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TO THE PAST AND BACK BUS TOUR, 16 August 2014
Courtesy The Lakewood Historical Society (LHS).
Edited by David Barth 16 August 2014. Photos are by David Barth except where noted otherwise.
Before I commence this tale, kind reader, I feel compelled to issue a preface.
Begin Preface: Perhaps overstepping the bounds of literary license, I have contorted this trip into a time travel story in which slightly fewer than two dozen of us intrepid travelers are taken back . . . back . . . back in time. If H.G. Wells could read this, I'm sure he would toss his story of time travel in the dust bin because, unlike his story, the event described herein really happened.
That I am writing this log is testament that we did, indeed, survive real time travel, and made it back to 2014, unscathed, unharmed (at least physically). I have no evidence that, during the trip, I was probed by little green men trying to find out what makes mankind tick. And even if they did, a mind-meld with me would send them running away, screaming.
Many, if not most, readers of this tome will lament that the concept of actual time travel is unrealistic. Oh, and along the way, if I insert some self-promotional comments, please forgive me!
End Preface.
Our ship was called "Free Soek 14." I'm not kidding. See the picture of our ancient ship, below! It was an old, derelict vessel that appeared to have been through many celestial wars. It was originally painted black, but showed scars and scrapes earned over a millennium of traveling rough roads and passing through questionable neighborhoods.
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| Our Time Machine, Free Soek 14, to take us back . . . back . . . back in TIME. |
The captain of our ship was Sam. Sam had a very capable crewmember called Lyle Miller. Lyle was the ship's concierge, navigator, planner, and communicator. Doing all this was like watching a professional juggler do a complex routine, but Lyle executed the tasks exquisitely.
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| Our Intrepid Time Machine Pilot, Sam. |
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| Our Intrepid Time Machine Navigator, Lyle. |
But there was also an adroit ground crew for this adventure. Behind the scenes, Jeff Murray helped set up the landing site in preparation for our return.
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| Ground Crew Manager, Jeff. |
As is typical of time travel, to those on in the ground crew, it seemed like we were gone for only a few minutes. To us, it seemed like hours. (Or do I have that reversed?) Anyway, their preparations made our return a soft landing with the set-up of a lot of tables (even with table cloths!), good food, drinks, and elaborate centerpieces.
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| Table Centerpieces with the four-sided LHS 40th Anniversary proclamation display beside the flowers. |
Ok, here is some self-promotion that I promised: I made the four-sided, flimsy, pictures of the 40th Anniversary Proclamation to the Lakewood Historical Society's 40th Anniversary that were placed on the tables.
The exquisite centerpiece was a beautiful bouquet of flowers on each table. Sorry, I don't know who made them, so I can't give credit at this time.
But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves! While the boarding process was taking place, I warmed up the camera, pointing it at all sorts of historical artifacts and snapping the shutter. A few viewers of the picture trove might think most of the ancillary images unnecessary, but some people may be interested in some of them. In any case, I tended to take too many than too few.
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| Our Port, or more "science-fictionally," Time Port, the Lakewood Heritage Center. |
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| Another view of the (appropriately) futuristic Lakewood Heritage Center. |
One of my favorite photographs, taken while killing time before the departure, is a candid shot of a barefoot girl wearing shorts and a tank top standing outside of the Sandwich Shop in the Heritage Center, fixing her hair in the reflection of the large front window. The juxtaposition of a large, red heart with an arrow through it, behind the glass, made it appear that in her reflection, she had a big heart on her chest.
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| In the morning, a girls gotta spend some time before her reflection in whatever kind of mirror she can find. |
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| Make-up: check; hair: check. Yep, ready for the day. Hey, is this an artistic picture, or what? |
Beside her were a pack, cowboy boots, and red sandals. It was unreal to see what appeared to be a vagabond, lost in a historic park at 8:30 in the morning, with a window reflection of a big heart. Perhaps she was a traveler, had slept somewhere in or near the park the night before, and was fixing her hair before setting out to continue her journey.
Before I could ask her where she came from and what she was doing there, more in the vein of curiosity than threatening, it was time to board the time machine, er, bus, and I had to leave. I call the picture artful, but many may disagree and assume it is just a shot of a wayward traveler.
So, with the guidance of Jeff and the assistance of Lyle, all of the passengers boarded the ship and got comfortable. Then we launched under the guidance of Lyle who advised Captain Sam on our galactic route.
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| Boarding the Free Soek 14 Time Machine. |
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| Lyle, our Navigator, going over the Flight Plan with the Pilot, Sam as Jeff looks on, approvingly. |
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| Old Trolley Shanty. |
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| Time Travelers getting settled on Free Soek 14. |
Our first stop was Schnell Farm on South Wadsworth. It was, indeed, a trip into the past when small farms were self-sufficient, raising chickens for eggs and meat, goats and cattle for milk and meat, orchards for fruit, gardens for vegetables, fields of grain, and all sorts of other necessities that make life bearable in the wide open spaces. However, the farm is now crowded on all sides by the Bear Creek green belt and housing tracts. Mr. Schnell said the City is very interested in taking over his land [think "tax revenue"], but so far, he is holding out.
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| This is the Schnell farmhouse. |
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| This was the original Schnell farmhouse. |
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| Sign commemorating the Schnell Farm as a Colorado Centennial Farm. |
- Colorado Department of Agriculture
- Colorado Historical Society
- Colorado State Fair
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| A lazy stream passes through the farm. |
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| A pump in the side yard. |
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| As a working farm, the Schnells use tractors. |
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| This is the chicken yard. |
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| Our group enjoying a visit to country living in the middle of the city. |
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| It is fun to visit a farm, but a lot of hard work if you live on one. |
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| This is Mr. Schnell. |
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| This is one of the bridges over an irrigation canal. |
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| This is Mrs. Schnell, left, talking with a person in our group. |
The Schnell farm is a throwback to earlier times, and it seemed odd to be not far from busy Wadsworth, yet the farm was very quiet, like we were in a clump of trees in the middle of the plains, far from humanity.
Of interest were the huge cottonwood trees sporting a girth in excess of ten feet.
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| Huge, 110-year old Cottonwood trees. |
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| Cottonwoods usually don't live this long or get this big. |
Mr. and Mrs. Schnell offered us a treat of drinking pure spring water of which many in our group imbibed while taking a sit-down rest in the shade on the Schnell front lawn (note the blue cups).
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| Our group enjoying drinking pure spring water in the shade of some large trees. |
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| Our group enjoying a respite from the busy city life. |
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| Ponies eating chow from the grate at the left. |
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| In the center of the picture, behind the gate, a large tortoise can be seen. Mr. Schnell said the chickens and tortoise get along fine. |
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| The Schnell Church. |
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| Mrs. Rittenhouse reading a psalm. |
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| The Schnell covered bridge. |
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| Looking through the bridge. |
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| Our great leader and Society president. |
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| Visitors have written their names on walls of the bridge for posterity. |
Sam, our bus driver, was a bit worried about getting the bus turned around so he wouldn't have to back all the way to Wadsworth down the curvy lane, but Mr. Schnell had a loop on the farm where large vehicles could reverse course. The rumor that a 53 foot 18-wheel semi-truck had been able to negotiate the lane to make a delivery and return to Wadsworth was met with doubt. I took a picture of the bus's right outside rear view mirror with leaves tucked into it that it grabbed during the transit of the lane. Perhaps the mirror wanted a souvenir of the Schnell Farm.
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| Leaves caught by the bus's right mirror. |
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| This is what the Schnell farm looked like in 1896. |
Following a restful interlude, we boarded old "Free Soek 14" and headed back to the city where Lyle navigated us westward to Estes, then northbound past Stone House, on to where Estes becomes Garrison, and past the Addenbrook Fireplace and Windmill. The Addenbrook family were related to the Everett's and were given a portion of the Everett land. An Everett descendant told me in March 2014 that Addenbrooke Park really should have been named "Everett Park." However, "Addenbrooke" has a nice ring to it.
The Everett Farm is on the southwest corner of Alameda and Garrison. For the first time in many years, descendants of the Everett family are farming. For years they have run three white horses in their pasture.
We crossed Alameda, passing the old building on the northeast corner of Alameda and Garrison, site of the former Mon Vue Village roadhouse where the Queen City Jazz Band performed for 14 years. The old building and property is owned by the Mile Hi Church. Now closed, it might be too costly to bring it up to code for public use. The church pastor said they hadn't decided what to do with it at this time. The building originally was a gas station and small market that served travelers on their way to the mountains, long before I70 was built. At that time, the area was mostly farm land.
Then Sam swung the bus into the parking lot of Mile Hi Church. No, "Hi" isn't misspelled. It is for real. Ann Moore provided some history of the construction.
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| Arriving at Mile Hi Church. |
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| Entering this very unique edifice. |
The original dome was built for $500,000 in 1973 by making a large pile of earth and covering it with reinforced concrete. After the concrete had set, the dirt underneath was removed and the interior of the building was finished. By the early part of the 21st century, the congregation had outgrown it, and a new, larger dome was built next to it using an inflatable bubble construction technique.
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| Ann Moore was a driving force to get Mile Hi Church on the Lakewood Historical Society register of historic landmarks. This is the plaque. |
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| Ann Moore gave us a presentation on the history of the building. |
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| A church official said the church outgrew the old dome, and a new one was built beside it. |
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| The interior is unique. |
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| In 1973 a mound of earth was built, then covered with reinforced concrete. Photo courtesy of Ann Moore. |
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| After the concrete set, the earth was dug out from beneath the dome. Photo courtesy of Ann Moore. |
We boarded the bus again for the trip to JCRS to see the Synagogue and tent. On the way we passed the one remaining vestige of the Hayden Ranch, a concrete post at 4th and Garrison. At Colfax, Sam pointed our celestial bus east toward Pierce Street where we saw the Synagogue and tent.
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| The Synagogue at JCRS. |
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| A "Tent" at JCRS for tuberculosis patients. |
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| This is our group at the JCRS tent. |
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Following the Synagogue, we passed by the Kellogg and Cason-Howell Houses.
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| This is the Kellogg House. |
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| This is the Cason-Howell House. |
Our next destination was the WWII Memorial near 10th and Wadsworth. Lyle had driven the route and had made sure there were options. We tried to enter from the parking lot on 10th, but the gates were closed, so Lyle executed Plan B where he had Sam drive the bus to Estes, turn north to 12th, and then right, eastbound, to the turnaround at the school. From there, we took a short walk to the Memorial.
Ok, another bit of self-promotion: In late June I purchased red, white, and blue petunias from Jensen's at 845 Wadsworth and planted them in front of the Monument. For the next couple of weeks, through July 4th, I watered them every other day from a gallon jug that I hid behind the Monument.
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| The World War II Memorial behind the school near 10th and Wadsworth. |
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| Our group giving their respects to the World War II Memorial and the Lakewood High School students who joined the military and died. |
We boarded "Free Soek 14" for the last time for the final leg to the Lakewood Heritage Center and lunch in the historic school. Lyle had the timing for our return landing, and we arrived within a few minutes of noon.
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| The old school house. |
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| Sue Morrison and Jeff Murray set it up for our lunch. |
Steve Burkholder, Lakewood Mayor from 1999 to 2007, introduced Gail M. Beaton, a lady who presented herself as a female worker, "Rosie the Riveter" or "Wendy the Welder," at the Denver Ordinance Plant (DOP) back during WWII when many women entered the workforce to replace male workers who entered military service. Gail wrote a book, "Colorado Women: A History."
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| Steve Burkholder introducing Gail Beaton. |
In her presentation, Gail played the part of a female employee at DOP during WWII. She dressed the part and was very knowledgeable.
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| Gail Beaton as "Rosie the Riveter." |
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The first contractor at DOP was Remington followed by Kaiser. Before the war, workers made 25 cents an hour. After the war began wages rose to 75 cents. Rent was around $40 a month, and newspapers cost a nickel.
Pay was so good that many teachers quit their classrooms to go to work in government jobs. As a result, the teachers who were remained in the schools, taught classes that were twice as large as before the war. During the war, the greatest number of workers at DOP was 22,000.
Most workers at DOP joined the ten percent club by spending ten percent of their earnings to buy war bonds.
She quoted Boyd K. Packer's saying, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without," that was very appropriate during the War when shortages were common and many items were rationed under control of the Office of Price Administration. She showed ration books, stamps, and red and blue tokens.
Meat cost 51 cents a pound, plus 8 ration stamps. People increased their self-sufficiency by making Victory Gardens and canning. A saying that came about during WWII was, "Eat what you can; Can what you can't."
She also demonstrated V-Mail, a one-page letter that was microfilmed by the post office so that mail could be shipped overseas in a much smaller volume.
As of 2014, DOP, renamed Denver Federal Center after WWII, has 33 agencies.
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| Steve Burkholder making some end-remarks after a great bus ride into the past and back. |
Finally, Steve Burkholder spoke about the City, present and future. He said the success of a city is like the three-legged stool metaphor: Community; City; and Citizens.
One problem these days is building defects, perhaps due to poor workmanship issues. Also, suburban poverty, which used to be relegated to large cities, now impacts bedroom communities.
On the positive side, Lakewood has a great location in the Denver Metro area and is positioning itself as an inclusive community. Lakewood continues to be committed to providing an ample number of open spaces.
Steve noted that the old Cold Springs parking lot at the Federal Center, near the light rail station, will be sold off for office building and residential construction. New housing will be constructed in the area of Lakewood Brick.
The Taylor property around Green Gables is to become a green belt. The City is in good financial condition due to intelligent use of tax income, and Steve said the City staff is dedicated.
He mentioned the unique value of Casa Bonita which can seat 1,000 customers, serve 5,000 meals a day, and is a favorite tourist destination.
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| Casa Bonita Restaurant, a candidate for historic recognition. |
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| Steve Burkholder and his wife, Ann. |
Steve and his wife, Ann, are involved in a volunteer "Parent-Child Home Program" that has been active for the past 50 years and is heavily used in Seattle. The concept is simple: If the parents of an underprivileged child, aged 2 or 3, agree to allow their child to receive educational assistance, a volunteer goes to the home and helps the child increase his or her vocabulary before the child gets into kindergarten. Vocabulary is a key ingredient for success in school, and gives them more self-confidence. Of the children who receive assistance, 30 percent more graduate from high school than those who do not get the training.
The idea is "giving kids a fair chance." The more parents and volunteers can work with young children, the better off they are.
This ended our trip into the past. It was an interesting, informative, and fun time. Oh, and, indeed, we all survived our trip into the past and back.
People who helped make this trip back in time possible:
Marian Metsopoulos of the LHS (who conceived of and planned the trip)
Jeff Murray of the City of Lakewood
Sue Morrison of the LHS
Lyle Miller of the LHS
And others