Observations about Longmont, Colorado

Some Pictures Featured in new CIty of Longmont video

2011-12-31T11:18:00.000-08:00

Glad to see that the City of Longmont planning folks visit this blog and enjoy the pictures here, enough to include a couple of them in a new video about the $17 million transportation center being planned for downtown. This is definitely a game-changer for Longmont, so be sure to contribute your input!

What would it take, however, for the City planning department to include a short acknowledgement or heads-up to me, so that I could have sent a postcard back home and made the folks proud?

The first two are from the evening of the Pure Prarie League concert in July 2010. I still like the blue light on the guitar store and glad the City liked this, too!

Next two are from the 2008 Longmont Veterans Day Parade That's former Mayor Roger Lange in the tophat.

It's funny how you immediately recgonize your own pictures, even if you haven't seen them in a while.

300 Posts!

2011-12-25T17:24:00.000-08:00

What started four years ago as a rant against the way that the Longmont Ice Pavilion was abruptly shut down (see footnote) has somehow gone 299 posts longer. Ironically, I've stayed away from any other political commentary since then. At first, I had no idea where this blog would be going, if anywhere. Among other things, I did a movie review and got annoyed at a conference where the two people next to me were typing too loudly for me to hear the presenters. But I also covered some Longmont history subjects which led to the mostly converged nature of this blog today, that is, touching on topics about the area where I live.

Like many of you, I often pass by ordinary places, scenes, buildings, and people in Longmont and Boulder County and wonder how they will be perceived in ten or fifty years, especially with the rapid changes that seem to be happening. On the other hand, the same scenes make me think about life in Longmont 20, 50, or 130 years ago. Capturing some of this with a few pictures and some hack amateur history sleuthing has been rewarding and fun. And, it's taken me to many cemeteries, libraries, dusty country roads, museums, court houses, railroad beds, and shuttered sugar beet factory sites.

I've met some great people via postings I've made here, many that are much more knowledgeable than me about the subject on hand. The awesome railroad history community is one such group which is important because the railroad is a crucial piece of Longmont history. Thanks especially to Ron! I hear from folks that moved away from Longmont that enjoy seeing pictures of how their town looks today and also the incoming ones, that is, those considering a move here. Sometimes a reader like Laura will even provide a lead to a good story!

I've mostly stayed away from first-person subjects here but if you've been a reader here for a while, you can probably figure out that I like bicycles, live music, history, gardening, running, parades and community celebrations, bird watching, downtowns, volunteering, and the outdoors. I am a technologist in the daytime but intentionally, perhaps as an escape from that world, tech subjects are mostly absent here.

What's changed in Longmont in the last four years? The economic woes have hit the Twin Peaks Mall hard, and we also lost Borders, Pier 1, Kmart, and Albertsons. We did get a Lowes, a Best Buy, and the Harvest Junction area along with the Martin Street extension that provided better access to this area. Two long-standing Longmont facilities are gone: the turkey processing business on south Main Street and the Flour Mill. Live music was practically extinct in Longmont four years ago but thankfully the venues are more plentiful these days, with the welcome additions of Oskar Blues, the Bertolin Barn, and the Dickens Opera House. The craft beer industry is a lot stronger; both local breweries seem to be always expanding and their brands are nationally known now. High-tech employment opportunities are still here, some of this driven by Longmont's center-of-excellence status in the computer storage industry. Intel, for example, has established a facility here now. The St. Vrain Greenway had a major expansion to the east in the last four years, with much of it chronicled in various postings here. It's a smash hit judging by how many people I see out there, of all ages. And just this year, we got the beginnings of a trail to Boulder. The City's Fourth Avenue Friday night concerts in the summer seem to be a winner compared to a few years ago when concerts were staged in different parks around town. And the Roosevelt Park Holiday celebration has been introduced and seems destined to be an annual tradition. Last but not least, what about Downtown Longmont? I sense a gradual improvement from 2007 but it doesn't feel yet like we've turned the corner.

A few of the most-read stories in here, going by the hit-o-meter:

The case of the mystery Longmont Librarian, Genevieve Dorsett in the 1920's. Somehow this article got widely distributed among genealogy sites.
The article about Longmont being featured in a 1948 magazine article. Someone posted this on Facebook and it took off!
Two series of pictures on fires: one of the Longmont Flour Mill burning in 2009 and the Boulder Canyon fire of 2010. For the Boulder fire, getting the story quickly posted got me high up in Google searches for a while, and they were coming in from all over the world.
The sugar beet factory series still brings in steady traffic despite (gulp) it not being updated in a year! Yes, I am going to finish it before winter is over.

I have to thank the Google blogging platform for giving me this space. Back in 2007, I thought it wouldn't take much time for me to use up the allotted photo storage space for this site, and that I would eventually have to abandon it after it filled up. Thousands of posted pictures later, I've never hit such a quota and don't even know if there is one now.

On to post #500. Thanks for reading!

* The Ice Pavillion saga actually had a happy ending and is thriving today. Some community involvement and a generous donation bootstrapped the facility for a year or two until it was able to turn profitable and fund itself. I found the incoming 2007 Council to be confusing and paralyzed but I did agree with their immediate motion to investigate alternative ways to keep the rink going which led to a 2007-2008 season of skating after all. I understood the budget urgency at the time but I think the community was devalued by not exploring alternatives four months earlier in the middle of summer, and instead just closing it suddenly on a Tuesday night in October.

Merry Christmas from Longmont!

2011-12-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

Ten inches of snow from a Thursday storm pretty much guaranteed a White Christmas this year in Longmont.

Unlike last year (2010), my lawn ornament appears in her natural surroundings!

And a few scenes along Lefthand Creek:

Indian Peaks mountain range in the distance, at the beginning of the LoBo trail:

Longs Peak and Mt. Meeker, through the trees.

Other past Christmas's in Longmont:

2009 had a storm on December 23. The day after.
2008 was mild.
2007 was also a Christmas that Bing might have sang about.

Lefthand Creek Flood Control Project

2011-12-18T20:12:00.000-08:00

[Boredom alert! Unless you're familiar with this particular Longmont, Colorado neighborhood, you'll probably want to move on!]

Lefthand Creek begins high up on Niwot Mountain and makes its 30 mile journey to where it meets the St. Vrain River in Longmont, not too far from the Recreation Center and Museum. For most of the year, it has a gentle, steady flow but for a few weeks in June during peak snow melting season, it flows fast and occasionally high thus putting some of Longmont in a 100 year flood plain, especially the Southmoor Park neighborhood. The last problem flooding here occurred in the mid-1990's when some streets and basements were flooded.

The City has a substantial construction project in the works right now to widen the Lefthand Creek channel, to improve flow for when the next time one of those 100 year events occurs. As part of this effort, the existing bridge on South Pratt Parkway and Missouri Avenue had to be torn down, to be replaced by a longer one, and perhaps higher arching over the creek.

First, let's look at the bridge on it's last day (October 30, 2011) of operation before being closed off:

Construction fencing is up. Countless schoolkids over the years have crossed this pedestrian bridge to get to Burlington Elementary

Looking south over the doomed bridge

What a difference one week makes. On November 5, the creek channel widening had begun. The bridge still exists, but just barely.

Looking north over the bridge to the other side. Burlington Elementary School is off to the left, past the barricades

Sign advising of the closed road time frame. There are some rumors now that the construction will need to continue into February

On the other side of the creek, now looking south

Meanwhile, a little upstream from the bridge, close to Pike Road, trees and brush have been removed from the creek bank on the left hand side of this picture. I wish I had taken a "before" picture! Definitely looks barren now but the project includes the replanting of trees when the widening is completed.

December 11, 2011

Back to the bridge area today (December 18) on a very warm and pleasant day, where there is no trace remaining of the bridge.

A similar look across the construction, just like above. Creek flow is being diverted through a temporary tunnel which you can see on the left, where the black plastic is. They are trucking off the evacuated soil from the widening, and I was thinking that whoever the receiver is, they are getting very fertile bottom-land earth!

Ducks are common in this slow-moving creek, and life goes on for them despite the major construction disturbance.

Here I'm standing on the pedestrian bridge into Kanemoto Park, just a little upstream from the South Pratt Parkway bridge area, looking both ways: first downstream and then upstream. This area has not been impacted yet by the widening.

I'll be watching this project and will get some more pictures, especially as the replacement bridge starts to go up.

The ghost town of Noland, Colorado

2011-11-26T18:50:00.000-08:00


Longmont Ledger Advertisement, June 20, 1902

Noland, Colorado, a few miles northeast of Lyons, and twelve miles west of Longmont was once a thriving quarry town of 1,000 (some reports say 3,000) people in the 1890's, with a railroad, a post office, a prized schoolhouse, two general stores, a justice of the peace, and five saloons with gambling on premises. Noland's original name was "Tower" but this name was never formalized with legal papers. Long vanished, there is reportedly no trace left of Noland today although we can't tell for sure because the townsite is on private property.

Two excellent articles are available about Noland. One was written by Bernard Faller, Jr. in the September 30, 1959 edition of the Times-Call. This article is significant because was still able to quote people who experienced Noland, growing up in the area. One such interviewee hauled groceries up to Noland from Lyons as a teenager. In 1995, Diane G. Benedict wrote a comprehensive piece about Noland which appeared in the Boulder Genealogical Society Quarterly, November 2000. Both articles include photographs if you want to get a glimpse of Noland.

Where was Noland? It sat above Lyons, in a stark area about four miles to the north, between Indian Ridge and Stone Mountain. Unlike other area mining towns which were started by precious metal speculation, Noland was all about quarrying sandstone. In 1890 at the county courthouse in Boulder, Noland was platted with named streets and surveyed lots. The sandstone industry was booming and tons of it was being shipped out of Noland daily to places like Denver and the University of Colorado, where it was being used for sidewalks and buildings.

A five-mile railroad was completed by the Stone Mountain Railroad and Quarry Company in 1891 connecting Noland with the Burlington and Missouri Railroad down below. A short description of this railroad appeared in a 1901 coal mining publication called The Colliery Engineer:

At Noland, adjoining Lyons, is a remarkable railroad for 5 miles of standard-gauge track, 6 per cent, grade with 45° curves. The motive power is a 30-ton locomotive of "Shay" pattern. Standard-gauge freight cars laden with stone are propelled daily over such grades and curves.

In a report presented to the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago by the state of Colorado, the population of Noland was given as 300. Coincidentally, Noland sandstone was used in the some of the buildings at this Fair.

Two large buildings were constructed in Noland to house and feed the hundreds of mostly bachelor quarry workers - the Matthew and Nebraska Houses. Faller (mentioned above) reported that these structures were still partially standing into the 1950s. Like clockwork on pay days, roving professional gamblers came into town setting up card games and roulette wheels. And, the Matthew House had a large dance hall upstairs.

Other Noland tidbits:

The town had a band (Noland Band) that was well-respected and played throughout the state. On a summer night before the turn of the century, the band climbed on top of Hogback Mountain to serenade the citizens of Lyons below. The music was faint but this event was always remembered.
Despite the handful of saloons and no churches, Noland was a civil town and there were no serious crimes committed there.
Eight grades were taught in the one-room Noland schoolhouse.
Long before Noland, the area was used as a lookout point by Native Americans. The surrounding land contained burial grounds, artifacts, and writings on the cliffs. Unfortunately, all of it was hauled away over the years without getting documented. It was actually a Noland Sunday afternoon pastime for the men of the town to search for such artifacts.

With its railroad and high demand for sandstone, Noland was assured of a bright future. What went wrong? A few key events and tragedies have been attributed to its demise, along with a lack of a solid water supply. In 1891, four railroad workers were killed when they were ejected from a runaway car on the dangerous downhill switchbacks during a brake failure. Shortly after, a quarry worker was killed in a separate accident, and these incidents were not forgotten by the townspeople. Some thought the town was jinxed.

For Noland to mature into a real town, it needed a solid water supply, which it didn't have. To get by, water was being hauled by railroad cars from the St. Vrain River on the return trip up the hill. A water diviner was hired to locate a water source. He found a location but unfortunately it was smack in the middle of Main Street which was not a good spot for a well! They dug a few feet away to a depth of 125 feet but it came up dry. The well shaft was put to use anyway as a refrigerator and into the 1950's, was still dry and covered up by wooden planks. It is likely still there today.

The final nail in the coffin for Noland started with the experimental paving of a small section of a street in Bellafontaine, Ohio in 1891 with cement. It was a success and quickly caught on with other towns. In 1906, the process for mixing cement on-site became workable. It was cheaper and faster for construction and the demand for rock plummeted. Work stopped in the quarries, the railroad company terminated the service to Noland, and the gamblers stopped showing up on paydays. Eventually, houses were deconstructed and the lumber hauled off. The post office closed in 1918 and the railroad tracks were soon lifted up and moved to Oak Creek, Colorado near Steamboat Springs, as Benedict writes. My friend Ron reports that the tracks were bought by the Routt-Pinnacle Coal Company to build a siding to one of their mines. I wonder if these tracks from Noland are still there?

Ironically, as Ron pointed out to me, cement likely lead to Noland's decline and and today Lyons has a large cement plant just down the hill from Noland that dominates most of the railroad traffic on the Lyons branch. Also, sandstone did make a comeback (today with some long waiting lists) in the Lyons area but Noland was not part of the revival.

The town site of Noland is on private property and is off-limits to curious potential visitors like myself or you. In 1958, Dr. Robert Kline and his wife purchased 1800 acres of the Noland area including the town site itself, for the purpose of cattle grazing and some quarrying. The Klines put the property up for sale in 1978 and there was some talk of Boulder County buying it for open space but that did not happen.

Today, you can find the entrance to the road (and railroad of the past) to Noland at Stone Canyon Road shortly after you enter Lyons city limits on US 36. Stone Canyon Drive will be on your right. Apparently this entrance used to be gated off at US-36 but you can enter the road now, as there is some residential development just up the road:

The paved road continues for a while past the houses and then turns to dirt. You can imagine the railroad tracks heading up this path.

The dirt portion of Stone Canyon Drive is accessible for a little bit:

Until you run into this, and I had to stop! You'll notice that the Noland name ("Noland Home Owners Association") lives on, in this sign:

How far was I from Noland? Benedict helpfully listed the latitude/longitude of Noland in her article and this map shows that I still would have a little way go on the road:

The Google Map is here if you want to experiment with it. Since we can't get to the site, we'll have to rely on Google Earth to show it to us. The town of Noland should be right where the 40 15' 33" N 105 15' 14'' W label is, in the picture below. That's the Larimer County line running horizontal to the north. You can see Stone Canyon Road to the left of the town, and also some existing sandstone mining to the left of that.

And another of the same view, zoomed out, that may better show Noland positioned between two ridges.

Pat Jorgenson of the Times-Call was able to get onsite to Noland in 1978, and wrote in an article of finding nothing other than a few foundation remnants. It would be interesting to see if anything remains at Noland 33 years later.

Some other neighboring historical communities in the Longmont area:

Highlandlake
Ryssby
Pleasant View Ridge
Canfield and the connecting railroad to Longmont
Liberty Hall

Rinn

Cherry tree grove failure followup and pondering the Times-Call

2011-10-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

I like the Times-Call and Scott Rochat. And it's great that the Times-Call picked up the story today (remember that I don't link to individual TC articles anymore because their links go dead in less than a year) about the failed cherry tree grove in Kanemoto Park. I don't own the story. But maybe it would have been just a little fair to at least mention where the story originated.

Those trees have been dead for months and like I said, I've seen no mention of this anywhere. I finally got around to writing about it and emailed the city on Monday with my question about the grove failure. Ken Wicklund did politely call me on Friday when I was out of town and left me a message with the reasons for the tree failure, much like is written in today's TC. And, he mentioned that there would be newspaper coverage this weekend. Perhaps just a coincidence that my article came out a week ago?

You can make the call yourself: is it appropriate for a newspaper to use ideas from local bloggers without at least a casual attribution?

If you don't read the Times-Call, the reason the trees died was due to some vandalism and also some weather hardiness issues. A different species of cherry tree may be considered in the spring, one that Denver has had some success with.

Cherry tree grove failure in Kanemoto Park

2011-10-16T16:25:00.000-07:00

I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere but only one of the cherry trees planted two years ago in Kanemoto Park have survived. The rest have been cut down. I first noticed them in May 2009 and they were prominent at the Jimmy Kanemoto dedication last year, in August. I've read where the trees were donated by the Longmont Sister Cities Assocation (LSCA).

This is from August 2010, where they appeared to be doing well:

And from today, only one tree is left (near the monument):

The survivor:

The rest have been cut down:

Although one of them is trying to make a comeback on its own:

There appear to be some new trees planted on the grounds outside the squared-off area. Other than guessing that some replacement trees were planted where they would get better irrigation, I'm not sure what's going on. Or perhaps the Kwanzan Japanese Flowering Cherry (Prunus serrulata Kwanzan) are difficult to grow here?

I'll have to ask the City what happened, and will post a followup if I find out.

Longmont Pumpkin Giveaway on Main Street, 1953

2011-10-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

It's pumpkin season and for the first time in many years, I didn't grow any this year. I'm regretting that now but nevertheless, it's a good time to revisit a Longmont pumpkin event from 58 years ago that received national attention in Life Magazine. The local Kuner-Empson Canning company along with the Chamber of Commerce had a tradition of giving away pumpkins just before Halloween and on Thursday, October 29, 1953, just after school, they unloaded thirteen tons of them on Main Street.

Although apparently targeted to children, no age limits were set for the giveaway and the Times-Call headline on the following day said, "Kids from 6 to 60 are Given 1,300 Halloween Pumpkins."

Life Magazine's Denver bureau covered the event too and their story appeared two weeks later in the November 9, 1953 edition. All pictures here are courtesy of this publication, of course.

This event took place at the intersection of Fourth and Main. Police Chief Keith Cunningham and his officers had two blocks protected from traffic.

It's very likely that there are people in Longmont that remember this particular event and who knows, maybe one of the pictured kids above is still living in town. Ask around and let me know if you find one!

Also, you may be interested in another Life Magazine article about Longmont from 1948, and a followup.

Pacific Northwest Excursion

2011-09-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

As mentioned, a few pictures from my trip to the Pacific Northwest. Not Longmont-related, of course.

Mt. Hood, Oregon. You probably can't see it in this picture but people are skiing here in late August. A week later, this view would have been obscured by smoke from forest fires in Central Oregon.

Mt. Hood

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

Olympia, WA was sunny and bright which was unusual for me because I've only ever been there in the rain. You can see the Washington State Capitol in the background.


Olympia, WA

Pears are getting close to harvest time. Near Leavenworth, WA

Roslyn, WA has a rich heritage in coal mining and it is also known as the filming site of the 1990's TV show, Northern Exposure. If you've seen the show, you may recognize some of these scenes which the town still tries to preserve (like the radio station).

Sunset from Port Orchard, WA. Olympia National Park in the background

Across the water from Port Orchard is the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard where an impressive fleet of aircraft carriers are mothballed or being torn down. That's the USS Kitty Hawk on the left in the picture below.


Bremerton, WA

Approaching Seattle on the Bremerton Ferry

Pike Street Market, Seattle

Made it to Canada on this trip, too.

North Vancouver, BC from Vancouver Sea Bus

It was a treat to see a (I think) Willow Ptarmigan up in Mt. Seymour Provincial Park, north of Vancouver, since they are a far-northern bird.

I've never had a clearer view of Mt. Ranier than this. One November when I was working temporarily in Seattle for three weeks, I never saw Mt. Ranier at all. The locals assured me it was out there, hidden by the clouds and rain.

Mt. Ranier from the east

I'm Still Standing

2011-09-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

Sigh, it's been a while since I've posted anything here. For those who have questioned my whereabouts, let me assure you that I'm still here and everything is going great. Summer has definitely been hectic between some volunteer gigs, a trip to the Pacific NW, a kid off to college, and a few athletic pursuits.

On a more fundamental note, if you've been looking for new Longmont history or 'round town tidbits, there has definitely been a change in my weekly schedule which I've noticed has practically turned off my idea generation spigot. Will be looking for ways to start the flow again.

In the meantime, I'll soon post some pictures from my Pacific NW trip. Not-Longmont related, of course.

Great Horned Owls in Broomfield

2011-07-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

At my workplace in Broomfield:

Friday Evening Jaunt

2011-06-11T08:56:00.000-07:00

Friday evening in Longmont.


Looking west from the Ute Creek Golf course area. Twin Sisters peaks in far right background

Crowd gathers for first Friday evening downtown concert of 2011

Countdown to Summer Solstice

2011-06-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe that the Summer Solstice is less than two weeks away.

It's been a while since I've been through the Prospect and Creekside neighborhoods. The "slanted wall house" in Prospect, mentioned here last year, is still being constructed but gettin' closer!

Today

September 2010

July 2010

Next door in Creekside at Left Hand Creek Park, this roller hockey rink sits eerily idle and lonely. When it was built ten to twelve years ago, this rink was packed on summer evenings like tonight with pickup games, with many players on the sidelines waiting to get in the next games.

Any ideas on why the interest faded?

High Water on the Way

2011-06-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

Monday evening ramble.

Should be a matter of days now before the St. Vrain starts lapping over the Greenway. I thought this would have happened sooner this year with all of the snow in the mountains but I guess our chilly month of May delayed things a bit.

The White Pelicans have been back at Golden Ponds for a few weeks now.

Here's a few from last year around this time of year.

Is NASA building a launching pad, in the background?

At a closer look, it's scaffolding for a new utility tower.

St. Vrain Greenway eastern trail heads are open

2011-06-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

The two new trail heads (TH) on the eastern part of the St. Vrain Greenway have been open for a while now. I'm not sure if the City announced this or not but I mentioned them back in January while they were under construction, and it's good to see them being used.

The first new TH you'll encounter going east from Longmont is the 119th St TH. It has a restroom, a water fountain, two covered picnic tables, and a parking lot. Yes, the water fountain is working.

119th Trail Head. That's the old Longmont Sugar Factory in the background

A nice touch at this TH is the area they've built to sit along the river and perhaps watch the ducks.

About 1.3 miles further east, at Weld County Road 1, there is another new TH. This one is simply a parking lot and a picnic table; no facilities.

St. Vrain Greenway Trail Head at Weld County Road 1

Surprisingly still around, next to this TH, is the dead tree that has been seen in here before.

Heading back west to Longmont, you'll see a cluster of swallows nesting under the CO-119 bridge.

And out of nowhere, a freshly painted birdhouse along the river. Wonder where it came from?

Remembering a Longmont Naval Hero and the Ship Named after Him

2011-05-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

by Peter Schow

A Memorial Day story about a mostly forgotten Longmont hero, Bert Edmonds.

Sixty-eight years ago , the U S Navy commissioned a ship named after Navy aviation ordinanceman first-class Bert C. Edmonds, a Longmont native and Longmont High School graduate who was killed in action in the Solomon Islands during World War II. The ship, a Navy destroyer escort, went on to receive five battle stars for World War II service and two more in the Korean War.

Bert Edmonds was born in Longmont on March 21, 1919. In 1937, at the age of 18, he went to Denver to enlist in the Navy. His four brothers, including his twin, Robert, also served in the Navy during World War II.

In August of 1942, the U. S. Marine 1^st Division landed on the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands of the South Pacific, beginning a long seven-month battle with the Japanese. Both sides were fighting for occupation of a weedy and bomb-cratered airstrip, later named Henderson Field, which was controlled by U. S. forces the second day they arrived. Air combat was a daily event in maintaining possession of the airstrip, along with naval battles, and a ground attack that met endless rain, mud, and malaria.

Edmonds was a member of the 1 st Marine Division as an air crewman in the famous Torpedo Squadron Eight, which had been almost entirely eliminated earlier at the Battle of Midway in June of 1942. He reported to Guadalcanal on September 28, 1942 and participated in over 50 attack missions on a three-seat torpedo bomber made by Grumman, called the TBF Avenger. He was killed in action shortly thereafter on October 16 and was awarded the Silver Star medal posthumously. The Longmont community learned of his death a month and a half later, in a December 2 newspaper article. At that time, he was the tenth local serviceman to be killed or missing in the war. An article appearing in the Longmont Times on December 11, 1943 provided the citation given to Edmonds:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as air bomber and tunnel gunner while serving with torpedo squadron eight during action against the Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands from September 28 to October 16, 1942. Flying under extremely adverse conditions, Edmonds, by his courageous and skillful performance of duty in the face of severe opposition, contributed greatly to successful achievements of torpedo squadron eight during numerous attack missions.”

USS Edmonds DE-406

In honor of Edmonds’ heroics at Guadalcanal, a navy destroyer escort USS Edmonds DE-406, was christened and launched at a ceremony in Houston on December 17, 1943 at the shipyard of the Brown Shipbuilding Company. Edmonds’ mother, Mrs. Fathe Edmonds was designated by the Secretary of the Navy to be the sponsor at the christening. The ceremony was attended by two hundred navy and ship building personnel, including the company band of the shipbuilder, which conducted a short concert during the program. A few days later in a Longmont Times article, she described her experience in Houston as “They were just grand to me all the time." The shipyard workers returned the christening champagne bottle to Mrs. Edmonds in a painted wooden box, and she also received an orchid corsage wired from the Longmont Army-Navy Mothers Club.

Wikipedia has the full account of the impressive long life of the USS Edmonds DE-406, serving in three wars, starting with Pearl Harbor in 1943 and ending in reserve in the northern Bay Area California area until the early 70's.

A few notes on this story:

Veterans Day Parade, Longmont, 2007

Some of the Edmonds relatives are still in the Longmont area, including Bert's first cousin once-removed. I sent this article to them a few years ago and they were happy to read it.
Longmont American Legion Post 32 certainly hasn't forgotten Bert Edmonds. I'm told he is featured prominently in the shrine at their hall. At Longmont parades, you'll see their USS Edmonds model (see picture above).
I actually wrote this in 2002 and tried unsuccessfully to get it published in a few places because not many knew about Bert Edmonds. Nearly ten years later, look how easy it is to publish something!
When the City of Longmont solicited names for the new Stephen Day Park a few years ago, I submitted Bert Edmond's name as a candidate, along with this story.
Bert Edmonds is humbly buried in the Mountain View Cemetary in Longmont, I believe next to his mother. On Monday (Memorial Day), you'll see a flag next to his grave.

Autonomous Vehicle Competition 2011 at Sparkfun

2011-04-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

Cloudy and wet weather at the end of April, just like last year, means that it's time once again for the Autonomous Vehicle Competition (AVC) at Sparkfun in Gunbarrel. It was snowing during the morning portion of the contest but no one seemed to mind.

Plane-eating tree

There are a lot of rules to the contest but the concept is simple: your vehicle, whether by ground or air, navigates around a fixed course by itself.

Sparkfun house band back for another year

New this year: launching stands were permitted

This was a team from Longmont: Death By Pine Tree

Last year's winner from San Antonio prepares for a trial run

Another great day at Sparkfun, including an informative factory tour. If you're wondering what exactly they do, they basically design, build, and sell electronic building-blocks to tinkerers for prototype purposes. Their customers are not just hobbyists who build planes that fly by themselves but also EE students, clothing designers, and industrial labs. Of the 1500 or so products in their price book, about 500 of them are designed, built, and tested right here in Gunbarrel.

And wow, it's been over a month since I posted anything in here. Time has been zooming by lately and I'll be looking to slow it down.

Almost a Century of Municipal Electricity in Longmont

2011-03-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

Newcomers to Longmont, especially those from other places on the Front Range, are often surprised that our electricity is not provided by $10 billion giant XCel Energy but instead by municipally owned Longmont Power and Communications (LPC). LPC has an interesting early history, overcoming a few large obstacles that could have easily defeated its formation. Citizen participation made sure that didn't happen.

Longmont's history of electrification probably starts in the late 1880's when there was a coal-fired plant at Third Avenue and Collyer, operated by Northern Colorado Power Company. Capacity was so tight that citizens who wanted to install an additional light bulb had to come before City Council to get permission. At that time, electricity was only available from 6 AM to 8 PM.

Twenty years later in 1907, Northern Colorado applied for a 25-year renewal of their franchise with the City, but Longmont residents had another idea. The people decided that they could have cheaper and more reliable power if the City provided it. As an example of the sentiment of that time, a front page news story in a March 1911 issue of the Longmont Ledger fortified the issue of a municipality-owned plant, noting that the town of Bellefontaine, Ohio was profitable at owning and operating its own electricity and water plants.

On Tuesday, April 4, 1911, citizens went to vote. On the ballot were two items that would decide the future of electricity in Longmont. Only those who paid a real-estate or personal property tax in 1910, or those subject to such a tax in the future were eligible to vote on these two items:

Yes/No Authorizing the City to construct a lighting plant. The plant was to be hydroelectric and situated above Lyons with an output of 500 kilowatts.
Yes/No Authorizing the issuing of bonds to fund the construction of the plant.

Both passed in a landslide with 90% approval!

373 For, 41 Against
356 For, 38 Against

Construction of the plant and the transmission system began soon after the election but as LPC's history mentions, it would soon be determined that the approved bonds would not be enough to fund the system to completion. Actual cost was estimated to be $65,000 and the City had no legal way of securing more than $46,000. Not to be defeated, 63 city businessmen rose to the challenge by forming the Longmont Electric Company, and pledged the necessary funds to finish the system. Over time, the plant was sold to the City at cost.

A technical description of the City's new plant appeared in a report from the State Engineer to the Governor in 1912:

This is located on North St. Vrain creek in Township 3 North, Range 71 West, 6th Principal Meridian, in Boulder county. The installed capacity is 500 horsepower. There are two Pelton wheels, each thirty-three inches in diameter, rated at 250 horsepower and operating at 600 revolutions per minute. The operating head is 400 feet, and the quantity of water required is eight cubic feet per second. Regulation is by means of a Pelton automatic governor. Each wheel is direct connected to a Ft. Wayne three-phase 250-kiIowatt generator, operating at 2,300 volts. The transmission line is thirteen miles long, and is operated at three-phase and 11,000 volts. The plant is owned by the town of Longmont and the power is consumed for municipal lighting. The plant runs twenty four hours per day. There is no auxiliary steam plant. The plant was built in 1911, and the water supply is thought to be sufficient for ten months in the year.

The final leg of the new electrical system, the actual distribution to houses, was also a problem. Northern Power would not sell their existing outside plant wiring to the City. Again, residents came to the rescue and pledged enough funds to build a new distribution system, with meters.

Meanwhile, Northern Power was not happy with losing Longmont as a franchise and fought back with an injunction in December 1911 that argued against the right of a municipality to have its own power company. Citizens showed solidarity in protesting the Northern Power action by going without electricity and instead using just candles and kerosene lamps. On March 7, 1912 the injunction was ruled in favor of the City and the people took to the streets to celebrate. The City declared itself the "City of Lights" and Council awarded each residence a free un-metered front porch light bulb as a way of lighting the town.

Thirteen years later in 1925, Longmont had 252 front porch lights burning, making it one of the best lighted cities of its size.

And today? The hydro-electric plant from 1912 is still operating at 1195 Apple Valley Road in Lyons. Picture below courtesy of the City of Longmont. The distant driveway entrance to the plant has "DO NOT ENTER" signs so I guess it is off limits although at one time (maybe still?) tours were offered to residents. Local cyclists know Apple Valley Road well, known as one of the "fruit loops", but because the plant is set back from the road a bit, they won't see it when riding along the road.

Almost a hundred years later after that April 1911 election, Longmont has some of the lowest electricity rates in the state. And it's interesting that Boulder is now considering the forming of it's own electric company.

City of Longmont LPC Harvard Substation

Coffman Substation

Acknowledgement: A lot of the information here comes from a Times-Call guest editorial by Kathy Faatz in the late 1980's.

Lost Street Names of Old Town Longmont

2011-02-20T17:45:00.000-08:00

Two vintage Longmont survey maps from the 1920 and 1932 interestingly show a number of street names that are gone today, in the then-western part of town. The maps are available here, available in PDF format. It's difficult to believe now but this section of town was served by "rural" mail routes in 1920 vs. traditional city routes in town. I'm just guessing (a street engineer is welcome to confirm!) that as streets were brought into Longmont via annexations that they were eventually aligned with existing streets. In the case of where street names collided, the older existing name won. Street name consistency got more important with automobile travel, where drivers would prefer that the street name not change simply when crossing blocks. Some of the streets appear to have been just outright renamed, and these are mysteries to be pursued further.

Charlotte Street is known as Sunset Street today, as it borders Sunset golf course to the west. We can only guess that Charlotte was the name of the wife, daughter, or mother of an early land owner to the west of Longmont. It is likely that the establishment of Sunset Park (a golf course, camp ground, and swimming pool) edged out Charlotte's name in favor of Sunset Drive by the time that the 1932 map was published. Charlotte NC surprisingly has a Longmont Drive but our Charlotte Street is gone.
Fedora Avenue is my favorite of the vanished street names, and in 1920 ran east-west between Charlotte (Sunset) to the west and Bowen to the east. You can see it marked with an oval in the map above. The 1932 update still shows Fedora Avenue but only between Charlotte and Francis. Eventually Fedora Avenue was gobbled by Sixth Avenue but as you know today, Sixth does not run straight east-west through this area of town; it has a little bump on north-south Francis (see map below):

Here is the intersection of Sixth (was Fedora) and Francis looking east. See the smaller house in the middle? This is where Fedora used to run through, according to the 1920 map.
Sixth Avenue and Francis Street
Looking east down the length of Fedora (now Sixth) Avenue

This would have been Charlotte and Fedora in 1920
Jefferson Avenue is the most baffling of the extinct street names, today known as Spruce Avenue. You can see it on the 1920 map below where it runs between Charlotte (Sunset) to the west and Bowen to the east. There doesn't appear to have been an existing Spruce Avenue and there were some other presidential street names nearby, Grant and Lincoln. Why would a street, likely named for our third President, get renamed to a tree?

On Jefferson (now Spruce) Avenue, looking east with a tall Blue Spruce appropriately on the left. Bohn Farm is to the right.

Where Bowen Street meets Jefferson (now Spruce) Avenue

A remnant of Jefferson Avenue does exist on the west side of Sunset, so it actually survives today although in a much smaller form.
Petit, Kent, Grace, and Wilcox Streets. These are all street names (see above) in today's "Bohn Farm Neighborhood" that have disappeared from the maps. Kent was one of the names on the annexation (Kent and Davis) to Longmont but he lost his chance at immortality to the existing established Longmont north-south streets, like Grant, Judson, and Francis which all carry below Spruce Avenue today:
Today's View of the Kent-Davis Annexation, known as the Bohn Farm Neighborhood

The Bohn Dairy Farm was built on the former D. C. Donovan Brickyard which you can see on the 1920 map snippet above. The City has a great description of the Bohn's Farm neighborhood including the mentioning of the vanished street names and the Kent-Davis addition to the city which appears to have been formed in the mid 1890's. It is unclear if houses were ever built on these four streets.

The Bohn Farm land today, looking south from Spruce Avenue:

Birdfeeder FAIL!

2011-01-22T11:14:00.000-08:00

I have more than a few squirrels in my neighborhood and was intrigued when I saw an article online about building a $10 birdfeeder that would keep Rocky the Squirrel away.

I went ahead and built it (mainly out of PVC pipe) and strung it up from a tree in mid-November. It looked funny but what the heck, if it works that's fine with me. The neat design uses zip-ties as the perch: strong enough to hold a small bird but not enough to support the weight of a squirrel. It's four feet long, and slippery, making it impossible for Rocky to slide down if he/she wants a shot at the holes where the seed is dispensed.

The good news is that Rocky (and friends) couldn't get close to the bird seed, despite trying many times with all kinds of gymnastic moves. The bad news is that the birds never got interested in the feeder! I was encouraged when I saw a bird or two on the feeder the very first day but that's been about it, as far as I've ever seen. At first I thought it was our warm November and December that was keeping the birds disinterested, and that they would flock to the feeder as soon as the first cold snap or snow storm came though. Nope. A few of those came and went with no visible signs of birdfeeding activity. Oh, and I have plenty of birds around. They arrive promptly if I put seed on the ground.

It will be coming down soon, two months after going up. I can only conclude that this design works for some parts of the country but not mine.

Kirkland, Colorado

2011-01-16T16:58:00.000-08:00

Just east of Union Reservoir and a little south of Liberty, you'll find the place shown on many maps as Kirkland. It was a sugar beet dump (like Jessum) and the first stop away from Longmont on the Great Western Railway. Starting in late September, local farmers in the early 1900's would carry their crop by horse-drawn wagons and later with trucks, to Kirkland where the beets would be filtered, weighed, tested, and transported by rail car to the Longmont sugar factory.

Portion of the Great Western Railway, 1925

A 1916 GW Railway timetable in Kenneth Jessen's book "Built to Haul Sugar Beets" (1984) shows Kirkland being 4.8 miles from Longmont which was about an 18-minute ride on the train.

Kirkland is displayed prominently on another map partially showing the GW, Union Pacific, and Denver, Laramie, and Northwestern Railways:

A USGS map from 1968 shows Kirkland, too:


Kirkland is east of Longmont, circled in red

And a zoomed-in view:

And finally Google, consistent with the other maps, shows Kirkland near the intersection of Weld Count Roads (WCR) 5 and 28. The diagonal line is the GW railroad.

I've not been able to find out who Kirkland was named after.

Today in the area there are no labeled signs indicating that anything here was ever named Kirkland. There are some hints about where Kirkland was actually located, probably obvious to an experienced railfan.

These pictures were taken on WCR 5 looking north. If you look at the Google Map above, this is at the bottom of the triangle formed by WCR's 5 and 28, and the railroad. You can see the railroad branching off to the NE and the modern silo's in the background provide the likely location of Kirkland.

Here's the silo's from WCR 28 looking southwest along the tracks. This is the likely actual location of the Kirkwood beet dump and railroad stop that Google still knows about today.

At this little spot in Weld County, once their beets were accepted by the sugar company representative, the area beet farmers would no doubt breathe a sigh of relief. Their long season was done and they were due to be paid cash for their crop, hopefully having been spared throughout the year from drought, hail, and pests.

Weld County Ramble

2011-01-16T12:43:00.000-08:00

Out for a ride to the Union Reservoir area on a day that they said the sun would be out but the clouds won instead. On the Greenway heading east, I noticed that the City has been quietly building two parking lot /trail heads, one at 119th Street (with a new bridge):

New Bridge crossing the St. Vrain

This is just across the highway from the Longmont sugar beet factory and those white hills in the background are the lime deposits that I've mentioned before.

And the other trailhead is about another 1.3 miles east, at Weld County Road 1:

I'm guessing that they are aiming for a Spring time opening.

Union Reservoir with a clouded Longs Peak in the background

Four friendly horsewomen out for a ride

Brighton Sugar Factory (1917-1977)

2011-01-14T17:05:00.000-08:00

Time to pick up the Northeastern Colorado sugar beet factory series again!

We last left off in 1906 with the Ft. Morgan plant, which marked the end of the first wave of factories in the area that started with Loveland. Investment in new Colorado factories after Ft. Morgan went quiet, partially because of the Underwood-Simmons Act of 1913 which cut the tariff on imported sugar from places like the Philippines and Cuba. Sugar prices dropped leaving beet sugar more vulnerable in competing with imported cane sugar. Great Western dealt with the problem by paying beet farmers less which naturally strained the factory/grower relationship and left great uncertainty about the future of Colorado beet sugar.

World War I changed everything. At the time, 50% the world's sugar was coming from Europe and this production and supply was cut off by the war. Demand for sugar skyrocketed thus starting a second wave of factory investment in NE Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming.

Originally named Hughes, Brighton is in the South Platte valley and benefited greatly in agriculture from the construction of large irrigation systems along the river. The Brighton community had been interested in its own beet sugar factory since at least 1901 and got their first one with the Keyes Syrup Company plant (Keyes was the name of its general manager) which was built in 1906 on donated land. The factory didn't live long and closed a year later. Candy Hamilton's book tells the complete story of the failure which can be summarized by saying that this independent factory was already surrounded by GW growers and had a difficult time competing for farmers to grow beets.

Ten years later, Brighton tried again. The Farmers and Merchants of Adams County successfully convinced Great Western to build a Brighton sugar beet factory. It didn't hurt that 1916 was a boom year for Colorado beets, surpassing all previous records with a whopping 2.7 million tons of beets processed vs. 1.7M in 1914 (the Longmont factory was the top producer in the state for 1916, paying out $1,125,000 to farmers). The Larrowe Construction Company of Detroit got the $1,500,000 contract for the factory and machinery, and GW fully billed Brighton as a "showcase for the corporation."


Brighton Sugar Factory circa 1918

Being the closest GW factory to Denver, the Brighton factory was designed for visitors and dignitaries in mind, having landscaped lawns and shrubs, a gated entrance, and a modern administration building. President Eisenhower was probably the most famous visitor to the Brighton factory, stopping by on a Tuesday, September 14, 1954.

The Brighton factory operated for 60 years until 1977, closing the same year as the Longmont factory. It's record processing day was 2,678 tons on November 30, 1964 (from Hamilton's book).

Today, the Brighton factory still stands along north Main Street and is owned by Amalgamated Sugar. Until recently, some of the factory equipment was still up for sale on the company web site and part of the site is still used for warehousing today. Unlike other remaining GW factories, Brighton has its grounds fenced off from a noticeable distance.

These pictures are from January 2009 but I don't think things have changed much. All are from the eastern side of the factory.

The Brighton factory and its Administration Building

One of the factory entrances

In the visit to the Ft. Collins factory site, I mentioned that one other GW factory had potential for partial preservation. Brighton was the one I was thinking of. Candy Hamilton, however, notes in her book that the western side of this factory is not as well-kept.

Silos are in good shape and freshly painted

Is this a self-incriminating picture ?

Tracks to the factory

A good overview of the history of Brighton can be found in the 2009 book "Brighton" by Albin Wagner, part of the "Images of America" series. 978.872 WAG in the Longmont Libary.

Continuing series on the northeastern Colorado beet sugar factories:

Merry Christmas from Longmont!

2010-12-24T13:47:00.000-08:00

The closest we'll get to seeing a snowlady in Longmont this year for Christmas!

Yes, it's been unusually dry and warm so far this year. Contrast this with last year (2009).

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Lights Extravaganza

2010-12-19T13:27:00.000-08:00

This house goes all out, every year, making Clark Griswold proud! I don't know the exact address but it's just south of Old Town, below 3rd Avenue.

Book Review: "Longmont" from the Times-Call

2010-12-19T06:47:00.000-08:00

The new 144-page book "Longmont" produced by the Times-Call and edited by Kristi Ritter is a welcome addition to the existing collection of books about Longmont history. Partially supported by advertisers, it presents an updated crosscut view of Longmont, from its founding to today, across people, events, places, government, infrastructure and businesses. And it's packed with historical pictures from the collections at the Museum and Times-Call.

(Pictured on the front cover is Griffith Ladies Wear, Millinery, and Dry Goods at the NW corner Fourth and Main in July 1887. There is a bank at this location today.)

Even for those who specialize in local history, you'll likely learn some new things, such as:

What was "Project 75" and how does it impact you today?
Who was Eddie Eagan?
Did you know that Gibson Manufacturing manufactured over 60,000 tractors on east 9th Avenue in the 1940's to early 1950's?

What's missing? I would have liked to see the village of Burlington (including the Burlington cemetery) and the St. Vrain Greenway get their own top-level coverage, as both are important to our community.

The Library has three copies: two in circulation (978.863 LON) and one for reference-only. And it is for sale at the Times-Call (the picture there makes the book look a lot weightier than it really is!)

Summary: Great introduction to Longmont for any residents curious about local history and the things that have shaped their surroundings.

A Poem from 1876: A Sunset at Longmont

2010-12-17T15:53:00.000-08:00

A SUNSET AT LONGMONT

We've journeyed through the mountains. There
they stand
Broad-based, majestic in a grand repose,
Some three leagues westward. Longmont welcomes
us;
And while we rest this balmy summer eve
At hospitable thresholds, all the sky,
As if to consecrate our holiday,
And make our precious memories more dear,
Puts on unwonted glory; and our eyes,
Like those of Moses in the mount, are smit
With sudden splendor. For the sinking sun,
Hidden, is not repressed, but pours its light
Upward and far aslant on flocks of cloud.
Along the clear horizon's narrow rim,
Down the great gulfs of everlasting rock,
O'er shining peaks, the distant Snowy Range,
And Long's high crown, while all the nearer hills
In tender shadow watch the miracle.
Spread to the right, and gleaming fold on fold,
Vermilion, saffron, pink, and pearly white,
The gorgeous banners of the clouds are flung,
Waving and tossing in resplendent surge,
Above yon belt of deep, delicious sky,
Whose liquid opal perfect, passionless,
Runs to a field of luminous emerald,
Broidered with marvellous fringe of crimson fire.
More southward, fleecy draperies touched with rose
Float on the air, and here and there droop low
Upon the shoulders of the purple peaks.
O'erhead the arrows of the hidden sun
Flash, now and then, on cliffs of ragged cloud;
And plumes of radiance, like strange tropic birds,
Flit through the open spaces of the blue.
High up amid the awful gaps of rock,
Between the ranges, a soft sea of bloom,—
The lustrous pollen of this sunset-flower,—
Throbs wave on wave against the granite shore.
Wondrous the billows of this golden mist,
Sweet, tender, lucent, as if purest dews
Of Paradise had washed the starry sheen
From heaven's choicest blossoms, and poured all
Into the porphyry basin of the mount,
A perfect incense to the unseen God.
Unasked we join the worship of the hour,
Breathless with indescribable applause.
The sacred spell of Beauty on us lies,
And power that dwells in Light's essential throne,
And Love in which all that is good is born.
The curtains of the glowing deep are drawn,
And through the vista, garlanded with gold,
O'er amethystine herbage, lawns of rose,
Pure streams where lilies of the angels blow,
Far toward the sightless glory of the Lord,
Our hearts are borne in measureless content,
Renewed and resting on the Infinite !

Horatio Nelson Powers

The poem above was found in the 1879 book "Poems of Places", edited by the famous poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The Famous Americans web site has this to say about Horatio Nelson Powers:

POWERS, Horatio Nelson, author, born in Amenia, Dutchess County, New York, 30 April, 1826. He was graduated at Union college in 1850, afterward attended the General theological seminary of the Protestant Episcopal church, New York city, and was ordained a deacon in Trinity church, New York. He was assistant at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, till April, 1857; rector of St. Luke's church, Davenport, Iowa, in 1857-'62; of St. John's church, Chicago, in 1868-'74; of Christ church, Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1875-'84; and became rector of Christ church, Piermont, New York, in 1886. He was president of Griswold college in 1864-'7, and president of the Foundlings' home, Chicago, in 1872-'4. He received the degree of D. D. from Union college in 1867. Dr. Powers has published " Through the Year ' (Boston, 1875) ; " Poems, Early and Late " (Chicago, 1876) : and "Ten Years of Song" (Boston, 1887); and is one of the authors of " Homes and Haunts of our Elder Poets" (New York, 1881)

Longmont City Council

2010-12-14T18:42:00.000-08:00

All seven of the Longmont City Council, before Saturday's Parade of Lights.

Longmont Then And Now #15: Hansen Building (1905-)

2010-12-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

It took a Longmont-savvy friend from out of town to alert me about the interesting Hansen Building in downtown Longmont at 5th and Main. This building was effectively Longmont's first modern "central office" telephone building, holding wiring and switching equipment, and housing the operators. The telephone heritage of the Hansen Building is not forgotten and is still celebrated today. More on that later.

On July 15, 1904 the Colorado Telephone Company (CTC) announced the plans for a new building at Main and Fifth Avenue and also a pledge to clean up the existing hodge-podge of wiring in town and reduce the busy-signal problem. Part of this work included removing all the telephone poles off streets and moving them to the alleys. CTC admitted that they had vastly underestimated the growth of Longmont, and were anxious to award a contract to a local builder, in order to update the entire system.

Amost a year later in June, it was reported that there was a legal problem with the property title and that the matter was going to be settled in court, with consent of both parties. This didn't stop the planning of the 25 x 63 feet building and it was expected to cost about $50,000. Construction started a month or two later.

On Sunday morning, January 21, 1906, the new building went live, with 800 circuits active. One big change for residents is that they no longer had to explicitly dial the operator; just picking up the receiver would do that for them now.

The building itself was described as having "gray or yellow brick" with a "look all of its own." The switching room could accommodate eight operators, with usually five working at once on four-hour shifts. A "retiring room" adjoined the switching room where operators could "rest quietly in a well furnished apartment." The circuits entered through the basement which also contained a steam furnace and batteries. For inter-city calls, there were two circuits to Denver, two to Lyons, five to Boulder and one-each to Ft. Collins, Lafayette, Loveland, and Platteville.

Two postcard pictures courtesy of the Longmont Museum historic photo collection show this telephone building at Fifth and Main, as the rightmost structure. (The second one erroneously says "Looking North"; it is actually looking south). You can definitely notice that the brick color as not being the usual red, in contrast with the other buildings. These pictures were taken sometime between 1905 and 1920, with the second one likely the older of the two because there are still mature trees on Main Street.

Today, the building is still there, now known as the "Hansen Building", named after Jim and Sally Hansen who renovated it in 1997 at a cost of nearly one-millon dollars. It has a reddish color now, having been redone with a combination of Lyons sandstone and brick.

The back of the building:

On the front, it says "1904 Hansen Building 1997" although the way I've read it, construction didn't start until 1905.

What about the building today? It's been for sale for many years and it appears to have at least one tenant these days, an investment company. After its 1997 renovation, some of you may remember a nice coffee/pastry shop "August Morning" on the first floor that also had some sidewalk seating along Fifth Avenue (dated picture below from the building's real-estate advertisement). Looks like the gold lettering is fading away.

No matter who occupies the Hansen Building, it has a celebrated afterlife where ghostly telephones are heard ringing by building occupants. You can learn more by participating in one of the Ghost Tours of Longmont , led by Dori Spence, around Halloween each year.

Some other material on the Hansen Building:

Historic Longmont has an article (PDF) about brick construction in Longmont which includes a section about the Hansen Building.
The "Ghost Tour" site mentioned above covers more of the building history from 1920 to the 1990's. Looks like it contained, over the years, a record store, a beauty salon, a doctor's office, an antique store, and an insurance company.

Thanks again to L. for tipping me off about this building.

A summary of the informal "Longmont: Then and Now" series so far:

#1; Farmers National Bank
#2: Main Street Looking North
#3: Main Street, 1915
#4: Coffman Street, 1909
#5: The Imperial Hotel and Main Street, 1909
#6: Main Street, mid-1960s
#7: Odd Fellows Building, 1907-2007
#8: Longmont Public Library
#9: Longmont Hospital
#10: City Hall
#11: Main Street in the 50's
#12: Columbine School
#13: Bryant School
#14: Central School

Longmont Lights 2010

2010-12-10T19:35:00.001-08:00

The Longmont Lights festival in Roosevelt Park gets bigger every year. The skating exhibition is a nice addition this year.

The skydivers begin their descent. Do you remember when the skydivers jumped on a Saturday morning, dressed as Santa? I think I prefer that vs. the night jumping but I understand the desire to tie everything into the night celebration.

Second printing for "Footprints in the Sugar"

2010-11-27T12:23:00.001-08:00

It was great news to recently hear that Candy Hamilton's "Footprints in the Sugar: A History of the Great Western Sugar Company" has gone into a second printing. This book was mentioned here last year and the second printing shows that there is great interest in reading about, and preserving this important part of our history.

As an encore to the book and a good celebration of the second printing, Candy Hamilton has put out a nice booklet called "The Sugar Dust: Memories from the Sugar Tramps" containing reactions to the book, which includes pictures, fascinating personal recollections of GW workers, a few poems, miscellaneous comments from readers (including me, *blush*), and a review of the book itself from the Nebraska State Historical Society.

More information about Candy Hamilton's book can be found at the book's website.

Loveland Great Western Sugar Beet Factory ~1985

2010-11-27T11:49:00.000-08:00

George Booth is an ex-Ft. Collins resident (now living in Oregon) who took some pictures of the Loveland, Colorado Great Western Sugar Factory in 1985, the year that the factory was closed and shortly before some of it started to be demolished. George is also an expert railroad modeler and has been modeling some of the GW factories, including their railroad yards. You can see some of his extraordinary work here (and then look at "Construction" on the left).

George has kindly given me permission to post his Loveland factory pictures here:

Thanks again, George.

Back in the Saddle

2010-11-19T18:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, my postings have dropped off but I'm still around! Should be back to normal starting this upcoming week.

In the meantime, a few pictures from a recent trip to north Florida.

First, the Monarch butterfly migration through the St. Marks National Wildlife Reserve was right on schedule, catalyzed by a cold front to the north:

Literally thousands of them, everywhere, feeding up on pollen for their long journey ahead.

Then, over at Wakulla Springs, I got to see a Green-backed Heron for the first time:

Back in Colorado, I was surprised to see in Robert Folzenlogen's Birding Guide to the Boulder-Denver Region that these herons are sometimes summer visitors here. Will be on the lookout for them, next year!

Not-everyday Signs

2010-10-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

A roundup of some unusual or clever signs:

This one is from a Doctor's office complex in Louisville where I think they are trying to discourage their neighbors at an apartment building from using their dumpster:

Next up is from the parking lot at the Longmont RTD bus station on South Main. I never would have thought that frequent squirrel traffic could warrant a sign! Wait, is that a squirrel or a chipmunk with a big tail?

Out to the Boulder Reservoir. For this first one, I wonder if it puzzles those for which English is not their first language? Running spell-check (and maybe grammar-check) on signs is always a good thing, too, before printing them up.

Those pesky thorns called "goatheads" are a nuisance out here, and a menace to bicycle tires (this one is not a permanent sign; it's just out there for an event):

Finally, this "Certain Death" sign is well-known by Reservoir users but it is usually an eye-opener the first time you see it:

It is through a fenced-off ditch at this location that water enters the Boulder Reservoir from the NCWCD system. During peak times, the water travels fast thus the sign warning parents, pet owners, and curious grownups to stay out.

Halloween Mischief in Longmont 1921

2010-10-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

Let's go back to Halloween in Longmont 89 years ago.

On Friday, November 4, 1921, the original Longmont Ledger ran a stern editorial about the prank damage from that week's Halloween (they called it Hallowe'en):

"For the most part it was harmless fun but when it comes to tipping small outhouses over and marking up windows with soap in an obscene manner we draw the line. That ceases to be fun."

A large plate glass window at American National Bank had a hole in it from a rock but it was not determined if it was intentionally thrown or if the stone was accidentally launched by an car wheel driving by.

The biggest cause for concern was on the school grounds of St. Joseph Academy where the swings were cut down and some hoses were destroyed when they were tied around trees. The marauders also took down the swing at the house of a Reverend J. R. Warnick. A $25 reward was offered for the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators.

The St. Joseph Academy was operated by the Catholic Church and was located at 546 Atwood. The building still stands today.

The Ledger closed out the editorial with a plea to adult leadership:

There should be a course of education given to the children to show them the difference between fun and lawlessness, sport and the destruction of property. If our school teachers, scout masters, and other leaders could show the difference to the young people it might help.

Timeless words, no doubt. Guard your outhouses this week!

Longmont Beauty

2010-10-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

Farewell to the Longmont Flour Mill. Demolition starts this week, according to an article in the Times-Call. Picture above is from the original Longmont Ledger, October 17, 1919, about four years after the mill was built.

Flour bag from the mill:

Past Longmont Flour Mill stories:

Fall postponed

2010-09-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

The pool is drained for the year and summer may be over:

But you'd never know it with all of the warm weather we've been having:

The earlier sunsets give it away, though.

Sunset in Longmont was at 6:50 PM this evening.

(All pictures appropriately from the Sunset Golf course area).

Reservoir Road Fire, One Week Later

2010-09-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

One week later, the Reservoir Road fire north of Carter Lake is out, but entrance back to the area is still guarded. In the background, see you can see some of the burn area and also some reddish stripes of the dropped slurry. This picture is from the intersection of Larimer County Roads 31 and 18E, looking west:

More Sunset

2010-09-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

A white pelican in the wetlands near the eastern end of the St. Vrain Greenway, at sunset time:

The skies were spectacular this evening. Perhaps because of smoke particles from the two recent fires?

Flatiron Reservoir Fire near Loveland

2010-09-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

Yuck, another fire in the foothills, this time NW of Longmont up in Larimer County near Flatiron Reservoir.

Both pictures from Longmont, the second one from near Silver Creek HS:

Gold Hill Fire, as seen from Longmont

2010-09-06T11:01:00.001-07:00

Dark sky in Longmont from the fire burning above Boulder, in the Gold Hill/Fourmile Canyon area:

Roosevelt Park

2010-09-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

Blustery but bright day today in Longmont. Great for kite flying in Roosevelt Park:

Not too many more weeks left to enjoy the roses:

Apple Picking Time

2010-09-05T13:26:00.001-07:00

Looks like a good year for apples over at the Rogers Grove orchard:

The city allows, and in fact, encourages apple picking. Here, a family does some gathering:

Masonville Colorado, revisited

2010-09-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

More Masonville, as suggested by one of my favorite readers of this lil' old blog. Masonville was founded in the early 1890's as part of a gold rush that never amounted to anything.

Masonville Mercantile is the "general store" of the area and has been around since those gold fever days. Open on Friday and weekends, and its got a totem pole outside.

Buckhorn Presbyterian Church, founded in 1909, completed in 1911. A short history can be found here (PDF).

The Post Office. Some have called Masonville a ghost town but that can't be, because it has a live functioning Post Office!

Alpaca young'uns with Mom, just northwest of town:

Sunset

2010-08-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

Looking west from the top of Prospect Road.

Dog Day at Kanemoto Park Pool

2010-08-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

Dogs get the last splash at the Kanemoto Park pool before it closes for the year.

Masonville Colorado

2010-08-08T12:21:00.001-07:00

Jimmy Kanemoto Cherry Tree Grove Dedication

2010-08-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

The cherry tree grove in Kanemoto Park, first seen back in May of 2009, and a new torii gate was dedicated today to Jimmy Kanemoto. Kanemoto, who passed away in December of 2006, was an important member and significant contributor to the Longmont community. On a very warm Saturday afternoon, a good crowd attended, including Mayor Baum and three other council members.

Mayor Baum says a few words during the dedication:

The cherry trees:

The new plaque, unveiled today:

I had the pleasure of meeting Jim Kanemoto about seven years ago, and was impressed with his warmth, humility, and sense of pride. It was great to see this tribute and dedication happen today.

Carter Lake

2010-08-01T12:14:00.001-07:00

Longmont Outdoor Cinema at Thompson Park

2010-07-31T21:52:00.000-07:00

Last evening of the 2010 Longmont Outdoor Cinema season tonight at Thompson Park. Thanks, Longmont Film Society!

What was on the big screen tonight?

You guessed it, Back to the Future

Hydrangeas in Longmont

2010-07-31T14:25:00.001-07:00

Did you see the Johnny St. Vrain column in the Times-Call last week where a reader was having trouble getting hydrangeas to bloom, and wondered how the city grows them so well in the downtown breezeways? The reader also wondered which hydrangea variety was planted by the city.

Here's a shot of the downtown breezeway hydrangeas:

The city downtown landscaper Bill Paul wasn't sure but thinks this could be the Anabelle variety (there are 1200 varieties).

Hydrangeas grow from Florida to Newfoundland, so what does it take to grow them in Longmont? Paul says:

Good morning sun
Protection from afternoon sun
Rich loam soil, neutral in acidity
Well-drained soil
They don't like wet conditions
Some protection from harsh cold temperatures

I regularly pass by some blooming hydrangeas so let's see how these stack up to the formula above.

In the Prospect neighborhood, these are on the east side of a house and this picture was taken in the middle of the afternoon. So they definitely get the morning sun and are in the shade during the afternoon. They are close to the house and next to a sidewalk which provides some winter protection.

And still in Prospect, another block away, these are on a east-west sidewalk and get a little more afternoon sun, but are still thriving:

Finally, these hydrangeas in Southmoor Park stray away from the formula a bit as they are in direct mid-afternoon sun but there is a bank of tall trees to the right (west) which will provide some shade in a few more hours. And, they likely get some winter warmth from the surrounding rocks:

I'll be on the lookout for colored hydrangeas (blue and pink) in Longmont.

Boulder County Fair Parade 2010 in Downtown Longmont

2010-07-31T10:38:00.001-07:00

Rocky Mountain Boston Terrier Club:

Niwot HS Marching Band:

First time I've had a good look at the new rooftop dining area of 7 West:

Picture's from last year's parade (2009) are here

Pure Prairie League plays Downtown Longmont

2010-07-23T19:49:00.000-07:00

A monster crowd turned up downtown this evening to see Pure Prairie League play. The band even joked, "Is the whole town out here tonight?"

PPL has been together 41 years, on and off, and through many lineup changes including Vince Gill as a band member in the late 70's. And yes, they played "Amie".

It was kind of a festival atmosphere downtown with the music and the ColoRODans Hot Rod show going on right next door.

A 1956 Chevrolet Belair:

Happened to notice this new downtown business on my way out. Appropriately for the evening, a guitar store: Larry's Guitar Shop on 5th Avenue just east of Main Street.

Two more downtown summer concerts this year: The Informants on July 29 and Rebecca Folsom on August 14.

This N' That

2010-07-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

Random hodge-podge (some late) of pictures, posted selfishly for me to look at in the middle of winter.

First tomatoes of the year, picked on July 10.

A three-wheeled electric Zapcar, at Thompson Park for the 4th of July celebration.

One way to wake up two otherwise sleepy areas of Longmont on a weekend (downtown on Sunday afternoon and Prospect neighborhood on a 100 degree Saturday) is to hold a bike race.

Longmont Criterium (July 11, Thompson Park):

Vic's Espresso Criterium (Prospect neighborhood, July 17):

Speaking of Prospect, I've been watching this house with the slanted wall go up for quite a while. The framing on the front is relatively new.

Here's what it should look like. I'll get back over there when it's done:

The 95th Street bridge over Left Hand Creek re-opened over a month ago. I was there back in April and what a difference three months make!

Blinded by the sun a little in this picture, but across that wall under the bridge there is a new multi-use path.

But the path currently dead-ends almost immediately west of the bridge. I think this is supposed to go to Niwot someday.

Another view of the new bridge, looking east. Notice the nice "left hand" finishing touch on the bridge.

This field, just east of Longmont, was growing sugar beets last year. This year it's soy beans, for crop rotation and nitrogen replenishing.

A raptor (red tailed hawk?), not too far from the field above:

West Slope Water Field Trip

2010-07-16T17:55:00.000-07:00

The "2009 Longmont Water Quality Report", mailed to every residence a few weeks ago, mentions that we got 39% of our water last year from reservoirs in Grand County, across the mountains. Thanks to some very-forward thinking Longmont administrators who filed water rights claims over there in the 1960's, we are blessed with a very reliable supply of water. (Label to the left is from a water bottle handed out by friendly volunteers at last week's Rhythm on the River festival). Filled with Longmont water, of course!

Did you know that the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (NCWCD) offers a free tour, several times a year, of the facilities on the other side of the divide, where this water comes from? After years of seeing this offer go by, I finally signed up and took the tour last week. Very glad I did!

The West Slope Tour started on a Wednesday at NCWCD Headquarters in Berthoud at 7 AM. A cold front was coming through at this exact time and it was cool with some light rain just starting in Berthoud. After a quick warmup talk, you get on a bus which takes you through Loveland, Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and then over Trail Ridge Road. Throughout the ride, two informative NCWCD employees narrate points along the way, including historical information and spotting wildlife.

The actual route that we took:

At a short stop at the Rocky Mountain National Park visitor's center. It's misty and cool, due to that cold front.

The ride across Trail Ridge went through patchy fog and mist, where you couldn't see anything out the window but sometimes there would be clearings, and things got much better almost immediately on the other side of the Divide.

Next stop was the site of the western end of the Alva B. Adams Tunnel, where our water flows through. Since 9/11, entrance to the tunnel is not permitted. Water flows downhill through the tunnel for 13 miles, and comes out southwest of Estes Park at Mary's Lake.

Grand Lake, right next to the tunnel entrance. As you can see, the weather was entirely different on this side of the mountains.

We were told at HQ that morning that the water levels over here were at a ten-year high and that the damn on nearby Lake Granby was close to spilling over into the Colorado River. The higher amounts of rain on the Front Range has so far lessened the need for water, thus the potential spillover.

Next and final stop (and for lunch) was at Windy Gap Reservoir. This is where our water is stored until it is needed. A pumping station here is periodically fired for moving water to Lake Granby and eventually through the tunnel. Longmont played a large role in the Windy Gap project.

After lunch at the Windy Gap facility, the tour is broken up into three groups which rotate between a presentation, visiting the pumping facilities, and the Wildlife area around the reservoir where you can sometimes see a moose or two.

Four floors down in the pumping room:

The presentation where NCWCD personnel will answer all of your questions!

And the Wildlife area:

We got back on the bus around 2:30 and headed back to Berthoud, making it back around 5:30 (we had some delays due to seasonal construction on Trail Ridge). Yes, it was still raining when we returned. Later that evening, Trail Ridge was actually closed for the night by authorities due to poor visibility from that rainy front, especially with some areas under construction.

There is also a separate NCWCD tour, visiting the facilities on this (east) side of the Divide, which I definitely plan to attend. Thanks to the tour facilitator on our bus, Brian Werner for the expert commentary and keeping things fun, and also to our bus driver for navigating the tricky weather.

Rhythm on the River Festival in Longmont 2010

2010-07-10T09:17:00.001-07:00

The best time to attend Rhythm on the River is 7-10 AM, before the heat sets in, but also to see the balloons and visit the booths before the big crowds show up.

Balloons in the sky over Kanemoto Park:

Just before the start of the Rogers River Run 5K:

4th of July at Thompson Park 2010

2010-07-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

Longmont's annual 4th of July celebration at Thompson Park:

The Longmont Chorale:

And the "Sugar Beets":

Dr. Robert Olson conducts the Longmont Symphony Orchestra:

The Mighty St. Vrain

2010-06-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

Every couple of years, the St. Vrain reminds us why it is called a "river"

A few rainy days plus melting snow is all it takes.

Usually, the St. Vrain Greenway multi-use path goes right through this opening under the railroad bridge:

Great Horned Owl

2010-06-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

Trashy cell-phone camera picture of a juvenile Great Horned Owl outside my window at work. Blinds are carefully pried open to take this picture, otherwise he/she will quickly fly away. Usually his/her sibling is in this tree, as well.

Memorial Day 2010 Longmont

2010-05-31T17:09:00.000-07:00

Mountain View Cemetery in Longmont.

First Bike Night Longmont of 2010

2010-05-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

Good turnout for this year's first Bike Night Longmont:

C'mon out! Every Wednesday evening @ 6:30 PM, Senior Center parking lot.

Sunday on the Greenway

2010-05-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

Looks like the Martin Street bridge is getting close to completion. Here it is, as it crosses over the St. Vrain Greenway:

Won't be long until this is open (looking north to eastern downtown Longmont):

Nice to see that the bridge includes a pedestrian/bike path:

Some previous pictures of this Martin Street area:

The spring water runoff from the mountains appears higher than usual this year. Here's the St. Vrain River "falls" over by Golden Ponds Park:

And the high water is already closing some of the Greenway, as the high water laps the trail. I counted three spots like this that were closed:

Finally, I've seen a flock of white pelicans at Golden Ponds for about the last three weeks. Here's a few of them from today:

This reminded me of one of their brown pelican cousins that posed for me last week at St. Marks National Wildlife Reserve in north Florida:

Bicycles on Exhibit at the Longmont Museum

2010-05-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

Casual readers of this blog may have noticed a few cycling posts, so a trip to see the current bicycle exhibit at the Longmont Museum was definitely in order! Here is just a small sampling of the bikes you will see.

A 1934 Schwinn Aerocycle greets you as you enter the exhibit:

A Singer quad from 1897. This bike is owned in Longmont and you can sometimes see it in local parades:

Andy Hampsten's bike that he used when he became the first American to win the Giro d' Italia (Tour of Italy) in 1988. Although painted as a Huffy, it was custom built by John Slawta of Land Shark:

1953 Schwinn Girl's Hornet with saddlebag:

Modern bamboo bicycle from Ft. Collins builder Panda Bicycles:

Many of the bikes on display are from a private collector in Paonia, and Ron Kiefel's Wheat Ridge Cyclery store. You'll see old and new (like the bamboo bike above) and also a (chainless) belt-drive Trek bike.

In order to recover a $12,000 budget shortfall, the Museum is charging admission for the first time. Support the Museum, if you can. There is a free day, however, on June 12 which is also "Bike to the Museum" day. And there is a host of other bicycling events lined up with this exhibit, which runs until July 3. Check the museum calendar for more information.

Thanks, Longmont Museum, for the great exhibit.

Fort Morgan Sugar Factory (1906-)

2010-05-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

So far, all of the northeastern Colorado sugar beet factories that we've visited are shut down or gone. The Fort Morgan factory is different in that it is the only remaining factory from the Colorado sugar beet golden era that is still operational. 104 years old now, it is owned by the grower-owned Western Sugar Cooperative. WSC is also the the owner of the tall silos at the Longmont beet factory site.

When you see sugar beet fields in the area around Longmont, the harvested crop is most likely destined for Fort Morgan.

During the winter when the factory is in full production, you can you see it's steam cloud from miles away, on I-76. The factory "campaign" starts in the fall and continues until as late as early March.

Although the Fort Morgan factory was announced as early as November 1902 in the Greeley Tribune, construction didn't start until April 1906. E. H. Dyer & Co. from Cleveland (builder of the Greeley and Brush factories) was the reported builder of the Fort Morgan factory but as Candy Hamilton writes in her book, the contract went to a new player in the beet plant construction industry, Riter-Conley Manufacturing from Pittsburgh, PA. Riter-Conley took the best ideas from the existing Kilby and Dyer plants in the area and added their own innovations to build a "far superior" factory. Perhaps that is one reason why the Fort Morgan plant is still running? Another reason may be its central location in the prime beet growing territory between the Front Range and the S. Platte River corridor to the Nebraska border.

Surprisingly, the Fort Morgan and Brush factories were constructed at about the same time, were in the same county, and only about twelve miles apart! Similar to Eaton and Greeley, I guess.

The Fort Morgan factory from around 1920:

And from January 2009. I can't help but notice how blue the sky was on this particular day. A big difference from our cloudy weather over the last few weeks!

A pile of beets waiting to be processed:

A stray sugar beet lines up against my size 10.5 shoe:

Beets arrive at Fort Morgan via trucks, all winter. The WSC site has a good overview of the process. They drive up an elevated ramp and drop their load which is then transported to the factory:

I hinted earlier that we would see at least two more sugar factory "dinky" steam engines. The Fort Morgan dinky is on display at the front of the factory. It's inside the factory security perimeter, so this was the closest that I got. Maybe I should have asked the guard if I was allowed to go get a closer view!

The Fort Morgan plant marked the last factory of the first wave (1901-1906) of sugar beet factory investment and construction in northeastern Colorado. There will be two more waves although both were much smaller.

Continuing series on the northeastern Colorado beet sugar factories:

Congratulations to Longmont's Boston Marathon entrants

2010-04-19T15:37:00.001-07:00

Big time congrats to Longmont's finishers of today' Boston Marathon. This is a tough race and you have to qualify to even get to the starting line.

Name	Male/Female	Time (HH:MM:SS)
Mike Turpin	M	2:53:35
Brandon Fuller	M	2:59:03
Annajean Fowers	F	3:25:38
Sophie Hilaire	F	3:29:40
Mihaela Trumbo	F	4:33:07
Joe Fleegel	M	4:34:35

S. Hover Road / 95th Street construction

2010-04-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

The construction that has South Hover Road (95th Street) closed for the next two months:

The bridge over Left Hand Creek is being redone to allow the existing Left Hand Greenway to continue west under the road. As you can see, a section of the road is gone.

Looking north to Longmont. Front Range Community College is among those trees on the right.

This should be nice when it is complete!

Autonomous Vehicle Day at SparkFun

2010-04-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

Under a cool and cloudy sky, SparkFun held their annual autonomous vehicle competition today in Gunbarrel, in airborne and terrestrial categories. Contestants came from places like Europe, Arizona, Wyoming, and locally, to compete.

A club from the University of Arizona getting ready for their launch:

The "house band" (comprised of SparkFun employees in lab coats), kept the crowd entertained:

SparkFun itself is an amazing Boulder County success story. In a down economy, they've quadrupled their employee count to 80 in the last two years, left Boulder for Gunbarrel to get more space, and have now taken over the entire building that they used to share. And in an age where all electronics is automatically assumed to be made in China, these folks do their engineering, assembly and test right here. And they have fun and take pride in doing so.

If you decide to attend next year (it's free), be sure to take the factory tour which runs every thirty minutes.

A few shots from the autonomous car competition:

Elmo was quite the crowd favorite but he got stopped by a curb on the third turn around the building:

1883 Easter bicycle trip between Longmont and Boulder

2010-04-04T07:24:00.000-07:00

A short but inspirational Longmont Easter story from March 30, 1883, via the original Longmont Ledger:

Finley McFarland bicycled his way over to Boulder last Sunday morning in season to attend church and listen to a good Easter sermon. A portion of the distance the road was too rough for rapid progress. But he reached the county seat at 10:30 and returned home in the afternoon feeling all the better for his ride. Fifteen miles to church Sunday morning on a bicycle in the month of March is not a bad showing.

Easter, in 1883, was on March 25. The road was dirt and mud, of course, and likely severely rutted from wagon wheels in those rough spots. And this was long before cars and a good seven years before the start of the bicycle craze in Longmont.

Happy Easter!

Martian Radio

2010-03-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

A fine "Martian Big 4" crystal radio from 1923, on display at this weekend's Vintage Voltage show in Northglenn.

As explained here, it was not named after a Martian spacecraft but after the name of the manufacturer, Martian Manufacturing Company with C. L. Marti the owner.

More on the Nelsons from the Life magazine article

2010-03-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

Given the interest in the Longmont story from Life magazine in 1948, here's some more information about Patty Anne Nelson (Life spelled it "Pattie" but two other references call her "Patty") and her family.

Patty Nelson was a graduate of Ft. Collins High School and attended Colorado A&M (now CSU) for a year where she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta. Her father, Raymond W. Nelson, operated a photography business on Main Street (as seen in the Life article) from the late 1940's to the early 1950's before moving to Denver. Her mother's name was Hazel.

The Nelsons lived at 926 Third Avenue and this is her likely destination in the picture where she is carrying the grocery bags home after work.

In September 1948, just a few months after the Life magazine article came out, Patty married Robert Dolton of Ft. Collins with the ceremony taking place in Goodland, KS. Robert Dolton was also a Ft. Collins High School graduate, and a sophomore at Colorado A&M majoring in animal husbandry. In 1949, Patty and Robert moved to Springfield, MO after Robert had transferred to Missouri State college.

As mentioned in the article, Patty had one sister, Bonnie, with her married name being Mrs. Craig Anderson (she's in the Life article playing the piano.)

Raymond Nelson died on February 27, 1975 in Denver, survived by Hazel and his two daughters. At that time, Patty Dolton was living in Lakewood, Colorado and her sister Bonnie was still in Longmont.

If I find any more information, I'll post it. Likewise, if you know the Nelson family, feel free to leave a comment.

Longmont, as featured in July 12, 1948 Life Magazine

2010-03-21T16:38:00.000-07:00

Patti Anne Nelson, as featured in Life Magazine, crosses the 300 block of Main Street in 1948.
Watch out for that oncoming car, Patti!

She was on the cover, too:

You can read the full article here.

Longmont Then And Now #14: Central School (1878-)

2010-03-19T16:59:00.000-07:00

First, if things worked out for Longmont, the property discussed here would have been part of the University of Colorado instead of a grade school. But CU was awarded to Boulder and that's a story for later!

Continuing the look at some early Longmont schools, the Central School is next.

Longmont's school history actually starts early in Longmont history with a school called the "Colony School" on the 500 block of Main Street, western side. While that was being built, the Library Hall building was used as a temporary school with Col. Byron L. Carr (later Colorado Attorney General) holding classes (you've seen Library Hall mentioned here before; it was later moved to the Thompson Park area and is still standing today.) It didn't take long for the Colony School to get overcrowded and by 1873, students moved back to Library Hall.

But actually, the area's school history really starts before the Colony School. Burlington had two schools: a small one in 1865 and a more complete building in 1869 with a bell and blackboards. With Burlington folding into Longmont in 1871 and with the school being situated in a flood-prone area, its use diminished and in 1912 the second Burlington school building was moved to a ranch east of town to serve as a barn. It was still standing up to the year 1994 and you can see a picture of it in a fine Longmont Ledger article by Anne Dyni.

To recap, here's the chronology of the very early Longmont Schools:

Burlington School #1 (1865)
Burlington School #2 (1869)
Library Hall (temporary; 1871-1872)
Colony School (outgrown by 1873)
Library Hall (again)

Back to the mid-1870's. In need of more space than Library Hall could provide, the school board approved the construction of a two-room school house on the property initially allocated for a university, at a cost of $2,725. It was initially called the Franklin School and it opened in 1878. Built in Italianate style according to the book Longmont's History in Architecture, Today by Bullard and Vecchio-Martin, it also had a belfry. This school housed all grades until the High School was built in 1901.

In one of my favorite historic pictures these days from the museum archives, here's the Franklin school in the distance down Fourth Avenue as seen from Main Street, with Library Hall in the rear left. The belfry stands out!

And some more pictures of the school, from an (estimated) 1908 or later. By now, it had been renamed to the Central School. The belfry was removed in 1903 and the school has been expanded beyond its initial two rooms.

Some other early Central School notes:

In the year 1900, teachers were paid between $45 and $50 a month with the expectation that some of this was expected to be set aside for their "declining years."
Mrs. Edith Murray was principal of Central for an amazing forty years, 1890 to 1930!

The Central School today:

The view from the north:

Central School would get another wing in 1949 which you can see on the right, as viewed from Thompson Park across the street:

The Central School's 100th anniversary was celebrated on April 16, 1978. Next month (April 2010) it will be 132 years old.

A summary of the informal "Longmont: Then and Now" series so far:

#1; Farmers National Bank
#2: Main Street Looking North
#3: Main Street, 1915
#4: Coffman Street, 1909
#5: The Imperial Hotel and Main Street, 1909
#6: Main Street, mid-1960s
#7: Odd Fellows Building, 1907-2007
#8: Longmont Public Library
#9: Longmont Hospital
#10: City Hall
#11: Main Street in the 50's
#12: Columbine School
#13: Bryant School

Is WiMAX technology coming to Longmont?

2010-03-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

A full-page advertisement in today's Times-Call from a Denver-based company called Open Range suggests that Longmont is getting a WiMAX provider soon. WiMAX is a wireless technology suitable for carrying voice, internet, and video. The big difference between WiMAX and the WiFi network currently deployed in Longmont (and in Ziggi's and maybe in your house) is that WiMAX has a reach of several miles vs. just tens of meters or so for Wifi. Instead of blanketing the city with rabbit ears for Wifi, one large WiMAX transmitter can be installed high over the city (like on top of the sugar factory silo east of town) that can serve thousands of residential customers. And direct line-of-sight between the consumer and transmitter is not needed with WiMAX.

One downside with WiMAX technology is that it is not currently widely integrated with mobile devices like laptops and smart phones, which means that you'd need to continue using Wifi for this type of gear. Products are supposedly starting to trickle out in this space, however.

I seem to remember that Ridgeview (owner of Longmont's municipal Wifi network) also had plans to enter the WiMAX market, and we also have Skybeam serving us today. Competition with these wireless offerings will be good for internet and voice consumers in Longmont!

Hertha Hill

2010-03-13T11:00:00.000-08:00

Coming into Longmont from the east on CO-119, you'll notice a downhill stretch starting where 3rd Avenue branches into town. Look to your right and you'll see a dusty hill that used to be known in Longmont as Hertha Hill. The hill is also easily seen from the sugar factory.

Likely named after a property owner in the area, it was rumored in the 1880's that there was gold in this hill and that an industrious person could find 10 cents worth in a day's work sifting through the gravel.

You can see the Hertha name, east of Longmont, on this property map from 1881, courtesy of the Boulder Ditch Project:

(The sugar factory would later be built on the Secor property in the map above).

And a USGS quadrangle (thanks, archive.org) from the late 1940's (updated in 1978 with the purple sections) shows the hill:

The road over the hill was steep enough in the early days, requiring four horses to pull a wagon over it. With beets arriving to the factory via wagon, an improvement was needed and in 1917, seven feet were cut out of the hill, reducing the number of horses needed to two.

The Oligarchy ditch (originating up in the McIntosh Lake area) still flows around the base of the hill, like it did in 1917. You can see it in the USGS map above.

From a little farther away (near CO-119 and 119th Street) looking up at Hertha Hill.

An update: The book "They Came to Stay" has a detailed description of the Hertha family, including John Hertha (1836-1901). John Hertha was born in Sax-Coburg, Germany and came to the USA in 1840 with his parents. He arrived in this area 1868 (pre-Longmont), where he homesteaded the property mentioned above. He lost his life to a threshing machine accident where his clothing got caught up on the belt of the machine. John's mother's house is an historic landmark in Longmont on Emery Street.

Map of Longmont area, 1914

2010-03-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

In the nice Longmont Times-Call article today by Rachel Carter on the history and rennovation of Lykins Gulch, a map was included of the Longmont area from 1914.

Here it is (map is from the City archives, supplied to the Times-Call by David Hollingsworth):

Click it on, to see a larger version.

Notice the prominence of Pella, Hygiene, and North Longmont which was soon to be annexed.

Longmont Bryant School naming, Take One

2010-02-21T07:40:00.001-08:00

On the subject of how the former Longmont Bryant School got its name, loyal reader Ron comes through again, with a possibility.

From Ron:

William Cullen Bryant 1794-1878. Poet, newspaper editor and civic reformer. The park in New York city where their first "Worlds Fair in New York was held, home of the world famous Crystal Palace, later a huge reservoir bringing in water from 40 miles north of the city (an engineering marvel of it's time), was later and still is named for him. Bryant University in R.I. est. 1863 and still in business as well as a whole host of grade schools established under that name, mostly in the south eastern U.S. however.

Thanks, Ron.

Longmont Then And Now #13: Bryant School (1891-1959)

2010-02-20T17:29:00.000-08:00

Three grade schools were built in Longmont between 1878 and 1906; the first and third are still standing, including Columbine mentioned last week. The middle one, called the Bryant School has been gone for fifty years.

An invitation to bid was put out to contractors in February 1891 for the construction of a four-room school house (the "Bryant School") on "Block 18", bounded by 7th Avenue (now Longs Peak) to the south, Emery to the west, and Collyer to the east:

The school contract was awarded to local builder M. W. Barb in April, at a cost of $12,045. The blue sandstone cornerstone (quarried from the Sandstone Ranch area) of the school was laid on July 6, 1891 by Grand Master Ernest Le Neve Foster of Georgetown, from the Colorado Masonic Lodge. At this time, some sealed historic artifacts were placed in the cornerstone which were recovered 68 years later when the building was torn down. More on this later.

The excellent Longmont Museum photo archives has a few pictures of the Bryant School (notice the cornerstone at the bottom left):

As you can see, this building was much more than just a simple four-room school house. The accompanying museum description to these pictures describes the school as being built in the tradition of Richardsonian Romanesque, with its arches and the turret in the front.

Bryant was used for grades 1 through 6 for children living on the east side of town. School crowding was a problem even back then, and the Bryant School basement had to be turned into a classroom, despite its known unhealthful effects (likely because the coal furnace was down there). In 1900, its class sizes were 45, 53, 39, 64, and 55!

The Bryant School had an uneasy history and many doubted its future, even back in the 1920's. In 1908, two ornamental carved-rock bears, weighing hundreds of pounds, crashed to the ground from the building's facade. Luckily nobody was injured or killed. In 1916, a severe crack was discovered on one of its outside walls, which started the thinking that the building was unsafe and close to condemnation. A $250,000 school bond was put on the ballot in 1922 with its supporters wanting to use part of the money to completely tear down the school and build a new one on the same site. The voters, however, rejected the bond. Longmont Mayor Ralph R. Price (1961-1969) was a Bryant student at the time and would later recall the ongoing dialogue about the school being unsafe.

The Bryant School was finally closed in 1946 and the school district sold the land to an apartment developer in 1958. It was torn down in March 1959 but not before there was an historic opening of the cornerstone by a team led by Billy Boyles of the Longmont Museum. On March 3, an air-tight metal box from 1891 was extracted from the cornerstone and opened. Included in its contents were:

A three-page handwritten history of the Longmont School District written by future Longmont Mayor John A. Buckley (1892-1894)
An issue of the June 24, 1891 Longmont Times newspaper
A 20-page booklet describing school rules and curriculum: The three R's were stressed, along with the Greek language.
A July 3, 1891 issue of the Longmont Ledger newspaper
Volume 1, Number 1 of the Burlington Free Press newspapers, from April 26, 1874.
Two coins, one from France (1855), and a "bartering coin" from 1747.

I haven't checked but I'm guessing that all of this material is still preserved in the archives of the museum.

A last picture of the Bryant School from the Times-Call, as it was being razed in March 1959 (notice that the cornerstone is ripped out):

Today, the Bryant School site is occupied by an apartment building and some duplexes, which were built in 1960. The apartments at the SW corner of Longs Peak and Emery (the Bryant School was set back much further from the street):

A new street, Darby Court, was added as part of the 1960 development, separating the apartment building and the duplexes. The street is named after John H. Darby, the developer of the property.

It's still a mystery to me about who the Bryant School was named after. I'll post an update when I find out!

A summary of the informal "Longmont: Then and Now" series so far:

#1; Farmers National Bank
#2: Main Street Looking North
#3: Main Street, 1915
#4: Coffman Street, 1909
#5: The Imperial Hotel and Main Street, 1909
#6: Main Street, mid-1960s
#7: Odd Fellows Building, 1907-2007
#8: Longmont Public Library
#9: Longmont Hospital
#10: City Hall
#11: Main Street in the 50's
#12: Columbine School

Sunrise at the Oasis

2010-02-20T14:12:00.000-08:00

Geese, ducks, and gulls gather at a non-frozen section of Golden Ponds:

Longmont Then And Now #12: Columbine School

2010-02-13T12:12:00.000-08:00

Located at 621 Baker Street, the Columbine School was built in 1906 and opened on April 1, 1907. Constructed in "Classic Revival" style, it had eleven school rooms: three in the basement, and four on each of the two floors. It also had a "rest room" (teacher's lounge) for teachers which was a new benefit back then.

The Columbine School around 1910:

And another view from 1908, courtesy of the online photo collection of the Longmont Museum:

Today, at 104 years old, Columbine is an elementary school in the St. Vrain Valley School District. I'm wondering why this building is not registered as a Longmont historic landmark? If you know, drop me a note or leave a comment.

A restoration effort was completed in 1982:

A summary of the informal "Longmont: Then and Now" series so far:

#1; Farmers National Bank
#2: Main Street Looking North
#3: Main Street, 1915
#4: Coffman Street, 1909
#5: The Imperial Hotel and Main Street, 1909
#6: Main Street, mid-1960s
#7: Odd Fellows Building, 1907-2007
#8: Longmont Public Library
#9: Longmont Hospital
#10: City Hall
#11: Main Street in the 50's

New Store Opening Soon in Downtown Longmont

2010-02-13T11:15:00.000-08:00

A new store, Supply Bulk Market, will be opening soon in downtown Longmont. Located at 418 Main, it advertises "buy as much as you want, as little as you need."

418 Main is part of the historic Calkins Building, and housed Worley's Bookstore, starting in 1906:


Today's View of the Kent-Davis Annexation, known as the Bohn Farm Neighborhood