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25/50/75

Aspen Times writer
The first train to arrive in Aspen, on the morning of Nov. 2, 1887, was welcomed by a sizable crowd. The train, part of the Denver and Rio Grande railroad, was important to Aspen miners because it enabled them to send their ore to smelters at a very low cost.
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AUGUST 1929The Times reported on a breakthrough at a local mine, but no one got rich on this one.Last Saturday the Midnight miners working in the upraise broke through on the old seventh level and connected with the extreme northwesterly expansion of the seventh level stope. 6700 feet of tunnel and 360 feet of raises were driven to make this connection. A sweep of air now travels through the entire workings that will nearly lift your hat and furnishes good air for the miners at all times.Before fancy soirees at Red Mountain estates, Aspenites gathered for cabin warmings. The Times wrote,Mr. and Mrs. Max Scott celebrated the completion of their bungalow cabin cozily set among the pines near Lost Man’s Cabin Sunday afternoon by inviting several of their friends to be present at the grand opening or “cabin warming.”Of course there was a feast spread fit for the gods, with mountain trout and purest of water furnishing the main items with all embellishments added thereto.It is said by those present that the Scott Cabin is the finest on the Western Slope, equipped with all modern conveniences, and situated as it is near the top of the world, furnishes an idea summer home.Aspen has long been touted as a health-conscious town, as evidenced by this article.Some six or seven years ago the Creighs resided here that “Al” might receive the benefit of our pure ozone and health-giving climate and “get back” to normal health. He was at that time suffering from shell-shock and the effects of being gassed while “over there.” He left Aspen entirely recovered and took up the study of law as a profession and today he is one of the leading attorneys of his section of Texas.Indeed Uncle Sam should establish a sanitarium in Aspen for his boys who are now suffering from ill-health caused by the World War. Our climate is a sure cure for all such cases.AUGUST 1954

Aspenites knew how to boost offseason business in 1954 – a fall festival. The Times reported,The Golden Aspen Festival, set for September 18 through 26, is shaping up very well with only a few dates yet to be filled in.The Festival was conceived to take advantage of the wonderful fall colors of which the golden aspen leaves will completely dominate.The events as now scheduled include:September 18-19: Sports Car Race, sponsored by the Aspen Sports Car Club.September 20: Tour of Homes and Gardens.September 21: Photographers jeep trip over Aspen Mountain to Ashcroft; Ski movies and winter sports program.September 22: Square dancing.September 23: Lions Club sponsored show, “You Can’t Beat Fun.”September 24, 25, 26: National Open Trap Shoot.September 25: Western Slope High School Swimming Meet.September 25, 26: 4-H Club Fair and Horse Show.Apparently the editors of the Times felt strongly about the summer music festival, offering this plea in support of the town’s budding arts scene,The Aspen Institute, pride of Aspen and of music-loving Americans, is in need of your support. It is a non-profit organization which operates at considerable loss. This loss is largely taken up by one public-spirited citizen who deserves our help and encouragement for the great benefits that he and the Institute have brought to Aspen.The Chamber of Commerce has again taken the initiative toward support of this year’s Aspen Institute program. It is already more than proven that Institute support is essential to the economic prosperity of the community. The Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce urges, that in the business self-interest of the community, and in the artistic and intellectual achievements which are ours to enjoy and to profit by, that NOW is the times to send your tax-deductible contribution to the Aspen Institute, Aspen.

AUGUST 1979Twenty-five years ago saw the beginning of Aspen’s building boom, as evidenced by these numbers,Construction values attributed to building permits during July in Aspen were almost 10 times higher this year than last, a report from the city building inspector’s office shows.The value of permits issued in July was $2,490,260, the report states, while the value of permits issued during the same month last year was $258,738.With the fire danger on the rise, local firefighters wish they could say the same today, “Rain, rain go away … and don’t bother to come again any time soon,” was the refrain of Aspenites last week when a 40-day and 40-night deluge seemed well under way. In fact, it rained for well over a week before sunny skies turned up on Wednesday.Now an engineering marvel, I-70 through the Glenwood Canyon was still a high-priced dream 25 years ago. The Times reported,The Colorado Highway Commission last Thursday approved a $212.8 million construction budget for the coming year that includes funds for Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon.The proposed budget, subject to approval by Gov. Richard Lamm, includes $13.9 million for work on I-70 in Glenwood Canyon, $4.4 million for engineering work, and $9.5 million for construction.Another Glenwood Springs highway project was in the news in 1979. The Times wrote,Engineers hired in March to do a feasibility study told the Glenwood Springs city council recently that now is the times to act on a Highway 82 bypass through the city. Centennial Engineers told the council, in interim findings last week, that 20,600 cars a day were using Grand Avenue on an average June day.Jerry Porter of Centennial estimated that Grand Avenue can carry up to 25,000 vehicles a day if the south end is widened. If pedestrian signals and on-street parking are eliminated, that figure could go up to 34,000 cars a day.



Porter said that 34,000 ceiling could be reached in nine or 10 years. …Centennial projects that the traffic demand in the Grand Avenue corridor will be 45,000 vehicles a day by the year 2000.The company recommended that the bypass be built along the route of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad east of the Roaring Fork River.Unsolved to this day, the story of “Lenado Man” first appeared in the Times in 1979 …A partially decomposed body was discovered by a group of mushroom hunters last Saturday just off Lenado Road. The unidentified man had two bullet holes in his body and possibly a third bullet wound, according to reports. Pitkin County Sheriff Dick Kienast said the case is a definite homicide and not suicide. …Sheriff’s officers as yet have no clue to the man’s identity. He is described as being six feet tall, 170 pounds, dark blond hair, and was wearing a red T-shirt, a blue work shirt, Levi’s and a pair of moccasins.The ongoing battle between the city of Aspen and the Aspen Institute was headed to court. The Times offered this explanation,RO Anderson, chairman of the board of trustees of the Aspen Institute, in a Tuesday letter, explaining the court action against the City of Aspen, said the Meadows has been “held in hostage” by the city for more than four years.Anderson said the Institute must sharply reduce its summer programs in Aspen and close its academic campus during the other seasons, pending the outcome of the litigation. …The Aspen Institute filed in the District Court of Pitkin County an action against the City of Aspen appealing the city’s refusal to permit the Institute’s reasonable use of its property.