Reprints: 1957 – Lafayette in Retrospect

On April 13, 1957, the Boy Scouts of Lafayette presented a pantomime “Lafayette in Retrospect” at the Boy Scout Circus at the Colorado University Fieldhouse in Boulder.

Because of the significant historical importance to those who are familiar with the background of Lafayette, and to those of us who are interested to know about it, space is being given to record in full, the text of “Lafayette in Retrospect” as it was produced in Pantomime by the Boy Scouts in keeping with the Scout-orama “History of Colorado” theme for this year.

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State records show that the Simpson mine was probably Lafayette’s first mine

“THE SIMPSON MINE
This mine has been opened during the past year (1888). It is a shaft opening. The coal vein is fourteen feet in thickness. The mine is equipped with all modern appliances. A compressor plant is in operation, running five of the Harrison coal mining machines, which work very successfully.

In the future it is expected that this mine will figure among our largest producing mines. The company expects soon to sink another shaft, which will be used as a hoisting shaft, as well as complying with the law in using it as an air shaft, as it will be connected with their present hoisting shaft. This mine is owned by Mr. Simpson and sons.

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The Kneebone Dairy and the Home Dairy

Two early dairies in Lafayette that delivered milk door-to-door were the Kneebone Dairy and the Home Dairy. Kneebones delivered raw milk while Home Dairy delivered pasteurized milk.

The Kneebone Farm was at the corner of 111th Ave. and Arapahoe Road, but the Kneebone Family maintained their dairy herd of 40 to 60 head in the fields along the north side of E. Elm Street in Lafayette. Home Dairy bought milk from area dairy farmers.

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Reprints: 1947 – Coal was mined in Boulder County as early as 1860

Dr. Maynard Peck, in his thesis, “Some Economic Aspects of the Coal Industry in Boulder County,” writes:

Boulder County embraces within its boundary lines an area of 786 square miles in the form of a parallelogram about 32 by 24 miles extent. The western two-thirds consists chiefly of mountains, which run chain-like ridges westerly direction towards the Continental Divide, and tower up to an altitude of 13,000 feet and more. In these mountains are found a number of metals which have added much to the wealth and fame of Boulder County.

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