Archive for the ‘Historical’ Category

Wyoming Postcards #1

Saturday, June 16th, 2012

Today it’s the Wyoming Territorial Prison

The Prison in Laramie, Wyoming

The cells were in the large brick building on the right and inside the wooden fortification were the exercise area and a manufacturing building to keep the prisoners busy.

Front entrance

The is the first thing Butch Cassidy saw when he got off the prison wagon to spend some “hard time” for stealing a horse.

The Infirmary

The prison is now a museum; Originally built in 1872, it held prisoners until 1903 and it was restored in 1989 and is now a Wyoming Historic Site.

Guard’s beds and a few irons

Guard’s view of the cells

Over 1000 men and 12 women passed though these doors.

Prison Bunks

“Prisoner” making a broom

The prison shop made 720 broom a day. Some were exported to Japan and China!

More of Groves at CSU

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

Back in July of 2009 we were impressed with Ammons Hall at CSU. But there are other buildings designed by Eugene Groves such as:

The Student Services Building on University Avenue

Built in 1948 when CSU was still known as Colorado A&M.

Student Services side entrance

College Avenue Gymnasium (1924)

Other CSU buildings attributed to Groves are the Weber Building (1922) ,  Admin Building (1924) , Soils Lab (1924) , Music Building (1927) , Military Science Building (1927) , Botany Greenhouses ( 1930) , Johnson Hall (1936) and Braiden Hall (1946).

Fort Collins is Haunted!

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

By Haunted Ghost Tours this October:

Spooky Fort Collins, part one can be found Here and part two found Here. This is now part three:

Walrus Ice Cream

This popular ice cream store has a variety of flavors and in the basement there is 1: A Portal and 2) A secret tunnel. I kind of figured that was the case. Everyone loves ice cream… even the dead.

The Portal

I know, it looks like a sump pump but three out of four mediums claim it to be a spiritual portal that just happens to be in the Walrus basement. It’s claimed that the flowing water is an underground river with an unknown source. Four out of five city engineers say it’s the Poudre River.

Used to be bank auto teller

Now it’s … it’s… I don’t know. Exclusive covered parking spaces? But long ago, it was a transfer point for the dead. Embalmed cadavers used to travel from beneath this parking lot and up to a delivery area to be transferred to the hearse.

Spiral metal staircase

In the basement of the Walrus runs this tunnel south of the building where the bodies were moved. It’s not clear how they moved upwards… much of this end of the tunnel is sealed including the staircase.

Lori at the haunted basement bar

At one of the bars in town there have been sightings of a woman near the boiler. At this spot, the EMF “goes crazy” which to most measurement technicians means it’s time to calibrate the equipment, but to a medium it means contact Ghost Hunters TV.

A sighting of a woman in the basement

It looks like a picture, but it’s really another demon portal where this strange nude woman with big red hair comes to greet you.

The Rio

This is where the Larimer County Coroner/undertaker did his work back in the old days or so they say.  Believe it or not, the coroner’s name was Horace M. Balmer.

At last count there were three tours you can  check out in town. Seems a bit many for a town of this size, but what the hey?

Spooky places to go in town this halloween:

Terror Tours In it’s 11th season, the Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center knows how to handle halloween right. Any other tour in town is just a copy.

Haunted Fort Collins This is the one from which this blog entry was taken more or less.

Haunted History After Dark Tour Yet another tour I just saw advertised.

Dead Presidents

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

On this July 4th weekend:

Big Head Lincoln

Many who looked at these costumed characters said out loud “It’s gotta be boiling inside those!” They seem to depict the stone-faced presidents on Mount Rushmore. But why?

With George Washington throwing the first pitch?

They were well designed costumes; No character attendants were necessary as they seemed to always stand with Washington on the left, then Jefferson, Roosevelt and lastly Lincoln on the right.  And if they had to walk single file, it was always Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln in that order. Damn, they were good!

Dinger was there! This must be Coors Field!

The “Fab Four” as they are called in Rapid City, SD were in Denver for the weekend to promote South Dakota tourism why not?

Happy 4th of July You all!

The Rockies figured that they would sweep the K.C. Royals but it didn’t happen. For some reason, the Rockies have not won a game on a Sunday in the last 11 consecutive Sunday games. Not bad mile-high seats: we could even see Westminster Castle .

What’s Left?

Monday, June 27th, 2011

It’s All Good:

Once called “Indian Peaks Brewing”, they changed the name to honor Chief Niwot

Don’t know for sure, but  Chief Niwot probably had his hand in naming this company as well

The headquarters for “Left-hander’s appreciation Day” coming in August. It’s in Niwot, Colorado

Gourmet Pizza AND Ice cream!

Some say they make the best pizza in Colorado. Well, it HAS to be the best pizza place in Niwot, CO.

Where the Left-Hander’s all meet

The meeting hall has been recently updated with new wainscoting, a word not used in this blog until this very moment.

Water is important to Coloradans

… and ditches are important to water. It was time to bike out to Niwot in preparation for the great feast of the Ragbrai (in just 26 days from now). I forgot to get some of Left’s pizza; Maybe next time!

Candid Photos of This Guy

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

On this blog I take photos and post ’em when I have ’em. Lots of people are in these photos and I try to identify the people in the shot when I can. Then especially on the great feast of the Ragbrai (just 45 days from today) someone in the hoard of 20,000 may actually take MY picture and post it somewhere. That’s all good (so far, anyhow?) but I don’t always know who actually took the photo or where it was taken (Iowa, of course but WHERE in Iowa?) They are easy to find by searching for “ragbrai  banjo” and that’s worked fine since 2005.

But here’s a switch: There are candid photos not taken at Ragbrai where I’ve been able to identify the person who took the picture.  Here they are and all of them are in Fort Collins:

Photo by Jose

Trying my best to be as Pete Seegerish as possible; Singing and playing with a group on a stage. What was I thinking?  Note: I’m playing a custom left-handed Wildwood Troubadour banjo made by Mark Platin.

Photo by Tiffani

Talkin’ about the great Cripple Creek Mine (look! No Banjo!). Showing the kids how to pan for gold in them thar hills.

Photo by Kevin

In Old Town, Fort Collins just strumming in the afternoon. In this picture I’m playing my home-made left-handed pressure cooker/table leg banjo.

The Linden Street project

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

Next to No Colo Feeders:

On the corner of Linden and Willow Streets

As this is right on the border of the original 1864 “Fort Collins” parade ground I will be on the lookout for certain ‘treasures’ of historical value that may be unearthed on this spot.

1.環境
・ 必要な吐出量を確保しながらエンジン回転を低く抑える新エンジン・ポンプマッチング制御を採用。燃費効率の良いところでエンジン回転とポンプの吐出量をマッチングさせることで更なる燃費低減を図っています。 (From the product listing for the Komatsu PC 226 excavator)

It should take a month before it’s back to normal

I will be sure to report any findings on this impromptu archaeological dig. Who knows what I might find?