In 1880 the county treasurer began paying bounties of 25 cents for hawk’s heads. The bounties were authorized by the state legislation in an effort to diminish hawkish inroads on poultry flocks.

In 1902 there was to be a basketball game at the Opera House at 8 PM with the high school playing the Boulder Preps of 1900. There was a dance after the game at no extra charge.

In 1902 Mrs. M.W. Burns of Denver opened a massage and manicuring parlor at Mme. Eisenhour’s and was prepared to do ladies’ hairdressing in the most approved modern style.

In 1902 the Wells Fargo Express Office in Fort Collins had done a larger business than in all previous years, averaging about $250 per month more than the previous year. This was in spite of the fact that there was little or no fruit shipped out this year, owing its destruction to the hailstorms the previous May.

In 1902 there were 77 death certificates filed with City Clerk Garrett. An actual majority of them, however, related to deaths of persons who did not die in town, or who were strangers, or who lived in other parts of the county. Among actual residents of Fort Collins, there were only 31 deaths. Assuming that the population of the town was 4,000, this would give a death rate of 7.75 per thousand, which was incredibly low. However, the editor of the Fort Collins Express noted that there was no reason to suspect the accuracy of the figures.

In 1903 a church census was taken to demonstrate the fact that Fort Collins had a population of 4,000. A house to house canvass was made so the numbers were not defective. At a good many houses the occupants were not at home and, as a rule, unmarried men renting rooms were not found. Dr. Skinner, who was in charge of the census taking, said that over 3,800 people were actually found and he was confident that several hundred were overlooked. The census was taken for the purpose of ascertaining the religious affiliations of the entire city. The breakdown was as follows: Adventists (38); Baptists (300); Catholic (114); Christian (611); Episcopal (205); Methodist (708); Presbyterian (760); Unitarian (109), all others (62); No preference (280).

The 1908 Fort Collins Weekly Courier announced, “Get the habit! Learn to ride on the Denver and Interurban cars and come downtown in ease and comfort!” Many people did, riding the nice, warm trolley with comfortable cane seats. The system continued for 43 years. The city took over the trolley system in 1919.

In 1916, the big brown bear, which was a fixture for four years at Lindenmeier Lakes, passed away. He had been brought to the city as a mere cub, after being captured in the mountains west of the city. His owner, William Lindenmeier, Jr., reached a decision on this day that the bear would be more valuable dead than alive. He took the life of the bear with a well-aimed revolver shot. The bear had recently developed a bad temper. During the winter, Bruin failed to retire for his winter sleep at the time appointed by nature and he developed a disposition that was anything but angelic. He had escaped from his den and caused much trouble for Mr. Lindenmeier. This, coupled with the fact that at this season of the year, the bear’s hide was at its best for rug-making purposes, led to his untimely end. The meat was turned over to a local market and was placed on sale.

In 1902 Mrs. Albina L. Washburn was in Denver as a delegate to the Socialist committee meeting to arrange for a state convention of the Socialist party.

In 1902 Frank Stover gave a unique stag party New Year’s Eve night at his delightful home on Howes Street. The amusements of the evening were cards, quiots, football, pool, shinny, golf, music and dancing. How true it is that “when the cat’s away the mice will play.”

In 1905 the Woodmen of the World held a smoker which was a huge success. Over 300 members passed the evening boxing, singing and smoking and a great time was had by all.

In 1881 the First National Bank opened its doors with Frankin C. Avery serving as president. It was not a very large bank, having only $30,000 capital, but this was not a large community. The city population was 1,356 and the county had but 4,862.

In 1884 the City Council provided that all city prisoners, i.e., vagrants, drunks, disorderlies and tramps, shall hereafter be fed on bread and water instead of boarded at an expense of $1/day.

In 1903 a gang of young fellows, mainly broncobusters filled with firewater, rode around town and amused themselves with lassoing stray dogs, bicycles and a plow and dragging them through the streets. The climax was reached when they rode into Doc Mylin’s restaurant, circling around the stove once or twice and then exiting.

3-5

In 1905 delinquent voters had to appear before the county commissioners to show cause why their names should not be stricken from the registration lists.

In 1894 F.N.B. Scott was appointed county commissioner by Governor Waite to succeed John G. Coy, who had resigned.

In 1900 new library rooms were assembled on Mountain Avenue with 500 books and a fireplace. Librarian Jane T. Budlow made $10 a month.

In 1904 the new sugarbeet factory opened in Fort Collins with 60-70,000 tons of beets to work into sugar.

Three hundred new buildings were erected in 1905 totaling $477,760. Twenty-eight others were improved. The average cost of structures was $1,592.53.

In 1893 The Columbia Club, a new literary club was organized. The officers were Miss Maude Bell (president), Mrs. S.F. Darrah (vice-president), Mrs. George Black (treasurer) and Mrs. P.J. McHugh (secretary).

In 1893 John Havener formed a partnership with Peter Anderson in the ag implement business. It was to be known as Peter Anderson and Co.

In 1903 Lee Fretwell, who had been running a saloon in a tent near Bellvue, was burned out. His tent was saturated with oil, set on fire and its contents consumed. Fretwell, who had no license to sell liquor, had been selling liquor to the men working on the Jackson ditch. He had been warned to leave the previous week, being accused of a much more serious crime than selling liquor and he had supposedly left the area. Angry citizens surrounded the tent. Although Fretwell was not in the tent, three young men, who on being awakened by the angry committee, made their escape without much clothing, shouted, “We are not Lee Fretwell”, occupied it! They were allowed to return and gather their belongings before the match was set to the tent. No one seemed to know who made up the group of angry citizens as no names were obtained.

In 1904 John Provost of Laporte was buried.

In 1904, Charlotte M. Burton, Doctor of Osteopath, opened her doors at 218 West Olive. Dr. Burton was one of a few women doctors in the area.

In 1904 the extension of West Mountain Avenue from the west line of the Loomis addition, was completed to the cemetery and the street thrown open to the public. The street was graded to the width of 60 feet but was eventually made 140 feet wide. It was destined to be one of the prettiest short drives in the city.

In 1905 a new grange, to be known as Eureka Grange, was organized at the Plummer School House. L.W. Tresner was chosen Master of Grange.

In 1893 the first game of the football wars between Colorado Agricultural College (now CSU) and Longmont Academy was held at Longmont. Longmont won 12 to 8. At the time, Colorado Agricultural College’s team was coachless.

In 1903 part of the skeleton of a mastodon was found in the Poudre Valley ditch.

In 1903 a new sign, “Hotel and Feed Stable” stood out in front of Mr. Provost’s in Laporte.

In 1904 Fort Collins’ citizens were urged to call up the Akin barn for a cab. They claimed that they were “always ready and delivery was quick.” You could go anywhere in the city for 50 cents. A good gentle team and careful driver were guaranteed.

In 1894 the Courier reported that eggs were selling for fifteen cents per dozen. The paper reported, “the hens are doing better since the equal suffrage carried.”

In 1902 Professor B.C. Buffum, who made the round in 29 strokes, broke the record for the local golf course. There is quite a good deal of interest in the sport and the C.A.C. golf club has 23 members. The links, southeast of town, were 1,605 yards long and were considered extra hazardous.

In 1902 Dr. Gregg, who advocated proper diet, physical exercise and plenty of oxygen as both preventative and cure for human ailments, hung out his shingle as a sign that his office was over the Golden Rule. He advocated discarding all medicine and surplus food and depending on nature’s own remedies.

In 1902 L.R. Schaap and G.D. Pratt of Fort Collins opened up a second-hand store and bicycle shop in the VanBramer building.

The Commercial Hotel dining room had been totally redecorated in 1902. The house was doing the largest business in its history. On New Year’s Eve guests found a carnation at their plate.

In 1898 the Methodist Church (architect, Harlan Thomas) was dedicated.

In 1903 Miss Theodosia Ammons, head of the Domestic Science Department at C.A.C., gave a presentation entitled, “Is Cooking a Lost Art?” before the home and education department of the Women’s Club. A table was attractively laid with dainty linen, glass, silver, and a centerpiece of ferns in a basket tied with light green ribbon was placed in front of the platform for the inspection of the audience. It has always been Miss Ammons feeling that the eye as well as the body should be fed. She felt this had much to do with the health and morals of young people.

William F. (Buffalo Bill) Cody died in Denver at the home of his sister in 1917. He was 71 years old. He is buried at Lookout Mountain.

Father Juan Fullana, much loved by his people, was assigned to Mexico City as a missionary. He was killed on this date in 1957 by bandits looting the parish. Fullana Elementary was named for him.

Charles Dwyre opened a book binding business in the Commercial Block in 1894.

In 1902 the sugar factory in Loveland shut down for a few hours. However, men accustomed to being busy couldn’t keep still. So the time was put in scrapping and it was said that several fights occurred during that time.

In 1884 rent for a house was very low. One good 5-room house, centrally located was $12.50. One 3-room frame house was $7.50.

Waldo Riffenburg was born in 1897 in Holyoke, Colorado. He served on the local school board for 18 years and was president for 14 years. He was a pioneer in organizing the Colorado Association of School Boards. Riffenburg Elementary was named for him.

In 1902 the case of the People against William Gallatin was up before Judge Witham on a preliminary hearing. The charge against him was seduction and the complaining witness was Mrs. Rhonda Brothers. The case was dismissed.

In 1904, C.P. Allen came from Denver to look over the work of the new water works system. Mr. Allen had just arrived home from the East where he was placing orders for material. The first carload of iron bands passed through Omaha and it was expected that the material would come regularly thereafter so the work could rush forward from this time on.

In 1905 the town of Loveland was in the second class of Colorado towns. The petition of the citizens in the town to be put in the second class was granted by the Governor, Auditor and Secretary of State. According to the petition, the inhabitants of Loveland numbered 2,457 and the law stated that a town must have 2,000 inhabitants before it could be in the second class status. The advantages of being listed as a second class town were permanent registration, assessments and taxes on property owners for sewers and all other improvements that make for the betterment of the town.

In 1910 the first meeting of the Board of Directors of the 1st National Bank was held. W.A. Drake was elected president.

In 1911 Enos Mills spoke on Estes Park at a Chamber of Commerce dinner.

In 1899 Mr. and Mrs. Roucolle entertained a small company at a unique and enjoyable Jackrabbit Dinner. The name cards were disks of cardboard embellished with hand painted jackrabbits. The men were given the front foot of the rabbit for a souvenir. A King’s cake had a large bean hidden in it and whoever found it was to be named Queen for the evening. The Queen was then allowed to name a King for the evening. The other guests were told that whenever the Queen or King drank they had to drink and shout “the Queen (or King) drinks!” If they failed to do so, they had to drink an entire glass of water. The evening concluded with original songs, remarks or recitations with special pleasures accorded the group by the singing of the French National Air by the entire Roucolle family.

At the beginning of 1899, the local papers published a few statistics about Larimer County products. The list mentioned that Larimer County had 150,000 pounds of butter. Keye’s Brothers, who owned and operated two creameries in this county, said that this total was terribly in error. They claimed that they marketed and manufactured three times that amount, to say nothing of the thousands of pounds from the ranches. The Keyes’ Brothers claimed these two sources alone would doubtless swell those figures to at least ten times the amount given by the local paper.

In 1903 a female swindler did quite a nice business in Fort Collins. She represented herself to be an expert in false hair and on this pretense gathered in quite a number of valued switches to dye. Their respective owners were mourning their loss.

In 1903 J.S. McClelland, S. Oldfield and Ellis Moore organized the Union Hall company with $6,000 capital stock to build a grange hall south of Fort Collins.

In 1880 Mr. W. W. Sullivan purchased an interest in the Fort Collins Courier. A new company was formed named Courier Publishing Company consisting of Ansel Watrous, E.M. Pelton and Mr. Sullivan.

In 1902 the State Board of Health granted a certificate to practice embalming to Hubert F. Leonard of Loveland.

In 1873 Franklin C. Avery, working for the town company, finished surveying and making a plat for the town of Fort Collins.

In 1902 there was a basketball game at the Opera House – CAC and High School Girl’s Teams. Admission was 25 cents for the 8 PM game.

In 1884 the City of Fort Collins was given a clean bill of health. It seems the city was in remarkably good health and physicians were claiming the good health was accounted for largely by the introduction of water works which gave the residents of Fort Collins the best water in the state.

In 1894, Sheriff W.T. Branson gave notice that he would not permit prizefights in Larimer County.

E.C. Baker’s wife had a boy in 1902. Mr. Baker stated that he had had less than 6 hours sleep in 4 nights.

In 1903 the Russians employed by the North Poudre Irrigation Company began to arrive. They came from Sugar City where they were dissatisfied, having had to live in tents and endure lousy weather and water. The North Poudre Irrigation Company was building 40 houses for the newcomers and even this would not be enough to house them.

Otis Shinn was the one-armed (lost in an accident) conductor of the Stout train in 1893. In earlier years, he had worked in the Standard Office.

In 1902 while Marshal Ryckman was officiating as the first tenor in St. Luke’s church choir, some irreverent person stole his wheel (bike). Ryckman commented, “I shall have to sing a good many times to make up for the loss of that wheel.”

Theodosia G. Ammons was elected president of the Colorado Equal Suffrage Association at the 12th annual session of the association held in Denver in 1902.

In 1904 a large and enthusiastic meeting of bowlers met in the office of C.C. Emigh (who was elected president) at which time the organization of a city bowling league with a membership of eight teams was completed.

In 1904 the police for disorderly conduct picked up two women of questionable repute. They paid their fines amounting to $36 and promptly left town.

In 1904 the honorable Montezuma W. Fuller staked out the ground for the foundation and basement for the German Congregational Church, which was to be erected on the corner of Whedbee and Oak Street.

About 200 automobile owners in Larimer County had taken out 1914 car licenses. That left about 700 unlicensed.

Lerah Stratton married Dr. P. J. McHugh, Fort Collins’ first physician in 1892. Mrs. McHugh was active in many clubs and helped organize the Fort Collins Library, Pioneer Society and the Cache La Poudre D.A.R.

In 1907, George Ginder took out an ad in the paper which read: “Notice to Merchants and Others – I will not be responsibel (sic) for any bills contracted by Mrs. George Ginder, formerly Miss Katherine Hecel, to whom I was married January 20, as she refuses to live with me.”

In 1902 the new athletic sweaters arrived on campus. They were cardinal with a large “A” on the chest.

In 1903 the first convention of the Colorado chapters of P.E.O. were held in the Unity Church in Denver. A state chapter was organized and the delegates elected officers from the eight local chapters. The Fort Collins chapter president was Miss Virginia Corbett.

In 1903 F.D. Giddings had just completed a giant beet rack, by which one man can easily dump his wagonload of beets without assistance. It was on exhibition at his shop on Walt Street.

In 1900, Professor Melvin and his wife opened their dancing school at Loomis Hall and introduced new dances. On this date, the champion cake walkers of the state gave an exhibition walk.

In 1915 Rocky Mountain National Park was established by an act of Congress. It comprised 410 square miles of mountainous, forested terrain west of Estes Park. This was due in a large part to the campaign of Enos Mills.

In 1882 the Grange Hall was destroyed by fire.

In 1904 Frank Giddings was notified from Washington that his application for a patent on a beet cutter and topper had been allowed.

Birthdate of Joseph Mason (b. 1840) who came to Larimer County in 1862 and bought a farm northwest of Fort Collins. He was credited with having influenced the selection of the site of Camp Collins, the site upon which later became the city of Fort Collins. He was the town’s first postmaster and served on the first Board of County Commissioners.

From the annual statements of the county officers in 1903, the salaries were paid as follows: County Judge ($2,100); Deputy ($400); Treasurer ($2,100); Deputy Treasurer ($1,000); Sheriff ($2,300); Under Sheriff ($1,000); Superintendent of Schools ($1,200 plus $300 mileage); Assessor ($1,478.42); Deputy Assessors ($1,448.94); Prosecuting Attorney ($$1,052.75); and County Surveyor ($551.35).

Montezuma Fuller died at the age of 67 in 1924 having spent 45 years creating beautiful buildings in Fort Collins. He was one of our leading architects. One of his creations was the Edwards House, now a Bed and Breakfast at 402 West Mountain.

In 1904 some sneak thieves were playing havoc with all the clothes left hanging out on the lines during the night. S.F. Stewart’s clothes were taken off the line. Mrs. Mary Field had all of her clothes taken, as well as that of a number of factory people for whom she did washing. James Sweeney had all of his clothes taken but the thieves left a single sock.

LOOKING BACK 100 YEARS IN HISTORY

ONE HUNDRED YEARS IN HISTORY

Most persons, with the coming of every new year, are prone to take a backward look. While there are few who can glance back one hundred years in a lifetime, there are many persons now living who have been eye witnesses to the changes indicated in the following table. The following events are things man could not do one hundred years ago:

One hundred years ago a man could not take a ride on a steamboat.

He had never seen an electric light or dreamed of an electric car.

He could not send a telegram.

He couldn’t talk through a telephone.

He could not ride a bicycle.

He could not call a stenographer and dictate a letter.

He had never heard of the germ theory or worried over bacilli and bacteria.

He had never heard a phonograph talk or saw a kinetoscope turn out a prizefight.

He never saw through a Webster’s unabridged dictionary with the aid of a Roentgen ray.

He had never seen his wife use a sewing machine.

He had never struck a match.

He couldn’t take an anesthetic and have his leg cut off without feeling it.

He had never seen a reaper or a self-binding harvester.

He had never crossed an iron bridge.

(Appeared in the Weekly Courier, January 3, 1905)

January in Early Fort Collins

LOOKING BACK 100 YEARS IN HISTORY