HHII SSTTOORRIICCAA LL LLYY JJEE FF FF CCOO WHO WE WORK FOR A Brief History of Jefferson County’s Biggest Employers (See story page 4) T H E J E F F E RS O N C O U N T Y H I S T O R I C A L C O M M Photo above shows Esther Bishop and her “circus” in Creede (see story page 35) COMMISSION MEMBERS Jack Raven, JCHC Kris Christensen, Donald E. Ebner, Jane Munro Gardner, Liz Priest Grady, Jerry Grunska, JCHC since 1997; Chair. JCHC since 1998. JCHC since 1990; JCHC since 1974. JCHC since 1991; 1999; Education and Past Recording Masters of Social Vice Chair. Past Twice past Chair, Corresponding Grants Committees. Secretary. President: Science UCD. Chair, Hall of past Secretary, Hall Secretary, numerous Retired High School Arvada Historical Project leader Fame, Writing of Fame honoree JCHC Committees. and College English Society, Arvada economic study of Awards, Placenames, 1993. Woman of Jeffco Cancer instructor; author of Lions Club & Pearl Street Mall Grants Historic the Year Award Crusade & Easter sports books and Arvada Cemetery for Historic Boulder. Preservation 1990. Contributor Seal Chair; Chair, sports officiating Association. Technical Advisor Committees. to From Scratch. R-1 Pre-planning; books; national Safeway Manager 26 CPI. Grantwriting and Retired Executive. President Colorado sports’ officials Years. Register Nominations. Symphony Guild. clinician. M I S S I O N JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWS 1999 In July 1999 the JCHC celebrated its 25th anniversary with a luncheon party at Mt.Vernon Country Club. Country singer Roz Brown provided entertainment, including “Home on the Range” and “Colorado Waltz” accompanied by his autoharp. UCD History professor Tom Noel recounted Jefferson County’s history with slides from the greatest natural land- marks to recent structures, including the County courthouse and “the Taj, that some day will be treasured like the Eiffel Tower or the dome of Monticello.” He praised the Commission for its writers contest, especially as an incentive for the young, and for the opportunities the Commission provides to college interns to work on historical projects. He also stated that Historically Jeffco is the only magazine published by a county historical commission in Colorado. Jack Raven succeeded Sharon Carr as chairman of the Commission in the Spring of 1999, after she resigned. Five new members were welcomed to the Commission: Gerald Grunska, Robert Lochary, Lawrence Lotito, Standish Penton, Jr., and Scott Pierson.The talents of these new members will be much appreciated in the years to come. We regret the resignation of former chairperson Sharon Carr, who was one of the charter members of the JCHC, appointed in 1974, and has given much of her time and effort to the Historical Commission and numerous committees. Mary Bindner, who also was a charter member of the JCHC and appointed in 1974, is also leaving the Commission this year. Mary was active as chairman in 1997 and has contributed to the former historic preservation task force and the committee for Hall of Fame. She ran the Festival of the West for many years. We will miss both of them. EDUCATION In April, a group of Commission members attended a daylong workshop on the preserva- tion of family treasures at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities. Professional con- servators from the Arvada Arts Center, the Arvada Historical Society, the Molly Brown House Museum, and the Rocky Mountain Conservation Center shared their knowledge about the intricacies of conserving old objects, such as books, textiles, (continued on page 44) Photo above courtesy of Arvada Cover photo courtesy of Coors Brewing Company Historical Society Library Collection Vi Mae Hader, Max W. Haug, Erlene Hulsey-Lutz, Dorothy Lombard, Rob Lochary, Lawrence Lotito, JCHC since 1985. JCHC since 1997; JCHC since 1986; JCHC since 1981; JCHC 1999; JCHC 1999. B.A. in Past Secretary/ Historian. Past Education, Grants, Place Names, Hall Preservation and Chemistry, Math, Historian. Manager President: Olde Publications, Hall of of Fame & Library Bylaws Committees. Meteorology & of the Golden Town Arvada Assn., Fame, & By-laws Committees. Past Deputy District Physics; Weather Chamber of Forward Arvada, Committees. Past Chair, Corres- Attorney of Officer during WWII Commerce; past Arvada Community Chair., Vice Chair, ponding & Jefferson County in Europe; recalled Curator for the Resources, and Secretary, & Recording DA’s office since to Korea. Retired as Astor Hotel Arvada Historical Historian. Real Secretary. Assisted 1993 Major in 1981. Long Museum. Society. Real Estate Estate Broker. 4th with From Scratch. civilian career in Agent 1954-1996. generation Coloradan. Europe and US. Published by The Jefferson County Historical Commission Volume 12, Issue 20, 1999 CONTENTS Jefferson County: Beer, 4 Bullets, Bombs and Beyond . Rocky Flats: 14 A Military Pandora’. s. Bo. .x . Denver’s 21 Genesee Park No Longer Just 25 Passing Through The Incorporation .of . Lak. e. w. ood. Memories from 28 Thirty Years Ago The Incorporation of Wheat Ridge Carole Lomond, Marcetta Rhoads Lutz, Norman Meyer, Standish Penton, Jr., Rita Peterson, Scott Pierson, JCHC since 1997; JCHC since 1987; JCHC since 1986; JCHC 1999; Preser- JCHC since 1981; JCHC 1999. Publications, Place Names Grants and Place vation and Publica- Chair, Hall of Geography degree; Education, and Place Committee Chair. Names Committees. tion Committees. Fame Committee. past member Names Committees. Past Chair, Hall of Past Recording Has lived in Little- Past Treasurer & Minnesota Publisher City and Fame honoree Secretary. Journalist, ton since 1994; Chairman, past Historical Society Mountain Views, a 1996. Committee traveler, pilot, owns Normandy Editor of news magazine for Mt. chair for three photographer. Farms. Stan is active Historically Jeffco. Vernon Canyon. Arvada history Conifer rancher in CO Horsemen’s Writing a book of area books. since 1951. Native Council and the history. Coloradan. Denver Westerners. Museums in Jefferson County: The Morrison Museum of. .N . atur. .al . .His . .t or. y. 31. The Morrison Heritage Museum 32 The Orum House 33 Jefferson County Historic Hall of Fame Irma Wyhs 34 G.S. Green 35 Historic Places in Jeffco: Enterprise Grange No. 25 36 Gateposts to the Lariat Loop 37 The Stewart Building . Golden. 38 “Threatened” Historic Places The. .Alkir . .e . House. .39 . Why Would I Want Designation for My Historic Place? 43 JCHC Publications Committee Erlene Hulsey-Lutz, Chair; Milly Roeder, Editor; Historically Jeffco Layout and Design Carole Lomond, Assistant Editor; Don Ebner, Liz by Fine Print Brochures & Photography Golden, CO Grady, Stan Penton, Jack Raven, Ruth Richardson 303.526.1969 [email protected] Ruth Richardson, Milly Roeder, Kevin Rucker, Richard Simmons, JCHC Staff— JCHC Staff— JCHC since 1983; JCHC since 1995; JCHC since 1997; JCHC since 1997; Duncan Susan numerous JCHC Editor, Historically Place Names Com- Place Names McCollum, Casteleneto, committees. Active Jeffco, Historic mittee. History committee. Branch Director, Secretary, with local, county Preservation and educator/writer Manager and Archives Archives and and state PTA. other JCHC researcher Red Principal for and Records Records Member Jeffco committees. Rocks Comm. Sunamerica Management. Management. Citizens for Public College and CU Securities. Pilot Schools. Wheat Denver. Fort and flight Ridge resident over Lupton Historic instructor. 80 yrs. Preservation Board. BEER, BULLETS, BOMBS, AND BEYOND A History of Jefferson County’s Biggest Employers by John Dellinger First, there was the land. Then there were people. Then came the work that sustained the people on the land. The land was marked with imag- inary lines that became a territory, and then a state, with shorter imaginary lines that became coun- ties in the state of Colorado. One Colorado county was named “Jefferson,” (as in twenty-four other states) honoring the princi- pal author of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. President Jefferson was a native of Virginia who never traveled into the landscape of prairies, rivers, lakes, mountains, valleys, and deserts stretching toward the Pacif- ic Ocean. President Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark in 1804 to explore the American Continent west of the Missouri River. Fur trappers and traders followed. Pioneers came to the future Jef- ferson County in the 1860s hoping gold would make them rich. But only a lucky few found it. -4- a year. Free to leave Baltimore where the ship had docked, he began an uncharted journey west. After laboring with pick and shovel, Adolph began to work at the Stenger Brewery in Naperville, Illinois in 1869. In European tradi- tion, he had been apprenticed to a brewer at the age of fourteen. He learned more about the brewery business at Stenger. After three years, at age twenty- five, he left Stenger to search for new opportunities in the west. His departure may also have been motivated by John Stenger’s desire for Adolph to marry one of his daughters. Using money he had saved, he bought a partnership in a Denver bottling business in 1872. In less than a year, Adolph had become All Coors photos courtesy of Coors Brewing Company the sole owner of the business and Left: Coors workers Above: Coors delivery wagon was selling bottled beer, ale, cider, Below: Adolph Coors, who opened Coors Brewery in Golden in 1874 when he wine, and seltzer water. was twenty-six years old. Five years earlier he had arrived in America as a penni- Knowing that water is the most less immigrant. important ingredient in beer, Adolph used Sundays, when his The Native Americans roamed identity. The second and third- business was closed, to search for without boundary lines to sustain generations often did not identify a suitable site for a brewery. Clear themselves by gathering and hunt- with the “old country.” They were Creek, a stream that flowed out of ing. Immigrants from the East car- “Americans” first and foremost.