111 Years Ago
The December 11, 1913 Colorado Transcript reported on one of the biggest events in Golden history: the great snowstorm of December 1913.
The storm had begun the previous Thursday and kept up all day Friday. Many residents tried to start clearing their walks and streets on Friday, but found that the howling wind kept redepositing the drifts.
When Saturday morning dawned clear, Golden had 4 feet of snow. The roads and sidewalks were impassible and most people were unable to get out to obtain supplies.
Golden was served by three railroads at that time, and all three were stopped by the storm. Passengers on the Lakewood line were stranded halfway home and had to spend Thursday night in the rail car. The car was heated by a coal stove, and they soon ran out of fuel. One of the passengers (ironically named “Frost”) ventured out and reached a farmhouse some distance away. He obtained a sack of coal and carried it back to the car, thus saving his fellow passengers from freezing to death. On Friday, all of the passengers made their way to the farmhouse, where they sheltered until the rail line was opened.
On Saturday morning, the Mayor put out a call for men to come clear Washington Avenue. Forty men and thirty draft horses shoveled and trampled a path down the main drag. On Sunday, they began working on the City’s other major streets.
The Lariat Loop Road was under construction at that time, and the crew and horses were stranded at the top of Lookout Mountain. There was plenty of food for the men, but none for the horses, so on Saturday morning they all headed for Golden “They waded, plunged, and fell down the mountains and arrived here at seven in the evening, having been thirteen hours making the trip.”
Many roofs collapsed under the weight of the snow, including the livery stable. Several hacks and buggies were smashed when the roof of the building came down.
One good thing about the storm was the water it would bring to our mountain reservoirs, and the moisture it would add to the fields of the nearby farms.
The Transcript summarized the storm as follows:
The big snow is called “a blessing in disguise.” A good many people are ready to admit that the disguise is perfect.”
Colorado Transcript – December 11, 1913
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