Newsletter – June 2018

Board of Directors Betsy Denney Janet Lastovica Craig Leitner Shari Mohr Kris Shurr Barbara Snyder

2018 SUMMER NEWSLETTER

The WFHS Board of Directors has been busy preparing for another season of special events for our history-loving members and friends.  We enjoyed seeing many of you at our Annual Meeting and program, “Barnes City: Boom or Bust?” in March, and appreciate your support as we plan our summer and fall programs.  Our website is up and running, as is our Facebook page, so if you have not already done so, please check out those new sources of information and give us your feedback.

Our first event of the summer season will be an open house at our History Center on July 4^th in conjunction with Howard Hall Association’s old fashioned 4^th of July celebration.  This year we will be celebrating the 120^th anniversary of the church building, and will have pictures and stories of the church’s rich history, updates on its current use as WFHS History Center, and status of the building rehabilitation project.  We submitted a grant application to the State Historic Fund, and hope to hear by the end of June whether that application has been accepted.   The matching funds required to support this grant have been secured (thanks again to our gracious donors!) and we will share information concerning the work that is planned, proposed schedule, etc. at the open house.  Please plan to attend and celebrate the building’s 120-year history in the heart of old Howard – BIRTHDAY CAKE WILL BE SERVED!  See the attached flyer for details.

Other events planned for 2018 are:

• August 25 – CHARCOAL KILN TOUR – The most visible remains of area charcoal kilns are on County Road 6/Hayden Creek Road in Coaldale, but did you know there were also kilns at Wellsville, Howard, Cotopaxi and Texas Creek? Join us as our favorite tour guide, Fremont County native Betsy Denney, shares information about the thriving but short-lived charcoal industry in western Fremont County.

• October 6 – CEMETERY TOUR – A popular tour for genealogy and history buffs alike, cemeteries are a great source of information about early settlers, pioneer families, etc. We will begin at the Howard Cemetery, then visit Coaldale, Cotopaxi and San Isabel View (Hillside) Cemeteries, with a brown bag lunch stop on the way.  Fall is a great time to enjoy the outdoors while hearing the stories of the settlers and pioneer families who called this area home.

Your dues and participation make these programs and events possible.  THANK YOU AGAIN, and we look forward to sharing local history with you throughout the year.

WFHS Board of Directors