This is the third of a 3-part series that I wrote about the then-disassembled Astor House after touring it in 2022.
The Astor House currently holds several stacks of lumber, which will be used in the renovation. In my tour last week, I studied this collection of nailed-together boards (a sign? a trapdoor?):
Of particular interest was a set of notations on one of the boards, dated 1932-1935. Apparently, Mrs. Goetze, the owner at the time, was recording her coal purchases.
The years ’34 and ’35 included an extra bit of information. They’re a little hard to read, but I think she was indicating who supplied the coal. This is reinforced by ads that ran in the Transcript in 1934 and 1935, which name some of the local coal sellers.
So now we know that the Astor House purchased 14 tons of coal during the winter of 1934-1935–and where they bought it!
Thanks to the Golden History Museum for providing the online cache of historic Transcripts, and to the Golden Transcript for documenting our history since 1866!
