RIO BLANCO COUNTY DAYS GONE BY

The Meeker Herald — 125 years ago• Stock are suffering more this month than during the whole past winter. It has stormed continuously for two weeks and nearly a foot of snow has fallen. Several of our small holders are selling out.• Thursday evening, March 4 at the Clarendon Hotel, Charles von Brandis of Meeker was married to Miss Annetta Ferguson of Ferguson, Colo.• A.J. Gregory bought two side-bar buggies and one covered spring wagon for his livery stables. The vehicles will be here as soon as the roads are open.• P.F. Welch, head salesman for Tom Watson, has resigned his position and will embark in the drug business in Meeker.• Powell Park: Another ditch has been surveyed. It is being built to water the ranches of Morgan Edgar, Owen O. Jones, W. Campbell, Howard Jones and Howard Edgar.
The Meeker Herald — 50 years ago• Jim Dodo was re-elected president of the Rio Blanco Cattlemen’s association. • The Tom Murray Market celebrates its fourth anniversary. Mr. Murray bought the locker plant from Lee Lasley four years ago and remodeled the interior of the building, adding a complete line of groceries to his meat and locker business.• The annual St. Patrick’s dance and dinner will be held this year on Saturday night at the I.O.O.F. Hall. • A new and attractive addition to the “white way” of Meeker is a new neon sign put up by the Meeker Cafe. The sign is most attractive and shows up well both at day or night.
The Meeker Herald — 25 years ago• For the first time in nine years, the Meeker Cowgirls basketball team will get an opportunity to play in the district tournament.• The BLM provided the county with a nahcolite project report. The project, known as the Wolf Ridge Corporation, is hoping to develop a solution mining technique.• Saturday night was the 53rd annual Meeker Firemen’s Banquet at the Fairfield Center.• The U.S. Postal Service enjoyed its biggest volume ever, handling 140.1 billion pieces of mail in 1985, an average of 589 for every American.• The Meeker Cowgirls’ basketball team earned the upset of the season at the district tournament with a win over Glenwood Springs 38-33. Meeker hadn’t beaten Glenwood for more than a decade.
Rangely Times — 45 years ago• High temperature from March 1-7, 1966: 46F. Low temperature: -17F.• The Campus Theatre has scheduled a late show Friday night, starting at 10 p.m. In Technicolor, the Paramount picture is “The Psychopath – Mother, May I Go Out to Kill.”• Also at the Campus Theatre this week: “How to Stuff a Wild Bikini” starring Annette Funicello; and “The Sandpiper” starring Elizabeth Taylor, Eva Marie Saint and Richard Burton. • Charlene Rasmussen was named an all-tournament cheerleader at the NWL basketball tournament.• Students at RHS mourned the passing of Tiny, a squirrel monkey kept in the biology classroom.
Rangely Times — 35 years ago• Rangely’s retail sales rose 46.6 percent in the third quarter of 1975. • The Panthers won the 1976 NWL District trophy and a trip to the state AA tournament in Denver. They defeated Palisade 93-72. • Movie “The Cowboys” presented at the RHS auditorium. “Filmed with local ranchers in our own local environment.” Sponsored by the Rangely Jr. Saddle Club.• Jack Elder of Rangely received the Safe Driving Nomination by Colorado State Patrolman Mike Day for exhibiting excellent driving practices under bad road conditions.
Rangely Times — 25 years ago• Officers arrested “major marijuana dealer” Allan Dale Jackson in Rangely. Approximately 40 quarter ounce bags of marijuana, a pistol, $600 cash and other narcotic paraphernalia were recovered from his home at 128 S. Sunset, #5.• The major network television stations were knocked off the air due to the Wilson Creek Power Station burning up.• The Rex Allred family was seriously injured in an accident March 9. All five family members were taken to Rangely Hospital. • The Basalt Longhorns ended the Panthers’ season 63-40.