A Quiet Day and a Lengthy History of the West End of 8th Street

Golden Eye Candy – *Flower at the Golden History Museum – Photo by Chris Davell – Click to enlarge*

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

These are Friday’s stats. JCPHD updates these numbers Monday through Friday at about 3 PM, so the next update will appear in Tuesday’s post. Coronavirus report from Jeffco Public Health’s Case Summary Page:

Governor Polis has instituted a statewide mask mandate when people are indoors, in public spaces (a store, library, doctor’s office, etc.). The County and City also require that we wear masks in outdoor public places. Learn more…. The Safer at Home and in the Vast, Great Outdoors protocol is in effect statewide. City and County fire restrictions are in place.

Virtual Golden

It’s Sunday! The following Golden churches have information about virtual services and/or sermons on their websites:

Calvary Episcopal Church – Golden Presbyterian – Faith Lutheran Church – First United Methodist Church – First Presbyterian Church – Flatirons Community Church – Hillside Community Church – Jefferson Unitarian Church – Rockland Community Church – St. Joseph Catholic Church

Real World Golden

Live Music:
3PM Jewel & the Rough at Wrigley’s

5-8PM Golden Elks Community Event
Golden Elks Lodge #2740 – 16795 W. 50th Ave (map)
Bring the family down to your Golden Elks Lodge for some fun and games. We will have games for the kids to play, along with some fun prizes and raffles. See flyer

Hamburgers and cheeseburgers – $6.00
Hot dogs – $5.00
Water and soft drinks – $1.00

Golden Elks support Golden youth, veterans, and the community, and they provide social activities for their members.

Golden History Moment

Confluence Companies are proceeding apace in building their new apartments and hotel at the west end of 8th Street. I’ve been doing some research to find out what preceded the development in that location. There may be some holes in the list. If you know of other businesses that operated there, let me know.

1979-2018

The Briarwood Inn was a fine dining restaurant that operated at the end of 8th Street from 1979 until 2018. They were very expensive and very good! The restaurant closed and was subsequently demolished to make way for the new apartments and hotel.

1962-1974

*Colorado Transcript – September 16, 1965*

From 1962 through 1974, there were two buildings and several businesses on the property. A Phillips 66 gas station opened in 1962. It was offered for lease in 1966. I don’t know whether anyone leased it–there were no advertisements for the station after 1966.

*Colorado Transcript – December 12, 1963*

The Golden Ski Shop operated “adjoining Phillips 66 Station” from 1963-1972. The Ski Shop apparently operated in conjunction with a bar called The Waystation Inn.

*Colorado Transcript – September 2, 1965 – Click to enlarge*

The combined businesses ran into legal troubles when they gained a reputation for selling 3.2 beer to minors. They may have lost their liquor license in 1967. The newspaper referred to “a riot that occurred at the Waystation.”

The Waystation Inn was re-opened as Steve’s Steak House–still owned by the same Frederick family. Steve’s earlier advertisements emphasized food, but over time it seems to have become more of a bar and night club. It went through a couple of later owners and was briefly called “The Tawna Rae Restaurant & Lounge” and then “Dan & Ernie’s Gold Digger.” The last mention I found for any version of that business was in 1974.

1944 – 1950

Arrangements are being made to locate the City’s new dump at the West end of eighth street along the tracks on the School of Mines property. A road will be graded to this new dump-site and it will be properly posted with signs and official notice given through the papers as soon as it is ready for use. –Colorado Transcript, June 8, 1944

The City used several locations over the years as a dump, including Parfet Park, 11th Street, the Golden High School area, and the end of 8th Street. When the State decided to build a highway going into Clear Creek Canyon, Golden realized that people driving the new highway would be looking straight at our dump–not a good first impression. So they looked for yet another location. They closed our City dump and began using the County’s dump, which was at the north end of Quaker Street, on South Table Mountain.