30 years ago – July 13, 1990
The Thomas-Billings House is going to the Gilpin County Historical Society after all, it seems, according to an announcement made at Wednesday’s meeting of the Central City aldermen. It looks as though the society will be able to purchase the house, despite the owners raising the price at the last minute, said historical society board member Alan Granruth, through the generosity of benefactors whose names are not yet being released. After learning of the difficulties the society was encountering in attempting to purchase the museum, Granruth told the council, someone offered on Wednesday afternoon to give the society $95,000 on the condition that the group raise the remaining $15,000 needed to meet the asking price of the museum’s owners, Mike and Darlene Leslie. A pledge for $9,500 from the Gates Foundation left the group with a shortfall of $5,500, which was quickly promised from another individual interested in preserving the Thomas-Billings House Museum. “The board of directors is elated,” Granruth said, “to have found people generous enough to make this possible.” When he left the meeting, Granruth was on his way to work out details of the sale with the Leslies. The purchase is to include the house and all its contents. Granruth said he expects closing to take place by mid-August.
Late this month, the assets of the Black Hawk-Central City Narrow Gauge Railroad will be sold by the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Department. The sale has been authorized to pay the Gilpin County Historical Society more than $5,000 awarded in a recent arbitration settlement. The arbitrator decreed on May 2 that the railroad pay $5,498.52 in damages, costs and legal fees as the result of contractual disputes over the last two years. A historical society report issued this week said that the society will bid on the property in an effort to acquire the track and other equipment “as compensation for the amount owed.” If it gets title to the track and equipment, the report said, the historical society plans to fire up Old 71, the society’s locomotive, right away. Easements are being negotiated with property owners and an engineer is ready to start work. In an effort to reduce the danger of brush fires along the track, the society plans to use bituminous coal in the engine. Railroad president Court Hammond could not be reached for comment either at home or at the railroad, whose phone has been disconnected.
Support authors and subscribe to content
Subscribe to read the entire article.
