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.

January 28, 1942 Diary

Wednesday, 29th Day - 337 Days to Follow

Written by Margie Arbuthnot

Temp this mornin at 7 - 20 degrees.

A nice warm day.

John Dodd here this P.M. checking on farm program.

Don got 32 cents a doz for eggs at Newells this evening.

40 degrees at 8 this evening.

I braided silk hose this P.M. for Una's rug.

The Dodd family still lives in the area west of Niwot.  In their old barn is a mill where grain was ground into flour.  When Fred's mother Mary Elizabeth (Bader) Arbuthnot passed away, the Dodd's purchased the ranch where Fred was born, including Haystack Mountain.  The Dodds were the flippers of the day and helped their new renters purchase the 260 acre ranch.

More information on the old farms of Boulder County are in this report:

Boulder County's Agricultural Heritage.

Election Judges for the 1869 Election

Boulder Pioneer Newspaper announces the Election Judges

This was published by a newspaper distributed in Boulder County, Colorado Territory.  The announcement reads...

The following persons were appointed to serve as Judges of Election, at the coming election, 

to be held on the second Tuesday of September next, to-wit:

Precinct No. 1, Burlington - Edward Newman, Enoch Coffman, John Miller.

Precinct No. 2, Upper St. Vrain - Geo. W. Mason, Charles C. True, E. Chapman.

Precinct No. 3, Left Hand - P. T. Hinman, C. W. Arbuthnot, J. H. Jamison.

Precinct No. 4, Boulder City - Chas. Dabney, Wm. Pound, Samuel Copeland.

Precinct No. 5, Valmont - George W. Chambers, John Ritchie, P.M. Housel.

Precinct No. 6, Lower Boulder - P. A. Leyner, W. R. Howell, Hiram Buck.

Precinct No. 7, South Boulder, Joseph Babcock, George W. Eggleston, N. M. Howard.

Precinct No. 8, Carle and Hockaday's - Newton Hockaday, J. J. Carle, Thos. ?

Click here for the article of C. W. Arbuthnot being voted in as Constable of the Gold Hill Mining District.  The same P.M. Housel here in Precinct No. 5 at Valmont also ran for the office of Constable.

Front Page Boulder Pioneer, July 14, 1869
Boulder County, Colorado Territory

January 8, 1942 Diary

Thursday 8th Day - 357 Days to Follow

Warmer today.

Letter from Mass.

I went to club with Burkes, at Johnsons.

Eleven there.  Mable Kirkmeyer as visitor.

Dad and Don to Rehwalts for a pig [and] saw Alice Campion, bot brooder for $10.

Temperature 4 [degrees] above this P.M.  NE wind this evening.

Club met with Glayds Johnson

Started on skirts.  Those taking Mrs. Agnes Kenter, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Thames, Miss Baker, Helen A. two, Athelda Burke, Gladyes J., 

Fred and Mae Atherton, Francis Hill - from Oklahoma arrived at 8o'clock at Hills.

The letter from Mass. indicates that Margie got a letter from her eldest son Ken, who worked for MIT.  He had a degree in entomology from Colorado State University.  More on him and his family later.

Margie's very last line refers to the Aunt (Mae Atherton) and brother (Francis) of her daughter-in-law, Florence (Hill) Arbuthnot.  Francis was a cattlemen in Oklahoma and did not move to Colorado when the rest of the family moved to Niwot.  Every year at this time, Francis brought cattle Denver to be shown and sold at the annual Stock Show.  He always stopped by to see his sisters, Florence and Marjorie Knaus on these trips.

Francis M. Hill in January 14, 1956, at the home of his sister Florence Arbuthnot.
Francis is holding his niece, Donlyn Arbuthnot - author of this blog.
Boulder, Colorado

Batchelder Neighbors Club

The club that Margie refers to is the Batchelder Neighbors Club (BNC), a club for the women who lived in the Batchelder School District area.  This club began in 1941 and met for 50 years.  There were 17 founding members including:  Margie Arbuthnot, Una Albert (Margie's daughter), Helen Anderson (later Bloom then Berryman), Elsie Baker, Mable Brown, Ethelda Burke, Carrie Burke Scott, Myrna Dodd, Lettie Ereckson, Daulton Ereckson, Lucille Jones, Ethel Johnson, Gladys Johnson Martin, Jennie Keuter, Agnes Keuter, Eileen Nelson, Grace Thorn.

The club met on alternate Thursdays and had a President, V. President, Sec-Treasurer, a publications chairman and a program chairman.  I don't have the names of who filled these offices in 1942.  The order of business for their meetings was:

Salute to the American Flag,

Patriotic Song,

Roll Call

Minutes of the last meeting

Unfinished business

Bills and Communications

Adjournment

The source for this information is a little booklet that Helen Anderson put together that covers meetings from March 5, 1942 to Dec 10, 1942.  

Basis for this meeting came from a book published in 1929 titled:  A Manual for Club Women, by Anna Steese Richardson - Director of the Good Citizenship Bureau of the Women's Home Companion.  Published by Smith and Corona Typerwriters Inc, New York, NY.

There is no indication how the club came to own this book, but it is preserved along with the club accounts book.

I wish to thank Helen Anderson Berryman's nephew,  Ernie Anderson, who gave to me a box and scrapbook filled with the spiral notebooks and other information that his Aunt had collected and neatly organized about this club.  He entrusted this to me to "do something with it."  This year is my opportunity to do so.  As Margie makes reference to the club in her diary, I shall be taking notes from these documents on what occurred on these dates.  Unfortunately, those notes don't begin until March 5, 1942.  Until then, let's recognize the 50th Anniversary party that these women gathered to celebrate.  I'm sure Margie was there in spirit.

July 31, 1991
50th Anniversary celebration of the Batchelder Neighbors Club
Original Founding Members.
L to R Una Albert, Gladyas (Johnson) Martin, ?, ?, Helen (Anderson) Berryman

Members and guests of the Batchelder Neighbors Club
50th Anniversary Party - July 31, 1991

Photographer unknown.  Taken at the home of Helen Raben

Those in attendance at the NBC 50th Anniversary Party were:

Helen Berryman

Gladys Martin

Hazel Van Cleave

Edith Hornby

Lorrnia Lydin

Sharon Lydin Ruby

Ruth Charlosen

Edris Heldt

Ruth Heldt

Dorothy Zimmerman

Ethelda Thorne

Helen Axelson

Carol Burke Dale

   & son Kelly

Helen Aldrich

Edna Maul (Daughtea)

Florence Arbuthnot (Margie's daughter-in-law)

Helen M. Raber (Hostess)

Una Albert (Daughter of Margie Arbuthnot)

Marjorie (Arbuthnot Campion) Hawn  (Daughter of Margie Arbuthnot)

LaVern M. Johnson*

Pearl Williams 

*Special thanks to LaVern Johnson for helping me to identify some of these guests.
LaVern, you are always such a joy to work with.

January 7 1942 Diary

Wednesday, 7th Day - 358 Days to Follow

Some warmer today.

Don had car trouble so was late for chores today.

I hasn't done much today.  Too lazy.

Wrote to Dorothy this morning.

Happy home late coming.

Carol Jane here this evening.

This is Viola's birthday.

I ironed today.

I should mention that I am not changing my Grandmother's spelling as it's says much about who she was as while she was considered educated, the education lacked much back then.  I will ad comments as needed to help in understanding her posts.  These comments will be in [brackets].

My sister Carol Jane, mentioned in today's entry, is the eldest of Don and Florence (Hill) Arbuthnot's four children.  She and my brother Darold lived with our parents on a farm on Niwot Road, west of where my Dad's parents (Fred and Margie Arbuthnot) lived.  Dad was not sent off to college like his brother Ken was, because his parents didn't want him to leave as they needed him to help out on the farm.  Poor dad was deathly allergic to alfalfa and in 1944, left farming and moved into Boulder, just in time for Carol Jane to start school.  She began in Kindergarten at Whittier Elementary in the fall of 1944.  Ms. Anderson was her teacher.  She was a special teacher as she was the only teacher in all of our 13 years in Boulder schools who had all four of us kids, including Dale and myself.

Fred and Marge's grandchildren in 1939.
Wallace holding Carol Jane, Duane, Donnie, Darline.
Photo taken on the Fred & Margie Farm on Niwot Rd.

Source no. 9

January 6, 1942 Diary

Tuesday, 6th Day, 360 Days to Follow

Not so cold today, 7 below at 6:30 this morning.  Marjorie & Baker came.  Una, Darline  Duane to Boulder to stay.  Marjorie to Mr. Dovali funeral this P.M.  

Am writing a letter to Viola tonight.

Warmer today. 

Not a very good wash day clothes didn't dry

and paid Grange dues today.

Also $4.40 Grange Insurance dues.

$6.40 in all.  [Grange dues were $2.00 and paid quarterly.  The total dues for the year would have been $8.00 in 1942.]

Source No. 9

January 5, 1942 Diary

5th Day - 360 Days to Follow

Diary of Margie (Coe) Arbuthnot

Another cold morning, 20 below at 7 o'clock this morning.  We did a little washing on the board(?).  Don and dad to Niwot this A. M. got car repairs.  
Una sewed, 
Don and dad to Daniel's in P.M.  Got car repaired.  
Lath Jones brought us a tank of water.  
Darline last day of school at Batchelder.  
Had a letter from Lettie today.  
Jones last tank of water this evening.

1923 Students of the Batchelder School
Kindergarten through the 8th Grade
Margie's son Don is the second from the left.

Batchchelder School, Boulder County School District No. 20.
It was when Margie was a student here that she met Fred Arbuthnot, a member of the School Board.
All of the Fred and Margie's children and some of their grandchildren attended school here.
Photo curiously of the Carnegie Branch Library for Local History, Boulder Public Library.

Source No. 9.

January 4, 1942 Diary

4th Day - 361 Days to Follow

Grandmother's family had come to Colorado for her father's health.  Her parents were born in Canada, but due to some kind of banking scandal (or so we have been told), the family had to leave Canada and settled in Wisconsin.  The family acquired the land where IBM is located today.  They lived in a home on 63rd, across from where Coot Lake is today.  The walls of that home were a foot thick, making the home warm int eh winter, and cool in the summer.

L to R - Margie, Carrie Lulu, Jessie, Viola

Margie had many siblings, including sisters Eva, Carrie who went by Lulu, Nora, Jessie, Viola, and Sadie.  She had three brothers Floyd, Fred, and Billie.  By 1942 none of her family lived in Boulder County, which I'm sure, was very sad for Marjorie as she was very close to all of her family.

Here is today's entry:

Another cold morning.  23 below at 6:45 A. M.
Pump engine on the bum
Don got it fixed
Dad [her husband], Donnie, Darline and myself went to Marjorie's for a duck dinner.
Una and Duane came home with us.
Don had car trouble and late going home from chores.
This is Jessie's birthday.

Jessie Iona Coe was born in 1884 and was married to Harry Hagerman.  They lived in Wheatland, Platte County, Wyoming at this time.

Source No. 9

January 3 1942 Diary

3rd Day - 362 Days to Follow

Written by Margie Ann (Coe) Arbuthnot

Very cold.  23 below at 6:45 A. M.
A blizzard during the A. M.
Don and dad to Niwot.

One wonders why they went the two miles into town on such a cold, snowy, and no doubt, windy day.
And no wonder Grandma didn't write very much on this day.  I wouldn't get out from under the covers in that kind of cold.  Would you?

Don't worry, not all of her entries are like this one.  In time, they get more interesting.  I realized that I am only a year younger than my Grandmother when she wrote these entries.  I can relate to how she doesn't get much done in the cold.  But 23 degrees below zero?  Wow!  I wonder if it's been that cold here since this day 77 years ago.

Source No. 9

Diary of Margie (Coe) Arbuthnot, Jan 1, 1942

Margie Arbuthnot looks on.  Lined up in birth oder are her children
Ken, Marjorie (married to Wallace Campion), Una Albert, Don

A Christmas gift that my Grandmother received in 1941 was a small diary. It contained many reference pages and a blank page for each day of the year.  Dutifully, my Grandmother filled it out.  At the time she wrote this, she had four grown children, and several grandchildren.  Along with her husband, Fred Arbuthnot, she lived on a farm on Niwot Road, just east of 63rd, in Boulder County, Colorado.  All of her children were born on this farm.  While her son Ken lived out of state, the others lived near by.  Marjorie and Una in Boulder, and Don and his wife and children lived west on Niwot Road, on a farm he rented from the Erickson family.  All were members of the Altona Grange No. 127.

Now, 77 years later, I am sharing what her daily postings included for that day.  One post a day.  Here is her post for Jan 1, 1942:

"A cold day, 18 below at 7 o'clock A. M. Marjorie, Wallace, and Baker here for the day, Una went home from work then. Grange [Altona Grange] had a New Years dinner at hall. Marjorie had car trouble so all had dinner here. Had planned on going to the Grange Hall for N. Y. dinner."

Source No. 9

Sale of the Arbuthnot & Sons' Gold Mines, 1864

From the collection of Samuel Arbuthnot.
Unknown mine and the men are not identified.
Boulder photographer, Joe Sturtevant
(aka Rocky Mountain Joe) titled this a "Slim Meal"

For an unknown reason in 1864, Carson W. Arbuthnot give Power of Attorney to his son William. Then sent William along with his Brothers to the Boulder County Courthouse to give Power of Attorney to sell off several discoveries and gold claim lodes up in Gold Hill (Boulder County, Colorado) area. There are several interesting clues held in these documents. First of all are all of the holdings of Arbuthnot & Sons.  The Fanny Lode was most likely named for Carson's wife (and the boy's mother), Mary Frances "Fanny" Jones Arbuthnot.  I wonder who Jennie was.  I also wonder if any of these lodes are a part of any current gold mines that are still active now.  And one wonders too, how much did Graham & Patterson get for these mines.

The following two pages were transcribed by me, form the original (microfilm) in the Grantee/Grantor books located in the Department of Records, Boulder County, Boulder, Colorado.

The documents appear here in the order that they were entered into the Boulder County Record Books, Boulder County, Colorado Territory.

Grantee/Grantor Book A, Page 464. 

Known all men by these presents: That we C. W. Arbuthnot by his attorney in fact William Arbuthnot, Samuel Arbuthnot, and James Arbuthnot of the County of Boulder & Territory of Colorado have this day made constituted and appointed and by these presents do make constitute and appoint Thomas J. Graham and A. O. Patterson of the aforesaid territory our true and lawful attorneys for us and in our names to sell and make executive and deliver a good and sufficient deed. Sufficing to convey the following described property lying and being situated in the County of Boulder and in the Territory of Colorado and more particularly described as follows to wit: Nos One (1) Two (2) and Three (3) East on the John Lode Nos Three (30 Four (4) and Five (5) NE on the Snow Load. The Discovery on the John Lode, Nos Four (4) Five (5) and Six (6) SW on the Jefferson Lode. Nos Four (4) Five (5) and Six (6) on the SW on the Cider Lode. Nos Two (2) Three (3) and Five (5) North East on the Fanny Lode. The Discovery on the Jennie Lode and the West half of number eighteen (18) West on the Horsfall Lode all in the Gold Hill District. 

To such person or persons and such sum or sums of money as my said attorneys or either of them may think proper and generally to do all act or acts for us and in our names as our attorneys in fact the same as if we were personally present and acting for ourselves. Provided they the said Graham and Patterson or either of thus our said attorneys in fact shall sell the aforesaid property on or before the 11 ^th day of September AD1864 and further we hereby agree to satisfy and confirm all acts thus being the sale of the above described property which our said attorneys or either of them shall legally do in the premises. In testimony whereof we hereunto to set our hand and seal this 11^th day of May AD1864
Carson W. Arbuthnot by L. S.
his Attorney in fact William Arbuthnot
Samuel Arbuthnot L. S.
James Arbuthnot L. S.
Territory of Colorado, County of Boulder; on this 11^th day of May AD
[Can not read the final line of this page, it would have the signature of the County Recorder, R. Culver]


Grantee/Grantor Book A, Page 465

1864 Personally appeared before me Clerk of Boulder County duly qualified to take acknowledgements C. W. Arbuthnot by his attorney in fact William Arbuthnot and Samuel Arbuthnot and James Arbuthnot personally known to me to be the identical persons who subscribed the foregoing Power of Attorney and acknowledged the signing and sealing of the same to be this voluntary act and deed for the purposes therein set forth
Witness my hand and the seal of said County of Boulder hereunto affixed this 11th day of May AD1864
L. S.
Robert Culver, Clerk of Boulder County, Col. Ter.
Filed for Record May 11th 1864
R. Culver, Recorder


Know all men by these presents that I Carson W. Arbuthnot of the County of Boulder in the Territory of Colorado do hereby appoint and constitute William Arbuthnot of the same county my true and lawful Attorney to do and transact all business of any kind whatever to buy or sell to transfer and convey any property now owned by me or in any way belonging to me to collect any money due me and receipt for the same and I do hereby consent and agree that all the business which he the said William Arbuthnot may do for me shall be as binding upon one in all respects as though I myself had done it.
Witness my and seal this eighth day of December AD1863. ($T.Stroup)
Carson W. Arbuthnot L. S.
Territory of Colorado
Boulder County 


Be it known on the eighth day of December AD1863 appeared before me P. M. Housel a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Boulder C. W. Arbuthnot to me well known to be the identical person whose name is and scribed to the foregoing instrument and acknowledge that he signed the same for the intent and purposes as these set forth.
P. M. Housel J.P.    L. S.
Filed for Record May 11, 1864
R. Culver, Recorder

This was not in Boulder County, but not far away at the Gregory Diggings,
near Central City.  This etching is excellent showing a placer mine and panning.
It was published in the book,
Beyond the Mississippi, Albert D. Richardson, 1867

Related link:  More information on Rocky Mountain Joe.

Mines in Gold Hill, Colorado Territory, acquired by the Arbuthnot men in 1862

In the Boulder County Court House the Grantee/Grantor Books are housed for Boulder County.  In Book A (the first record book for this area), on pages 94 and 95, are transactions where the Arbuthnot men acquired lodes (gold mining claims) on the Horsfal Mountain.  The first major gold discovery was on this mountain on January 15, 1859.

A Grantee is the person who is receiving something, such as a title or a deed.
A Grantor is the person who is giving up something, such as the seller of a mine or land.

In this first transaction, Arbuthnot & Sons (Carson W. Arbuthnot, his sons Samuel, William, James, Charles) purchased portions of the Horsfal mine sold by C. W. Chambers for the price of $15,000.  This transaction took place in the last half of C. W. Arbuthnot's term as the Constable of Sugar Loaf Mining District and the Gold Hill Mining District.  Fifteen thousand dollars is a great deal of money back in this day, and I believe this indicates that Sheriff Carson Arbuthnot must have been a very busy Sheriff at this time to amass such a fortune.  His sons probably chipped some of their gold from their other lodes as well.   We will never know if they were able to recover their investment in this particular claim.

C. W. Chambers

To

C. W. Arbuthnot & Sons

Quit Claim Deed

Gold Hill, January 25, 1862

For the consideration of fifteen thousand dollars in hand paid the recipient of which is here by acknowledged I have sold and do here by transfer unto C. W. Arbuthnot and sons all of my rights; title and interest in and to the East fifteen feet of claim No. 5 west and the west fifteen feet of claim No. 4 west both on the Horsefall Lode in Gold Hill District, Colorado Territory.  In testimony where I have set my hand and seal, day and year above written.

C. W. Chambers, L.S.

Attest W. Y. (?) Dodd

Recorded Feb 8, 1862 In Book (?) Page 268

E. S. Glotfelter, Recorder

Filed Feb. 11 at 12 M.

In the next transaction, a couple of weeks after the above transaction, Carson W. Arbuthnot is in partnership with John M. Squires for a portion of the Horsfal Mine.

Grantee/Grantor Book A, Page 95

Load Claim

Arbuthnot & Squires

Gold Hill District, February 5, 1862

This is to certify that I have received the necessary evidence by the Powers invested in me by the laws of this District C. W. Arbuthnot & John M. Squires to be the rightful owners of fractional Quartz Claim eleven feet and six inches which lies between number four and five west on the Horsefall Lode by right of preemption given under my hand and seal given this the fifth day of February 1862.

Charles Dabney, Resident

E. S. Glotfelter, Recorder

Filed Feb. 11 at 12M

Many thanks to Chellee Courtney for this wonderful photo of an old mine up on Horsfal Mountain, Gold Hill, Colorado.

W.D. Goudge Collection, 
courtesy Chellee Courtney, Horsfal Mountain,
Gold Hill, Boulder County, Colorado

Related links:  Gold Hill Town Site