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Chaffee County Government in Action

Salida Mail, Nov 29, 1902: One of the liveliest sessions held by the city council in many years was that of Monday night. The council room was crowded with businessmen and it seemed that about everybody present made a speech, while some of them made several. The cause of all this was an attempt to remove all signs from the streets unless they be attached to the fronts of buildings and then without projecting over the walk. It was found that the ordinance regulating signs would not admit of such severe construction and finally the incident was closed by calling the matter off and waiting until another ordinance could be framed. The council was divided in opinion on the matter, some wanting to absolutely prohibit all signs in front of buildings, except on the front of the building itself. The storm of indignation that burst from the businessmen has seldom been equaled.

Salida Mail, March 7, 1903: It is currently reported that the Jarret brothers will start a weekly paper in Salida soon, to be devoted to the interests of the Democratic party. It is understood that local Democrats are assisting the venture.

Salida Mail, May 6, 1903: Among the other improvements that Salida is making this spring, the care of the park should not be forgotten. Everything there is in very good condition, but a little more irrigation just now would be a good thing. The great need in the park is seats. There is no place in the city where people may go to sit quietly and take a little fresh air. By all means iron seats should be provided.

Salida Mail, May 7, 1903: Perhaps the most notable section of the city in the matter of residence improvement is west First Street. Since the building of the smelter began, this section took a boom and now there are neat cottages where a year ago there was only sand, cactus and soap weed. There are several houses now building and five contracts are about to be begun. The water main has been extended and the next necessity is for an arc light and the improvement of the street. This street has become one of the most prominent in the city and should receive the public improvements that its prominence warrants.

Salida Record, March 25, 1904: The work of cleaning River Front Park is now under way and the ditch for the water pipe is almost completed. The filling-in process that has been under way there for the last year or two has shown great results, and the site is now ready to receive the finishing touches as a park. During the last few months a heavy supply of soil and fertilizer has been spread over the ground and as soon as the water is piped in seed will be sown and a lawn started.

With a continuance of the work that is now well started, River Front Park can be made one of the beauty spots of the city, and in fact, of the whole country. This park will be one of the first things seen by the incoming stranger and one of the last seen by the outgoer, so it is for the city's good that is should present the best possible appearance.

Salida Record, April 8, 1904: The time of year is at hand for the dog detective to get in his finest kind of work and judging from the number of dogs to be seen growling and fighting on the streets any day, the field is open for consideration. The man who pays tax on his dog has paid for the privilege of keeping the animal and generally the dog is worth it, but the multi-colored, worthless, ownerless curs are a nuisance and should be gotten rid of.

Salida Record, Aug 12, 1904: The Delta Independent says that it is claimed that the United States revenue officers have discovered that a blockade distillery has been operating for some time in the mountains of Montrose County. United States marshalls have been at work for some time endeavoring to locate where the whiskey was being made and altlhough the blockaders have operated with great secrecy it is said that evidence has been secured and that arrests are likely to follow.

This brings to mind the rumor that illicit distilling has been carried on not far from Salida and it is true that revenue officers have visited Chaffee county several times to discover if possible if such is really the case. Nothing has ever been discovered however, that would lead to the confirmation of the rumor.

Salida Mail, Sept. 30, 1928: A petition to remove the county seat of Chaffee County from Buena Vista was filed late Monday evening with the board of county commissioners sitting in Buena Vista. The petition contained 1300 names, which is 200 more than required, according to J. A. McKenzie, Ralph Roberts and George Whitmore, who had charge of its circulation.

The citizens of Buena Vista have employed Eugene Bond of Leadville as their attorney to examine the petition. The county commissioners are meeting today and will continue to meet until all the names on the petition have been checked against the tax roll to ascertain if those signing were qualified.

Salida Mail, Dec. 2, 1928: The county commissioners issued an order at their meeting in Buena Vista Monday that the county seat be removed to Salida, in accordance with the result of the recent election. No date was fixed for the removal. The various plans for housing the county seat in Salida will be considered later.

Citizens of Buena Vista are holding meetings and are taking legal steps to block the removal of the county seat. Reports have reached Salida that when the records are about to be moved an injunction will be sought. The protest will be based on the legality of the recent election.

Salida Mail, April 23, 1929: Engineers are making soundings for the foundations of the new dams to be erected by the Public Service Company at Maysville, This work will cost close to $100,000 and the money will be spent largely for payroll. The work will start as soon as weather permits and a large force of men will be employed for several months.

Salida Mail, May 5, 1929: Federal Prohibition Officer Nusbaum came up from Pueblo Saturday night and on Sunday morning made a raid on a secluded spot in the hills near Centerville where he found a remnant of a still, a large amount of mash and a small quantity of whiskey. He said he had been summoned by George McDonald, who reported that the still belonged to Mrs. Wilford Woll. Mcdonald and Mrs. Woll were placed under arrest charged with violating the prohibition law.

McDonald declared to the officers that Mrs. Woll hired him to operate a still and was to divided the profits with him, but that when the proper division was not made, he called the federal agent. Mrs. Woll denies any knowledge of the still or any agreement with McDonald.

Salida Mail, July 19, 1929: Elmer Stephenson, 47 years old, brother-in-law of T. J. Hampson of Medford, Oregon, formerly of Salida, died July 11 at his home in Yampa. Particulars of his death were not received here. Mr. Stephenson was one of the guides for Theodore Roosevelt on his Glenwood Springs hunt. He was one of the original rangers in the Forest Service and he is credited with having shot the biggest bear ever killed in the West. He killed the bear when he was only a fourteen year old boy.

Salida Mail, May 29, 1953: City employees were constructing a platform adjacent to the cement slab in Alpine Park today. The platform will be used as a stage for the orchestra and other purposes. There will be a cabinet for storing the piano, public address system, etc.

Salida Daily Mail-Record, Jan. 21, 1954: The flashing red light, to stop F Street traffic at First Street, is now in operation. The light can be seen for blocks. Police also report that motorists who previously didn't see the stationary sign, stop for the red light. First Street traffic does not stop.

Salida Daily Mail-Record, Feb. 17, 1954: The spiral road circling Tenderfoot Mountain and providing one of the best views of the Arkansas River Valley, is being repaired and in some places widened. County and city crews have been doing blasting and other work the past several days.

The steps leading to the house on top of the mountain were blasted away. They will be rebuilt after fixing a parking space for six or eight cars. The road also will be widened so two cars can pass at the top.

Tenderfoot drive was built by public-spirited Salidans, assisted by boys from the Reformatory, in 1926. An engineer estimated the job would cost $27,000. Since nobody had that much money, everybody pitched in with picks and shovels. Work started on Washington's Birthday and was finished on June 2 the same year.

The Mountain Mail, May 6, 1978: Despite the clouds and snowflakes, it's official now.

Salida Mayor Ed Touber last night proclaimed Salida as Colorado's "Sun Capital."

The full text of his proclamation was:"Whereas, Salida is known statewide for its fine climate and large number of sunny days, and "Whereas, Salida has more sunny days during the year than any other community in Colorado, and "Whereas, the people of Salida take great pride in this enviable record, "Therefore, I mayor Edward Touber, by the authority vested in me by the people of Salida, proclaim the City of Salida to be Colorado's sun Capital, and call upon all people to note the quality, excellence, clarity, extraordinary brilliance, and unfailing consistency of sunshine in Salida, Colorado."

The Mountain Mail, May 3, 1979: For the first time in a decade, the San Isabel National Forest's Salida District is getting new trees. Hard at work west of Buena Vista are between six and a dozen workers(the exact number depending on how much temporary help is available on a given day), swinging their mattocks to loosen the ground and create a narrow, foot-deep gap for the two-year-old seedling.

The 82-acre areas being planted is bereft of trees due to an old burn, according to Mike Lloyd, assistant district ranger. "We're doing the planting for a variety of reasons," he said, "it improves the watershed and game habitat, and, in a century or so, should provied some saw timber."

The Mountain Mail, Aug. 28, 1979: Chaffee County government entered the computer age yesterday, but not by unanimous consent of elected officials. By a 2-1 vote, the county commissioners tentatively decided to order an IBM Systems I computer to help with county business. Initial costs for the purchase, set-up and programming of the system were estimated at $45,000.

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