87 Years Ago
Sammy Nankervis Falls in Ash Pit
Sammy, two-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. William Nankervis, suffered severe feet and leg burns Wednesday afternoon, when he fell into the ash pit at his home on Twelfth street. His mother received bad hand burns when she pulled him out of the hot ashes.
Colorado Transcript – November 4, 1937
Trees were always scarce in this area, and those that grew here, along the creeks or in the foothills, were quickly claimed by the pioneers for shelter or fuel. For most of Golden’s 165 year history, our residents relied on coal to heat their homes and cook their food.
Coal always leaves some ash, which must be removed to keep the fire burning efficiently. Golden residents were thoroughly familiar with the endless cycle of feeding coal into the stove or furnace and removing the ashes.
What did they do with those ashes? They were both messy and hot, with live embers often mixed in with the ash. In the 1930s, most homes in Golden had ash pits (or ash barrels or ash cans) in their backyard. Ideally, these were made of non-flammable material and had a cover to prevent the embers from escaping.
Many house, barn, and business fires were kindled by careless ash disposal. The Fire Department worried and lectured constantly about safe use of ash pits.
They were also a dangerous and hard-to-resist nuisance when children were around.
Thank you to Wendy Weiman for sponsoring Golden History Moments for the month of November.
