March 2024

Online at www.theseniorvoice.net

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William and Peggy Lambdin Founders, 1980

Adam & Eve IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

By Bill Lambdin

“A modern Eve living in the wilds of Rocky Mountain National Park!”

That was how The Denver Post newspaper described an event in 1917 to promote tourism in the Park—and sell newspapers.

It was the funniest piece of hype the Park has ever been associated with. And it was sanctioned then by the Park superintendent L.C. Way, who was embarrassed by how it turned out.

Wearing a revealing leopard skin outfit for photographs, “Eve” was said to be wandering alone through the wilds, living on berries and natural foods. Occasionally she appeared before tourists—a beautiful, shapely creature cavorting like the earth’s first woman through this serene mountain place.

The Post ran banner headlines and showed photos of her on its front page. One story described a lunch she prepared for superintendent Way: "chipmunk peas, bark soup, wild honey and chokecherries." (Yes, chipmunk peas.)

Eve posed with the superintendent for photographs, looking fresh and charming in her makeup, bare feet, a long slender leg showing from the leopard skin. Local people by the hundreds began flocking to the Park, hoping to catch a glimpse of this luscious creature.

It rained and no one saw her for three days. Had she drowned? Had a bear eaten her?

She was relaxing in a cottage while her leopard skin was being dry-cleaned. In fact, she spent the entire time at the cottage, never once entering the wilds. But The Post didn’t report that.

It reported that "Eve" occasionally left notes found on trails by tourists. The notes described her daily progress. One, said the

Post, was etched with a piece of charcoal on a slab of bark: "Nearly froze last night." The next note said, "Have fire now. Feeling fine."

The phony Post stories said some tourists spotted the beautiful "Eve" walking naked through the woods. But she quickly donned her leopard skin before telling the tourists about her encounter with a bear. The Post picture with that story showed her holding a string of large trout.

The stories were picked up by newspapers across the country, and soon everyone knew exactly where Rocky Mountain National Park was. The Post said “Eve” was a college girl named Agnes Lowe, whose family had a cabin in Estes Park that summer. She loved nature and wanted to prove that a modern woman could survive in it, said The Post. Actually, she was a receptionist from Denver.

After her week in the mountains, said the Post, Eve returned sunburned almost of the shade of pine bark and covered with mosquito bites from the crown of

her head to the soles of her feet. But she was in perfect health and weighed exactly one-half pound more than when she left civilization. She soon received 64 proposals of marriage, said The Post.

Park officials in Washington, D.C., were furious and called Superintendent Way on the carpet. He said he was duped by the Post and didn't realize how far the paper would carry the nonsense. But he defended the value of the publicity.

A little fun: When Adam stayed out very late for a few nights, Eve became upset.

"You're running around with other women," she charged.

"Don't be ridiculous," Adam responded. "You're the only woman on earth." The quarrel continued until Adam fell asleep, but he was awakened by someone poking him in the chest. It was Eve. "What are you doing?" Adam said. "Counting your ribs." COVER

Mountain National Park.

Lauren Carney, who likes climbing Colorado's mountains.

DEMOCRACY THREATENED

The latest NBC News poll found that American voters don’t trust the Electoral College, which has given the presidency twice to candidates who lost the popular vote. That’s how Trump beat Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Instead 65 percent of Americans want the popular vote to decide the presidency.

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement in which each state would award all of its electoral votes to the candidate who wins the national popular vote. So far, states with 205 electoral votes have joined the compact, about 76 percent of the 270 needed to win the presidency. The compact’s organizers say it’s too late to secure the commitments necessary for the 2024 election.

Research shows that faith in democracy and government is all over the map, with over 60 percent of Americans reporting they have little confidence in the future of the political system.

A full 77 percent think the country is moving in the wrong direction; 52 percent agree that “America’s best days are now behind us”; 90 percent think democracy isn’t working well; and only 16 percent say they trust government to do what is right. In other words, conditions are ripe for the death of democracy in America.

The bottom line: Voters say the 2024 election is really about saving democracy. We should not vote for any candidate who is not committed to that outcome or has no ideas about how to achieve it.

Weld County Pioneer

(Editor’s Note: Greeley historian Hazel E. Johnson wrote the following story years ago.)

By Hazel Johnson

Elbridge Gerry may have been Weld County’s first white settler, arriving in the mid-1800s.

He had at least two Indian wives. Early records said he traded five ponies for the first wife. When she died, he went back to the Indians and traded more ponies for another wife, maybe two.

Gerry became known as the Paul Revere of Weld Colorado when he rode to Denver to warn officials of an impending Indian attack. He had learned of it from one of his wives. Cavalry troops were able to prepare and ward off the attack.

Years ago, H.G. Rogerson of Greeley and Fort Collins told me about Elbridge Gerry.

“He must have been a wonderful character, smart and brave and ambitious. He came into wild Indian country alone and made friends with the tribes.

“He was buried on the old Gerry ranch east of Greeley, where he had built a house of adobe blocks.The house later served as a fort and was fairly dilapidated when we kids used to go there and dig for arrowheads. There is no trace of the old fort now.

“Gerry started a horse ranch that included several thousand acres of land where Crow Creek enters the South Platte River.

“An act of Congress gave a grant of the land he claimed and also paid him damages of over $13,000 for stock Indians had stolen from him, plus burning him out. That happened in 1864.

“With the money, Gerry built a hotel and saloon in Evans just south of Greeley. He lived there with his wife until he died in 1875,” said Rogerson.

Gerry was smart to build a saloon in Evans. Greeley settlers allowed no liquor in their town, and anyone wanting a drink had to go to Gerry’s saloon.

Elbridge Gerry in the 1800s. Hazel E. Johnson Collection.

Welcome Center @ Fort Vasquez

13412

MARCH 2024

16th Learn to make authentic no measure tortillas

Platteville Museum, 502 Marion Ave. Free admission, 10AM to Noon. Reservations at (970) 785-6285.

20th Steering Committee Meeting 7:00 PM

Initial meeting to help guide the programing of the Welcome Center. Refreshments served. Open to any Weld County Resident. Free Admission. Welcome Center (970) 785-2832.

23rd Screening: “Rio Grande Zephyr”

Fast paced program showing the spectacular 565-mile route shot between 1971 and 1983 in all seasons. Doors open at 6:00 PM, refreshments served at 6:15 PM, movie begins at 6:30 PM. Requested donation of $5.00 per person. Reservations call 970-785-2832 Wed. Sat or Sun 10 to 4 at the Welcome Center.

APRIL 2024

27th Hands On “How To” Create May Baskets

Platteville Museum, 502 Marion Ave (970) 785-6285. Noon to 2 PM. Free admission.

27th Screening: “Overland Trail” & “Cherokee Trail in Colorado”

Doors open at 6:00 PM, refreshments served at 6:15 PM, movie begins at 6:30 PM. Requested donation of $5.00 per person. Reservations call 970-785-2832 Wed. Sat or Sun 10 to 4 at the Welcome Center.

MAY 2024

4th Old Fashioned May Pole Dance

Platteville Museum 502 Marion Ave., reservations at (970) 785-6285. Join in on an old-fashioned May Pole Dance in the Park from 1 to 2 PM. Free admission.

25th Screening: Indian Sign Language program showing the communications between Traders and Native Americans during the Fur Trade era.

Doors open at 6:00 PM, refreshments served at 6:15 PM, movie begins at 6:30 PM. Requested donation of $5.00 per person. Reservations call 970-785-2832 Wed. Sat or Sun 10 to 4 at the Welcome Center.

ACROSS

1 Patriotic women’s org. founded in 1890

4 Taj Mahal, for one

8 Waterway in the Pacific Northwest: Puget _____

13 Restaurant handout

14 State with conviction

15 The raucous crowd wanted to shoot him, _____ _____ and feather the snake oil salesman.

16 Some hardwood trees

17 People for the Fair and Equal Treatment of Animals org.

18 What Satan wears?

19 The “Miracle Mile” is part of this. North ____ ____

22 One of Noah’s sons

23 Taxing agency, briefly

24 Theme

26 Eagle County town in the valley of the Eagle River

30 Tristan’s illicit lover in Celtic lore

34 Barnyard female

35 Mountain range of Russia

38 Chemical element whose symbol is Pb

39 Early risers appreciate the ___ ___ ___ ___.

43 These help keep shelves organized: book _____ .

44 Superman is known as the “man of _____”

45 Viet Nam Airlines, to a texter

46 Prayer aid for Catholics

49 The recently purchased shoes seem stiff and tight because of their _____.

51 Basketball infractions often resulting in free throws

54 Burmese or Chinese sword

55 Get under someone’s skin

58 “Not having a flashlight, we stumbled _____ _____ an adjacent room.”

63 Silent watercraft

65 Golfer’s warning

66 Chair or stool

67 “The self-important guy could be such ____ ____.”

68 Greek god of love

69 Give off, as a scent or odor

70 Town near Boulder

71 Some members of Congress (briefly)

72 The sun, in Mexico

DOWN

1 Start a card game

2 Singer/songwriter whose first hit was “Diana” (1957)

3 Larimer County resort town on the Poudre River

4 Heavy textile fabric often used as a wall hanging.

5 Above or atop

6 “It was an ambitious goal but we _____ _____.”

7 Spontaneous verbal response to great artistry

8 Pitkin County site with two peaks: Mt. _____

9 Hockey great of the Boston Bruins: Bobby _____

10 Western state known as the Beehive State

11 It’s “nothing,” south of the border

12 Amount of liquid equal to one eighth of a fluid ounce

13 Janitorial implement

20 Angler’s quest, often in Colorado

21 Life saving “pen”

25 “You might catch this but you probably don’t want it.”

26 Big name in the BBQ section of Home Depot

27 Good news, I _____ _____ taxes from last year.

28 Detectives follow these to get results

29 Kit Carson’s grave site is here

31 Option other than “stay”

32 “Oh, say can you see, by the _____ early light...”

33 Ferber and St. Vincent Millay

36 “Liver Function Tests” in a text

37 WW II gun developed by Britain

40 Colo. Springs Academy sponsor (abbr.)

41 Reckless

42 Name on the Broncos Ring of Fame

47 _____ E. Lee

48 Bald Brenner

50 “Things that go bump in the night”

52 Convicted felon not eligible for parole

53 Sleep “soundly?”

55 Sammy Davis, Jr. biography: Yes _____ _____ “

56 In India, the spring harvested crops are known as _____ crops

57 Be informed about

59 Go down

60 Pixar film about a clown fish: Finding _____

61 Last thing through a pet door

62 Slugger “Mel” in the Baseball Hall of Fame

64 Tic-Tac-Toe winner

Estate Planning Estate Planning

By Ron Rutz, Attorney

Q: My wife has Alzheimer’s. What should I do about our legal documents?

A: To make specific suggestions would require more information about your situation. What would be appropriate for one person might be totally inappropriate and somewhat unnecessary for another.

Also to be effective once the plan is in place, usually a five year period needs to pass. Most importantly the affected person (AF) needs to be on board and not only agrees but feels comfortable with what is taking place.

For a couple, the AF’s Will probably would not need to be changed.

But a generic response is that the AF’s Durable Powers of Attorney (DPOA) needs to be a comprehensive DPOA so anything that needs to be handled can be handled

by the agent, including making medical decisions.

Four or more original DPOAs need to be signed. Thus there are DPOAs in reserve if the agent has to give up possession of an original and the DPOA is not returned. If a matter arises but the agent does not have an original DPOA, then a guardian/conservatorship would become necessary if the AF lacks the capacity to sign more DPOAs.

Although counter intuitive, maybe medical directives (except for the medical power of attorney) should not be signed. The medical agent can then make decisions that seemed appropriate to the AF at the time but may not be so after Alzheimer’s takes over. The agent (family) remains in control.

Email rutz@ronaldrutz.com. Call 970.223.8388.

Loveland Pioneers

By Heidi Baker

The Loveland Museum and Gallery was built on the homesite of the W.B. Osborn family, and the museum stands as a tribute to those pioneers of the Big Thompson Valley.

The Osborns were among the earliest settlers in the valley, arriving in l86l. William Osborn and his wife, Margaret, built the first house in the town. He was also the first judge in Larimer County.

In their home, the first church service in Larimer County was held in l863. Judge Osborn performed the first marriage ceremony in the county when Andrew Ames and the woman he wanted to marry came to his home in a covered wagon drawn by oxen.

In l862 Osborn bought a half bushel of wheat, a half bushel of oats and a half bushel of rye. He planted these on his farm, becoming the first in the county to plant wheat. He cut and hauled native grass hay to Blackhawk and Central City where he sold it to mining companies.

Osborn’s love for farming was

shared by his great grandson, Milo and his wife Madalyn. Their home was built just a stone’s throw from the site of the original Osborn log cabin erected in l862.

The Osborn farm has been cited as the piece of land in Colorado owned the longest by one family.

They were among the earliest settlers in the valley.

The historical exhibits at the Loveland Museum evoke what life was like around the turn of the century. The Victorian room displays include several Osborn belongings such as a brass chandelier and paintings.

Later members of the Osborn family, Otto and Cora, donated the original Osborn family homesite to the City of Loveland for the museum, which was built in l956.

Pioneer W.B. Osborn and his wife. Loveland Museum/Gallery.

GREAT BIKING AT CRESTED BUTTE

By Heidi Baker

Pearl Pass near Crested Butte is a 40-mile bike ride over 12,705foot Pearl Pass from Crested Butte to Aspen. It is a grueling, highly demanding ride.

But it is considered the mother of all mountain bike rides, and Crested Butte considers itself the mountain biking capital of the world.

In 1976 a few locals made the first ride over this long, steep pass and called it the Aspen Klunker Tour. They rode old Schwinn newsboy bikes and whatever they could find.

If you ride this classic, be in shape and be prepared. The ascent is nearly a 4,000-foot elevation gain and so steep you might have to walk the last three miles to the top of the pass. The descent is also demanding, with hazardous loose gravel, boulders and stream crossings.

To reach the Pearl Pass road, take Highway 135 out of Crested Butte to the Brush Creek Road, turn left and hit it!

Trail 401 Loop is another classic ride, shorter than Pearl

Pass but also very demanding.

It’s a 16-mile loop that begins at Schofield Pass and goes to the old town of Gothic, reaching an elevation of 10,700 feet. It follows a scenic single track but with steep slopes, portages, stream crossings and very fast descents where it’s easy to lose control.

You ride along the edge of the Maroon Bells Wilderness Area, past Emerald Lake and next to the East River.

To reach the trail, start near Gothic at the Judd Falls trailhead parking lot, which is just east of Gothic.

Other rides near Crested Butte include the many trails taking off in the Cement Creek valley. A favorite here is Trail 409, which goes to Ferris Creek Road and back to Crested Butte.

Crested Butte Bike Week, is held mid-July each summer. Now a family-friendly event with activities for riders of all levels, it is the longest running bike festival in the country.

Wildflowers along a bike trail near Crested Butte. Adobe Stock.

Norman Rockwell

By P.J. Hunt

In 1939 Saturday Evening Post illustrator Norman Rockwell went to Arlington, Vermont, for a summer of relaxation—and stayed for 14 years.

His neighbors there regularly appeared in his Post cover illustrations, and his cheerful portraits of rural family life made Rockwell world famous.

Although the world has sped up and the simple days of Rockwell's America seem to have vanished, a journey to Arlington is a trip into the past. Relatives of the townspeople who posed for Rockwell still live there. Many of the buildings pictured in his magazine covers, and his house near the bridge, are still there.

His pictures grew out of the world around him, the every-day life of his neighbors.

When I visited Arlington in the 1980s, I remember that the people had not lost their quiet reserve. They were shocked if a visiting flatlander (non-Vermonter) wanted to know if they asked Rockwell to let them pose for paintings.

"Oh, no. That would have been too bold," said Marjorie Brush, who was 81. "Norman knew us, and I think he had in mind what he wanted the painting to look like. Probably we fit in."

Brush and her family posed for a memorable 1947 Post cover of a young couple bringing their baby to visit a country doctor.

"Sometime later," she recalled, "I went down to see the painting, and (in it) Ann's bootee was falling off. Norman's answer was, 'Marge, it was falling off when you brought her in; so that is the way I painted it.'"

She recalled another side of Rockwell. "Norman was always very thoughtful and compassionate. I especially remember when my mother suffered a stroke. One day, soon after her return from the hospital, I heard a knock on our door, and there was Norman with a handful of his old paint brushes.

"He said that it might be good therapy if my mother tried some paint-by-number pictures. Now 40 years later, any time I'm painting window sills and need a little paint brush, I just pick up one of Norman Rockwell's."

Rose Hoyt recalled a request from Rockwell to hold rosary beads in his famous "Freedom of Worship" painting. Rockwell put it this way: "Would you mind being Catholic for a day?" Hoyt held the rosary.

Rockwell also painted himself into some illustrations. "He thought of himself as just like everyone else in town," remembered Lester Brush, who along with half the town appeared in the famous "Gossips" painting.

Even Gene Pelham, Rockwell's assistant for 14 years, who took black-and-white photos of the townspeople, was often pressed into service, modeling once as a down-to-earth workman in the popular "Plumbers" cover.

Rockwell wrote in his autobiography that "Moving to Arlington has given my work a terrific boost. Now my pictures grew out of the world around me, the everyday life of my neighbors. I didn't fake things any more."

He moved to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in 1953 so his ailing wife could be near her doctor.

He died there at age 84.

Art lovers, who dismissed his work as mere illustration when he was alive, now clamor for Rockwell's canvases. In the 1980s, an enterprising New Yorker, Henry Hinrichsen, moved to Arlington and opened a Rockwell gallery in a century-old church.

Rockwell's son, Jarvis, also a painter, stopped by to look at one of his own paintings on display in the gallery. "Rockwell's son asked me if I wouldn't mind hanging his work, an abstract, right side up. We had it sideways. You would never have that problem with one of Norman's works."

Dot Immen recalled the years her family and Norman's belonged to the grange and went square-dancing every Saturday night, along with about everyone else in town.

"Norman was down-to-earth. He'd sweep the floor, and my husband would take tickets," Immen said. "People would think my husband was Norman and ask if he would sign an autograph. My husband would just say, 'I'm not Norman.'"

The autograph hunter was not told that Rockwell was just a few feet away, sweeping the floor.

Triple self-portrait by Norman Rockwell.

Battle in 1879

A rifle once owned by Major Thomas Thornburg in the 1800s is on display at the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne.

The rifle, a Springfield Arms officer’s sporting rifle, might have been used on a hunting expedition just days before Major Thornburg and his troops were involved in the battle of the White River Expedition and Meeker Massacre in northwestern Colorado in 1879.

A dispatch told Major Thornburg to go to Ft. Steele where he received orders to rescue Indian agent Nathan Meeker, who had been assaulted by Utes whose race track and pony pasture had been ploughed up by Meeker to discourage the tribe’s preference for horse racing over farming.

Thornburg and 190 men set out from Fort. Steele near Rawlins, Wyoming, and were ambushed on the Milk Creek branch

of the Yampa River in northern Colorado.

Thornburg and 13 of his men were killed, but the rest defended themselves until relieved by troops sent from Fort Russell,Wyoming.

During the siege, some of the Utes attacked the agency, killed Meeker and several other men, and carried off a few white women and children.

The rifle has been disassembled and examined by Wyoming State Archaeologist Mark Miller and C. Vance Haynes, an expert on 19thcentury firearms. Haynes determined the rifle’s characteristics were consistent with those made during the 1870s.

He found that the .45-70 caliber mechanism had modifications that were not part of the original design but were consistent with modifications made during the 1880s.

Women Settlers

By Heidi Baker

Life for pioneer women was difficult, to say the least.

Longmont settler Mellissa Greenly came west with her husband, Jesse, in 1858. When two of her young children died, she wrote in her diary:

“It was easier for me to lay my little ones away than it was for some of the mothers. I had smuggled my wedding dress in a box marked ‘winter underwear’ (in the covered wagon), and I lined their little boxes (coffins) with it.”

Mellissa had seven other children, but that didn’t make it easy to lose her two babies during an epidemic. She had to muster all the strength of character she had to survive her early years in Colorado.

Her husband, seeking gold, first took her to Eldorado Canyon near Boulder, where they lived in

Mark Miller has published a book on the expedition and battle entitled “Hallow Victory:The White River Expedition of 1879 and the Battle of Milk Creek.”

It is believed that the rifle did not accompany Major Thornburg on his final expedition but that the firearm may have been taken on the hunting trip by Major Thornburg’s brother, who was an influential Tennessee congressman, and Taylor Pennock, a well known guide.

According to Miller’s re-

search, both of the Thornburgs and Pennock were in Fort Steele on September 21, 1879.

After Major Thornburg’s death, Taylor Pennock had possession of the rifle as late as 1924. A handwritten note by Pennock stated that he had possession of “an officer’s .40-70 (fancy) left by Major Thornburg.” The number 48 is engraved on the rifle stock. Miller’s book is for sale at the museum, and the rifle can be seen in the firearms display there.

a community house with several other families. Her husband later loaded the house onto skids and hauled it to their homestead claim on Left Hand Creek.

Six of Mellissa’s children were born in that house. She was one of the first white women in Colorado, trying to raise children with no conveniences in a wild, dangerous country where Indians camped near their home and outlaws roamed freely.

One evening, when her husband was away, a man rode up and asked to spend the night in the barn. Mellissa was concerned but allowed him to stay.

After he left the next morning, a sheriff’s posse rode up looking for the man. Mellissa told them which direction he had gone and thanked her lucky stars that the outlaw had not harmed her family.

Ida Hall didn’t have that expe-

rience, but she remembered what life was like when she came to Longmont in 1871:

“Our water supply came through the ditches, making the water muddy. Our hired man drove three miles to St. Vrain Creek to get three barrels of clear mountain water to be used for cooking.

“In winter, the men drove to nearby Terry Lake to cut large blocks of ice that were piled north of the house to be melted for household use. In the fall, wild geese and ducks left many lice in

the water, which we had to strain for cooking.”

But it was not all hard times. There was adventure and the thrill of discovering a new life in the West—the pleasure people took in simple things, the time available for family and friends, the joy of living in an unspoiled land.

When she was 85 years old, Ida looked back on her life and said:

“If it were possible, I would gladly live it over again.”

Indian campground in the 1800s. Colorado Historical Society.

Settlers in the foothills near Longmont. Boulder Historical Society.

Famous Cattle Trail

By Bill Lambdin

In the late 1800s, the famous Texas Cattle Trail that ran all the way to Montana went through eastern Colorado and Wyoming.

At its peak in 1884, nearly a million cattle were driven up the trail in one year, to be fattened in the lush north pastures.

John Kendrick was a 21-yearold cowboy who rode the trail in 1879 and later became a governor of Wyoming. He remembered:

“...the danger from Indians and the holding of a large herd of cattle in a night so dark that no ray or glimmer of light was to be seen, and when the most insignificant incident or the slightest accident—a stumbling horse, a flash of lightning, the smell of a wild animal—might cause a stampede that would last for hours.

“After such a night of hardship and terror, the men would be exhausted and utterly discouraged with their lot.”

Just west of the Texas Trail in Wyoming was the famous Hole in the Wall hideout that many outlaws used, including Butch Cassidy, whose group was sometimes called The Hole in the Wall Gang.

Located about 17 miles west of present Kaycee (north of Casper), the hideout was actually a large, desolate area full of canyons. An early writer described it:

“It became known as the impregnable hideout of the most lawless element in the entire Rocky Mountain area...

“It was God-made, it seemed, just for cattle rustling, full of box and blind canyons for hiding animals, plenty of easy escapes and high places for seeing all the surrounding country...

“There is ample verification for saying that there is no place in the world like the Hole-in-theWall country...used advantageous-

ly by men who matched its ruggedness.”

Cowboy Bob Fudge recalled how desperate for water his cattle drive was north of Cheyenne:

“We had been told at Fort Laramie that from Cheyenne to the Powder River there was likely to be no water, which we surely found out.

“The worst suffering I have ever seen with cattle was on this drive...The weather was terribly hot, and at the end of the second day the cattle commenced to grind their teeth in their suffering...

“At night, those groans and the grinding of their teeth was the most horrible thing I have ever listened to...

“We knew we had to get to water or we would lose every one of them. We did lose between 100 and 200 from thirst.

“This was the most pitiful thing I have ever seen. Every one of those cattle that died, died with their heads pointed toward Texas”

Ranch buildings from the huge Swan Land and Cattle Company still stand as a National Historic Landmark north of Cheyenne at Chugwater.

Organized in 1883 by Scottish investors for $2 million, the Swan outfit was then one of the largest foreign companies operating in America, running thousands of cattle across southern Wyoming, northern Colorado and western Nebraska.

Its vast enterprise began to collapse, however, after the severe winter of 1886 killed nearly 20 percent of the cattle. The company, headed by Thomas and Alexander Swan, held on until 1948 by selling off its lands but finally dissolved in 1951.

The headquarters ranch at Chugwater was given to manager Curtis Templin as a reward for his many years of service.

The Rawhide Buttes near Lusk were on the Texas Trail and may have been named for an unusual incident that some said occurred in 1849.

A young man traveling with a small wagon train boasted that he would shoot the first Indian he saw. He came upon a peaceful camp of Indians and, true to his word, shot one of them.

The Indians threatened to attack the wagon train if the man wasn’t turned over to them. He was, and the Indians skinned him alive in view of the white travelers—hence the name Rawhide.

Cowboys on a trail drive. Colorado Historical Society.

Hip or Knee Replacement? You Need Power Training.

Unleash Strength and Resilience for an Enriched, Active Life

In the ever-evolving landscape of orthopedic rehabilitation, a paradigm shift is occurring in the realm of post-hip/knee replacement recovery: power training! This specialized form of exercise is proving to be a game-changer: helping individuals not only regain strength, but also enhance overall physical performance and, consequently, quality of life.

Statistical insights underscore the benefit of integrating power training into rehabilitation program, showcasing promising results and bolstering the overall strength and agility of post-surgery patients. Dr. Emily Turner, a distinguished rehabilitation specialist, explains “Power training involves retraining the neuromuscular system for optimal efficiency. By integrating high velocity movements into rehabilitation, we not only fortify strength, but also enhance coordination and balance, which are crucial for a comprehensive recovery.”

A study published in the European Review of Aging and Physical Activity further states, “Research suggests that muscle power is a more critical determinant of physical functioning in older adults than muscle strength”.

Power training differs from conventional strength training by incorporating dynamic, high- velocity movements, allowing for activation of multiple muscle groups at once. While traditional resistance training increases only strength, power training places a premium on speed and force of muscle contractions, simultaneously developing strength, balance, and mobility.

Kirk Bemis, a Certified Personal Trainer and owner of Fort Collins Based Fit-Rx,

states “For our clients who have had hip or knee replacement surgeries, this methodology proves pivotal in being able to add physical activities such as pickleball, hiking, and travel back to their bucket list.“

Bemis further explains, “Typical power training includes exercises such as: plyometrics, box jumps, sprints, ball slams,

etc., and while effective for athletes and the younger population, high impact activities are generally discouraged for those with joint replacements.” So, how do we promote power training for this unique group of individuals, making access to a pain-free and power-driven life equally attainable for those from twenty to ninety?

With the right equipment and programming, “power training” can be almost zero impact, very safe, and incredibly effective for any individual. Fit-Rx Fort Collins makes this possible through equipment and programming unavailable elsewhere in Colorado, and provide guided 1:1 personal training to foster optimal results in a private, comfortable environment. Fit-Rx clients include not only the healthy and active, but also those with chronic conditions like Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, and post-rehab stroke and joint replacement recovery.

Call 970-803-2710 or visit www.fit-rx.net to schedule your complementary consultation today!

Spin Adaptive

Curious about new transportation options? Are you interested in trying one of our adaptive bikes?

Request an adaptive bike via webform, by calling Spin customer support 1-888-249-9698, or by e-mailing fortcollinsops@spinteam.pm

Discounts? Check. Get ready to Spin at SpinAccess.com

Colorado Expedition

By Howard E. Evans

July 9, 1820, was a Sunday and a day of rest for the weary men of Stephen Long’s expedition to the Rocky Mountains.

But it was an eventful day as the men explored the country around the campsite 10 to 15 miles south of present-day Sedalia in Douglas County, Colorado.

Major Long climbed a nearby butte and caught his first glimpse of the mountain Zebulon Pike had discovered a few years earlier.

The men shot “a beautiful species of pigeon,” purple and green, with a pale band along the tail. Zoologist Thomas Say recognized it as new to science and named it “Columba fasciata,” the band-tailed pigeon.

On the same day, a larger bird was found.

“When this bird flew,” wrote Say, “it uttered a cackling noise a little like that of the domestic fowl.” Say also provided a name for this bird, which we now know as the blue grouse.

Actually the bird had been discovered 44 years earlier by Fathers Domingues and Escalante as they traversed western Colorado on their way (they hoped) to California. They spoke of it as a “kind of chicken” and “exceedingly palatable.”

On the following day, the men of Long’s expedition proceeded south to a pond (Palmer Lake)

where they paused for lunch. To the east was a spectacular rock formation resembling “an edifice in ruins” (Elephant Rock).

Botanist Edwin James make a short hike toward the mountains where he collected “a large species of columbine...heretofore unknown to the flora of the United States.” He named it “Aquilegia caerulea.”

A few days later, when he climbed Pike’s Peak, James found it growing close to timber line where the flowers were “much more intensely colored.”

Good botanist that he was, James pressed specimens and carried them back east with him, where they still exist in good condition in the herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden.

It was in 1891 that Colorado school children voted blue columbine the state flower of Colorado, and a few years later a bill to that effect was passed by the legislature.

Fortunately, we may still experience a sense of discovery as we find our first blue columbine of summer each year.

Howard Evans, CSU professor emeritus, lives in Fort Collins and is the author of “The Natural History of the Long Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, 18191820,” published by Oxford University Press.

Airborne 20 minutes on an evening flight from Scotland, the flight attendant made an announcement:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry but it appears there was a mix-up by our airport catering service. We have only 40 dinners for the 103 passengers on board.

"Anyone who is kind enough to give up their meal so that someone else can eat will receive free drinks for the duration of our 5 hour flight."

Her next announcement came an hour later: "If anyone would like to change their minds, we still have 40 diners available."

6

A man wrote in his will:

"I want a closed-casket funeral. But near the end of the service,

I want the organist to play the song "Pop goes the weasel" over and over until everyone is staring at the coffin in horrified anticipation."

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An 80-year-old man asked his wife, "Would you feel sad if you saw me chasing after young women?"

She replied, "No, even dogs chase cars they can't drive."

6

A man told his friend, "I dumped my cross-eyed girlfriend."

"Why?" asked his friend.

"I thought she was seeing someone else."

6

Philip of Macedonia in a message to his enemy Sparta: "You

are advised to submit without further delay. If I bring my army into your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people, and raze your city."

Sparta's reply: "If."

6

Remarks made to politicians by citizens:

"I'll take a drug test if you will take an IQ test."

"I can explain it to you, but I can't comprehend it for you.

"Senators should wear uniforms like Nascar drivers so we can identify their corporate sponsors."

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"I'm not bossy. I have leadership skills."

"You call them swear words. I call them sentence enhancers."

• Colorado has had a 65% increase in this age group in the past seven years—the largest in the nation.