44 Years Ago
The December 23, 1980 issue of the Golden Transcript announced the release of one of my favorite books: A Woman’s Life in Golden. This is a collection of memories of life in Golden, as told by the members of the Pioneer Delphian Study Club. The stories were arranged chronologically, based on when each woman arrived in Golden.
The book begins with Helen Ryan DeLaat, who was born in Golden in 1902. She told of riding the Colorado & Southern to and from Denver. She remembered the Bella Vista Hotel, which was torn down in 1920, the funicular railways, and two competing movie theaters.
The older ladies described buildings that are long gone and a way of life that most of us have never seen, sans automobiles, airplanes, and antibiotics. Several more arrived mid-century, drawn by jobs at the School of Mines or Coors.
It’s a wonderful set of stories, running from 1902 until 1980. My late friend, Lorraine Wagenbach, edited the collection and left the publishing rights to the Golden History Museum. You can buy a copy there–and you should!
