March 9, 1942 Diary

Monday, 68th Day - 297 Days to Follow

Written by Margie Arbuthnot

Wind blew terribly hard last nite.

I washed today but the wind blew so hard this A.M.

I didn't have them until this P.M. but all got dried.

And I got the ironing done.

A cave in at the brick plant at Valmont - one man killed and five injured.

What a sad day for the Goddard family as their 21 year old son was killed in this accident.
  
The Valmont brick plant was located at the base of Valmont Butte.  There were several kilns there that baked the bricks.  When five men were loading the brick oven, two other men were on top of the oven, on the roof.  When the roof of the oven gave in, the men inside were crushed by the bricks, killing one young man who was a fairly new employee at the plant.  A devastating accident that rocked not only Valmont but all of Boulder County.  Not surprising that Grandma mentions the event in her diary.  

Thanks to Marti at the Carnegie Branch Library for Local History, Boulder Public Library for helping me to learn more about this event.  Here are the photos and newspaper article that she found for us to learn from.  For more information about this and other events, please visit this library - they are a treasure trove of our local people and history.

Kiln at the Valmont Brick Plant
Photo courtesy of the Carnegie Branch Library for Local History,
Boulder Public Library

Boulder Daily Camera
March 9, 1942

Valmont Butte and Valmont Brick Plant
Photo courtesy of the Carnegie Branch Library for Local History,
Boulder Public Library

More photos can be seen here.

Arbuthnot Family Arrived In Boulder on June 20, 1859

In Boulder Camera newspaper article that was seeking for more information on the Boulder pioneer families, Sam Arbuthnot was listed with the date of his arrival.  Samuel arrived here along with his father, Carson W. Arbuthnot, and brothers, William C. Arbuthnot, James A. Arbuthnot and Charles T. Arbuthnot.  And the husband of their eldest sister, Stephen D. Newton.  Growing up, I was told that our family arrived here in the spring of 1859, in search for gold.  Now I use this date as this is the best evidence that I have of when the Arbuthnot men arrived in what today is Boulder County.  Here’s the article…

List to be compiled of Pioneers of Boulder area, their descendants. 

Boulder Camera, Thursday, Feb 26, 1959.  Page 28.

A start was made late in 1958 to secure the names of descendants of pioneers with a good response.  In March the effort will be renewed.  It is planned that those who came in Boulder county prior to the admission of Colorado as a state on August 1, 1876, will be classed as pioneers as was done by the once active Territorial Pioneers Assn.

At the time of the semi-centennial in November 1909 of Boulder the constitution and by-laws of the Pioneer Society, adopted June 20, 1884, was refered to.  It listed the following as members:

1858

A. A. Brookfield, Oct 6, Boulder

W.R. Blore, Nov 2, Lyons

L.M. McCaslin, Dec 2, St. Vrain

G. R. Williamson, Nov 30, Salina

1859

Jonas Anderson, Sr., Sept., Boulder

E.J. Anderson, Sept., Boulder

A. Arnett, June 7, Boulder

Sam Arbuthnot, June 20, Left Hand

S. M. Breath, August, Boulder

Hiram Buck, Aug 10, Boulder

T. C. Brainard, July, Boulder

A. G. Burke, Feb 2, South Boulder

John Brierley, July 15, Boulder

Wm. M. Barney, July 22, Longmont

Geroge F. Chase, July 22, Boulder

W. A. Corson, July 20, Boulder

J.B. Carson, Boulder

Chas. Dabney, May 27, Boulder

Guy Fairhurst, June 10, Magnolia

Charles Frey, May 1, Boulder

Wm. C. Hake, July 7, Coal Creek

J. L. Haff, June 10, Boulder

W. W. Secor, Sept 10, Longmont

A. G. Soule, Arpil, Boulder

C. L. Smead, June 10, St. Vrain Creek

Wm. Simpson, May 20, Marshall

D. C. Taylor, June 13, Longmont

Joseph Wolff, Boulder

Perry White, May 22, Boulder

T. F. Wagner, May 8, Boulder

Geo. W. Webster, May 18, St. Vrain

The article said the following are some of the oldest lady members who came to Boulder prior to Jan 1, 1861.

Masdames A. A. Brookfield

J. H. Decker

H. Goodwin

M.L. McCaslin

R. Niver

in 1859, and…

Mesdames Wm. Breach,

F. A. Spuires

M. Tourtellot

T. J. Jones

P. A. Leymer

L. McIntosh

John Brierly

Samuel Copeland, and

D. C. Taylor, 1860.

If any Camera reader has a copy of the constitution, The Camera would like to borrow it.  It is possible that not all names were listed in the newspaper article.  It also is possible that all were listed but that the society did not include all eligible for membership.

Names not previously given The Camera should be forwarded to it with data, until headquarters for the Centennial of the “Rush to the Rockies” is opened early in March.