Back in Time | Aspen

“The attention of the public is invited to the new enterprise about to be put in operation by Messrs. Rathgen, Donegan and Vogel,” The Aspen Times Weekly asserted on Oct. 4, 1884. 

“These gentlemen have formerly been engaged in the grocery business at Ashcroft, where they acquired the reputation of being philanthropists, by giving away most of their goods. Now that they count themselves citizens of Aspen, they propose to play the role of philanthropists to its people by supplying that most indispensable comfort: warmth! To this end, they have engaged to have on hand a supply of wood of all kinds at their yard on Hopkins Avenue, and with a 10-horsepower engine and boiler, they deem themselves fully equipped to supply all of Aspen’s 5,000 people with sawn and split wood of any dimensions at a moment’s notice.” 

“Back in Time” is contributed by Aspen Historical Society and features excerpted articles and images from past Snowmass Sun/Aspen Times issues. We can’t rewrite history, but we can learn from it! Visit archiveaspen.org to view the vast Aspen Times photographic collection in the AHS Archives.

Aspen Historical Society actively preserves and passionately presents local history in an inspired and provocative manner that will continue to anchor the local community and its evolving character. For more, visit aspenhistory.org.