Virtual Golden
8:30-9:30AM Virtual Power Training
10:15AM Baby Time with the Library
3-5PM Hard Times Writing Workshop
6-7:30PM What’s for Dinner in 1920
Have you ever wondered what shopping was like without the shopping cart? Or how your current grocery bill compares to that of the 1920s? In the 1920s, foodways were on the edge of revolutionary change, as industrial and household technologies were about to transform what, and how, America ate. Join historian Dr. Geoff Hunt as we explore grocery shopping and American diets in the Roaring Twenties.Non-member – $10 / Member – Free Register
Golden History Moment
55 Years Ago
The January 13, 1966 Colorado Transcript reports that Mountain State Telephone was opening their newly remodeled and expanded building at 1313 Washington Avenue, giving us “one of the most modern and complete offices in the area…. Golden’s telephone office has everything now except touch tone phones…and we may even have that by 1967.” The new building had all of the switches for Golden and Lookout Mountain as well as a business office. At that time, Golden had 8600 subscribers.
Golden got telephone service in 1879. At that time, the phone company office was in the Dougherty building at 1112 Washington Ave (map). Golden’s first subscribers were C.L. Palmer (a farmer), the Adolph Coors Brewery, the Everett Bank, the Golden Fire Department, Jefferson County Bank, Valley smelting works, Golden Smelting Works, French Smelting Works, Elmus Smith grocery, Fred Taft’s store,the manager of one of the smelters, and the Colorado Central Railroad.
Early telephones were powered up by turning a crank on the telephone. In 1926, we upgraded to a new type of “common battery” service, which meant that the phone was on as soon as the receiver was lifted. By that time, the phone company equipment had moved to the Everett Bank building (now Goozell Yogurt).
In 1955, we upgraded again, to dial phones. Dials allowed people to place their own calls, without involving an operator. By that time, the phone company had its own building, at 1313 Washington Avenue (now Bent Gate). This building was expanded and remodeled several times over the years, and equipment was upgraded and new subscribers were added.
In 1972, the business office was moved to a separate location on 14th Street, to make room for more equipment at 1313 Washington Ave. Golden was growing a lot at that time, and the phone company needed to serve new areas, such as Heritage Dells, the Golden Ridge Apartments, and Apple Meadows.
In 1973, the company moved their equipment to a new and much larger building at 19th and Jackson Streets. By that time, they had eliminated the Golden business office and instead encouraged people to pay their phone bills at Foss Drug.
Many 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!
Coronavirus Update
Public Health References
CDC * Colorado * Jefferson County * City of Golden
Jefferson County is at Level Orange, “High Risk.” Here’s the most recent Coronavirus report from Jeffco Public Health’s Case Summary Page:
Cases in Jeffco – Mon: 31,880 | Tues: 32,062 (+182)
Deaths in Jeffco – Mon: 673 | Tues: 678 (+5)
Currently Hospitalized in Jeffco – Mon: 76 | Tues: 81 (+5)
Known Cases in Golden – Thurs: 1193 *
Recovered – Mon: 29,246 | Tues: 29,444 (+198)
* Golden cases are updated on Monday and Thursday. The other stats are updated Monday through Friday.
Mines COVID Testing | Jeffco Fairgrounds COVID Testing | School of Mines COVID-19 case page. | Stage 1 fire restrictions | Sign up for exposure notifications.
