Work resuming on Floyd Hill; expect overnight closings

PAGE 7 WEEKLY REGISTER-CALLSeptember 11, 2025

Central City Elks invites residents to its 125th celebration

No. 557 has been an anchor

in the community longer than

anybody living in the area can

remember. Of course, when

you’re over 100 years old,

there aren’t many homegrown

residents who’ve been around

that long.

The lodge isn’t just a build-

ing at 113 Main St. where

people gather to socialize,

watch football games, chat,

or play pool with neighbors

and friends. More than that,

it’s an organization dedicated

to serving the community by

raising funds for charitable

causes and children’s pro-

grams.

This year commemorates

th anniversary of the

Central City Elks, formally

known as the Benevolent and

Protective Order of Elks of the

U.S.A.

To celebrate the anniver-

sary, the local lodge is inviting

the Gilpin community to a

free barbecue scheduled from

3 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept.

21. The menu will feature

hamburgers and brats (brat-

wurst sausage), and members

are asked to bring a side dish.

There will be cotton candy,

cupcakes, and other treats

as guests watch the Denver

Broncos’ away game against

the LA Chargers on TV.

“Many of the local busi-

nesses have donated gift

raffle items, and there will

be a 50/50 raffle benefitting

our Catch-A-Calf animal and

his caregiver,” according to

Heather Seger, spokesperson

for the local lodge.

The Central City Elks Lodge

No. 557 was chartered on July

12, 1900, around the same

time its sister lodge in Idaho

Springs was accepted into the

national organization.

Today, there are approxi-

mately 2,200 Elks lodges

across the United States. The

American fraternal organiza-

tion, which is non-political,

was founded in 1868 and is

known for its charitable and

patriotic activities. The orga-

nization’s core focuses on four

pillars—charity, justice, broth-

erly love, and fidelity—and its

1.3 million members support

programs for veterans, youth

scholarships, and community

service projects.

Additionally, every lodge

observes June 14 as Flag Day,

a tradition started by the Elks

in 1907 and later adopted by

Congress as an official holi-

day.

The Central City lodge has

grown to 151 members, men

and women, in the past 18

months, according to Seger.

Prospective members fill out

an application and pay annual

dues of $70.50, part of which

helps support the national

organization’s programs.

“We’ve grown by about 30

members in the past year and

a half, which is pretty good,”

Seger noted. “If you want to

join, all you have to do is ask

us, fill out some paperwork,

and go from there. Since we’ve

grown recently, we’ve been

able to do things we couldn’t

do before. We now have a

newsletter and have orga-

nized more programs. We also

have a grant committee now.

Around the time of Covid, we

couldn’t get a quorum, which

is nine people. Now, we al-

ways have a quorum. It keeps

the momentum going.”

She continued, “We’re going

to be doing a lot more things

on football Sundays, like chili

cook-offs and other activities.

The lodge really has a great

As for the future, Seger re-

mains optimistic. “The biggest

thing we want is to sustain

our members and keep them

happy. We want to make it

their lodge and do things for

them. Of course, we want to

increase membership, too.”

“Generous” would be an

understatement on how the

Elks Lodge No. 557 gives to

community causes.

It recently contributed

$6,000 to the Gilpin Food

Pantry, which provides free

food and various items to fi-

nancially struggling individu-

als and families around Gilpin

County.

Seger reported, “We also did

a $2,500 Gratitude Grant to

the women of Gilpin County.

We gave them spa packages

and items to help them take

care of themselves.”

The Elks’ Ladies’ Auxiliary

helps decorate eggs and buy

prizes for the yearly Easter

Egg Hunt. They also help

organize the annual Tommyk-

nockers Christmas parade and

holiday activities for children.

“They have held Boy Scout

and Girl Scout meetings at the

lodge. They also used to or-

ganize wellness-check clinics

there for babies,” noted Segar,

who is the wife of Joe Seger,

the Exalted Ruler leading the

local organization.

Another charity of the

organization is the “Catch a

Calf” program, which sup-

ports young people who raise

livestock and may be involved

in a local 4-H Club. “Our lodge

helps buy a cow, which is given

to a young individual. (This

year, Grace Kennedy is

raising Quinn, her calf.)

They do whatever they

need to do to help raise

it, before taking it to auc-

tion,” explained Seger.

Many of the Colorado

Elks lodges also par-

ticipate in a booth at the

annual Great Western

Stock Show and Rodeo

in Denver.

for the local lodge’s

dues, a $40 application

fee from prospective

members, and various

fundraising activities.

Lodge No. 557 has a bar

that offers beer and a

variety of creative adult

from sales help support

the local chapter.

Mayor Don Mattivi Jr. is

the bar manager. Mattivi

served the community

gaming arrived in the

city during the 1990s.

Central City Parkway

took place.

body and everyone.

manager,” said Seger.

of his time as the bar

volunteers and do not

get paid – they work

for tips. Don donates

all of his credit-card

tips to Charlie’s Place

shelter].

the national organi-

zation was exclusively

ing that time, women

Ladies’ Auxiliary and

chapters.

Central City still has

a Ladies’ Auxiliary,

also full members of

the Elks and can serve

as officers. “The Lady Elks is

a group of women who don’t

come to the regular meetings,”

according to Seger. “They’re

very active in the community.

They’re a part of our history

and just want to help the com-

munity. They get things done.”

It’s easy to walk along the

west side of Main Street and

overlook the Central City Elks

lodge. That’s because the

entrance is a small glass door

with a tiny sign indicating the

lodge is upstairs. To the left

of the door is the Mountain

Heart Gallery gift shop. On

the right is one of the gam-

bling bays for the Famous

Bonanza casino. The Elks

own the building and lease

space to the businesses on the

ground floor.

The second floor of the

Elks building hosts the bar

and most events. The third

floor features the room where

the lodge’s private meet-

ings happen. It’s an ornate

space, decorated with his-

toric pictures and ceremonial

furniture. However, when rain

nearly forced cancellation of

last spring’s Easter Egg Hunt,

the Elks Ladies hid dozens of

eggs around the normally off-

limits area so children could

still have fun.

Another understatement

would be to call what’s behind

the Elks first-floor door a

“staircase.” It’s more like a

tall, Alpine-style climb that

can be challenging for old legs

who want to reach the second

level of the historic building,

which was erected some-

time after the great fire that

destroyed most of downtown

Central City in 1874. (There

is a back entrance from Pine

Street that’s easier to access.)

the room at the top of the

staircase, it remains a vi-

sual throwback to a bygone

era. Elk heads mounted on

plaques are displayed around

the room. In the back, there is

a small kitchen area used by

those sponsoring luncheons,

dinners, and special activities.

Off to the right is the well-

known bar area, which fea-

tures a bay window with views

of the mountain-surrounded

valley to the east. If you live

near Central City, chances are

you know someone who has

stopped by the bar to unwind.

“It’s kind of like our own

little Cheers,” said Seger,

laughing.

The door to the Central City Elks Lodge #557 can be found between

the Mountain Heart Gallery gift shop and the Famous Bonanza casino.

The Elks own the building and lease space to the businesses on the

ground floor.

FREE HAMBURGERS & BRATS

BRING A SIDE DISH TO SHARE

3 TO 6 P.M.

Work resuming on Floyd Hill; expect overnight closings

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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