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Sunrise in Southeast Colorado
Thought I would start posting a few Baca County Sunrises… I shared a few of these with one of our Baca County Facebook groups and below is how people describe those. I have included in this gallery those posted on Facebook and all of the other good pictures taken on my January 28, 2015 morning…
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FAMILY WELL DISPUTE: by George Chatham
By George Chatham After my grandparents, Fred and Ethel Chatham, were married April 14, 1914, there was a “dug-out” build on Fred’s homestead; but exactly when it was built is in question. Apparently there was a well dispute and the couple lived for a time with her Father, Daniel Chenoweth, who was a widower. According…
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How My Grandparents Met: by George Chatham
By George Chatham My Great-Uncle Elmer Chatham filed a “homestead” claim to 320 acres on South Horse Creek, located 7 1/2 miles north and 2 miles west of Springfield. That claim was proved January 12, 1917. It was on this homestead that I grew-up. Because Fred Chatham, my grand-father, wasn’t old enough to file a…
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My Roots in Baca County Colorado: By George Chatham
NOTE: I would like to welcome George Chatham to Bacacountyhistory.com. Happy Reading. By George Chatham My roots in Baca County go back three generations. My Grand-dad and his brother, Fred L. Chatham and Elmer Chatham came together to Baca County sometime around 1910 or 1911. The exact date we aren’t sure. According to family members…
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The Old Stone Schoolhouse in Springfield
“…the handiwork on that building – during those times – defies description.” -Aug Blanchat We’ve talked many times about the old Springfield School our social media groups and how it was built in 1889 by the Swiss Stonemason Joseph Blanchat. This is an update to the previous blog. The building served as the elementary and…
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A 2014 Thank You for Telling Your Stories
In this era when people expect information at their fingertips and instant response to everything, our local history, local stories and local collections which are so rich in history and cultural heritage are increasingly inaccessible. Issues such as budget cuts and staff reductions are the usual culprits but part of this inaccessibility is also occurring…
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So Where is the Broomcorn Capital of the World?
NOTE: The original article was written in 2014, We have since updated (2023) and added more history of this forgotten industry. What is Broomcorn? I have had several conversations about recording local history as we are doing with Bacacountyhistory.com. Anytime the topic of broomcorn or broom corn has come up with someone not from Baca…
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Orville Ewing’s Travels: The Animals
Before we head into Orville’s travels during the 1940’s let’s take a peek at the the animal menagerie which served as Orville’s traveling companions over the years. This is the group that provided quite a background for those wishing to take pictures with him. The ox, burros, donkeys and/or mules were obviously used to pull…
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Orville Ewing’s Travels: The 1930’s
I mentioned in a previous post the large number of Orville Ewing postcards available for sale online, but there are also over 300 newspaper references to his 30 plus years of travel. UPDATE: April 2020. This past week I received another scan of the picture above. Since we already have it the picture isn’t that big…
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Were the Dirty Thirties the Good Old Days?
Posted with permission of Gloria Jean. Original article appeared in the Huckaby Times (Cousin Newsletter), April 2004 On Sunday April 14th, 1935, the sun came up in a clear sky. The day was warm and pleasant, a gentle breeze whimpered out of the southwest. Suddenly a cloud appeared on the horizon. Birds flew swiftly ahead…
