County, Meeker, Rangely

Rio Blanco County Days Gone By

The Meeker Herald — 120 years ago
April 4, 1890
• Settlers on the North Fork are very anxious about the proposed road from the mouth of Big Beaver to Pot Hole.
• Results from the annual town election: C. Frank Barton, mayor; long term trustees: J.L. McHafton, J.E. Rooney, L.J. Beemer, L.P. Craig, H.R. Bergh and H.C. Gilmore.
• The past winter in the vicinity of the forks of White River has been disastrous to stock and dead cattle and horses are nearly as numerous as live prairie dogs around Meeker.

The Meeker Herald — 75 years ago
April 7, 1835
• Word was received in Meeker this week that Miss Hazel cotton and Mr. Charles Frost were married April 1 in Denver.
• Latest reports are that Orville Hicken, Jewell and George Butler, Glen, Harold, Charlotte, Betty, Warren, Loren and Lawrence Govreau all have the measles.
• We are having unsettled weather in this locality. The storms have been accompanied by raw winds.

The Meeker Herald — 50 years ago
April 7, 1960
• Floyd Lischke was elected mayor in Tuesday’s town election, beating Frank Kennedy by 39 votes.
• The State of Colorado has located a full time driver’s license examiner for the area. Mr. VanKirk will be in Meeker three days, and in Rangely two days each week.
• A bureaucrat is one who doesn’t know which way the wind is blowing until he throws his hat into the ring.
• This week the Senior Spotlight shines on James Patrick Sheridan. Ambition: to be a veterinary. Food: lamb chops. Pet peeve: loud talking girls. Pat is the student body president and vice president of FFA.

The Meeker Herald — 20 years ago
April 12, 1990
• Jeff and Patty Bean’s newborn daughter, Dannie Lee, was the first baby to receive on of the local hospital’s new shirts. The pink or blue tops read, “Brought to you by Pioneers Hospital.”
• The Whisperin’ Pines Restaurant celebrated its fourth anniversary and Jay and Carmen Orris would like to thank their customers for their support.
• Brian Nottingham, Dusty Miller and Jennifer Phelan all won first place honors at the Palisade track meet.
• J.C. Watt and Brian Lake earned “All-American” honors for their state championship wrestling wins.

The Rangely Times — 50 years ago
April 7, 1960
• Rangely’s new administration was taking shape today with ex-mayor Bill Elam ready to resume the office he held from 1954-1958. Bernard Hazlewood led all trustees with 246 votes.
• Linda McLennan, John Sims, Pat Murphy and Merrilyn Anderson were set to star in the school musical, the “H.M.S. Pinafore.”
• Mrs. Troy Pollard, vice-chairman of the Democratic county central committee, has been honored by being one of 12 Democrats in the state chosen to attend a leadership training conference in Denver.

The Rangely Times — 30 years ago
April 10, 1980
• Easter Egg Hunt 2-3 year old winners: Alisha Stockman, Kevin Kump, Kendra Dembowski, Shannon Rasmussen and Deitra Ridings.
• A rare baby stegosaurus exhibit opened at the Quarry Visitor Center at Dinosaur National Monument.
• The Western Rio Blanco Metropolitan Recreation and Park District announced the first annual “Dirty Sneaker Contest.” The judges are searching for the worst looking pair of sneakers in town.

The Rangely Times — 20 years ago
April 12, 1990
• With microwave ovens in nearly every household, more and more products are aimed at children. Children younger than 10 or 12 should be supervised when they use microwave ovens.
• Nine Rangely students toured Great Britain during spring break. Kiki Conrad, Diedre Gold, Julie Lane, Kathleen Paschke, Mary Lou Allred, Chad Correll, Mylea Petersburg, Becky Simon and Scott Strain.

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@ht.1885
  • Gear up for an unforgettable adventure with the 2024 Ride The Rockies Route, set to unfold from June 9th to 15th! Read all about this new and exciting adventure visiting Meeker this year in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
  • Rangely Panther Kobey Chism (#22) has been selected to play in the 2024 8-man football all-state game. He’s sponsored by the Bleed Green Lancaster #17 Foundation. Story at ht1885.com.
  • The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Rio Blanco Fire Protection District (RBFPD) will begin work on a firebreak northwest of the Town of Meeker this month. Read about it online at ht1885.com.
  • You can always find a reason to laugh... start with yourself. Hear from our Editor in her column this week online at ht1885.com.
  • The amount of money reported lost to fraud and scams in the United States nearly tripled from $3.5 billion in 2020 to $10 billion in 2023, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Learn the tricks to help protect yourself and your family in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
  • About 80 Meeker Elementary Students participated in the reading competition. Prizes were distributed according to the most minutes read by each student.  Story at ht1885.com.
  • The Rangely Panthers track and field team traveled to Grand Junction this past weekend to compete in the Phil Wertman Invitational. Catch up online at ht1885.com.
  • Natalie Kracht took first in her 100M heat for the MHS Cowboys at the Glenwood Springs Invitational last weekend. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
  • Join the Meeker High School Drama department for their production of Emma TONIGHT for opening day! Performances through Saturday at 7pm. Tickets are $5 and is a family friendly production.
Gear up for an unforgettable adventure with the 2024 Ride The Rockies Route, set to unfold from June 9th to 15th! Read all about this new and exciting adventure visiting Meeker this year in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
Gear up for an unforgettable adventure with the 2024 Ride The Rockies Route, set to unfold from June 9th to 15th! Read all about this new and exciting adventure visiting Meeker this year in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
17 hours ago
View on Instagram |
1/9
Rangely Panther Kobey Chism (#22) has been selected to play in the 2024 8-man football all-state game. He’s sponsored by the Bleed Green Lancaster #17 Foundation. Story at ht1885.com.
Rangely Panther Kobey Chism (#22) has been selected to play in the 2024 8-man football all-state game. He’s sponsored by the Bleed Green Lancaster #17 Foundation. Story at ht1885.com.
18 hours ago
View on Instagram |
2/9
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Rio Blanco Fire Protection District (RBFPD) will begin work on a firebreak northwest of the Town of Meeker this month. Read about it online at ht1885.com.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Rio Blanco Fire Protection District (RBFPD) will begin work on a firebreak northwest of the Town of Meeker this month. Read about it online at ht1885.com.
2 days ago
View on Instagram |
3/9
You can always find a reason to laugh... start with yourself. Hear from our Editor in her column this week online at ht1885.com.
You can always find a reason to laugh... start with yourself. Hear from our Editor in her column this week online at ht1885.com.
2 days ago
View on Instagram |
4/9
The amount of money reported lost to fraud and scams in the United States nearly tripled from $3.5 billion in 2020 to $10 billion in 2023, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Learn the tricks to help protect yourself and your family in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
The amount of money reported lost to fraud and scams in the United States nearly tripled from $3.5 billion in 2020 to $10 billion in 2023, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Learn the tricks to help protect yourself and your family in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
3 days ago
View on Instagram |
5/9
About 80 Meeker Elementary Students participated in the reading competition. Prizes were distributed according to the most minutes read by each student.  Story at ht1885.com.
About 80 Meeker Elementary Students participated in the reading competition. Prizes were distributed according to the most minutes read by each student. Story at ht1885.com.
3 days ago
View on Instagram |
6/9
The Rangely Panthers track and field team traveled to Grand Junction this past weekend to compete in the Phil Wertman Invitational. Catch up online at ht1885.com.
The Rangely Panthers track and field team traveled to Grand Junction this past weekend to compete in the Phil Wertman Invitational. Catch up online at ht1885.com.
4 days ago
View on Instagram |
7/9
Natalie Kracht took first in her 100M heat for the MHS Cowboys at the Glenwood Springs Invitational last weekend. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
Natalie Kracht took first in her 100M heat for the MHS Cowboys at the Glenwood Springs Invitational last weekend. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
4 days ago
View on Instagram |
8/9
Join the Meeker High School Drama department for their production of Emma TONIGHT for opening day! Performances through Saturday at 7pm. Tickets are $5 and is a family friendly production.
Join the Meeker High School Drama department for their production of Emma TONIGHT for opening day! Performances through Saturday at 7pm. Tickets are $5 and is a family friendly production.
5 days ago
View on Instagram |
9/9

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