Wetmore-Hardscrabble Genealogical & Historical Society

Wetmore Ride About

Left to right: WHGHS members Vivienne Wachholtz, George "Bill" Hall, Peggy Martin, Margaret Storm, Ron LeVar, Janet Elliott, Kathy West

A Wetmore area "ride about" was taken on Thursday, June 19th, to record history as Bill Hall documented his oral history by reminiscing about his early years living in Wetmore.

 

He told stories and gave names of people who had lived in the area. Laughs abounded while he answered questions from his companions.

 

The conversation was recorded and will be transcribed. 

 

The Doc Little Award is Presented to WHG&HS President Margaret Storm

We have some awesome news to share!

WHG&HS President Margaret Storm received the Doc Little Award during the Jan 20 meeting of the Fremont Historical Society.

Margaret received a plaque that reads:
"THE WILBUR T. "DOC" LITTLE
MEMORIAL AWARD
For the Contribution of
Outstanding and Significant
Service in Preserving the Rich
Historical Heritage of the Area.
Presented to
Margaret Stiles Storm
By the Fremont Historical Society, Inc.
Cañon City, Colorado
This Twentieth Day of January 2019"

She also received a corsage.

We are very proud of you Margaret! Congrats!

Lone Pine Window Has a New Home!

Lone Pine Window

An historic moment!

Another step towards the move by the WHG&HS into the Wetmore Community Building as the window from the old Lone Pine Restaurant was hung in the North Room of the Wetmore Community Library on October 17, 2018. 

A big thanks to Jim Felton with Jumpsters Woodwerkers who cut the very large window down, framed it, crafted a chalk shelf for it to set on, and did the installation with the help of friend David Pedzinski.

A big thank you also goes out to Wetmore Library Nan Davenport for her continued support.

The window can be viewed during regular Library hours.

 

WHG&HS President Margaret Storm and Wetmore Library Director Nan Davenport

 

 

WHG&HS President Margaret Storm and Jim Felton with Jumpsters Woodwerkers

 

Jim Felton and David Pedzinski

 

A Master Crafter Photographs his Work!

 

Lone Pine when it was a gas station. Featured as the 10 of Diamonds in the deck of Wetmore, CO Playing Cards

More photos of the Lone Pine Window installation can be found in the Lone Pine Window Has a New Home! photo album.

 

 

A Brief History of the Wetmore School

Boulder with commemorative plaque in front of the Wetmore Community Center-photo by Anne Hayward

Here is a brief history of the Wetmore School.

This information came from the minutes taken during the Wetmore Community Board meeting held on June 8, 1999. 

To read the complete minutes of the meeting, please view the document in its original form HERE.

Here are some basic facts as recorded in those minutes:

The building was completed in 1928 and was used as the Wetmore schoolhouse until the fall of 1961 when the C9 district consolidated with the Florence school district. Grades 1-8 were held in various rooms of the building. According to the notes, there was some question as to whether 9-12 grades were held there.

But, WHG&HS members, George "Bill" Hall and Dick Doman both attended the school and remember that what is now the Coffee Room was the high school classroom, the North Reading Room was the middle school classroom, the main Library room was the grade school classroom, and the Carolyn Shellenberger room was the Library.

Electricity was installed in the North Room in the 1940's thanks to the GI Bill. The rest of the building received electricity around 1955. The original heat was a coal furnace. The outhouses were 30 feet NW of the building. Bathrooms were built in 1958-1959.

More interesting facts can be found in these minutes.

To read the complete minutes of the meeting, please view the document in its original form HERE.

 

circa 1940

The Hardscrabble Creek flooding.

Notice the school building in the background.

From the collection of George "Bill" Hall.

The old Wetmore School, now the Wetmore Community Building, August 20, 2018.

The building underwent a major renovation in 2016-2017.

It is used for many community events, houses the Wetmore Community Library, and is the new home of the Wetmore-Hardscrabble Genealogical and Historical Society.

 

 

 

Wetmore-Hardscrabble Genealogial & Historical Society Has a New Home!

Presidents Margaret Storm (WHG&HS) and Alden Gray (Wetmore Community Building Board) sign the agreement giving the WHG&HS a new home in the Wetmore Community Building. WHG&HS Secretary Sandra Cox and WCBB member Ruth Spaar look on as witnesses.

It's official! 

The paper work was signed off on August 11, 2018!

The Wetmore-Hardscrabble Genealogical and Historical Society has a new home in the Wetmore Community Building!

Displays, artifacts, and reference material will now be housed in the North Reading Room of the Wetmore Library which will be available for viewing during regular Library operating hours or by appointment.

Now the process begins of making the move into the North Reading Room.

A big thank you goes out to the Wetmore Community Building Board, Nan Davenport Wetmore Library Director, Custer County Board of Commissioners, especially Custer County Commissioner Jay Printz, and to the WHG&HS members who all worked tirelessly over the past few months to make this happen.

This is a good thing for the community of Wetmore!

Stay tuned for more details.

 

 

 

Wetmore Ladies Aid Society, 1929

Wetmore Ladies Aid Society, 1929

 Did you know that the Wetmore Ladies Aid Society was instrumental in the planning and construction of the Wetmore Community Church?

Prior to 1913, the community of Wetmore did not have an official meeting place. 

Sure, church services were often held on Sundays in the Woodman of the World (WOW) Hall.

But, this was after the ladies of the community had to clean the place up after the celebrations from the night before!

Weekly prayer meetings were also being held in community homes.  At one such meeting in the early fall of 1913, the ladies decided they should build their own church.  Soon after that, the Wetmore Ladies Aid Society was formed with the purpose to secure the land and to build a community church.

After an initial fundraising Thanksgiving dinner held in November of 1913, $90 was raised, and construction of the new church began in 1914.

Construction of the Church was completed in 1918.  The Ladies Aid continued to hold their annual Thanksgiving dinners until the building was completely paid for.  Additions to the building were also funded and paid for by the proceeds of the annual dinners.

The photo above of members of the Ladies Aid Society and children was taken in 1929 and was given to the WHG&HS by Peg Hardin.

Do you know any of these women?

The following have been identified so far by Peggy Martin:

The woman squatting with the 3 children on the right hand side of the photos is Nettie Breece. 

The two small children are Emma and Addie Breece.  The taller child is Margaret Breece.

For more information about the Ladies Aid Society and the Wetmore Community Church, please click HERE

 

Wetmore Historical Post Office

Wetmore, CO Post Office

The Wetmore Post Office

The Wetmore Post Office has continually served as the hub of the local community since the beginning of its operation in 1881. It was originally built by Dr. J. W. Walters in 1879 and was used as his residence, office and store. The retail operation included the sale of drugs, sundries and limited grocery items.

To this day, residents visit the post office regularly to receive their mail, as well as to keep in touch with each other.

In 2007, native-born resident Jeannie Cuplin purchased the historic post office property. Jeannie's mission was to provide a gathering place for those who were interested in learning about and preserving the history and genealogy of the Hardscrabble Creek area. With this goal in mind, Jeannie began the long renovation process on the building, and in 2009, the community celebrated the opening of the Wetmore Historical Center.

In September of 2008, after the extensive renovation, the post office building was registered on the National Register of Historic Places and the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties.

Wetmore General Merchandise

Hollyhocks at the Wetmore Post Office

 

New Hope Church and Cemetery

New Hope Church, circa 1900

New Hope Church and Cemetery

The New Hope Church and Cemetery are located on County Road 295, 1.6 miles north of Hwy 96, just east of the town of Wetmore, Colorado.

According to the history handed down to descendants of the original Hardscrabble Park, New Hope Church was built as a community house of worship by all the people of the community.

An initial meeting took place on May 13, 1871 at the school house near Ira Porter's home in Hardscrabble Park. The purpose of this meeting was to organize the creation of a Baptist Church for the community. Articles of Incorporation, drafted by Stephen J. Tanner, Ira R. Porter and William R. Crouch, were filed on September 11, 1873. This makes the Church 137 (as of 2010) years old and is the second oldest Baptist church in Colorado.

The first church list consisted of 110 members, and Elder S. B. Chastine served as the first Pastor.

Ira Porter donated the land, and the church was built by the congregation. Construction was completed in 1873. The wood frame is assembled by mortised joints and wooden pegs. No nails were used in the construction. The floor joists are hand hewn lodge poles and pine logs with tongue and groove assembly. Square nails were used to attach the roof and siding. The pulpit and pews were handmade by the members. Vinyl siding was put on in the early 1980's to help preserve it.

Services were discontinued when the New Hope congregation started attending services in the new Wetmore Community Church completed in 1917. Currently, the church and cemetery are maintained by the donations and volunteer work of family members and the community of Wetmore.

It wasn't until November 1873 that the members voted to lay out ground for the cemetery. However burials were made there at least three years prior. Burials were free and neighbors and friends hand dug the graves. The earliest known grave is of Jason P. Vaughn, born November 24, 1869 and died February 7, 1870. (2 months and 13 days old).

Records were not kept of those buried in the cemetery. However, a record book was compiled by the late Dorothy Breece who used old newspaper articles and obituaries in her research. Some graves listed as unmarked have had a rock, wooden cross or something identifying the site. Several of these sites have since been identified by relatives and metal markers have been put on these graves. There are many handmade markers, some with just a rock set at the head and nothing more. Some are cement markers, now hard to decipher due to erosion. There are still many graves that may never be identified, but at least the names of those who are known to be buried there are listed in the record book.

Today, there are 582 known buried in the cemetery. Of those, 49 are Veterans who served in the Civil War, Mexican War, WWI, WWII, Korean Conflict and Vietnam War.

 

New Hope Cemetery, Wetmore, CO

 

New Hope Sunrise

A Brief History of the Wetmore Community Church

Wetmore Community Church and Annex (under construction), 2018

  

A Brief History of the Wetmore Community Church

The Wetmore Community Church began as the dream of neighborhood women in 1913. At the time, the community did not have a formal meeting place, and the women were concerned that area children were not receiving any religious instruction other than what they were being taught at home. Services and Sunday School had been held at the W.O.W. (Woodman of the World) Hall in Wetmore or at the Wetmore School. Neither location was ideal. Often times the W.O.W. Hall was not in any shape for Sunday School after the previous Saturday night celebrations. The Wetmore School was located at the top of a very steep hill and was difficult for the elderly to access, especially in inclement weather.

Weekly prayer meetings were being held in community homes. At one such meeting in early fall of 1913, the ladies decided that they should build their own church. Soon after that, the Wetmore Ladies Aid Society was formed with the purpose to secure the land and to build a community church. It was decided that they would serve a cafeteria style Thanksgiving dinner as their first fund raiser. Plans for the dinner were put together the Thursday before Thanksgiving in November 1913. The following Monday, members asked for food and money donations from the community. Tuesday the food was collected, and Wednesday it was prepped and cooked. The meal was served in one of the member's residence, and the ladies brought tables, chairs, linens, dishes and silver from their own homes.

The first dinner raised $90.00, and in 1914 construction of the church began. Construction of the Church was completed in 1918. The Ladies Aid continued to hold their annual Thanksgiving dinners until the building was completely paid for. Additions to the building were also funded and paid for by the proceeds of the annual dinners.

Services are still being held at the Wetmore Community Church. Sunday School begins at 9:00 am, followed by church service at 10:00 am.

 

Wetmore Community Church, circa 1945

 

 

Wetmore Community Church circa 1945

 

July Meeting WHG&HS

The July meeting of the Wetmore-Hardscrabble Genealogical and Historical Society will be this Saturday, July 14, 10:00 am, in the Basement Meeting Room at the Wetmore Community Building.

We will bring you up to date regarding our packing and storage of the WHGHS Post Office artifacts and paperwork. We hope to see you then!

photo from the Denver Public Library Digital Collections

circa 1885-1890

View of two teams of mules and riders in front of a frame building in Wetmore, Custer County, Colorado. Shows a man in the side entrance, four atop the building, and a dog. Sign: "Views, Portraits & Tin- types."

Original photo supplied by Fred Walters