WHAT’S HAPPENING IN GOLDEN TODAY?
6-6:55AM HIIT (Virtual)
8:30-9:30AM Power Training (Virtual)
9AM-1PM Colorado Master Gardener Kickoff Event @ Jefferson County Fairgrounds
10AM Wild West Walking Tour
1PM Wild West Short Tour
10AM-4PM Sew Together Bag @ Golden Quilt Company
10AM-12PM Rocky Mountain Quilt Study Group @ Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum
10:15-10:45AM Toddler Time @ Golden Library
10:30AM The Friday Tour @ Colorado Railroad Museum
11:30AM-1PM Social Media Idea Lab @ Golden Library
12-12:55PM All Levels Yoga (Virtual)
1-1:45PM Silver Sneakers Yoga (Virtual)
1:30PM The Friday Tour @ Colorado Railroad Museum
3PM Vaccine, License & Microchip Clinic @ Foothills Animal Shelter
4-7:30PM Denver Kickers Club Open House @ Denver Kickers Club
6-9PM Fabric and Friends @ Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum
6-11PM Western on Washington @ Washington Avenue
7PM Heathers: the Musical @ Colorado School of Mines Green Center
7:30PM I Hate Hamlet @ Miners Alley Playhouse
EARTH DAY PREVIEW!
Tomorrow is Earth Day, and there are many events scheduled:
Earth Day Plant & Craft Sale
Rooney Road Earth Day Clean-up
Earth Day Clean-up and Eco Fair
Earth Day Fair and Guest Speaker
Weed Busters Earth Day Celebration
Adopt a Houseplant.
To learn all about it: see the complete calendar of events.
LIVE MUSIC
5-8PM Live Music @ Eddy Taproom
5-8PM Marty Nightengale @ Golden Mill
5-8PM Dylan Kishner @ Goosetown Station
5:30PM Welcome Back @ Over Yonder
6PM Thick as Thieves @ Dirty Dogs Roadhouse
6-10PM Funk It Up @ Wrigley’s
7-10PM Chris Child @ Buffalo Rose (Sky Bar Stage)
7-10PM Rose Ganache @ Morris & Mae
9PM Karaoke @ Ace Hi Tavern
GOLDEN HISTORY MOMENT
Sewers of Golden, Part 1
The City of Denver began installing a sewer system in the late 1870s. Much of ceramic pipe used for that system was manufactured in Golden, using our local clay.
Golden itself was slower to embrace the idea of a city-wide sewer system. Our early efforts were privately financed pipes that led straight to Clear Creek. Once there, the raw sewage was discharged directly into the Creek.
In 1879, Golden’s leaders were anxious to get a first class, modern hotel. Apparently one critical element of this hotel would be indoor plumbing, rather than outhouses. The Transcript described how this could be achieved:
A suitable location can now be secured on the principal street here, from which a sewer pipe to the creek can easily and cheaply be laid.
Colorado Transcript, March 26, 1879
Mr. Staples, who owned a tailor shop and residence at Washington Avenue and 1st Street (now 11th) installed a sewer pipe from his building to the creek in 1885.
The same year, the Transcript connected to the hotel’s sewer pipe to discharge the waste water from their motor.
In 1893, the county commissioners paid $200 to install a sewer pipe from the courthouse down to meet with the hotel’s sewer. Property owners along the line also contributed to the cost, so they too could connect to the line.
West of Washington Avenue, there was a combination of buried sewer pipes and open runs.
A February 24, 1886 Transcript article describes John Nicholl’s lovely home on 14th Street and mentions that “The bath-room, lavatories, sinks, etc., as well as the yards, are drained through lines of sewer pipe leading to the street gutter in front.”
A February 27, 1895 article discusses “…the proposed sewer from the School to Clear Creek. This improvement is very much needed as at present all the drainage is passed down through the city in the open run leading thence to the creek.”
Until 1896, the State Industrial School (now the Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center – map) discharged its waste into Kinney Run, which eventually carried it to Clear Creek. Residents in the Ford Street neighborhood disliked having the open sewer run past their houses.
By the turn of the century, the need for a city-wide underground sewer system was becoming clear. To be continued….
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!
