A Fire and a Flour Mill

There was a fire on Mount Zion at about 11PM last night, north of the M. The flames had disappeared by about 11:30, but the emergency vehicles were still onsite. Photo and report by Chris Davell – Click to enlarge

Public Health References
CDC * Colorado * Jefferson County * City of Golden

From Jeffco Public Health’s Case Summary Page:
Cases in Jeffco Friday: 2532
Deaths in Jeffco Friday: 203
Ever Hospitalized in Jeffco Friday: 414 (currently 15)
Recovered Friday: 2222
Known Cases in Golden Friday: 110
The next update will appear in tomorrow’s post.

The Safer at Home protocol is in effect. Check the City’s site to learn more about what that entails. Everyone is still requested to wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth when leaving the house. City and County fire restrictions are in place. Clear Creek is open for kayaks and canoes. Learn more….

Virtual Golden

6:30-7:25AM Virtual Dynamic Circuit
9-10AM Virtual Power Training Monday
10:15AM Spanish Story Time with the Library

Leadership Golden

The application process for Leadership Golden 2020-2021 Class is now open online at leadershipgolden.org. In its 34th year, Leadership Golden is a nine-session program spanning nine months. These seminars educate participants on the relationships between government, education, business, and the community of Golden.

Mineral Photos

The Friends of the Mines Museum of Earth Science (formerly the Geology Museum) are putting together a virtual gallery called Summertime Bloom: Minerals of Vibrant Color. They want you to send your best, most vibrant mineral photos TODAY!

Please include the following:
– the mineral name
– the mineral formula
– the locality
– was the mineral self-collected? If not, include a brief history of how you acquired it.
Send your email to: friendsoftheminesmuseum@gmail.com

Golden History Moment

*Rock Flour Mill, located at 9th and Cheyenne from 1867-1963 – Golden History Museum Collection – Click to enlarge*

The Rock Flour Mill opened in November of 1867. Many local farmers were growing wheat at that time, which often did well even on unirrigated land. The Mill purchased wheat by the bushel and sold the flour to regional grocery stores. Jonas Barber and his son Oscar owned and operated the mill from 1867-1884. At that point, the Colorado Milling and Elevator Company purchased the mill and upgraded it.

*Excerpt from the 1886 Sanborn Insurance Map – Click to enlarge*

The Rock Flour Mill was powered by a mill race–a channel of water diverted from Clear Creek. The mill race also powered the Golden Paper Mill, which was located just west of the Flour Mill.

*The Mill was powered by a flume of water diverted from Clear Creek – Golden History Museum Collection – Click to enlarge*

Flour milling was a somewhat seasonal business, subject to the grain harvest and the flow of water in the flume. The mill was actively producing flour into the 1930s, but then dropped out of the news, so I’m not sure when it was last used to grind flour. For many years after World War II, the building was used for storage and carpenter shops. It was razed in 1963. The flour mill’s warehouse was located on the other side of Cheyenne Street and is still there.