Tag Archive for: Eagle County Historical Society

Horn Ranch Hike Thursday May 30

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The Eagle Valley Land Trust and Eagle County Historical Society will lead a hike to the historic stone quarry at the Horn Ranch on Thursday, May 30, noon – 2 p.m. Learn about the Horn Ranch conservation project, and Historical Society President Kathy Heicher will share the history of the early ranch and the colorful characters that lived there.

More information at https://evlt.org/community-land-connection-series-horn-ranch-historical-tour-thursday-may-30-2019-12-2pm/

The moderate hike is about two miles round trip and gains several hundred feet in elevation. Wear sturdy shoes and bring sunscreen and water. No dogs.

The tour is limited to the first 20 people who RSVP to the Land Trust at [email protected] or call (970) 748-7654.

A tour is also scheduled on Saturday, Sept. 28, 10 a.m. – noon.

These popular tours have limited space, and fill up quickly. Early reservations are recommended.

Directions and liability waivers will be forwarded upon registration.

Nimon-Walker honors Jaci Spuhler Sunday, April 28

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ECHS volunteer Jaci Spuhler will be honored with the Nimon-Walker award during a program at the Avon Library on Sunday, April 28, 2 p.m. The award, established in 2001 by the ECHS and the Eagle Valley Library District, recognizes people who have helped preserve the history of Eagle County.

Working as the EVLD Local History and Archives librarian, Spuhler developed and made accessible to the public an extensive local history collection including thousands of digitized photographs. Since her retirement in 2015, she continues to volunteer in many capacities for the Eagle County Historical Society, including archiving of artifacts and working at special events.

The featured program for the event will be a portrayal of Colorado pioneer doctor Susan Anderson (“Doc Susie”) by Kathy Naples.

The Nimon-Walker event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

March 24, 2019 Beer and History at the Bonfire

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Beer and whiskey are just as much a part of Eagle County’s history as mining, ranching, and skiing. The Eagle County Historical Society will present a special program about the county’s historical drinking habits at Bonfire Brewing in Eagle, 4:30 p.m. Sunday, March 24, in celebration of Colorado Craft Beer Week. Stop in for a brew and a bit of local history. (Early Gypsum saloon photo courtesy of Eagle County Historical Society and Eagle Valley Library District)

March 20, 2019 The History of Eagle County + Walking Tour of Historic Eagle

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Special offer for members only

The History of Eagle County + Walking Tour of Historic Eagle

Wednesday, March 20  9 a.m.

Eagle County Administration Building in Eagle, Garden-level classroom

Local historian Kathy Heicher will present a slide show and talk that will reveal Eagle County history stretching from the Ute occupation in the early 1800s to the development of the county’s ski resort economy in the 1960s. The lecture will be followed by a walking tour of historic downtown Eagle.

To reserve a spot in the class, RSVP to: [email protected] by March 19. Cost of the class is $10 for ECHS members.

*** Note: Local realtors seeking “Vail Pro” education credit for the class must register through the Vail Board of Realtors (http://www.vbr.net).

Disaster and Recovery

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Water and archives are a historian’s worst nightmare. A construction mishap at the Eagle Public Library on Jan. 10 caused water to flood into the basement archive storage room. The Eagle County Historical Society thanks Library Archivist Matthew Mickelson (pictured) and his fellow librarians for quickly pulling artifacts to safety. Thanks also to the Greater Eagle Fire Department for their quick and orderly response. Special thanks to Steammaster’s Jeff Sandoval and his experienced crew who immediately recognized the value of the historic documents and got the recovery process started. Experts have now transported the small part of our collection affected by the water to Denver for restoration. The ECHS looks forward to the return of our irreplaceable artifacts. Hurray for local history!

ECHS Annual Meeting!

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The annual meeting and election of officers for the Eagle County Historical Society will take place Monday, Jan 7 at 8:15 a.m. at the Eagle Town Hall. What a good opportunity to come and see what the ECHS has been doing.
Please note that we are accepting nominations for the following positions:
Vice President
Finance director
Membership director
Events director
If you would like to get involved as a board member, please contact us:

970-328-7104  or[email protected]

Happy Holidays!

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The Santa of Christmas Past …

Santa Claus stopped in Red Cliff, Colorado on Christmas Eve, 1935, delivering bags of fruit, nuts and candy to each child, and promising to return later that night. The American Legion and Auxiliary, Battle Mountain Post No. 47 hosted Santa’s visit. He stopped at Clooney’s Store to greet the locals, and posed for a photo with his hosts.

The Eagle County Historical Society wishes you a Merry Christmas and hopes that Santa stops by your house, too!

Colorado Gives Day — December 4, 2018

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Give where you live: Support the Eagle County Historical Society on Dec. 4

  It takes more than beautiful scenery and great skiing to build a healthy community. The Eagle County Historical Society is among dozens of non-profit organizations in Eagle County that work hard every day providing quality-of-life services for locals and visitors. Programs include educational and health services, housing assistance and cultural enrichment.

   Eagle County Gives, a coalition of 50 local and worthy non-profits, will once again participate in Colorado Gives Day on Tuesday, Dec. 4. This annual event simplifies philanthropic giving by providing a convenient on-line option for supporting local non-profits with a single website visit.

  Last year, the one-day event raised nearly $1 million for local organizations. Donors have the option of making contributions on the official Gives day, or scheduling donations in advance.

  Watch for posters, news articles, and sign -waiving volunteers in the roundabouts.  Take this opportunity to support your local community. Present and future generations will thank you.

  More information at eaglecogives.org.

 

Hiking through History: The McCoy fossil beds

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The history lessons spanned thousands of years at our McCoy Fossil Beds “Hiking through History” outing with Walking Mountain Science Center. Geologist and guest teacher Neil Suneson led the fossil hike, which turned up hundreds of fossils, proof of the era when Eagle County was a warm shallow sea. The group then learned some of McCoy’s more recent history with a walk through the cemetery and a visit to John Comer’s historic waterwheel. What a great way to end the season … and we are already working on ideas for next year’s history hikes.

Stem fossil

Shark teeth

Waterwheel, photo by John Comer

In the wash

handful of fossils

Fossil bed

 

Hiking through History: The McCoy fossil beds September 25

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Join the Eagle County Historical Society and Walking Mountain Science Center on Tuesday September 25 [8am to 3pm] for some time travel to an era when Eagle County was a warm, shallow sea. McCoy’s high desert ranching community is a treasure vault of fossils, including shark teeth and brachiopods. The tour will also include a visit to John Comer’s waterwheel, which dates back to 1923 when local ranchers devised an ingenious method of ensuring water from the Colorado river could flow into irrigation ditches. Put on your hiking boots and join us for a fascinating end-of-the-season hike.

Reserve a spot at https://www.walkingmountains.org/project/hiking-through-history-with-echs/

ECHS members get a 50 percent discount. Use the code ECHS at checkout.

Comer Waterwheel, photo by Raymond Bleesz