Museum Store Sunday, Pure Water with a Side of Germs

*Golden Eye Candy – Jen Rutter – Fiery Skies Over Golden – click to enlarge*

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Coronavirus Update

Jeffco Public Health will post updated case statistics on Monday afternoon.

Virtual Golden

Real World Golden

9AM-2PM Brunch at the Rose
12-5PM Holiday Art Market at Foothills Art Center – reserve a time

Golden Business News

*Gift ideas from the Golden History Museum, Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, Dinosaur Ridge, Colorado Railroad Museum, Foothills Art Center, and Buffalo Bill Museum and Gravesite – click to enlarge*

Today is Museum Store Sunday
Museums foster appreciation and knowledge of art, nature, culture, science, and history. When you purchase a gift from the museum store, you help to sustain the museum’s service to their community and the public. Products found in museum stores are curated just like the works displayed in their respective institutions, with many items often developed exclusively by the museum, resulting in distinctive and unique offerings. Be A Patron on Museum Store Sunday and all year round.

Buffalo Bill’s Pahaska Teepee Gift Shop and Café
987 Lookout Mountain Rd. | 303-526-9367 | Map
Colorado Railroad Museum Gift Shop
17155 W. 44th Avenue | 303-279-4591 | Map
Dinosaur Ridge Gift Shop
16831 W. Alameda Pkwy, Morrison | 303-697-3466 | Map
Foothills Art Center Gift Shop
809 15th Street | 303-279-3922 | Map
Golden History Museum Gift Shop
923 10th St. | 303-278-3557 | Map
Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum Gift Shop
200 Violet Street, Unit 140 | 303-277-0377 | Map

Golden History Moment

This drinking fountain was installed at the southwest corner of 12th and Washington in 1905. The building behind it is the Everett Block (then Broad’s store; now Goozell Yogurt). The building reflected in the plate glass window is the Rubey Bank across the street (now Golden Goods Toy Store). The building down the street on the right is the Astor House. Golden History Museum Collection. Click to enlarge.

115 Years Ago
The November 30, 1905 Colorado Transcript featured a front page article entitled “Beautiful Fountain is Now in Place – Citizens’ Gift an Ornament to the City.”

This drinking fountain was the result of a relentless publicity (and nagging) campaign in the pages of the Transcript. Beginning in May of that year, nearly every issue contained some variation of, “Why cannot funds be raised for an elaborate drinking fountain to be erected upon one of the prominent corners in the heart of the city, and have a day set for its unveiling? A small contribution from a number of prominent citizens would do the work.”

By August, the”prominent citizens” had contributed enough to purchase and install the fountain, and it was ordered from a brass foundry in New York. To the great distress of The Transcript, several delays in shipping the fountain ensued, and it was finally received and installed in late November.

*Richard Broad’s store circa 1910 with fountain on the corner – Golden History Museum collection – click to enlarge*

Several factors combined to inspire this sudden desire for a public drinking fountain. This was the height of the Progressive Era, when many cities were taking measures to improve living conditions and public health. The Temperance Movement was reaching a fever pitch, and water fountains provided an alternative to alcoholic drinks. Tourism was a growing national industry, and Golden’s two interurban railroads were bringing thousands of visitors to Golden every year. A public water fountain was a welcoming accommodation for visitors.

Finally, this public water fountain was a focal point of Civic Pride. After years of pumping foul, polluted water out of Clear Creek, Golden had just acquired a new source of “pure mountain water,” brought down from remote Beaver brook. This water fountain was the perfect way to show off our wonderful new water supply.

*Close-up showing the shared drinking cups provided with the fountain – Golden History Museum collection*

Interestingly, while the townsfolk had come to appreciate the value of unpolluted water, they had not fully accepted the “germ” concept, as shown by the common drinking cups provided on either side of the fountain.

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!