The January 1, 1985 Golden Transcript included an interesting article about about Louise Zimmer Scott. Mrs. Scott was born in Golden on January 20, 1899 and lived here for most of her life.
Louise was born in Golden in a little house next to the present American Legion building (map) near Ninth and Ford Streets. Later her parents purchased the big two-story home at Ford and Water Streets (map), known from that day until now as the Burgess House. It was there Frank and Rose Zimmer reared their three children…
Frank Zimmer…ran the ice business here for a time. He delivered ice with his team and wagon, and employed several young men. Later he went to work for Coors in their greenhouse, and looked after the grounds of their family home. Zimmer remained in that position until he retired. “Adolph Coors often came down to our house to visit with my Dad,” said Louise. “He thought my father was great with their flowers and gardens.”.
Louise attended the little North School on Sixth Street during her early years, then went on to high school located where the Mines Guggenheim building is now. She said, “If there were twelve or Fifteen pupils, it was considered a big class.”
Note: South School was actually a block north and east of Guggenheim Hall–on Cheyenne, between 13th and 14th Streets (map). It stood where Coolbaugh Hall and the power plant are now.
“When we were still in grammar school, we picked berries out on 32nd Street – strawberries, raspberries and cherries. The farmers came with a team and horse and buggy and picked us up. and we gathered berries all day. That was our first job.“
“During the winter we always had lots of homework to do. But we took time to go sledding down Washington Avenue, and any other hill we could find. We went ice skating on the pond, which we called Coors Lake. There was always a big Fire going at the pond, since Coors gave us all the wood we wanted.“
While her father was spending the day at his greenhouse job at Coors, Louise’s mother was busy serving meals at the Burgess House. In the big dining room at the front of the Burgess House on Ford, business men, the jury, county commissioners, and special groups met for noon dinner. “My mother was well known for her delicious cooking, and you couldn’t believe the meals she served for 35 cents!”, Louise said….
The streets in town were all dirt. Ford and Washington were the main streets, with Washington mostly for business, and Ford the longest, and residential. “We children walked home for lunch at noon. When we came home after school, I had to help with the dishes. My brother, Joe, brought in the wood and coal, and cut the grass. There was always plenty to do.
After graduation from high school, Louise went to work at Coors in the porcelain plant. She continued to work there for the next 35 years. “Our hours were 7 a.m. until 5 p.m., and we made $4.32 a week.“
Louise’s husband, Bert Scott, originally worked for Henry Foss at his drugstore in Greeley. When Mr. Foss decided to relocate to Golden (in 1913), he asked Bert to move here and continue to work for him.
Louise Zimmer and Bert Scott were married in 1918 at the St. Joseph’s Catholic church at 14th and East Streets (map – now the Coors visitor parking lot).
Meanwhile, Louise’s parents sold the Burgess House, and moved to the little home next door, near 10th and Ford. Years later, when Louise and Bert Scott were ready to go into a small apartment, they moved back into Louise’s childhood home, renting the apartment which had formerly been the Zimmer’s kitchen and part of the dining room. Louise Scott still lives in that apartment, years after her husband died there, and says “this old Burgess House is a big part of my life.”
Louise Scott lived the new urbanist’s dream–her entire life within a few square blocks! She died on January 22, 1985–three weeks after this article was published, and two days after her 86th birthday.
