Golden Informer, December 2016
A look back at 2016
Managing thousands of items in the City of Golden’s museum collection can be a daunting task, so it’s gratifying to look back over the year and celebrate a few of the bigger accomplishments. Some highlights include:
- completion of four major conservation projects
- opening Epic Events, a new permanent timeline exhibit showcasing over 90 amazing artifacts
And that’s not all—over 70 new donations were processed. Below are ten of my favorites.
Top Ten List
- A photograph of the interior of the Golden Market, c. 1920s, donated by Bonnie Fairchild. This small grocery was once located at 1217 Washington Avenue.
- Several photographs of the Golden Shooting Club, c. 1910, donated by Melinda Koenig Reed.
- A press photo of a two-headed, six-legged turtle at the Golden Pet Shop, 1970, purchased by museum. This little freak of nature once attracted visitors to Golden from near and far.
- Two Hakushika Sake bottles donated by Gerry Brown. Hakushika Sake, USA, opened a brewery at the Coors Tech Center in November 1992, where they brewed sake with Rocky Mountain spring water. The brewery operated until 1999.
- Candy Country USA film, c. 1972, donated by Ron Todd. Dorothy Harmsen narrates this factory tour of the world famous Jolly Rancher candy company. Stop by the Golden History Center where you can view this 25-minute film filled with candy goodness in the new permanent exhibit Epic Events.
- GE Appliance Meyer Hardware sign, c. 1950s, donated by Steve Schaefer. Steve’s grandparents, Joe and Ruby Meyer, opened Meyer Hardware & Sporting Goods in 1945 on Washington Avenue. This new acquisition is currently on view in Show & Tell at the Golden History Center.
- Foss Drug Co. milk bottle, c. 1920s, donated by Carl Eriksson. The donor found it years ago under the porch of a house he was renting while attending the Colorado School of Mines. In the 1920s Foss Drug sold its own line of dairy products, including milk, cream, and ice cream.
8 and 9. Castle Rock Mountain Railway & Park brochure and real photo postcard of a jovial railway conductor with visitors, c. 1913, purchased by museum. While a very short-lived tourist enterprise, it still captures the imagination. The brochure refers to Castle Rock as “The Sentinel of the Rockies” and also “a paradise of camera enthusiasts.”
- Quilt by long-time Golden resident Eugenia Mitchell titled “Flower Garden with Fence” donated by Susan Speer. Mitchell is best remembered as the founder of the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.
Do you have anything to add?
If you have a piece of Golden history you’d like to offer the museum please contact me at mdodge@goldenhistory.org.
Mark Dodge, Curator
The preceding article appeared in the December 2016 issue of the Golden Informer.
