Mothers Day, Ming, the Maestro, and More Heart of Golden

*Golden Eye Candy – Jen Rutter – Mothers Day on the Mountain – enlarge*

Happy Mothers Day! Several Golden restaurants are offering special menus today.

BRIDGEWATER GRILL @ the Golden Hotel
800 11th Street – 303-279-2010 – Menu
INDULGE BISTRO & WINE BAR
1299 Washington Avenue – 303-277-9991 – Menu
SCHNEPF’S RESTAURANT
3050 Illinois Street – 303-277-8755 – Menu
TABLE MOUNTAIN INN GRILL & CANTINA
1310 Washington Avenue – 303-216-8040 – Menu

Virtual Events

2-4PM Sunday at the Museum – What Did Ming Miss?
Join us for a delightful Mother’s Day, A Tribute to Ming (Even Clams have Mothers)

Kathy Suprenant presents her newest works in her latest collection. Kathy recently retired as Professor Emerita from the Department of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Kansas to become a full-time quilt artist. Her artwork is informed and influenced by her scientific training and is included in museum and private collections.

Zoom Link: Kathy Suprenant Talk
Meeting ID: 889 5814 1478
Passcode: 348111

Real World Events

9:30AM-12PM Full Walking Tour @ Dinosaur Ridge
10AM-3PM Brunch at the Rose @ Buffalo Rose
2PM Blue Ridge @ Miners Alley Playhouse

3-4:30PM Jefferson Symphony Season Finale @ Colorado School of Mines

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV – Scheherazade
COPLAND – Appalachian Spring
MONCAYO – Huapango
MARQUEZ – Danzón No. 2

The Maestro’s Final Performance
Jefferson Symphony’s music director and principal conductor, Dr. William Morse, has announced his retirement. He has worked for Jefferson County’s largest classical music ensemble since 1998. Morse has devoted 23 years of tremendous service to Jefferson Symphony and has contributed much to the cultural enrichment of JSO ensemble members and audiences across the lower Front Range. Morse will adopt emeritus status and retain artistic direction while the symphony’s directors search for — and then welcome — a new leader.

Live Music

11AM-2PM Scott Slay @ Buffalo Rose (Sky Bar Stage)
3PM Jewel and the Rough @ Wrigley’s
4-7PM Mike Heuer @ Buffalo Rose (Sky Bar Stage)
4PM Slide Bayou @ Over Yonder
8PM Karaoke @ Ace Hi Tavern

Golden History Moment

Continuing our stroll through the Heart of Golden land, today we’ll visit the southwest corner of 10th and Washington–the Visitors Center.

*Excerpt from the 1882 Birdseye View Map of Golden, with 10th and Washington circled. (10th Street was originally called “Platte.”) – enlarge*

Historic Sanborn Insurance Maps show that the corner held a Flour & Feed Store (1886), “Oil Etc.” (1890), a Meat Market (1895), Grocery Store (1906 and 1911) and finally a blacksmith shop (on the 1919 map).

*Furniss Blacksmith Shop operated at 10th and Washington from 1914-1945 – Dan Abbott Collection – Click to enlarge*

Ed Furniss moved into that building in 1914 and worked there as a blacksmith. Beginning in 1922, he also operated a filling station on the site. When he retired in 1945, he leased the shop to another blacksmith–Fred Bochatey.

*Gas station at 10th and Washington. Click to enlarge*

Sometime after 1949, the old building was razed and in 1951 a gas station opened on that corner. The Golden Civic Foundation bought the property in 1973, with the hopes of turning it into a park. They weren’t able to raise enough money to pay off the purchase and landscape the property, so in 1975, they sold it to the City. The City thought they might eventually want to expand the municipal center (city hall, police, and fire departments) onto that property.

*Golden Transcript photos of DAR Arbor Day celebrations: April 26, 1972 – April 23, 1973 – April 23, 1974 – click to enlarge*

Many of our service clubs (Kiwanis, Optimists, Lions) were developing Lions Park at that time. The Daughters of the American Revolution, which ran the history museum, decided to landscape this newest parcel of City property. They purchased picnic tables and planted trees near the Creek. Many of those trees are still thriving along the path between the Visitors Center and Creek.

*Trees planted along the creek by the D.A.R. – click to enlarge*

The City graveled the rest of the property and used it as a parking lot. During the summer months, the Golden Chamber maintained a visitors information booth in that lot.

*Golden Chamber Tourist Information Booth – Golden Transcript, June 3, 1975*

In 1995, a community-wide effort began to raise funds for a permanent Visitors Center and home for the Golden Chamber. The funds were raised and the Golden Visitors Center was built in 1997.

*SW corner of 10th and Washington, purchased by the City in 1975 – Click to enlarge*

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!