Weeds, Art, and the Railroad

Billy Drew pedestrian bridge over Clear Creek in the morning, lights still illuminated — *Golden Eye Candy – Richard Luckin – Billy Drew bridge in the morning – enlarge*

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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN GOLDEN TODAY?

6-6:55AM Dynamic Circuit (Virtual)
8:30-9:30AM Power Training (Virtual)
10AM-12PM Weedbusters @ DeLong Park
Golden Parks and Recreation is using DeLong Park as a pilot project for the City’s first organic park location. This means that they will be using only natural, organic products for all plants and grasses. No synthetic chemicals will be used in our maintenance practices.

A group of weed-busting volunteers meets weekly at DeLong Park on Monday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to noon to weed out invasive species. Interested community members can join the group on Thursday mornings. The DeLong Park Weed Busters are always happy to bring in new members, and training on weed identification is provided!

10-10:55AM All Levels Yoga (Virtual)
10:15-10:45AM Let’s Dance @ Golden Library
11:15-11:45AM Let’s Dance @ Golden Library
12-12:30PM Mondays with Mayor Weinberg (Virtual)
2-3PM Active Minds Mondays: The History of Tea (Virtual)
4-4:30PM Kids Martial Arts Class (Virtual)

Ad for an artists' gathering at Foothills Art Center

5:30-8:30PM LIT: Let’s Ignite Together @ Foothills Art Center
Where local artists meet up monthly in a safe space to unlock and ignite their creativity: creating for the joy of creation, celebrating each others’ unique style, and delighting in their incredible infusion of synergy that happens when a group of creative minds get together. Register

TRIVIA

7-8PM Colorado Trivia League @ Morris & Mae

GOLDEN HISTORY MOMENT

Colorado & Southern engine heading west on 8th Street — *Colorado & Southern freight train taking on water in Golden before heading west to the mountain towns – enlarge*

82 Years Ago
The April 10, 1941 Colorado Transcript announced that the Colorado & Southern Railroad planned to start removing the tracks between Golden and Black Hawk.

Colorado Central Railroad

Originally known as the Colorado Central Railroad, the line between Golden and Black Hawk opened in December of 1872. In later years, the line reached Idaho Springs and Georgetown (1877), Central City (1878), Silver Plume, Graymont, and Bakerville (1884). The railroad provided essential passenger and freight service for the mining towns in the mountains.

Ticket for the Clear Creek route on the Colorado & Southern — *A first class ticket from May 2, 1906 good for passage from Black Hawk to Golden.*

In the 20th Century, automobiles cut into the railroad’s passenger business and trucks began to siphon away freight traffic. The railroad began petitioning the Interstate Commerce Commission for permission to abandon the lines, and by 1941, the permission was finally granted.

The final engine through the canyon moved slowly, with a crew removing the rails behind the train, and loading them on a flatbed car.

*The former railroad route through Golden is now 8th Street – 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!