Board of Directors Betsy Denney Craig Leitner Mark Minor Shari Mohr Kris Shurr Barbara Snyder

2019 Summer Newsletter

Summer has arrived (at least on the calendar!) and the WFHS board has some great events planned:

JULY 4 – 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. –  Open house at the WFHS History Center (our historic church building located across the road from Howard Hall), with special presentations by our local “historic paint sleuth” and newest WFHS board member, Mark Minor, at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  Mark will explain the process used to determine the original paint colors of historic buildings, including a chance to examine paint samples through the microscope.  (We have a good source of old paint right on our history center!)  In addition, we will be showcasing items pertaining to local Grange activities from Howard, Coaldale and Hillside Grange groups.  Ellen Hopkins, our preservation project coordinator, will also provide an update on the State Historic Fund grant funding which is now in process, after years of effort!

AUGUST 17 – 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. – program/tour featuring history of western Fremont County schools.  We’ll begin with an overview presentation at Cotopaxi School, and proceed up the valley to Coaldale and Howard, with information regarding location and history of the various schools that served those communities over the years.  Watch for further details on our website and flyers.

OCTOBER 12 – 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. – cemetery tours at Coaldale and Howard.  Cemetery tours are always popular as we visit the graves and knit together stories of early settlers and events in western Fremont County.  We will also attempt to assist anyone who is looking for information on relatives or other figures from the past associated with these cemeteries.    More details will be forthcoming early in the fall.

This spring, through the tireless efforts of Howard resident and website guru, Tom Kainz, we unveiled a new and improved website which is now more informative and user friendly than ever.  Please check it out at westfremonthistory.com.  Information regarding our upcoming events as well as publications and tour books available for purchase is on the website, along with a new “historic fun fact” every month.  You can also find information on Facebook, or feel free to contact one of our board members with any questions or comments.

Your support makes these programs and events possible.  As always, we welcome volunteers who enjoy history to join in our various projects and programs. THANK YOU AGAIN, and we look forward to sharing local history with you in the coming months.

WFHS Board of Directors

Betsy Denney  (719) 942-3679                                                   Craig Leitner (719) 207-0015

Mark Minor (719) 207-0921                                                       Shari Mohr  (719) 942-3355

Kris Shurr (719) 942-3653                                                            Barbara Snyder (719) 539-3956

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

2019 Membership Letter

February, 2019

Dear Members and Friends of WFHS,

The Board of Directors of WESTERN FREMONT HISTORICAL SOCIETY is gearing up to share history with all of you in 2019.   We thoroughly enjoyed seeing so many of you at our programs, events and tours in 2018, and look forward to exchanging information and getting to know you better in the coming year.

As most of you know, our long-time President, Janet Lastovica, resigned from the Board at the end of 2018 due to family obligations, and we actually have two vacancies on our Board at the present time.  We hope some of you might consider stepping into that role this year.  The Board meets once a month (except in December) to plan programs and events, as well as work on the upcoming building preservation project and manage the records and collections that are housed at our History Center, maintain our website, etc.  We have a great time together, but we could really use some additional workers  and new ideas to expand our mission and outreach.  Please contact one of us to find out what is involved; maybe you and your spouse/partner would like to join the Board as a team.  Think it over and let us hear from you!

Enclosed is our annual membership form, along with a self-addressed envelope.  Your annual dues enable us to pay our basic expenses, such as real estate taxes on the History Center building in Howard, liability insurance, website maintenance, office supplies, printing and postage, as well as incidental costs for producing programs and tours.

Our first event of 2019 will be our Annual Meeting on April 6 at 2:00 p.m. at the historic Coaldale Schoolhouse/Community Center.  If you have not seen this building, you are in for a special treat!  The agenda will include a brief business meeting and election of Board members, followed by a program featuring memorabilia from the Coaldale Grange.  We make a conscious effort to plan programs and events to include all areas of Western Fremont County and are currently finalizing our programs and tours for the rest of the year.   Check our website for the latest information about upcoming events, and watch for email newsletters and program reminders.

Thank you for your ongoing support.  We look forward to sharing history with you in 2019!

Betsy Denney  (719) 942-3679                                             Craig Leitner (719) 207-0015

Shari Mohr  (719) 942-3355                                                  Kris Shurr (719) 942-3653

Barbara Snyder (719) 539-3956

Western Fremont Historical Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preservation and sharing of our local history and artifacts.