This Week in Colorado History: Mines Road Trip

This Week in 1914, all 58 members of the Colorado School of Mines class of 1914 departed “on their long trip of inspection, which takes in the biggest mills, smelters and mines of Colorado, Utah, Montana and Idaho.” They were to travel in a private car on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad and were expected back in Golden May 18. This would give the sutdents enough time to prepare for graduation May 22. “The Colorado Transcript” argued that “it’s a safe bet they will get considerable fun as well as education out of the long journey together for the last time before scattering to the four corners of the world.”

The graduates began their trip at Colorado Springs. They then headed to the Golden Cycle mill, mines at Victor, a cement plant at Portland, and a smelters in Canon City. They were expected to then spend an afternoon at “the famous swimming pool” in Glenwood Springs. Then, the graduates were to continue their trip to the power plant at Shoshone, the coal mines of Castle Gate and Midvale, and the mines and smelters of Bingham. Salt Lake, Tooele, and Magna were also on the agenda. From there, the class was to travel to Pocatello, then Silver Bow and Butte. The mining engineers would stay in Butte while the metallurgists headed to Anaconda. The two groups were to meet back up on May 16 and then head home.

Golden firemen were already preparing, this week in 1914 for their May 15 inspection day. For inspection day, “the firemen have their annual parade with decorated apparatus, and inspection is made of the hose and things are looked after generally.” This combination of fun and function was to have a big dance at the opera house with an orchestra in addition to the parade. “The Colorado Transcript” crowed: One of the best assets to a town is a good fire department, Golden possesses that asset and it is to be hoped that…the firemen will continue to retain that incentive to make the Golden department one of the best in the state.”

The young men of the U.S. and Colorado especially were enlisting in the army in case of war with Mexico this week in 1914. Already, Adjutant General John Chase of the Colorado National Guard declared he could must 1,800 troops within 18 hours and could fulfill the rest of Colorado’s 2,648 man recruiting quota within three days.