Tom Schweich  

1800s

1834

1851

June 22, 1871. An estimated 1,000 tons of rock fell from the south face of North Table Mountain with a roar like an earthquake [reported in the Golden Transcript newspaper column "90 Years Ago Today" for June 22, 1961.] (VanHorn, 1972, p. 108).

July 5, 1879. Hailstones as much as 7 inches in diameter caused much damage in Golden (VanHorn, 1972).

1881

March 12, 1881. A landslide occurred near the Valley Smelter on the south side of North Table Mountain. The material slid down a wet bedrock surface. Deep cracks formed near the Church Ditch, . and a small hill rose beneath the railroad tracks. On March 19, 1881, the Golden Globe reported that as many 'as 40 men had been employed in the previous week to keep the track straight, but that it was still bulged considerably (VanHorn, 1972).

August 10, 1881. A cloudburst in Clear Creek Canyon 1~ miles east of Beaver Brook caused 22 "landslides" in 5 miles downstream. The railroad line was broken at several places, and debris as much as 5 feet deep was deposited on the track. [These 22 "landslides" may not have been true landslides and are not included in the count of landslides.] (VanHorn, 1972).

1882

June 10, 1882. Floods down Kinney Run [now called Kenneys Creek] and Tucker Gulch washed out the railroad beds (VanHorn, 1972).

There are 16 collections in Golden dated 8 Oct 1882 made by N. L. Britton. These appear to be the only collections by him in Colorado during the year 1882.

The Geology and Flora of the Rocky Mountains.

Prof. N. L. Britton and W. C. Davis, of a special surveying party who have been collecting fossil specimens in various parts ot the new west for a geological museum, arrived in Denver yesterday and registered at the St. James. Prof. Britton is acting as aid to the government geological survey, and Mr. Davis and others have been acting as assistants. The party have been on the Union Pacific road as far as Evanston, Wyoming, and have collected a great number of plants which have been sent to Dr. J. S. Newbury, of Columbia College, N. Y. They propose to continue the work in those parts of Colorado where fossil plants are most found, such as localities around Golden, Golddust and Floresant. The new west has been found to be quite rich in fossil remains. Belts of rocks on the eastern and western side of the Laramie range show many fine specimens of fossil plants. The collections made by the party show that in former times, this whole western country was covered with vast forests of trees, allied to those of the present day, but of different species. These forest rivaled in extent and grandeur anything known in the present age. These fossil leaves and ferns are found, for the most part, in shales and sandstones accompanying coal beds. The coal of the Rocky mountains is composed in a large degree of the debris of these ancient forests. The collections thus far made by the party have been confined to rocks of the tertiary age, but similar fossils exist in the rocks of the preceedirig geological epoch — the cretaceous. These fossils of cretaceous period are found in the sandstones of the Dakota group, so called, of Kansas and Nebraska. These cretaceous plants are of great geological interest, as they indicate the first appearance of the flora which now covers the earth’s surface. — Daily . News, 20th.

Silver World (Lake City, Hinsdale County, Colorado), Volume 8, Number 18, November 4, 1882, pg. 1

1883

July 21, 1883. A landslide on the south side of North Table Mountain near the Valley Smelter caused damage to the Church Ditch and the railroad. Subsequent movement was reported on July 28 and August 4 of 1883 (VanHorn, 1972).

August 11, 1883. Small flood on Tucker Gulch washed out roads (VanHorn, 1972).

1884

Dr. N. L. Britton made some remarks, illustrated by a series of specimens, on the subject of

Observations on the Geology of the Vicinity of Golden, Colorado.

Discussion.

The President referred to the immense collection of the fossil plants which had been made at Golden, by Prof. Lakes, and purchased for the museum at Cambridge, Mass. Many of the plants, chiefly of the upper series and Tertiary age, have been studied by Lesquereux, who has published a large volume on the subject. Nevertheless, all these studies have covered only the beginning of the extensive flora which is represented at this locality. Palms must have abounded there in great numbers, variety, and large size, the country having once been overgrown by a vast forest of these trees. There were also other trees, some yet to be identified, e. g., one unknown conifer, of which a trunk, twelve feet in diameter, in now standing at Florissant, in the vicinity of Golden.

1887

Richmond, Mo., Jan 23 -- David Whitmer, the last of the three witnesses to the truth of the book of Mormon is now in a dying condition at his home in Richmond. Last evening he called the family and friends to his bedside and bore his testimony to the truth of the book of Mormon and the bible. He is past 83 years of age. Mr. Whitmer is an old citizen of this town and known by every one here as a man of honor, having resided here since the year 1838. He is not and never has been a believer in polygamy. He left the Mormon church in 1838, on account of their departure from the faith as he believes. His mind is still clear, and he has no pain whatever, but is gradually sinking, and death is expected at any hour.

July 14, 1887. A cloudburst caused floods in Tucker Gulch, Dry [now called Van Bibber], and Ralston Creeks. At Glencoe [now covered by waters of Ralston Reservoir] Ralston Creek was 150 feet wide and swept away the Post Office (VanHorn, 1972).

1891

1893

The death certificate also gives Westanice, Austria as the place of her birth. Westanice, Austria is not found in Google or Google Earth.

1894

1895

1896

May 16, 1896. Another landslide occurred on the Gulf Railroad opposite the Carpenter place [on the south side of North Table Mountain] (VanHorn, 1972).

July 24 and 25, 1896. Widespread floods on these dates were reported in the papers issued on August I and 8, 1896, and mentioned in the paper of May 21, 1898. Floods occurred in Mount Vermon Canyon, Cub Creek, Clear Creek, Tucker Gulch, Crismans [now called Cressmans] Gulch, and Ralston Creek. Great damage was sustained in Golden, and by the bridges and railroad tracks up Clear Creek Canyon. Six deaths resulted, three in Golden and three in Mount Vernon Canyon (VanHorn, 1972).

July 25, 1896. Heavy rain the previous week washed out the Gulf Railroad tracks at Chimney Gulch [southwest of the campground, and across Clear Creek, at Golden] (VanHorn, 1972).

August 15, 1896. In Clear Creek Canyon two men, who were working on the railroad, were injured by a falling rock and three others were injured by being buried in a landslide (VanHorn, 1972).

August 22, 1896. A rockslide in Clear Creek Canyon 3 miles west of Golden near Guy Gulch delayed the train, and 100 feet of track was washed out near Beaver Brook (VanHorn, 1972).

September 5, 1896. Two men, while working on the railroad, were injured by dirt and rock caving ori them. No location is given (VanHorn, 1972).

September 12, 1896. A small flood occurred on Tucker Gulch (VanHorn, 1972).

September 19, 1896. A man showed the editor a bottle of crude petroleum and water he had recovered from a crevice in some rocks near Golden Gate Canyon. [This started Golden's first oil boom and within a month a well was being drilled in the vicinity of the brickyard north of town-subsequent issues of the newspaper indicate that it was a dry hole.] (VanHorn, 1972).

1897

June 5, 1897. Another landslide on. the Agricultural Ditch just west of Rees Easely's [South Table Mountain] (VanHorn, 1972).

July 10, 1897. The railroad is building a 350-foot bridge at the slide 1 1/2 miles below Golden (VanHorn, 1972).

August 7, 1897. A small flood occurred in Tucker Gulch (VanHorn, 1972).

1898

1899

April 8, 1899. A rockslide in Clear Creek Canyon derailed a Colorado and Southern locomotive (VanHorn, 1972).

July 22, 1899. A flood occurred on Ralston Creek (VanHorn, 1972).

August 12, 1899. A rockslide at the mouth of Golden Gate Canyon damaged the road (VanHorn, 1972).

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