national award for her work at the dump-turned-park in Club who were tasked with was redone and a second finding a local environmental Cañon City thanks to the nomination by her mentor Linda entrance was added alongBennett in 1996. activity with which to side some trash bins to keep become involved. the park free of unwanted that the Ecology Club presiHeaded and sponsored by way it started.” clutter. Grants specially applied for dent at the time, Sherri JefLinda Bennett, the class preThe park borders BLM sented their plans to design, by the students supplement- fries, won a national award land and recreation district for her hard work in design- property and the three entidevelop, and sustain an ecol- ed the monetary element in the reconstruction process ing and implementing the ogy park to the county comties have worked together to and no county funds were park plans. missioners. The plans were produce trails that wind The project also won the accepted unanimously by the required or ever used. throughout each. Fremont Envisioned in four distinct prestigious Colorado Gover- Adventure Recreation was commissioners March 14, nor’s Smart Growth Award, 1995, and the park was dedi- phases, the Ecology Park instrumental in implementslowly took form over several the Presidential EPA Youth cated soon after on Earth ing new and improved trails years. From soil amendAward and many others. It Day, April 22, as B.F. Rockafor hikers and bikers and fellow Ecology Park. It was a ments and spring creation to was a communal effort with also helped maintain existing commemorative nod to Capt. tree planting and trail cultiva- far-reaching benefits. trail systems. What was once a stagnant Benjamin Franklin Rockafel- tion, the majority of the work In 2020, a $50,000 Colorado was physically done by and repulsive landfill flourlow, who served as a Cañon Department of TransportaCCHS students to instill both ished into a bustling nature City Mayor in 1876 and tion grant was received and love and respect for nature. hub, where bluebirds and played a pivotal role in the the funds were utilized to However, they didn’t do it golden eagles took up resiplanting of the many shade implement new erosion conalone. A community-based dence in the skies and mule trees that 21st Century trol techniques and facilitate task force was established by deer and grey foxes returned some new additions to the Cañon City residents now the commissioners to assist to the riverbeds and canyons. park. Payne was grateful to enjoy. in any developments and Life celebrated a homecom“I said, ‘we need to do see the continued improveobstacles and included mem- ing and Cañon City residents ment of the park. something bigger and farbers from CCHS, the Sierra were those that had the honther afield,’” Bennett said. “I like my local boards or of witnessing it. “From day one, it was a fabu- Club, Fremont Economic because you can actually see Development Corporation, As the years passed by, lous learning experience things that get done,” Payne Rocky Mountain Back Coun- trail maintenance and erobecause the kids had to do said. “So many people use everything. They went to the try Horsemen, Upper Arkan- sion control became the that park. So many people county commissioners, they sas Valley Council of Govern- order of the day. use the trail system now ments, and many more. In 2013, newly-elected Fre- whether it’s Ecology Park or got the approval to work on The work done by CCHS mont County Commissioner riverwalk trail and they see the landfill and turn it into a students was so impressive Tim Payne became the new county park and that’s the the benefits of that.”

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22 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

Hotel St. Cloud has had a tumultuous journey By Brooke Johnson Daily Record

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ditor’s Note: This article originally was published in the Daily Record on May 10, 2021. It is the second story in a two-part series.

The 1920s started well for Hotel Cañon with a brand new Otis elevator being installed. In 1922, ownership of the hotel changed and improvements were made, including giving the hotel bus a new paint job. As the political climate in the mid-1920s in Colorado and Cañon City shifted, the hotel found itself serving as headquarters for a quickly rising political party — the Klu Klux Klan. This group, known as the second Klan, flourished in protestant communities and were sworn enemies to Catholics, Jews, and African Americans in their quest to maintain white supremacy. In 1924, the Cañon City Klan No. 21 was established under the leadership of Rev. Fred G. Arnold with more than 500 local men becoming members. Soon the Klan would boost numbers of more than 900, representing 20% of the population in Cañon City. In the fall of 1924, the Klan took control of both political parties, as well as city and county buildings, organizations and the school board. Rev. Arnold, who served as the state leader of the Colorado Klansmen, moved the Klan’s headquarters to Hotel Cañon in 1925 and opened the Colorado State Bank at 627

The St. Cloud Hotel pictured in 1887.

Main St. In the fall of 1928, Diedrich N. Cooper did what was thought impossible and overthrew the Klan in the elections that year, resulting in the headquarters moving out of Cañon City to Denver in 1929. Despite its rough financial history, the Hotel Cañon was able to remain open as the Great Depression hit the nation, only closing its dining room during that period. After weathering the worst recession in the nation’s history, things seemed to look up for the hotel. From the 1930s to the mid1980s, the hotel seemed to persevere. While the hotel never flourished, it never really floundered either. In the 1940s, it found itself once again hosting film crews as Cañon City again became a popular spot to shoot westerns.

Royal Gorge Museum and History Center / Special to the Daily Record

Once a stopping point for stagecoaches in the early 1900s, the hotel, in the 1960s served as a bus depot seeing six buses daily, according to records at the Royal Gorge Regional Museum and History Center. Through the years, the hotel changed hands and ownership quite often. In 1977, it sold for $78,000 and consisted of 36 rooms and 13 apartments. In 1987, the Hotel Cañon was purchased by Rocky Top Productions and Reeder Corp., and was given back its original name, the St.Cloud Hotel. With plans for open carriage rides, and mystery theatre weekends, and nightly rates at $30 to $60 per night, the future looked bright for the old hotel. However, in May 1988, Cañon City citizens found the historical hotel locked with a large closed sign hung on its double doors. Rumors soon

started circulating that the entire staff had been laid off and articles speculating on the future of the hotel filled local newspapers. For the next few months, the St Cloud was in limbo as several people attempted to reopen the historical hotel, only to close it again a month or two later. In September 1989, the St. Cloud Hotel was officially closed for the first time since it opened in Cañon City in 1886. By October 1990, 104 years after a posse surrounded the building seeking retribution for back taxes, the St. Cloud once again was a hostage, this time by the state of Colorado, seeking payment on delinquent taxes amounting to $25,232.04. The Department of Revenue was not the only one that

See HOTEL, pg. 40

CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY •JUNE 7, 2022 • 23

Hollywood on Main Street By Rachel Alexander Daily Record

Editor’s note: This article originally was printed in the Daily Record on Aug. 2, 2010.

It was a Hollywood premiere, a “masterful production which had ‘girls! girls! girls!, a governor, assorted ex-governors, a senator, a congressman and two arc lights.” But this auspicious event didn’t take place at any of the many famous theaters in Los Angeles or a red carpet in London. It was on Main Street Cañon City on July 2, 1948, for the world premiere of the movie, ‘Cañon City.’ The movie told the story of the Dec. 30, 1947, escape of 12 inmates from the Colorado State Penitentiary. Two were killed and the remaining 10 were recaptured and confined to solitary confinement in what was known as “Little Siberia.” One hanged himself a short time later. Within three days of the escape, Eagle Lion Studios had a writer in Cañon City gathering material for the documentary-style film. Because the studio wanted the film to hit theaters while the escape was still fresh on the minds of the public, the film was put together quickly. Producer Bryan Foy obtained permission from Gov. William Lee Knous and Warden Roy Best to film in the penitentiary. Actors were selected to play all 12 escapees, with physical resemblance playing a crucial part in the selection. Playing the star role was Scott Brady as escapee James Sherbondy. The second star of the film was Best, who was imposed

Royal Gorge Regional Museum and History Center

From left to right, John Alton, the cinematographer of the movie, 'Cañon City,' Warden Roy Best, and Crane Wilbur, the director of the movie, on location at Colorado Territorial Prison in 1948.

All members of the cast were given prison crew cuts in the penitentiary barbershop and each of the actors was allowed a short visit with his counterpart. This led to Cañon City’s one and only world premiere event. The film opened to an audience of approximately 3,500 between Skyline Theater, Rex Theater and the penitentiary. It was the largest crowd to ever view a motion picture Royal Gorge Regional Museum and History Center in Cañon City. A crowd of people gather in front of Skyline Theater with the The day was declared by marque sign that reads 'Roy Best Day - World Premiere Cañon the governor to be Roy Best City' on July 2, 1948. Day and the city celebrated the warden’s film debut, as well as his contribution to the upon to play himself after developed. scores of screen tests failed By late May 1948, less than community. The day after the premiere, to find a Hollywood actor five months after the escape, eight of the surviving escapwho could play the role con- the film was complete and ees were given a private vincingly. ready for release. This was a showing at the penitentiary. Filming began when a record for Hollywood proThe ninth, Werner Carl group of 82 actors and techduction at the time. Schwartzmiller, was kept in nicians arrived March 1 in Approximately 800 convicts his cell because he had tried Cañon City. Writer-director worked in the production. to dig his way out a few days Crane Wilbur led the crew. Seven of the surviving nine prior. Each day’s scenes were escapees appeared in an epiThe film stayed at the city’s taken directly to the studio in logue; one allowed only his theaters through the weekthe evening for editing and voice to be recorded and the end before opening at 150 composers worked on the last one refused flatly to par- other theaters in the Rocky score while the film was ticipate. Mountain region July 6, 1948.

24 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

Blessed to be raised in Cañon City O

ur childhood experiences set the foundation for the rest of our lives. For those of us fortunate enough to live in Cañon City during those formative years, we were blessed beyond measure in ways not fully realized at the time. I remember Main Street was a familiar and safe territory and any kid loved to explore the businesses and shops that formed the tapestry of our town. The JC Penney store was one of the largest downtown retail outlets at the time. But in addition to attracting adults to the variety of merchandise, much of the excitement for a youngster was the floor-to-ceiling vacuum tubes scattered throughout the sales floor that would randomly whoosh canisters of

cash and the subsequent receipts from the main floor to the cashier’s area upstairs and back Larry again. Weaver Similar to current drive-thru banking cylinders, these clear ducts offered us all a guessing game of anticipating which clerk would be next to send a canister upward and then predicting which tube would next descend. A trip downtown would often include a stop at the Tasty-Pastry Bakery, where the tantalizing smell of their crusty white bread baking drew us in like moths to flame. Our reward was a generous display of their lightly sugared donut holes, free for the taking. None of the other

sweet spots downtown offered freebies, so the City Drug, Helm’s Drug and the Spudnut Shop were for the infrequent times when us kids would have some cash. Other favorite eateries included the whole spectrum from the A&W Root Beer stand and Murphy’s Poorboy up to Merlino’s Belvedere (of course) and Sali’s Paradise, where you could buy their delicious minestrone soup in gallon jars for carry-out. Obviously, our culinary diversity was part of the appeal to this town, but the real essence of Cañon City was absolutely in its citizens. That was affirmed when the town pulled together private donors and willing volunteers to construct the high school football field and honored their efforts by naming it after them all.

There was definitely a “common unity” in our community. A typical summer day would be my best friend Bill Wood and I taking off on our bikes to rediscover our town. The hogbacks at the foot of Skyline became the natural gathering spot for a lot of our friends, offering the thrill of riding dirt trails similar to a crude roller coaster and the occasional discovery of an arrowhead or even a bone that we were convinced was from a dinosaur. A more extensive day would find us climbing up to “Cool’s Cave,” buying a sip of cider from the curio shop at the summit or getting all the way over Skyline to the Rustic Lamphouse to buy a handful of fireworks (which they could sell year-round See BLESSED, pg. 37

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Digging It

Discovery of dinosaur fossils deep part of Cañon City’s history By Olivia Johnson The Daily Record

county of Fremont. However, paleontology discoveries were far from done in the ost tourists visit area. Cañon City to parCarl Kessler, a science and take in breathtakhistory teacher at Cañon City ing views of the Royal Gorge High School from 1925 to or the many mountain biking 1949, took it upon himself to trails that criss-cross the both search for new remains county. and educate his many interLocals know that dinosaurs ested students in the field. played a large part in putting According to a March 6, the area on the map. 2012, Daily Record article, But they may not know the “Former student James “HolC. W. Talbot / Daily Record ly” Meacham reported that sweeping drama that FreCamarasaurus fossils at the Cope Quarry. mont County played in the in 1931 on an outing to late 1800s ‘Bone Wars.’ Shaws Park on the western Few people knew what edge of Four Mile Creek, Academy of Natural Sciences for answers for the next 100 dinosaurs truly were in the Kessler’s students discovyears. in Philadelphia. early 19th Century. They ered a dinosaur. A subseUnfortunately, Cope and Cope, a younger and vorawere about as common quent visit to the site uncovMarsh were also quick to cious fossil hunter, darted knowledge as a snowstorm remove their finds from their ered 13 vertebrae,” the out to Fremont County and, in the middle of a Colorado article goes on to state, “In alongside Lucas, quickly set home soil of Colorado and July and, though remains sent them all over the world. 1937, his tenacity paid off about constructing a proper had started to pop up quarry near the Garden Park A rare, Tyrannosaurus skele- when he and students found throughout the country, it the remains of another ton found its way across the area. Together, they identiwas still a distant thought for fied the remains of Camaras- country to the American ancient animal on Four Mile many Fremont County resiCreek’s east side, north of Museum, alongside many aurus supremeus which, at dents. Oil Well Flats.” the time, was the largest land others that even went overThat is, until 1877 when, Kessler arranged to have seas to Europe. animal yet described. Cañon City schools superinhis students assist in digs The only skeleton recovInsulted by Cope’s descent tendent, Oramel William on Colorado and Lucas’s fail- ered from either quarry was and several were hired via Lucas, discovered the the National Youth Adminisa complete Stegosaurus that ure to wait for his response, remains of a monolithic crea- Marsh traveled to Fremont went to the Denver Museum tration, part of the Emergenture. cy Relief Appropriation Act. of Natural History. County and set up his own According to a June 14, The drama between Marsh After retiring from teaching, quarry where he recovered 1877, Cañon City Avalanche petrified remains of Diplodo- and Cope heightened as they Kessler served as the Cañon article, Lucas, discovered, accused one another of orga- City Municipal Museum cus longus Marsh, Haplocan“the fossil remains of a carnized subterfuge–including, curator until his death in thosaurus priscus Hatchnivorous and herbivorous 1963. but not limited to, stealing er, and Haplocanthosaurus giant which he thinks is that utterbacki Hatcher. Innumerable fossilized bones from one another’s of the Iguanodon, a reptile of quarries, poaching members remains were found by the Amusingly, both men the Cretaceous period.” combined might of Marsh, of one another’s teams, and worked so quickly and furiLucas, who dabbled in the ously to out-dig the other Cope, and Kessler in Fresending spies tasked with fledgling field of paleontolomont County and they blazed that, according to a 1912 arti- obtaining vital correspongy, sent correspondence to a brave trail for paleontology dence into each other’s cle, “each man made ludithe resplendent, and recluin the latter half of the 20th crous errors to be the first to camps. It was insanity and sive, Othniel Charles Marsh publish scientific descripthe two men became lifelong, century. Without their dediof the Peabody Museum of cated work, and Fremont’s tions of his finds.” Skeletons embittered enemies. Natural History at Yale. reputation as a dinosaur gold As the Bone Wars continwere accidentally combined, Marsh, bizarrely, failed to mine, paleontology would not ued between Marsh and incorrectly assembled, and respond so Lucas moved on have had the advancements hastily named–resulting in a Cope, their work took them to March’s arch-rival, it celebrated as the years crazy puzzle that would leave to Nebraska and Wyoming Edward Drink Cope of the passed. and away from the quiet paleontologists scrambling

M

26 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

Spirits of the Past: A Living History C

añon City’s 150th Jubilee in early April included a focus on some of the historical homes and buildings in Cañon City hosted by the Spirits of the Past. The free tour in which guests traveled by Will Colon’s Cañon City Trolley and the Fremont County Transit bus was popular beyond expectations by both the guests and the Spirit hosts. As a host who portrayed Governor James Peabody, I was amazed to see all five trolley tours packed with enthusiastic residents and visitors. Dee Stubbs, coordinator of the Spirits of the Past, said it was one of the most successful recent appearances by the Spirits. It was 10 years ago that Spirits Linda Carlson and Margaret Stiles Storm first published a booklet commemorating the different Fremont County inhabitants portrayed by a group of local folks interested in living history. As they noted in the foreword of that booklet, the concept of creating a cadre of Spirits to portray prominent citizens in the pioneer days was proposed by the late Carol McNew and Peggy Sorenson. Margaret and Carol were coordinators of the Spirits for many years with that role now assumed by Dee Stubbs whose own portrayal is that of Bird Millman. Dee tells me that the current list of available Spirits for appearances at various historical events numbers about 25. A typical turnout of Spirit characters for a special event usually numbers around a dozen. Besides Cañon City’s Jubilee celebra-

tion, other memorable Spirit appearances included Fremont County’s 160th birthday celeEd Norden bration last November, Memorial Day observances at the Greenwood Pioneer Cemetery, and the rededication of Cañon City’s Carnegie Library and cornerstone. I was welcomed into the Spirits of the Past fraternity because of my own interest in performing first-person portrayals of Governor Peabody, which probably began over 20 years ago. I have always been fascinated with the only Fremont County resident to occupy the Governor’s office. While Peabody served during one of the most turbulent periods in Colorado history, he made significant contributions to the City of Cañon City and Fremont County. Peabody repeatedly intervened in the union uprisings in the mining districts across the state sending in the state militia, particularly the Cripple Creek mining district. He was beloved by the businessmen and mine owners like Spencer Penrose while miners who worked in the coal camps of Rockvale, Williamsburg, Coal Creek, and Chandler harbored a great deal of hate and disdain. Peabody is judged harshly by today’s political and moral standards. The election integrity that is called into question today pales in comparison to the campaigns waged by the Republican Peabody and Democrat Alva Adams of See SPIRITS, pg. 37

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CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY •JUNE 7, 2022 • 27

The End of an Era

Women’s prison closed doors after 40 years By Rachel Alexander The Daily Record

Editor’s note: This article originally was published in the Daily Record on June 1, 2009.

The closure of the Colorado Women’s Correctional Facility in May (2009) brought to an end 40 years of reformation and education of Colorado’s female inmates in Cañon City. Opened in 1968, it replaced the original women’s facility just outside the walls of the old Colorado Penitentiary. The small green building built in 1935 had 20 cells and, by the time CWCF was built, was overcrowded with 49 inmates. That building now houses the Museum of Colorado Prisons. In 1968, the $1.2 million facility was initially built with three wings to house a total of 90 inmates. The buildings had three classrooms that included a small library. There was one large room with 36 sewing machines where women learned industrial sewing and a new laundry room with the most modern equipment of the time where the inmates learned the laundry trade. “I’ve seen many, and I’m sure it’s the finest in the country,” said Mary Gillespie, assistant warden for women, at the time of the opening. In January 1968, the Denver Post wrote an article describing the new facility. “Inside the massive doors, the visitor is greeted by piped music,” the Post

Courtesy Photo / Daily Record

A group of Colorado's pioneering female prison wardens pose for a photo at the Museum of Colorado Prisons during a book signing of 'The Faces of Change: The Women Wardens of Colorado.' From left are Donice Neal, Susan Jones, Laurie Tafoya, Cherrie Greco, Joanie Shoemaker and Wallis Parmenter.

reporter wrote. “Slender ceiling-to-floor glass windows spaced along the halls look like a triumph of modern design, rather than a substitute for iron bars.” Along with the classrooms that provided space for a business class for inmates, there was a craft room furnished with a kiln and art supplies, an auditorium that served as an entertainment space and chapel, and four beauty stations meant to encourage good grooming practices. The facility has been expanded several times over the past 40 years and at the time of its closure housed 202 inmates. The Department of Corrections also opened other women’s facilities in Denver and Pueblo over the years to deal with the increase in the number of female inmates. Between 1989 and 1999, the number of women in the correctional

28 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

system rose from 392 to 1,186, according to a 1999 Denver Post article. The increase has been attributed to several factors, including a rise in mandatory sentencing laws and changing gender roles. Throughout the facility’s history, education and reformation have been a focus for staff. CWCF held its first graduation ceremony in June 1968. At that first ceremony, 29 inmates received their certificates of completion through the Dale Carnegie course. In 1996, the facility tested a new education program that provided classes on career development, the impact of crime on victims, family education and cultural diversity. In 2007, the prison bestowed its first associate’s degree to Mary B. Johnson. In the 1980s, inmates participated in writing a newsletter for the facility called

“Thoughts from Within.” Inmates came up with the ideas, researched the stories, did the typing and put the facilities together. In 1987, CWCF joined the Bureau of Land Management horse program. Female inmates took horses already broken by the male inmates and completed the final gentling process before the horses were adopted out. Female inmates also participated in the Department of Corrections Shape Up program for female juvenile offenders. The inmates showed the girls around CWCF and explained to them and their parents what life would be like on the inside if they continued their life of crime into adulthood. CWCF was closed (in May 2009) as part of the department’s budget cuts, its inmates transferred to other facilities and its staff shifted into positions at other local prisons.

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A sense of home

e snuck under the railroad trellis … hopped a fence … and found ourselves on the riverbank, watching the sun crest the mountains … shoes wet from the morning dew. I felt like a rebel, getting up early, crossing someone’s field, and preparing to slay the trout like I was an old pro (which could not have ended up being further from the case). It was my first fishing trip, and I was ecstatic! But for my family … well they have been journeying to, over, and trough this same stretch of the Arkansas, since Grandpa moved here in 1909. So as a child, all experiences like my first trip to the river, a cheeseburger and fries at the Owl Cigar Store, or stopping at

the same neighborhood market (Hilltop Market, BTW, I always loved their bulk candies) Greg DiRito … always made me feel a sense of home. It’s a feeling that can’t be found at the latest and greatest chain business, or the newest home subdivision. It’s found in holding the same mud stuck to your shoes on a riverbank, that your great-grandfather may have stood in, or spinning on the same bar stool watching the same snooker table, as my uncle did, before leaving for the war in the 1940s. Grandpa and grandma settled in Lincoln Park, and the original family farm is just a

mile away from my current home. There is something reassuring about seeing the house they raised eight kids in, on my way to work. You must appreciate that in a small town, you get the daily newspaper, but you never need it … Because you heard the daily rumblings at the Donut Shop, with all the old timers around you … full of hope that Dad would decide I needed a raspberry filled bismark, instead of the cake donuts we ritually brought each day to my fathers work crew. But I loved all these “usual” stops we made, it was what made Cañon City and Fremont County home. When you entered the Daylight Donut shop on Fifth Street, you could nearly write your name in the

smoke filling the air. Or getting gas at the station on the corner of 15th before it was scraped and replaced with the Post Office. In school, it was always a crapshoot as to whether the teacher in the Middle School (ironically formerly my mother’s high school), had thought fondly of my five older brothers and sisters, or was I preparing for a road paved with many trips to the hallway. Having the same lockers as my older siblings had, and maybe even my mom. The biggest weekend of the year, the summer kickoff you might say, has always been Blossom weekend. As a kid, Blossom weekend always meant a couple of See HOME, pg. 35

100 years serving Fremont County The Holt family began in funeral service in 1922, when Cecil and Evelyn Holt purchased the McCandless Mansion in Florence and operated Home Mortuary. Their son, William, was raised in an apartment above the funeral home, and eventually took over the business.

William (Bill Sr.) opened Holt Mortuary with his wife Grace on Macon Avenue in Cañon City, in 1939. Bill Sr. also operated an air charter service in the 1960s and transported human remains all over the United States, and was under contract to transport escapees back to the State Penitentiary in Cañon City. They raised their son, Bill Jr. in an apartment inside the funeral home on Macon Avenue, which he began operating with his wife Bonnie. Bill Holt Jr. continued operating the funeral home with Bonnie, as well as the air charter service as a pilot. Bill Jr. was a Deputy Coroner for Fremont County for more than 30 years and served in Rotary in Cañon City. Bill Jr.’s son,Trey Holt and daughter, Beth Holt Madone operate Farnum Holt Funeral Home in Glenwood Springs, Holt Family Funeral Home in Cañon City and Florence Historic Funeral Home in Florence.They are now joined by their children, and the 5th generation, Brooke and her husband Caleb Petersen and Jared Holt. Throughout 100 years and five generations of funeral service, the Holt family has kept the ideal to provide the highest level of professional and compassionate service to each family they serve.They have always understood that it is not only their responsibility, but a privilege like no other, to assist someone through perhaps the most difficult physical, emotional, and spiritual journey they may take. The path of grief is sacred ground, and it is our responsibility and our privilege to walk with you, with compassion and premier service.

806 Macon Avenue Canon City, CO 81212 Tel: 1-719-275-4113 holtfuneral@gmail.com

120 N. Pikes Peak Ave Florence, CO 81212 Tel: 1-719-784-6389 holtfuneral@gmail.com

Brooke and Caleb Petersen are the fifth generation of the Holt family

1449 S. 9th Street Canon City, CO 81212 Tel: 1-719-275-3372 holtfuneral@gmail.com

CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY •JUNE 7, 2022 • 29

Community laid down the tracks for recreation opportunities C

añon City’s recreation history closely follows that of the town itself: mining boom and bust, agriculture, tourism, and transportation. Modern opportunities for recreation in our beautiful public places are largely thanks to the efforts of individuals to repurpose historic routes, roads, and landscapes. The region’s earliest travelers were the Ute people, who migrated throughout southern Colorado, including Colorado Springs, Cañon City, and South Park. Trails at South Cañon hold a history as old as time immemorial. The Ute Tribe used Grape creek as a byway to reach summer hunting grounds in South Park. Their mythology extends to Temple Canyon, which holds stories and lore. In the late 1880s, narrowgauge railroad lines were laid (and re-laid after floods) by European settlers to reach nearby Westcliffe and Silver Cliff. Now, trails like Redemption, Hard Time, and Watchtower overlook the creek, offering hikers and bikers an opportunity to gaze over the creek, the Temple, and the Arkansas River Valley beyond. Below these upper elevations lie Lower South Cañon trails and Ecology Park, which until 1968 was a landfill. Beginning in the late 1990s, Cañon City Recreation and Park District, along with Fremont County, secured the defunct landfill property and reclaimed the area with the help of the Cañon City High School Environmental Club and a generous donation of land from Walter and Gloria Schepp, to create the B.F.

Rockafellow park – known as Ecology Park. Trails now extend from the Riverwalk Ashlee Sack to the upper reaches of Temple Canyon Park – a beautiful and challenging system of trails that includes the region’s only downhill flow trail for mountain bikes. Equestrians and hikers particularly enjoy the secluded and scenic Grape Creek trail, which winds through the canyon aside the crystalline creek. For more than 150 years, the Royal Gorge has drawn visitors to experience the majesty and awe— inspiring views of the ‘Grand Canyon of the Arkansas’. In the early 1900s, a road from Cañon City to the Royal Gorge allowed sightseers to picnic on the rim of the canyon. Recognizing the potential for recreation, in 1906 Congressman Guy U. Hardy was able to secure 5,000 acres – 8 square miles – of land surrounding the Royal Gorge for the City of Cañon City. It wasn’t until 2014, after the Royal Gorge Fire, that local trail advocates Fremont Adventure Recreation pursued the creation of over 22 miles of trail in the park – allowing individuals on foot and bike to explore the vast landscape. Today, the trail system connects to the historic trestles that once took tourists from Buckskin Joe frontier town to Point Alta Vista – a scenic overlook at the rim of the gorge. Below the Royal Gorge, the city’s first water delivery system follows alongside the

30 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

Today, the trail system connects to the historic trestles that once took tourists from Buckskin Joe frontier town to Point Alta Vista. mighty Arkansas River. Once comprising ditches and a wooden pipeline, a portion of the ditch was constructed uphill of the river in 1892. When construction was halted for over a decade due to technical issues, it wasn’t until 1908 that the City proposed using the partiallycomplete ditch as a scenic drive – Tunnel Drive. Money was collected from the community to open the drive – complete with large tunnels – to the public. After being closed again in 1990 for safety reasons, it was reopened in 1997 by the City of Cañon City and the Cañon City Area Recreation and Parks District to foot and bike traffic. The roughly 2-mile trail takes walkers, runners, and bikers from the trailhead into the mouth of the Royal Gorge. Since 2022, adventurous individuals can also climb the recently-completed Royal Cascade trail – an imposing 3.6 mile (1,800 feet of elevation gain) trail that links Tunnel Drive to the Royal Gorge Park Trails. It wasn’t just water that seeped out of the ground in Cañon City, however. In the late 1800s, oil was discovered in the area about 10 miles north of town, and Cañon City is the site of our nation’s second oil well. Thus, the trail system east of Red Canyon Road is known as Oil Well Flats and over-

looks both the historic oil fields and also the Felch/ Marsh quarry, where paleontologists scoured the dirt and rock for prehistoric fossils of dinosaurs. Today, hikers, runners, bikers, and equestrians can traverse over 12 miles of trail that extends (for hikers and equestrians only) to Cooper Mountain. The views from Island in the Sky rival any world wonders. Our region’s incredible recreation opportunities are defined by history and created by our community. Today, trail building is both an art and a science as we balance recreation desires, wildlife needs, and environmental concerns. For the past 10 years, local group Fremont Adventure Recreation has advocated for access to public lands via singletrack trails, which allow quiet recreation among some of our most iconic areas: Oil Well Flats, the Royal Gorge Park, and South Cañon. More than 64 miles of singletrack trail exist and are open to varied users, including hikers, bikers, and equestrians, many of these trails offer quiet solace miles from town…with trailheads just minutes from downtown. Users in the 21st Century interact with public lands and trails with a reverence for history and a desire to ‘Leave No Trace’ for generations to come.

Parade of Lights began in 1989

By Carie Canterbury Daily Record

T

he Cañon City Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade of Lights has been an annual tradition for the community since its first trek along Main Street in 1989. That inaugural “Santa’s Light Parade,” sponsored by Main Street USA, attracted more than 35 entries and ran from Third Street to Eighth Street. The Royal Gorge Harmonizers had a mobile unit traveling up and down the street entertaining parade watchers while Christmas elves and cartoon characters entertained children. Cider and cookies were provided by Merlino’s Belvedere, Cañon Market and the Downtown Merchants by the Christmas tree at Seventh and Main

Cara Fisher / Daily Record

Christmas Parade down Main Street in 1996.

streets. “We want to make this a community affair,” said Sharon Thompson, owner of Thompson’s Health Foods and parade committee chair in an archived Daily Record article. The parade marshal that year was Bill Jackson. In a 1999 Daily Record article, Debbie Brixey, a Chamber of Commerce Christmas

Parade committee member, talked about how the parade had evolved during those first 10 years. “The (event) started out as a candlelight parade with people walking down (the street) with candles,” she said. Each year, the committee added different events, floats and food booths. In 2012, the temperature at

parade time was a balmy 71 degrees, a stark contrast to that year’s theme, “Winter Wonderland.” About 43 entries traveled down Main Street for the 24th annual event. Parade organizer Jim Meisner told the Daily Record that about 2,500 people attended the 2011 parade and he expected even more to attend in 2012. The next year, the temperature at parade time was 6 degrees and 11 entries had dropped out of the lineup. Some families watched the festivities from their vehicles or inside restaurants or businesses, but a few braved the cold and sat outside. While some things have changed through the years, one thing hasn’t. Santa Claus himself continues to make his grand entrance at the end of every Christmas parade.

CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY •JUNE 7, 2022 • 31

Mining is a key part of Cañon City’s history

By Olivia Johnson The Daily Record

M

ining played an incredibly important role in Cañon City’s history. Gold, petroleum, cement, limestone, gypsum, and dozens of other minerals and coal were extracted from mountains and valleys around the Fremont County area. Though several plants set up residence throughout Fremont County, some played particular importance or had sweeping drama within their inner workings. Empire Zinc opened in the late 1800s in Cañon City and employed roughly 100 men. According to a July 9, 1974, Daily Record article, “The Empire Zinc plant handled ores from the Leadville district and, for many years, it ranked among Fremont County’s leading contributors to the economy.” The plant closed for good in the 1970s. The drama of mining came in the form of the Chandler Mine. Chandler opened for the mining business in the mid-1890s and, at one time, employed over 450 men. The mine provided resources for a town to develop on its border which included a school, company store, a post office, saloon, and a two-story boarding house. In 1914, hot on the heels of the Ludlow Massacre, where 50 people died because of mining unionization tensions, Chandler also erupted. In what became known as the explosive Chandler March, a 36-hour gun battle

Workers at the Machine Shop in Chandler, circa 1915.

raged seven miles southwest of Cañon City, as Chandler miners attempted to take union negotiations into their own hands. The Chandler Mine had been operated in the winter of 1913 by 100 strikebreakers and bad blood ran hot between workers and strikebreakers as well as the militiamen sent to protect the mine. On April 25, 1914, the March began and one casualty was reported in the death of William King, 26, a nonunion underground miner. As miners fell upon Chandler, guards meant to protect the mine fired into the hills surrounding the town. Hundreds of shots could be heard throughout Cañon City, telephone wires were cut and rumors ran rampant. It was said that miners planned to invade Cañon City

32 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

and blow up the courthouse and power plant. Women and children hastily evacuated their Chandler homes as tensions continued to mount and, soon after King’s death, shots peppered the mine office. Despite their anger, strikers took the town without destroying any buildings or machinery. To add to the chaos, a 60foot bridge across Santa Fe Railroad tracks was blown up. A trainload of workers meant to replace the strikers was traveling through Williamsburg when strikers fired so fiercely upon the train that it was forced to retreat. The ring of bullets was more than enough to persuade them to return from where they came. On April 27, General Chase arrived with 209 men to wrest control of Chandler

Special to the Daily Record

from the strikers. As the realization that federal aid was descending upon them, the strikers slowly relinquished control of Chandler. By early May 1914, hostilities had ceased but tensions remained. U.S. troops remained at Chandler and Williamsburg throughout May and, on May 27, a grand jury presented a list of 100 names indicted for inciting the Chandler March. About 27 of those accused were indicted for first-degree murder and 24 were arrested. Only two men, Dave Robb and Ben Richardson were convicted of voluntary manslaughter of King and the Chandler March was finally put to rest. The Chandler mine and corresponding town functioned until 1942 but now stands as a completely deserted ghost town.

MUSEUM from page 19

went out to the community requesting donations of any articles about the prison or its employees. No questions would be asked as to how or where these items were obtained. The response was overwhelming. Items came pouring in, from the bizarre, the ghoulish, to the arcane. Examples include a double-edged meat cleaver used to hold a family hostage during a 1942 escape, a complete guard’s uniform worn by someone’s grandfather, inmate confis-

cated weapons, some with blood on them from being used, a doll made by a female inmate wearing a wig made by using her hair, and the list goes on. Locals found stuff in their basements, attics, and garages. Most were relieved to find a home for their family treasures. Somehow the prison next door managed to locate one of the original gas chambers, which is now showcased in the entry yard of the museum. 17,000 glass negatives

found in a dusty below ground corridor were saved from being sent to the city dump by a quick-thinking guard. Photos from these negatives depicting early prison life are now hanging on the museum’s walls. One other item donated and on display is a noose used in an actual hanging. Along with the noose the museum inherited the spirit of the man the noose was used on. The museum is listed as the third most haunted place in Colorado, just behind the

Stanley Hotel in Estes Park and Cheeseman Park in Denver. It has been featured twice on television’s Mysteries At The Museum, and Ghost Hunt U.S.A. uses it as a destination for paranormal activity. It has had visitors from all over the U.S.A. and 32 foreign countries. Part of D.O.C.’s training program is a tour of the museum. Approximately 19,000 people visit it each year. Numbers don’t lie. The general public loves the bizarre, the ghoulish, and the Arcane.

here. We continue to be a friendly city that cares for each other when times get tough. During the COVID-19 global pandemic, our people took care of the elderly, bolstered businesses, and sup-

ported our health care and essential workers. Our community also came together with data-proven processes to reduce homelessness by 60% in 2 1/2 years and become the first county in the State of Colorado to achieve functional zero for

veteran homelessness. I’m pleased to report Cañon City is excelling in all areas and is set up well to allow our adventures to continue. Best Regards, Ashley Smith, City of Cañon City Mayor

MAYOR from page 6

serving as Cañon City’s second female mayor in history. I hope this makes you proud. You should also be immensely proud of the generations of families still living, farming, and ranching

COME DO TIME WITH US! Exp plore the e histtory of Colorado Prissons.

See the stories behind the wallss!

201 N. 1st St, Canon City, CO 719-269-3015 • prisonmuseum.org CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY •JUNE 7, 2022 • 33

Penrose Pizzeria & Pub DINE-IN • TAKE-OUT • ORDER ONLINE Penrose Pizzeria & Pub located at 103 Broadway Street in Penrose, Colorado, has been serving great food since July 25, 2020. We offer amazingly fresh, delicious, and homemade Neapolitan-style pizzas, pastas, salads and more! Our pizzas are unique because we start with a 3-day cold fermented dough that is hand-tossed, and made-to-order with the highest quality and freshest ingredients. We also hand-make all our sauces and dips, bake our own bread, season and bake our ham, brine and bake our chicken, and craft our own seasoned ground meat. We are open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:30am to 8:30pm with Happy Hour every day from 3pm to 6pm. Dine-in, carry-out, or order online from our website at www.penrosepizzeriapub.com. Or give us a call at 719-784-7346.

34 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

DISCOVERIES from page 11

Edwin Delfs and a crew from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in 1954. It is on display at the museum under the nickname “Happy.” One of the most intact and scientifically important Stegosaurus stenops skeletons was excavated in 1992 by Bryan Small and a crew from DMNS. The bones of the stegosaurus were still in place where the animal died, showing paleontologists the correct arrangement of the back plates and tail spikes and that the dinosaur possessed a bony throat armor. Replicas of this stegosaurus are on display at the Royal Gorge Regional Museum and History Center (RGRMHC) and DMNS. A clutch of eggs found in 1993 are also on display at DMNS. RGRMHC has a very complete and rare fossil

tree in their gallery that was found near the Marsh-Felch quarry in 1998. The “hogbacks” around Cañon City are also part of its rich paleontological history. These long ridges are beds of Cretaceous marine deposits from a large sea that covered the western US. The uplifting of the Rocky Mountains tilted and bent them into the long ridges we now see today. Each one is filled with the remains of ancient sea creatures, many of which are long extinct. Skyline Drive exposes a set of tracks from when a dinosaur walked across a muddy shoreline. They are visible next to the road up the hogback with a sign showing where they are. Today, Garden Park is not the “battleground” for one of the most outlandish tales in

American history, but the remains of it can still be seen today. The Marsh-Felch quarry is publicly accessible and has a hiking trail with informational signage that leads to and overlook of the original quarry site. The Cleveland-Delfs quarry site is visible from the picnic area across Fourmile Creek from the excavation site and also has informational signage. Some of the finds from Garden Park can be seen at the Royal Gorge Regional Museum and History Center, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Yale Peabody Museum, and the Smithsonian Institution. Hopefully, with the years to come, Garden Park will continue to give us important and exciting scientific discoveries.

HOME from page 29 things. One, the parade and carnival were comin’ to town, and, two, summer was here and school was nearly at an end! It was the biggest thing to small eyes each May … the floats bigger than life…the bands marching in sync (some more than others) … the junk food … the rides … the lights. It was a lot for a wideeyed little boy. Who would have guessed that later I would spend over a decade volunteering with this nonprofit committee? Dad always taught us that its not enough to live in a community, that is unfair and just taking from it, we have an obligation to contribute to it. We must do our part to make it a little better than how we found it.

SF REE MRO N VT CIO UNN TGY +

CUSTER COUNTY for more than 35 years

719-275-1261 | sangre.org CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY •JUNE 7, 2022 • 35

The Daily Record can be seen in the 500 block of Main Street in this circa 1910 photo.

Royal Gorge Regional Museum and History Center

Daily Record has provided daily editions for 115 years By Carie Canterbury The Daily Record

F

or 115 years, the Daily Record has provided daily news and community information to residents of Cañon City and Fremont County. The weekly paper began publishing a daily edition every evening except Sunday on July 16, 1906. But the publication’s roots can be traced back much further. According to archives at the Royal Gorge Regional Museum and History Center, Dr. Isaac E. Thayer founded the Cañon City Weekly Avalanche in 1875. In 1878, the Avalanche changed its name to The Fremont County Record. On July 16, 1906, Cañon City Weekly Record became a daily publication, but the weekly Cañon City Record also continued until 1976. On July 1, 1895, Guy U. Hardy purchased the Weekly Record for $3,000 and contin-

From the beginning, the Daily Record has covered it all From triumphs to tragedies, the Cañon City Daily Record has been there to provide news coverage for the community since the late 1800s. While the role of the newspaper has evolved through the years, one thing has remained the same: a dedication to providing critical information to the community. Newspapers in general have changed since their inception. The Daily Record is no exception. From the size of the publication to the number of print days to audience increases online to the introduction of social media, the Daily Record has been the voice of Fremont County. Whatever platform readers wanted their news, the Daily Record has evolved to provide it. When the Daily Record began, readers flocked to newsstands to read the latest edition. Today, the Daily Record’s breaking news is a click away and can come at any hour of the

ued as the publisher until his death in 1947. In a Nov. 28, 1968, edition of the Daily Record, writer and historian W.T. (Doc) Lit-

36 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

day. Like all print media, a large part of the audience has moved to digital subscriptions. The Daily Record website alone averages 100,000 users per month — a phenomenal number considering Cañon City’s population of just under 17,000 residents. And, yet, there is still a loyal subscription base that favors the print product. Whatever format readers choose to take in the newspaper’s coverage, they will notice that same dedication to keeping the community informed on their governmental bodies’ decisions, crime, features on neighbors and coverage of community events. The world may have changed through the years, but the job remains the same: to keep the public informed. That’s something that will never change. — General Manager and Editor Michael Alcala

tle said the history of the region has been recorded in its columns for 90 years. “In that nearly century of operation, The Record has

carried stories of wars, of local tragedies and accomplishments, of the economic ups and downs, of the gradual but steady progress that has made Cañon City one of the fine and stable communities of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region,” he wrote. This truth still stands today. The weekly, and later, daily newspaper was published by three generations of the Hardy family for 84 years. The Times-Call Publishing Company purchased the publication on Dec. 1, 1978, at which time Ed Lehman became president and publisher. The publication was purchased again by Prairie Mountain Media in 2011 with a focus on providing news coverage 24/7 through digital platforms and social media while continuing the newspaper delivery six days a week. The Daily Record purchased The Shopper, a weekly mailed publication, in 2016.

SPIRITS from page 27

Pueblo in the 1904 election. Mine owners would march their miners to the polls to make sure they voted for Peabody while Democrats in Denver employed “repeaters.” Those folks would vote for Adams only to change clothes and return to the polls to vote again. My interest in Peabody’s portrayal has been not only to tell the story of those tumultuous years but to give due credit to Peabody for developing water works, sanitary sewer lines, and electricity in Cañon City. He developed the earliest oil wells; started Cañon City’s first paid fire department, the 1st National Bank of Cañon City, Fremont County Abstract, and secured the grant for the Carnegie Library. Looking back over the 150 years in Cañon City, unlike early pioneer names like Rudd, Harrison, Raynolds, Macon, Catlin, and Steinmeier, Peabody’s name has

never been attached to any local streets, parks, or other public facilities. His name is associated only with the home of the former Chamber of Commerce, the Peabody House at 4th and Royal Gorge Boulevard. By the way, it is the Peabody House, not the Peabody Mansion. The Peabody Mansion still sits at 1128 Grant Street in Denver, said to be one of the most haunted sites in Colorado. I probably never properly thanked the Fremont County Historical Society for presenting me with the Doc Little Memorial Award back in 2011 for my interest in Peabody’s historical contributions. But then again there are many others who deserve credit for continuing to step up and volunteer to keep history alive through the Spirits of the Past. The Spirits of the Past are pleased to play a role in preserving 150 years of history in Cañon City.

BLESSED from page 25

because of being outside the city limits). But the absolutely most astounding part of these excursions? As long as we were home by suppertime (the streetlights flickering on was the obvious signal), our parents didn’t worry about us. It wasn’t because they were absent or uncaring, but rather because of their confidence in this town. If there was ever a time we needed help, anything from a BandAid to refilling our canteens (that we could use our Fizzies with), there was a familiar face every block or so. This was typical for the community and, perhaps even for our culture at the time.

One example of this municipality of care? The highlight of Blossom weekend for many of us was hosting outof-town band students, providing them food, transportation and lodging. The delightful outgrowth of this was the opportunity to look for (and cheer) other faces and bands besides our local ones in the parade. My affection and dedication to Cañon City were birthed in these years of friends, neighbors and anonymous locals reflecting care and concern to ensure this kid was living his best life. It was a blessed time in my life and in our town and in our country. Times that were indeed foundational to who I am and the values I have.

SHARE from page 17 through the Royal Gorge to reach the silver mines in Leadville. This legacy of rail travel into the depths of the Royal Gorge is still available today. Fremont County’s scenic canyons, hot springs and hospitable climate began attracting filmmakers as early as 1910 when cowboy star Tom Mix starred in a silent film produced by the Selig Film Company. Over the intervening years, many films have been made here. Today, we are so much more than our humble beginning. Our agricultural roots still shine through the efforts of our local farmers and ranchers. Oil wells and mines continue to produce and provide good jobs. State and federal corrections still provide a stable income for much of our

workforce. But we also have carefully cultivated an incredible reputation as a tourism community, hosting visitors who flock here for the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, whitewater rafting, agritourism, jeep and ATV tours, the Arkansas Riverwalk, biking and hiking trails, gold medal fishing, community festivals, Gold Belt Tour, museums and much, much more. Recently, we also embraced technology in a variety of forms and welcomed the new Emergent Campus in Florence. Happy Anniversary, Cañon City! Fremont County celebrates the Cañon City Sesquicentennial along with the city, council, and residents. Together, we shine!

Phil’s Barber Co. would like to thank you for

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CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY •JUNE 7, 2022 • 37

ATTRACTION from page 14

unanswered, she stayed by the men and nursed them until she also contracted the illness. While Silverheels survived the disease, people state that it left her so badly scarred that she constantly veiled her face. Community members rallied and spread her story, raising money for the heroine, but when they went to deliver it, they found that she had disappeared without a trace. Not able to honor her with a monetary donation, the community named a mountain in the area in honor of her. For almost 100 years, Buckskin Joe’s ending was similar to hundreds of other ghost mining camps in Colorado, however, unlike other ghost towns whose names are lost, Buckskin Joe’s name was given a second chance at life. Karol Smith, a motion picture manager in Cañon City, as well as the head of The Motion Picture Promotion Committee on the Cañon City Chamber of Commerce for several years, and his friend, Academy Award winner Art Director Malcolm F. Brown, was the first to develop the idea of restoring a former mining town. In a July 1958 interview, Smith states, “Malcolm Brown and I were driving between Leadville and Cripple Creek and we were talking of the old historic towns. Many of them completely disappeared, in others only a few buildings remained. The idea of gathering together some of these old log buildings and recreating an authentic pioneer Colorado town with them, laid out as such towns were, was born right then.” Brothers Don and Lawerence Tyner soon joined the vision of a place where history could be preserved,

where real western buildings could be used for films and a place that tourists could visit to get a good taste of the wild west. Their vision of building a western town in their home of Cañon City started becoming a reality in 1957. The first thing they settled on was a name- Buckskin Joe. In a 1957 interview, Smith stated, “We picked Buckskin Joe as a name because there is a real Buckskin Joe, and because we like it. We see Buckskin Joe as a tourist attraction year-round.” Not only did the trio breathe new life into Buckskin Joe’s name, but they also purchased the original Tabor Building and moved it to the restored site of Buckskin Joe. Dubbed the largest authentic Old West Theme Park in the nation, Buckskin Joe opened in the summer of 1958 and was a smashing success. With no admission costs, the town was a hit with locals and tourists alike. Newspaper articles report thousands of people making Buckskin Joe a weekend destination with packed parking lots before 10 a.m. Original buildings from old forgotten western towns were restored and lined the street, selling gifts, antiques, and refreshments. Hotel and saloon fronts boasted a few original pieces of furniture used by pioneers, as well as replicas. Instead of modern vehicles traveling down Main Street, horses, stagecoaches and wagon replicas lined the tourist-filled streets as employees milled about in authentic western garb. If the sights and sounds of the western town did not transport you back to the wild west, then the shows were sure to and were often based on historical events. Shootouts with outlaws and

38 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

duels were an hourly occurrence in the mining town and tourists were even offered opportunities to pan for gold. A western experience would not be complete without a train ride, and Royal Gorge Scenic Railway located at Buckskin Joe did not disappoint. The three-mile trip on the 15-inch narrow gauge track offered breathtaking views of the Royal Gorge and Sangre De Cristo Mountains. Buckskin Joe was not only a hot spot for tourists but also fulfilled the dream as a legitimate western town movie set. Some movies filmed on-site included, “Barquero,” “Cat Ballou,” “Conagher,” “How the West was Won,” “Lightning Jack,” “Saddle The Wind,” “The Cowboys,” “The Duchess and The Dirtwater Fox,” “The Sacketts,” “Then Came Bronson,” “True Grit,” Vengeance Valley and more. Movies were not the only form of media at the site, several local and national commercials also were filmed there, as well as photoshoots. Concessions, souvenirs, and experiences were the main moneymakers for Buckskin Joe, but it did not seem to be enough to keep it operational. In 1965, just seven years after it opened, the buildings in the town were bid on due to foreclosure. With the high offer of $17,000, Louis Camerlo of Cotopaxi became the new owner of the struggling tourist attraction on 155 acres. For 10 years, Camerlo breathed life into the town adding to its charm. In 1975, he sold the business to Mr & Mrs. Roanld McClain for $420,000. The town sold again 10 years later to Greg and Judy Tabuteau. The picturesque mountain backdrop with authentic buildings kept drawing the

attention of film crews and the gunfights and true western experience made tourists return year after year. In 2010, after 52 years of hosting thousands of tourists and entertaining them with wagon rides, saloon brawls, gunfights, gold panning, horse rides, and more, the boardwalks at Buckskin Joe fell silent. After two failed attempts at selling the attraction in the past decade, Greg Tabuteau finally had a buyer. Tabuteau stated reasons for selling were due to the decline in tourists, with shorter summer breaks not as many tourists were visiting. “We have from the 10th of June to the 10th of August, which is 60 days,” Tabuteau said in a September 2010 interview. “That’s not enough. Also, the lack of funding from the state to promote tourism has decreased over the years. We were No. 5 in those days. Now we’ve dropped to No 17 as far as money for tourism.” Nearly a year after the property was sold, the 30 buildings that made up Buckskin Joe left the area as they arrived 50 years ago — board by board. Purchased for $3.2 million by billionaire William Koch, the old western buildings were disassembled and moved to a ranch near Gunnison to be part of his private Western lore collection. The land on which the town sat on the edge of the Royal Gorge remained vacant for several years. In 2018, the 805 acres were purchased by Ty Seufer, who owns Royal Gorge Rafting and Zip Line Tours and the Whitewater Bar & Grill. He plans to keep 40% of the land as open space and develop 30% into tiny home lots and the other 30% into a retail development.

Royal Gorge by horseback a treat By Melodie Head The Daily Record

horseback riders rode up to the Royal Gorge for a picnic lunch at the park. Editor’s note: This article “It was such a success that originally was published in the Cañon City Trail and Sadthe Daily Record on March dle Club was formed to spon30, 2009. sor the event,” said Pauline Stieha, member of the Rocky Thousands of hoofs click Mountain Back Country along the trail up to the Royal Horsemen in a 2001 newspaGorge Bridge. The year is per article found at the Royal 1948 and 527 participants Gorge Museum & History grace this ride — 2,400 othCenter. ers wait at the destination for During its first years, the the trademark picnic at the riders trucked up the trail of top. Fremont Peak Capitalize “The ride was so wellPeak toward the Royal known,” said Jerry HigginGorge, but because trail deteson, president of the Colora- rioration was too extreme for do Rebels in the late 1980s, safe riding, Priest Canyon “riders from all surrounding became the route of the jourstates would ride.” ney and the long train of ridIt is the height of success ers began near city water for the annual trip and an treatment plant and ended at event set to take place for the park. many years to come. The original trail wouldn’t In 1939, the first group of have been easy for the hors-

es we know. “The horses were more of the ‘cor-working class’ than of leisure riding types,” Stieha said in the article. According to a 1989 Daily Record article, Jim Dilley, president of the Colorado Rebel Riders Club in 1981 and rider on the annual trip since 10 years of age, said the modern horses probably would have a hard time making the old trail. He said one year a horse fell on a spot that was solid rock and broke its back. Each year, the event began a few days early with prisoners walking up the trail to check its readiness for 500 horses or so. Jack Merris, a retired state prison guard, would “take a truckload of convicts up into the Royal Gorge Park,” stated a 1987 Daily Record arti-

cle found at the history center. “They would work their way back down the trail on Fremont Peak with picks and shovels to make sure it was in good shape.” The night before the ride, participants celebrated with a dance, and the ride became the prelude to the Cañon City Rodeo. The next day, the ride ended at the Royal Gorge with races and fun activities for the riders according to age and experience level. As time went on, interest in the ride dwindled and participation lessened into the late 1950s bringing the Cañon City Trail and Saddle Club to an end. The ride was up and running again when the Colorado Rebels Saddle Club took over in 1963 by the Rocky Mountain Back Country Horsemen, the 1987 article noted.

to see the movie Tombstone at the historic Skyline Theater. It is amazing how just the simplest of memories can bring back a flood of emotions. I now work in the very building where City Hall once resided, and where I bore witness to my very first City Council meeting as they passed an ordinance allowing a skate park to be built at Mountain View Park. Oh, how it seems so long ago. It is astonishing to realize how simply and quickly time flies by, and yet, still brings us all back full circle. There are countless memories of this small-town life that may seem to others to be as trivial as that mosquito on the back of a dinosaur, though really all of which have combined to help shape us into the community we are

today. All choices have consequences, and those consequences can be good or bad. For the most part, I am fortunate to be able to fondly recollect my time here. Even though I still shudder at the sheer and blatant stupidity of some of my decisions as a youth, I am proud to call this place my hometown. I am sentimental of the good times and appreciative of the consequences that have shaped me into the man I am today. I am honored and fortunate to be a part of this community and to possibly help mold it into what it can be in the future. All I can say is hold on to your memories. Cherish and preserve them as best you can. Because all of those recollections, all of those experiences, are truly what makes us uniquely Cañon City.

PLACE from page 13

It seems in all small communities there are places where one comes to terms with their own sense of risky, yet ultimately stupid, ideas to prove one’s youthful bravery. To write of things not to do, the infamous and seemingly never changing Black Bridge was a popular and rather unorthodox hang out for a particular sect of local youth. I may have possibly partaken in the dumbest of behaviors by leaping from the bridge only to emerge from the water to the shouts and hollers from those bearing witness. The aroma of freshly popped popcorn and gulping down stale soda at Sunset Video Arcade on Main Street will be forever ingrained in my mind. As a kid, I recall spending countless hours (and even more countless

quarters) battling each other for superiority in the video game realms of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. Later in my high school years there was the driving up and down Main Street for no particular reason at all. Some have referred to this in the past as “dragging the gut”, though that is a term my generation never seemed to know or use. Just cruising down Main before we decided on what other mild and harmless trouble we could get ourselves into. Playing pool at the Owl while fiendishly devouring those delightful burgers. Walking after school to the public library and stopping by the beloved Cañon Market for some of their mysteriously addictive potato wedges. I fondly remember my dad, Lonnie, taking me

CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY •JUNE 7, 2022 • 39

HOTEL from page 23

was owed money as records at the Fremont County Courthouse showed delinquency of $25,000 on property taxes and another $6,591.85 owed on business assets, according to a Daily Record article. However before the public sale could be held, the holding company Reeder Corp, paid the delinquent taxes. The building was soon listed for sale for $500,000. For three years, the building sat dormant until hotel managers Maria and Phil Stoner reopened it and began work on remodeling and preparing the 51 rooms to be operational again in the fall of 1992. Converting the hotel into both long-term and shortterm rentals, the Stoners planned to keep the atmosphere of the St. Cloud true to its origins. Under Stoner’s management, the restaurant was reopened, as well as a way to cater to locals, according to a July 1992 Daily Record article. The hotel changed hands multiple times in the next few years because of high operating costs, according to Daily Record articles. In 1997, Gary and Sidney Buff, operating under St. Cloud Hotel LLC, sold the hotel for $450,000 to Don Teuton, owner of Rootin Teuton Hotel LLC. Under the new ownership, a Bakery & Coffee House opened with its Sunday brunch becoming popular among the locals, as well as the St. Cloud Bar and Grill. In 1998, the St. Cloud Hotel was featured in the Denver Post’s Inn for the Night column spotlighting historic lodgings in the Rocky Mountain Region. However, as fate would have it, the historical hotel’s financial issues would once more arise, which resulted in several handovers of the hotel. In 2001, records show

Carie Canterbury / Daily Record

The Hotel St. Cloud, located at Seventh and Main streets, on May 21, 2019.

since 2013 to raise funds to restore the building. Through the years, their efforts earned $350,000 in grants for the building with the foundation matching an additional $150,000. These funds went to help replace the roof and do some preliminary foundation work, and other projects. The decision to sell came due to the lack of community support in particular the city. In July 2018, Unbridled bought the dilapidated building for $80,000. A company Office of the Governor / Special to the Daily Record whose mission is to restore Gov. Jared Polis meets with Unbridled President Stan Bullis buildings and revive small inside the historic Hotel St. Cloud bar on Sept. 24, 2021. towns felt like the St. Cloud Representatives of the Colorado Office of Economic was a perfect fit. Development and International Trade, along with Polis, In a Cañon City Daily personally presented Unbridled a $3 million grant to allow this Record article after the sale, keystone project to become a reality. Jonathan Wield said, “We can redeem places, so we saw this that Rootin Teuton Hotel LLC and time again rallied behind is a natural fit: you’ve got a put the hotel up for auction, it to save it from demolition. restaurant and bar, so you can but it did not sell. For the past 12 years, the reach out to locals, and you’ve In 2003, the hotel was sold hotel has been transferred got hotel rooms, so you can for $1.3 million, however, the from one organization to the reach out to people coming new ownership barely lasted a next, while their names are through town and give them a year before the hotel once different their mission has all great experience.” again changed hands. been the same-to see the For the past three years, Today, the St.Cloud still hotel restored to its former Unbridled has worked on the stands vacant on the corner of glory. restoration process of the St.Cloud hotel, breathing life Sixth and Main streets. While In 2018, the St. Cloud was bit by bit back into the iconic its history is filled with finan- put up for public auction by cial woes, it is also full of stothe Future of Yesterday Foun- hotel so it can be one more vital part of downtown. ries of a community who time dation, which had worked

40 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

OLDEST from page 8

When DiNardo was 12, he and Mario were picking cherries for a neighbor. They expected to get paid 2-cents a pound for their labor, but the farmer paid them in cherries instead. Their Daddy, who also grew cherries, was not pleased with the surplus. “So I said, let’s squeeze ‘em and make juice,” said DiNardo, who’s been perfecting the art of making cider and various flavors of juice ever since they sold that first batch at a farm stand in 1941 on U.S. 50. DiNardo’s Cider and Farm Market remains at that site today and is open 362 days a year (closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter). And most days, unless he’s off making cider, DiNardo will be there to greet customers. Other than a side hustle for a few years, he and Mario had as a tap-dancing team, the cider mill and store have

been his life focus. The twins headed off to college in Fort Collins (Albert wanted to be a doctor and Mario a priest), but in less than a year were back at the farm to help their parents. DiNardo never looked back. As for his longevity and health – he hasn’t been to a doctor since his appendix was removed when he was 12 – DiNardo says: “Keep working. Just keep going. And eat an Italian salad every day with vinegar and oil. And a jalapeno.” And, one would suppose, drink cherry juice. As for Pittman, he gave up the daily grind of milking cows every morning for a stint in the Air Force after high school graduation. He was a jet mechanic. When he returned to Cañon City three years later, he brought his wife and baby daughter

home with him. He worked in auto parts management for a time and then spent 21 years working at the Colorado State Penitentiary, retiring in 1986. Pittman got involved in community projects through the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Rebekah Lodge, which over the years expanded a home it built in 1914 for the elderly and orphans into the Community of Care complex off 15th Street. He joined Odd Fellows in 1947 and everyone in his family has been involved in the organization and its work, including building Cañon City’s only high-rise – the Royal Gorge Manor senior apartments. “My kids have been involved in the organization and my son was Sovereign Master in 2019,” he said. “That’s quite an honor and

quite a job. “That’s been our life involvement.” Neither Pittman nor DiNardo can imagine living anywhere else. DiNardo said he took a five-day vacation for an Elks convention in Dallas with a side trip to Mexico to see an old cathedral and couldn’t wait to return home. That was his only trip, he said, because “I was too busy making cider.” Pittman, on the other hand, has traveled extensively and enjoys it. But when he returns, especially if he’s driving in from the east and tops the hill where the city lies below in the river valley, he knows he’s home. “Cañon City is still a good place to live and raise your kids,” he said. “We feel very fortunate to live here. So many things to do here, so much good scenery.”

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OPEN EVERY DAY 42 • JUNE 7, 2022•CAÑON CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

150 YEARS OF

COMMUNITY

1929

Congratulations to the city of Cañon City on their Sesquicentennial Celebration!

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