Wetmore-Hardscrabble Genealogical & Historical Society

2014 Membership Dues

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

With a new year, comes the renewal of our membership dues.  Single is $10.00; family is $15.00; lifetime is $150.00 for one person.  Our year runs from January 1 through December 31.

Please mail your check (made out to "WHGHS") to:
WHGHS
PO Box 211
Wetmore, CO 81253

May the new year be happy and healthy for all.

Margaret

Wetmore Kiosk-Community Input Needed

Anne Hayward will conduct a first phase discussion about the Wayfinding System for Southeastern Colorado and solicit suggestions about the information to be included on the Wetmore kiosk. The meeting will be held on Saturday, January 11, 2014, at the Wetmore Historical Society's meeting room at 10 a.m.

Custer County Commissioner, Lynn Attebery, attended the Society's November meeting to explain the significance of the "Wayfinding System for Southeastern Colorado" and the signage proposal from CDOT. Attebery requested public input as to the verbage on the three panel kiosk approved for Wetmore. The Society agreed to undertake the responsibility with Anne Hayward and the Society's Board of Directors as the lead on the project.

"Wayfinding is an information system for travelers finding their way across Southeast Colorado. The Wayfinding System is comprised of two tiers of information - gateway installations and local kiosks. The gateways provide an opportunity to highlight regional histories and point out significant attractions. The local kiosks share stories most important to local communities. The information system encourages exploration and provides travelers both pre-notification and reassurance as they navigate their way across the region. It actively promotes heritage tourism; first within the immediate heritage region, and then into neighboring regions of the Southern Rockies."

The Wetmore regional kiosk will be located at the junction of Highway 96 and 67 where the former "Lone Pine" stood. Funds for the project come from a grant to CDOT. Kiosks will be located throughout southern Colorado from the Kansas and New Mexico borders north and west with both Custer and Fremont counties included. Completion target date is 2015.

The Wetmore Historical Society encourages Hardscrabble area residents to attend the meeting with their constructive suggestions.  Please e mail [email protected] if you have any questions.

Leona Draper Obituary

Leona Draper, long-time Wetmore resident, has passed away.  A service will be held for her Saturday, December 28, 2013.

Please click on the obituary to view in full size.

WHG&HS November Meeting

Hi Everyone!

November has slipped upon us with no notice. Maybe I didn't pay attention because our weather has been so nice. But goodness, Thanksgiving will be here in 2 1/2 weeks.

However, I don't want to forget a very important day of honor - Veteran's Day on November 11th.

Veterans Day is an official United States holiday which honors people who have served in armed service also known as veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the end of World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect.) Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day; Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving.[1]

One celebration will be held at Greenwood Pioneer Cemetery in Cañon City on Saturday, November 9th at 11 a.m. We have just been designated as both a State and National Historic Site, so there will be a short recognition. There will be a veteran who will also speak.

This Saturday, November 9, at 10 a.m. will be our last meeting of 2013. We do not meet in December or January.

At this meeting, Custer County Commissioner Lynn Atterbery will talk about the Wetmore kiosk to get input for wording on it. This 3-panel "Wayfinder" will be set up on the old Lone Pine property in 2015.

Work has begun on the Hardscrabble sign for its repair and refurbishment. If you drive by mile marker 2 going north on Hwy. 67 and don't see the sign, it is okay. It is in safe hands and will be replaced upon completion of the work.

Happy Thanksgiving! to those of you who'll not be at the meeting. Remember the abundance of the harvest is a symbol of the abundance of God's love in our lives.

Let us all have thankful hearts.

Margaret

Jack of Diamonds-WHG&HS Sponsored Card

The Wetmore-Hardscrabble Genealogical and Historical Society is the very proud sponsor of the Jack of Diamonds found in the deck of playing cards currently being sold by the Florence Farmer's Market and Florence Chamber of Commerce.

The deck of playing cards are being sold as a fund-raising project by the Florence Farmer's Market and Florence Chamber of Commerce.  The price of a deck of cards is $10.00.  For the Farmers' Market, please contact Joanne Mohr, 784-6489 or Mohr's Wood Items.  For the Chamber, please contact Barbara Folger, 784-3544 or the Chamber Office at the Belltower, 2nd and Petroleum in Florence.

And don't forget, the Wetmore-Hardscrabble Genealogical and Historical Society is selling our own deck of playing cards.  Cost is $10.00.  Click HERE to purchase or contact us by e mail: [email protected]

 

WHG&HS October Meeting

Happy Fall everyone!

September 22nd was our official first day of Fall or Autumn. Let me share:

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac: Autumn Folklore and Verse

Autumn days come quickly, like the running of a hound on the moor. - Irish proverb

If, in the fall of the leaves in October, many of them wither on the boughs and hang there, it betokens a frosty winter and much snow. Of autumn's wine, now drink your fill; the frost's on the pumpkin, and snow's on the hill. - The Old Farmer's Almanac, 1993

Autumn has caught us in our summer wear. - Philip Larkin, British poet (1922-1986)

We will have our regular monthly meeting next Saturday, October 12th, at 10 a.m. in the meeting room behind the Post Office.

Member Jeff Broome has written another book that will be published around Thanksgiving. It is titled Cheyenne War: Indian Raids on the Roads to Denver, 1864-1869. We hope to have him give a program next year for the Society, or possibly in January at the Royal Gorge Regional Museum & History Center (Cañon City) along with a book signing opportunity.

Our Hardscrabble sign needs some work done on it. It was blowin' in the wind on its south side when discovered by Peggy and Mike Martin. Temporary stabilization was done by Peggy, Mike and Bill Howell; thank you! We are soliciting bids for repair and refinishing.

The potluck luncheon on September 14th was a success with about 50 people in attendance and delicious food that was shared. Thank you to those who came and had neighborly conversation along with breaking of bread.

Jeannie Culpin has given the Society books and papers that will need to be catalogued this winter. Even though we don't meet in December or January, we will schedule project time to do this. If you have a few hours to donate, let us know.

See you Saturday,

Margaret

Humboldt Peak-Photos by Gerald Van Slambrook

On September 13, 2013, Gerald (Jerry) Van Slambrook of Placitas, NM continued on with his goal of climbing all of the 54 "fourteeners" in Colorado.  The fourteeners are mountain peaks over 14,000 feet elevation. Jerry's destination on this day was Humboldt Peak (14,064 feet) in the Sangre de Cristo Range above Westcliffe.  He was able to accomplish the climb in 6 hours.  Here are some of the photos he has shared.

This photo was taken from Hwy 69, approx 4 miles south of Westcliffe.  It shows 4 fourteeners: Crestone Needle, Crestone Peak, Humboldt and Kit Carson:

Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak:

Along the way, Jerry encountered a herd of mountain sheep:

 

 

Thank you Jerry!

 

The Ludlow Debates-September 15

On Sunday, Sept. 15th, at 2 in the afternoon, the will be a "theater in the round" with some of our fellow Spirits participating in a pre-Ludlow massacre debate.  Governor Peabody, Mother Jones and an Union organizer will be debating.  Even John D. Rockefeller will be in attendance.

It will be held at the Baptist Church which has now become the home of the Florence Art Alliance at the corner of 2nd Street and Petroleum in Florence. 

Members and Spirits, the Ludlow Massacre occurred in 1914 close to Walsenburg when the state militia was sent in to break the miners.  The 100th anniversary venues have started taking place and will continue through next year.  Very important Colorado history which included Fremont county.

This should be a fun event with people coming from Denver, Pueblo, and as far south as Trinidad.  Come join us!

Margaret

Trinity Ranch Tour Reflections

Some photos of each of the stops on the tour can be found at the end of this posting. Be sure to view more of the tour photos taken by Dave Alexander, Sam Carlsson and Peggy Martin in the Trinity Ranch Photo Album HERE

On Saturday, August 10^th, forty eager men and women met at the entrance to Dr. and Mrs. Robert Hamilton’s Trinity Ranch.  We drove inside the main entrance and then walked to the Breece Homestead cellar where Peggy Breece Martin shared the early history of her great-grandfather, Horatio Hall Chivington Breece.  She shared information about the original 7 pioneers who homesteaded the land making up the land of the Diocese of Colorado and the J. L. Draper ranch.  Martin also talked about the first irrigation ditches and how they supplied water to the various fields, the fruit orchards planted and the fruit and vegetables sold to the various early communities.  Joan Hamilton distributed handouts about the early inhabitants of the Draper Cave, Hardscrabble Settlement, Slumber Heights, and Lake Stinemeyer.

From the cellar, we carpooled up to the actual Breece log home for an opportunity to see both interior and exterior views of this 100 year plus old house.  The attendees were able to climb the stairs to the second floor and observe where the kitchen addition had been built.  It is currently separate but will be rejoined in the future.

Our next stopping point was the area of Slumber Heights, further up the mountain, and a steep incline from the road.  The Heights were cabins built by several Florence businessmen that now are crumbled but with two and one half chimneys standing.  One and one half chimneys are stone while the other is brick.  The view barely shows the lake below.  On the hike up to this area, the group was astonished by a huge mushroom, probably a good 8 to 10 inches in diameter.  Peggy Martin, Bill Hall and Dick Doman all related that it was a “puff ball”, the Indians and early settlers would scrape the under interior to use as a coagulant for scratches and bleeding wounds.  Dick also said that they would slice them and then cook them as one would eggplant; he said they were good eating.

Coming down from the Heights, we next stopped at Stinemeyer Lake.  Walking down to the “Lake”, one was engulfed in the beauty of the mountains and cliffs surrounding it.  There were tracks in the mud of animals using the hole for watering, birds called out at the disruption, and yet the quiet was awe inspiring.  The geologists with us were amazed at the varieties of rock and stone in such a small area.

Back to the vehicles and down to the Monks’ House for a potty break and water to keep us hydrated.  This afforded another good opportunity to chat with our new friends while we waited.  Nate Hobson found a beautiful arrowhead that he gave to Joan.

Loading up again, we wound our way after our leader, Dr. Robert Hamilton, as he took us across several fields and then up a short ways to the William Tennant homestead.  Dave Alexander, great-great-grandson of Tennant, told us how Tennant emigrated from England where he had been a stone mason.  He married Rachel MacGregor and they had two daughters, Minna and Ida.  Rachel died young and Tennant remarried; Almina Wright Dolph Tennant raised the daughters.  Alexander’s handout included two photos taken by Broome Brothers of Pueblo – one of the family in front of their home and the other, the fantastic view from their ranch looking towards Pikes Peak and eastward.  The foundation remnants, terraces, and pump house with water pipes are still visible and so very interesting.

Hiking up the mountain to the west of the Tennant homestead, we arrived at Draper Cave.  Alexander had given us a handout with physical setting, soil evidence, archaic human occupation, and human remains information he had obtained about a prior “dig” of the Cave.  Armed with this, we were anxious to hear the story of George Washington and Mary Jane Moxley Heath who lived in the cave for two years upon their arrival (1870) to the Hardscrabble.  Eventually, the land wound up as part of the George and Leona Sullivan Draper ranch.  It was they who authorized the archeological dig in the 1970’s by the University of Colorado.  It is important to note that the water supply for the cave came from Tennant Gulch with the mouth of the cave 13 feet above the bank of the stream (now dry).  Jerry and Buddy Draper continued the story of Buddy’s family, including the many years of providing stock and being stunt doubles for the movies – Vengeance Valley, Cat Ballou, Connagher and The Cowboys to name a few.  The area is scenic and full of historic Custer County evidence of prior animal and human occupation.

It was time to return to the Lodge area and the Pavilion for our lunch and time to absorb what we had seen.   We were treated by Bill Howell to a review on Texan Charles Goodnight, his ranch, and his influence in Texas, New Mexico and Colorado as we rested our weary legs.  It was interesting to learn that it was Goodnight who invented the chuckwagon.  Joan and Jerry laid out maps and movie posters for our enjoyment as well.

It is with much appreciation that we offer our “thank you” to Robert and Joan Hamilton for their hospitality, providing drinks and sharing Trinity Ranch with WHG&HS and our guests.  Thank you, too, to each of the presenters along our journey.

All in all, it was a fulfilling day rich in ancestral history, awesome natural beauty and new friendships!

Margaret Storm,

President, WHG&HS

August, 2013

Trinity Ranch Map

Breece Homestead:

Slumber Heights:

Stinemeyer Lake

Monk's House

Tennant Homestead

Draper Cave

Bishop's Castle-Hands Up-The Pose

We did it!  Thanks to Ron LeVar and Janet Elliott who ventured to Bishop's Castle today and took this awesome photo!

This was the last photo that  Hands Up-The Pose! needed to earn 2500.00 for the charity Living Beyond Breast Cancer. 

A big thanks to Ron and Janet.