What’s Happening in Golden Today?
9:15-9:45AM Baby Time @ Golden Library
10AM-5PM Holiday Art Market @ Foothills Art Center
10-10:30AM Call In: Mid-Morning Meditation (Virtual)
10:15-10:45AM Toddler Time @ Golden Library
3:30PM Wild West Short Tour
6PM Run Club @ Runners Roost
7:30PM A Christmas Story @ Miners Alley Playhouse
Give Back Day @ Windy Saddle Cafe
Windy Saddle will be hosting a Give Back Day, 10% of sales will be donated to the Christian Action Guild Food Pantry.
Holiday Canned Food Drive for BGOLDN @ On Tap Credit Union (map)All of December, On Tap Credit Union (map) is partnering with BGOLDN for a canned food drive. Bring in your cans, and you will be entered to win a gift card to one of our local brewery partners! We ask that before you bring in the items to please make sure they are not expired or damaged as these items cannot be used. Cheers to making a difference in our community.
Holiday Food Drive @ Mountain Toad Brewery (map) and the Golden Visitor Center (map)Mountain Toad Brewery (map) and the Golden Visitor Center (map) are hosting a holiday food drive for the Christian Action Guild Food Pantry during the month of December. Food can be dropped off at either location in the donation boxes.
Live Music
5-8PM Marty Nightengale @ Golden Mill
5PM Teague Starbuck @ Mountain Toad
5:30-8:30PM Lindsey Giffey @ Over Yonder
6-9PM CW Wooten @ Buffalo Rose (Sky Bar Stage)
6PM Timberline Troubadorurs @ New Terrain Brewing
7-10PM Ryan Hutchens @ Golden Moon Speakeasy
8PM Karaoke @ Rock Rest Lodge
Golden History Moment
101 Years Ago
The December 8, 1921 Colorado Transcript announced that Council was preparing an ordinance which would remove the ban on frame buildings. This made me wonder when the ban had gone into effect, since Golden had many frame buildings that were constructed before 1921. I didn’t find the exact answer, but Golden was trying to ban wooden buildings at least as early as 1878.
The Fire Department always recommended brick or stone construction. The City tried to mandate this, but often, for a variety of reasons, they relaxed their standards.
The bad fix Golden finds herself in to accommodate new-comers who want houses is causing many new ones to be erected. They are mostly frame dwellings, as the procurement of brick is out of the question this winter.... It is not a judicious plan, but dwellings are very much needed, and it is the best that can be done until brick can be obtained.
Colorado Transcript – December 12, 1878
The request made by J. M. Johnson Jr. & Co. for permission to erect a wood coal-shed within the fire limits was…granted.
Colorado Transcript – January 25, 1893
In 1921, Council decided to remove the city-wide (and often ignored) ban. In its place, they enacted a new ordinance that said wooden buildings would be banned downtown but allowed in residential or sparsely-populated areas, with permission from the Mayor or council, .
The terms “residential” and “sparsely-populated” were a bit vague. “Permission from the mayor or council” could be subject to moods, relationships, and circumstances. Wooden buildings continued to be approved, and some of the old wood buildings downtown stayed in place for several more decades.
Golden continued with this vague, uneasy compromise until after World War II. At that time, the extreme demand for housing inspired several changes to our housing policies. We introduced zoning, to clearly define which areas were “residential” and which were “sparsely settled.” We also adopted building codes, to ensure greater fire safety in new construction.
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!
