Newsletter – January 2018

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

2018 WINTER NEWSLETTER

                Greetings from the WFHS Board of Directors!  2018 is here and we are excited as we begin planning another year of historical activities focused on western Fremont County.  We have recruited two new members to our Board; Shari Mohr and Kris Shurr will be introduced and formally voted upon at our Annual Meeting in March.  We are grateful to have two more congenial, tech-savy volunteers as we embark on an especially busy year.

Ellen Hopkins, Project Manager for the history center building preservation effort, had a very productive year in 2017.  As a result of her ongoing efforts, we have retained an historic preservation architect who will prepare our grant application to the State Historic Fund (History Colorado), and we are well on the way to securing the matching funds necessary to support that grant, thanks to you, our generous members and friends!   A complete update on the status of the building preservation project will be presented at the Annual Meeting.

The Board is also continuing to expand our community outreach via Facebook and through our new website, WestFremontHistory.com.   Both are still “works in progress”, but we are excited to offer these additional ways to access information about the goals of our society, as well as ongoing activities and programs.

In the meantime, we are working on our schedule of programs and tours for the year, as follows:

• March 24 at 2:00 p.m. at Howard Hall – Annual Meeting and program about the Barnes City mining scam in the early 1900’s
• July 4^th at the History Center in Howard – enjoy Howard Hall’s old time 4^th of July celebration, and help us celebrate the 120^th anniversary of our historic church building
• August (date to be determined) – charcoal kiln program/tour
• Fall (date to be determined) – cemetery tour (Howard, Coaldale, Cotopaxi and San Isabel/Hillside cemeteries)

These programs and tours for history lovers, as well as the displays and historic documents at the History Center, are made possible by your continued interest and support.   A membership form and return envelope are enclosed for annual dues.  We look forward to seeing you at our Annual Meeting on March 24, as well as the programs and tours throughout the coming year.  The History Center will also be open on the last Sunday of each month (1:00 to 4:00 p.m.) from April through October, weather permitting.   As always, there are numerous ways to participate in either short-term projects, assisting with programs and tours, building and grounds maintenance, serving on committees, providing refreshments, etc.   If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact Shari Mohr at 719-942-3355. Thank you for your ongoing support – watch for additional details about upcoming events!