By Don Ireland
PAGE 6 | WEEKLY REGISTER-CALL • April 13, 2023
“Looking Back” is a collection of historical newspaper reports from Gilpin County.
Continued on next page
30 years ago
April 16, 1993
Floodplain reduced through
Central City
As a result of projects begun
two years ago, the floodplain
through Central City’s gaming
district has been contained. In
April 1991, Central City Coun-
cil commissioned Rocky Moun-
tain Consultants (RMC) to
redesign stormwater diversions
so that they could carry much
of the water predicted during a
100-year flood. Besides build-
ing new inlets RMC relined
the Opera House flume, built
a detention pond that can hold
up to 13 acre-feet of water in
Eureka Gulch. It is difficult to
separate the cost of the drainage
improvements from other street
improvements, City Manager
Jack Hidahl said, but the proj-
ect was estimated at $900,000
when it was begun. Central city
undertook the storm improve-
ments two years ago, Hidahl
said, for two reasons.
With the
floodplain reduced through the
commercial district, buildings
could be improved without
having to add individual flood
proof features, such as raised
entrances. Now there is little
danger, Hidahl said, of a flood
coming through and wiping
out the commercial district.
He was particularly pleased
with the improvements to the
Opera House flume, saying that
Central City no longer has the
potential of losing the Opera
House, Teller House, bank
building and part of the Holiday
House next door, or the north
end of the Toll Gate.
Picking a winner…
The Gilpin County Chamber
of Commerce honored Coors
Brewery with a Gold Pick
award and a certificate noting
that Black Hawk, Central City
and Gilpin County were one of
Coors’ first distribution areas.
The award also commemorates
the Coors company’s sup-
port of many local events and
charitable works.
A supporter
of local events for many years,
the Coors company is excited
about activities that have been
planned for the county and of-
fered its continuing support for
special events.
Chilled eggs…
Chilled eggs were the order
of the day at Elk’s Ladies an-
nual Easter Egg Hunt. Everyone
had a good time, in spite of the
snow on the ground and the nip
in the air
. The Easter Bunny lent
a helping hand in spying out
the eggs against the backdrop
of snow it’s a good thing they
were colored so well. Many
of the participants in the hunt
on Saturday were on hand the
Thursday night before to help
die the aids for the hunt. The
enthusiastic crew at the Elk’s
Lodge died 60 dozen eggs.
60 years ago
April 12, 1963
Congratulations to the Black
Hawk children who won honors
in the spelling contest. David
Vance won first place in the
County. Mary Leanna Blake,
Mary Pipes and Kathy Wright
did very well in their respective
grades.
The small daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Harry Ellis was lost
Saturday in the vicinity of Dory
Mountain. A search party was
formed by Sheriff Smith and
the child was found safe but
quite a distance from her home.
Word was received here
on Monday that a man was
found near the old Severance
Lodge, suffering from a heart
attack, and Dr. Fowler of Idaho
Springs was called to adminis-
ter first aid. The private ambu-
lance in this city was also on
the scene, and after administer-
ing him oxygen for an asthmat-
ic condition, he was taken to
a hotel in Boulder
. It was later
learned that his car, which had
run out of gas near Nifty Nook,
had apparently been stolen in
Jefferson County. Sheriff Smith
of Gilpin County and the State
Patrol are now attempting to
unravel the peculiar circum-
stances relative to this case.
Mr
. Stewart A. Gates, chair-
man of the gambling commis-
sion of Central City, resigned
his post this week. Mr
. Gates,
in his letter of resignation to
Mayor William C. Russell, Jr.,
explained that he did not have
the time to spend on commis-
sion matters. It is not known
when Mayor Russell and the
City Council will replace Mr
.
Gates.
Mr. Bill Ballantine of Holi-
day Magazine was in Central
City
Wednesday gathering
material for an article to be run
in that magazine. The article
“Shunpike Tour” will feature
a trip starting at Colorado
Springs then to Cripple Creek,
Leadville, Aspen, Georgetown,
Central City and into Denver.
Mr. Ballantine said the story
would appear in the August is-
sue of Holiday.
Mr
. and Mrs. Joe Schaefer
had a real shock when they
came up this time. Their house
was a shambles after a party
had been held there since they
were up last. Judging from the
containers left, there was plenty
of liquid refreshments.
Private funeral services were
held Friday at the Moore Mor-
tuary for Elizabeth Jones. She
was born in Russell Gulch but
has lived in Denver for a long
time.
Two nephews, Raymond
Mellow and Edward Hughes,
and a niece, Ethel Auger, are
her only survivors.
Making her first appearance
here in Central City will be
the contralto Irene Kramarich,
whose dark beauty will add
emphasis to her role as Azucena
in Verdi’s Il Trovatore.
90 years ago
April 14, 1933
The Beatrice Gold Mining
company of this city, and Gilpin
County Boosters, are broadcast-
ing over KFEL, Denver, and its
affiliating stations, a drama pro-
gram every Monday, Wednes-
day and Friday nights from 7:15
to 7:30 o’clock, covering actual
facts and scenes in the county
of 60 years ago and over
. A
cast of 20 people, well-known
actors and musicians, will take
the leading parts in the plays
that will be presented, and every
radio listener in Gilpin County
is invited to tune in on those
evenings and enjoy the pro-
grams presented and comments
and suggestions are requested.
A deal was consummated the
first of the week through which
the Teller House has been ac-
quired by the Opera House As-
sociation, on a three-year lease,
with an option to purchase, and
immediate possession has been
secured. Many needed changes
and improvements will be made,
and the association will make it
modern in every particular
.
Washington, April 12 – In
the presence of Postmaster
General Farley, the printing of a
special stamp was begun today
to commemorate the 150th an-
niversary of the formal ending
of the Revolutionary
War. The
stamp will be placed on sale
at Newberg, N.Y ., on April 19.
Fifty million are to be printed.
It was at the Hasbrouck House
at Newburgh, which is depicted
on the stamp, that General
Washington penned the docu-
ment proclaiming peace with
Great Britain
April 19, 1783.
Washington, April 9 – The
full army of 250,000 men en-
listed for President Roosevelt’s
reforestation campaign will be
in the field by May 15, Robert
Fechner
, director of emergency
conservation work said tonight.
Already the federal govern-
ment has raided the breadlines
by of
fering $1 a day and board
and room to men caught in the
whirlpool of the depression and
forced out of their normal jobs.
Tonight, there are 2,607 men
in conditioning camps, going
through preliminary train-
ing and physical examination
before moving out to their work
in the woods, Fechner said.
W
ashington, April 12 – The
one cent-a-gallon gasoline tax
slated for reenactment, will be
introduced in bill form Thurs-
day by Chairman Doughton
of the House
Ways and Means
Subcommittee, along with a
proposal to reduce the first-
class postage on letters, for lo-
cal delivery, from 3 to 2 cents.
W
ith a nice snowstorm Sat-
urday night and several others
since the ground was given to a
good coating of moisture. Cold
winds have prevailed during the
week, and the prospects for a
mild and pleasant day for Eas-
ter, are not very promising.
The city of Black Hawk
was compelled to stop pump-
ing water to the reservoir last
Saturday afternoon.
The engine,
which had been so generously
loaned by Mr. L. A. Griffith,
had been sold to the Gaston
mine, and the new owners were
ready to put it to use on their
own property. The reservoir is
only 1/3 full and citizens must
be very conservative in the use
of water, as the natural supply
for the reservoir is still frozen
and it may be some time before
the line is open.
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