The Ouray County HistoricalSociety (OCHS) thanks OurayCounty Plaindealer, for theirassistance in printing and distrib-uting our newsletter.

MISSION STATEMENT: TheOuray County Historical Society(OCHS) is dedicated to preserve,protect, procure, exhibit, andinterpret whatever relates to thenatural, social, and cultural histo-ry of Ouray County and the adja-cent San Juan Mountain Regionof Colorado.SPRING ~ SUMMER ~ 2012

PULLOUTSECTION

Vignettes of History 2012“War & Angels”

Calling allcyclists

Miners, Soldiers, and Irena: WWII Revisted

The OCHS 7th annualVignettes of History (August 17)weaves a tapestry of WWII. Thetheme relates to Ouray in thatmany of the city’s citizens wereinvolved in the war effort. Theevening culminates with JudyWinnick portraying IrenaSendler, “Angel of the WarsawGhetto.”

The evening begins with appe-tizers at the Venue Roscoe Foxfollowed by dinner at theBeaumont Hotel. Specialexhibits will highlight OurayCounty’s WWII servicemen andwomen as well as tell stories ofcitizens who helped the wareffort on the home front. Theperformance will be at theWright Opera House. OCHS willhonor Ouray County WWII vet-erans at the event.

In the midst of the Holocaust,Irena Sendler used ingeniousmethods to rescue and hide 2,500Jewish children. A Catholicsocial worker, she provided themwith false identifies and keptrecords of their families buried inglass jars. She was eventually

captured by the Nazis and nar-rowly escaped death on severaloccasions. After the war wasover, she found homes for thosewhose parents died in concentra-tion camps. Nominated for theNobel Peace Prize in 2007, shereceived many awards for herhumanitarian efforts includingrecognition from the State ofIsrael as one of the “RighteousAmong Nations.” Irena Sendlerdied in 2008 at age 98.

Judy Winnick’s one-womanperformance will illuminatethat revered woman’saccomplishments. A for-mer teacher, Judy receivedone of Colorado’sDistinguished TeacherAwards. Since her retire-ment, she has portrayedmany extraordinarywomen from history.Judy has performedIrena Sendlerthroughout the state,bringing extensiveresearch and genuineinspiration to thisrole. Judy’s perform-

ance is funded in part byColorado Humanities.

Tickets are $75.00 donation forthe entire evening’s events or$25.00 donation for the perform-ance only. For reservations orfurther information contact theOCHS 970-325-4576.

Bicyclists of all ages, sizes and tire preferencesshould start training now for the first-ever, Log HillLungbuster Challenge, a time trial and fundraiserfor the OCHS.

The event is slated for Sunday, September 16.This will be a new kind of fundraiser for the OCHS,one that capitalizes on the growing number of out-door enthusiasts who both visit and live in south-west Colorado.

The competition’s route starts at the OldSchoolhouse Emporium on West Sherman Street inRidgway, then follows a 15-mile course west out oftown along Hwy 62 and CR 24A. At CR 1, bikersfollow the road’s steep, serpentine ascent up LogHill escarpment, ride around various subdivisionsof Log Hill, and finish at the Divide Ranch andCountry Club.

OCHS President Kevin Chismire observes thatmany other nonprofit organizations in the areasponsor successful athletic events such as the Mt.Sneffels Half-Marathon and Marathon, ImogenePass Run, and the Mt. Sneffels Half-Loop Nordicski race.

“Missing from all these fabulous events is abicycling event,” says Kevin, an avid cyclist. “Bothmountain bicycling (fat tire) and road bicycling(skinny tire) are becoming increasingly popular inour region. The OCHS felt it was time to have abiking event that would include both road andmountain cyclists.”

The Log Hill Lungbuster Challenge will be inthe form of a time trial, in which contestants startat intervals of about one minute apart. Then eachrider races against the clock. Best time awards willbe given in both the Road Bike and Mountain Bikecategories, plus sub-categories for gender and agegroups.

Although Kevin acknowledges that this newfundraising concept could “take us a little out ofour comfort zone,” he predicts it will be an enjoy-able competition that attracts cyclists fromthroughout Ouray County and beyond. Of course,those who are not up to busting their lungs arewelcome to participate as spectators and volun-teers.

The race’s $40 registration fee will benefit theOCHS. For further information and to register forthis event visit our website: www.loghilllung-buster.com or phone the OCHS at 970-325-4576.

The Beaumont Hotel would like to invite you to an evening of finefood & wine to benefit the Ouray County Historical Society.

In honor of the Beaumont's French Gothic architectural style, theChef and Wine Director have selected four rare French wines pairedwith four traditional French courses featuring duck. These wineselections were imported exclusively for the Beaumont, and are notavailable for sale anywhere in the United States.

AA TTaassttee ooff FFrraannccee

Wednesday, May 9th 7:00 p.m. • $75 per person • Grand BallroomSeating is limited & reservations are required. (21+ only).

For reservations call the Beaumont Hotel970-325-7000 or 970-325-7050

2 sss HISTORIAN • Ouray County Historical Society’s Newsletter MAY 2012

Ouray County Historical Society: PresidentÕs Message

Museum to unveil Bridal Exhibit2012 Raffle Quilt Honoring Ranching Heritage

I wish to pass along to all mygood friends and members of theOCHS my best wishes for anearly spring and an end to the“Cabin Fever Days” of winter.

Why am I so bent on movingspring up a few weeks or so? It’sbecause of all the wonderfulevents the OCHS has on tap forthe upcoming season

We are starting out with thegenerous offer by the LeaverFamily (the new owners of theBeaumont Hotel), to host a mag-nificent four course wine dinneron the 9th of May at the hotel.Rare wines and great foodshould make this an event to beplaced on everyone’s calendar.Of course our season will includethe ever popular and educationalEvenings of History Series andwill also include a return to theVignettes of History programwhich got rave reviews in pastyears. This year’s theme promis-es to be both educational, emo-tional, nostalgic and enjoyable aswe look back at the World War IIera, Ouray County’s involve-

ment in the war effort, and gainan emotional insight into thelove and courage of individualssuch as Irena Sendler (the angelof the Warsaw Ghetto), whohelped shape the final outcomeof the war.

Our Quilt Raffle will also takeplace this year and the talentedquilters in our midst havealready begun the creation of anew quilt with a ranching, farmand dairy theme that will appeal

to all the new and old residentsof our county who know howimportant those industries wereto our region.

Lastly, I don’t want to forget anew fundraising event that willbe sponsored by the OCHS andis slated for Sunday the 16th ofSeptember. The LoghillLungbuster Challenge is a timetrial bicycling event that we hopewill bring all the road and moun-tain biking enthusiasts in ourcounty out to have a fun day ofcompetition and camaraderie.(See article on page 1 in thisnewsletter).

In conclusion, we face anotherevent packed year of OCHSinvolvement in our community.Please take some time out ofyour schedules to come and par-ticipate and don’t forget to tellyour friends.

A vibrant pastelpainting, recreatedin fabrics, high-lights the 2012OCHS raffle quilt.This year’s quiltcelebrates OurayCounty’s ranchinghistory.

Entitled “HighC o u n t r yRanching,” thequilt features acenter panel basedon the pastel, “ElkMeadows Motherand Son,” byRidgway artistFloyd Day. Thepastoral scene ofcow and calf is sur-rounded by 16 vin-tage sepia-toneranching photosfrom the collec-tions of the OCHSand the Ridgway Library.

“Floyd’s pastel was the inspirationfor the quilt, which is a true represen-tation of his piece,” said SueHillhouse, leader of the raffle quiltteam. “It is made with batik cloth andembellished with hand-embroideredgrasses and wildflowers, threadsketching and cloth paint to simulatesnow in the mountain peaks.”

When completed, the hand-quiltedpiece will be approximately 48” x 44,”the perfect size for a beautiful wall-hanging. As always, the finely-detailed piece is the work of localquilters, who designed the quilt andselected materials. They are fashion-ing the quilt from muslin, suedecloth, batik cottons, and (in keepingwith the ranching theme) denim.

The label on the back of the quilt isan additional vintage photo signedby all the quiltmakers: PaulaAshmead, Joan Chismire, SusanDougherty, Charlotte Duckett, LindaHanson, Penny Hanshaw, SueHillhouse, Martha Metzger, SandyMichaud, Joan Moyer, KathyPettengill, Nancy Rule, NormaShafer, Mary Stapleton, andMarianne Zegers.

Sue projects the quilt will be fin-ished and ready for display in themuseum by May. Price is two ticketsfor $5 and five for $10. All proceedsfrom sales benefit the Ouray CountyHistorical Society and Museum.Tickets will be available at the OCHSmuseum.

A new temporary exhibit takes visitorsfor a walk down the aisle of history.When the museum opens April 19, aselection of vintage bridal gowns will beon display in the Domestic andForsman-Erickson Rooms.

Sue Hillhouse researched anddesigned the exhibit with help from fel-low volunteers Sharon Case andMarianne Zegers, and staff member KateKellogg. Susan Dougherty, also a staffmember, transformed the DomesticRoom to reflect the nuptial theme. Theexhibit runs through June 30.

Too fragile and numerous for perma-nent display, the wedding gownsemerged from archival storage lastmonth. Most were donated by local fam-ilies; the brides who wore the gownsinclude Angie Chapman Henn, RoseKerner Icke, and Mary Wood.Although each gown is unique---and,of course, hand-made---the dresses andaccessories represent styles of particularperiods and reflect changing societal val-ues.

The oldest piece in the exhibit, a deli-cate cotton lawn dress, belonged toLillian Berry Marlow. Lillian marriedGeorge Marlow, of Marlow Brothersfame, in 1883 and settled with the familyin Billy Creek. In contrast to that frontiersimplicity is Angie Henn’s luxuriantivory satin wedding gown with animpossibly small waistline. She wore itto marry Roger in 1942. Harry Truman,then a senator, attended the weddingheld in Washington D.C. Long-timeOuray residents, the Henns have beenmarried for nearly 70 years.

Rose Kerner Icke’s satin weddinggown, with long train, illusion veil, andseed pearl trim, was undoubtedly thetalk ofChicago in1937 when she

By Kevin Chismire

The 2012 Raffle Quilt: High Country Ranching

Rose Kerner Icke

Roger and Angie Henn

By Kate Kellogg

See EXHIBIT pg 4

Kevin Chismire, PresidentTom Hillhouse, Vice-PresidentJoey Huddleston, SecretaryBud Zanett, TreasurerPhil IckeGail Jossi

George MooreDon PaulsonWalt RuleGail SaundersRobert StouferTed Zegers

OURAY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETYBOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Maria Jones, Kate Kellogg and Gail Saunders.

The Ouray County Historical Society (OCHS) is dedicated to pre-serve, protect, procure, exhibit, and interpret whatever relates to thenatural, social, and cultural history of Ouray County and the adjacentSan Juan Mountain Region of Colorado.

NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE:

MISSION STATEMENT:

Become a member!

Please join us and becomea member of OCHS.

Your financial and volunteersupport is essential to the his-toric preservation of OurayCounty. Members receive freeadmission to the Museum and10% discount on items in theOCHS bookstore.

1 - MUSEUM2 - CITY HALL3 - COURTHOUSE

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MAY 2012 Ouray County Historical Society’s Newsletter • HISTORIAN sss 3

Curator’s report: Museum improvements, etc.

Preserving tomorrow’s pastArchival space soughtAs many of our members undoubt-

edly know, the Ouray CountyHistorical Society has been activelysearching over the past few years fora structure in which to house our evergrowing library, photograph collec-tion and paper memorabilia collec-tion. The museum building is burst-ing at the seams with artifacts anddisplays. Our rooms and offices areoften filled with patrons, volunteersand employees hustling and bustlingabout. A separate, quiet structuregeared for quiet study, research andreading is what we seek in terms of auseable archival building. The closersuch a building or home could be tothe current museum, the better.

We invite all our members, friends,and neighbors to keep an eye out forany home or structure they believemight fulfill our needs. As a nonprof-it 501- C3 organization, the sale ordonation of a home or structure to theOCHS could result in some sizeabletax savings for the benefactor.

Please keep our needs in mind andif you have any thoughts or sugges-tions, don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Thank you,

Kevin J. Chismire M.D. PresidentOCHS.

I am the paperarchivist at themuseum. I sit in acubbyhole in thenortheast corner ofthe building sur-rounded by hun-dreds of people.Well, there are noactual people pres-ent, but their livesare stored in boxesaround me. Eachletter, each bill orreceipt, or eachpiece of paper tells something aboutthose individuals and the history ofOuray County. When an article isdonated, large or small, it receives anaccession number, is indexed on apaper source, and then on the com-puter. However, that is not the end ofthe donated article -just to hangaround in an acid-free folder in anacid-free box. It becomes the sourcefor research on a family who lived inthe county in earlier days, the foun-dation for a book, a historical presen-tation, background information on alegal issue, or a topical exhibit in the

museum. Thearchival material ishandled only byone of the researchvolunteers ormyself, and only acopy of the article isused for an exhibitin the museum. Thearchives also con-tain old maps,newspapers, andlegal documents.

Now my jobsounds tedious and

sometimes it is, but when visitorscome in to learn about their family inthe very early years, it is pure pleas-ure to find any scrap of paper to fur-nish information about that family’slife. They may be able to find a rela-tive that they did not know existed.We always hope that we don’t findthe skeleton in the family closet.

The contents of the archives arepriceless, and each donation is treat-ed with special care. In the archiveswe feel that we preserve the past tounderstand the character and thefuture of Ouray County.

Our staff has been busy makingimprovements in the Museum. Theseinclude new fluorescent lighting inmost rooms, quilt hanging moldingin most rooms, repairs to walls andpainting of five rooms, new entryway carpet and new carpet tread andpainting of the front stairs.

We have prepared several new dis-plays for opening day. Thanks toheroic efforts by Sue Hillhouse andMonte Knifen, senior archivist of theSisters of Mercy of the Americas inOmaha , Nebraska , the museum nowhas an authentic early 20th centurySisters of Mercy nun’s habit, which isdisplayed on a mannequin in thepatient room. The Sisters of Mercyran the Ouray Miners Hospital from1887 until 1920.

Sue Hillhouse, Maryanne Zegers,Susan Dougherty, Kate Kellogg,Sharon Case, and Maria Jones haveput together an outstanding VictorianBridal show that opens on April 19th.Don Paulson, Sharon and DudleyCase, and Susan Dougherty havecompletely redesigned the displays inthe toy room.

This year our Annual Exhibitopens on April 19th and features theLife and Times of Otto Mears, thePathfinder of the San Juans. Most ofus know about Otto Mears system of

toll roads and hisrailroads, but hehad a profoundinfluence in manyothers areas. Heran hardwarestores, financedn e w s p a p e r s ,fought in the CivilWar, was the presi-dent of the MackTruck Company,was active inColorado state poli-tics, and wasinvolved in numer-ous mining innovations. Those werejust a few of his important activitiesthat spanned a period of more than 50years. Come and learn about theimportance of Otto Mears to thedevelopment of the San Juan region.

The Otto Mears CommemorativePlaque, which was first placed at BearCreek Falls in 1926, has been repairedand once again placed in a prominentposition at the Bear Creek Falls over-look. The plaque was damaged in a1963 road widening. Through theefforts of Joyce Jorgensen, thePlaindealer publisher, it was onceagain set there in 1972 but the repairwas poorly done. Thanks to theefforts of Dan Fossey and Ed

Witherspoon ofOuray’s PublicWorks staff, CurtisGamaehlich and EdDillon of AmericanCivil Constructors(contractor toCDOT), the monu-ment has been per-manently repaired.Daren Hinton, ofMountain ViewSurfaces inPalisade, repairedthe area where alarge piece of gran-

ite had broken off in 1963. Snyder-Grand Valley Memorials of GrandJunction did the engraving work onthe repaired portion. American CivilConstructors, and Speedy’s Concretein Ouray each donated $100 towardthe repair work.

We have an exciting Evenings ofHistory program planned for thissummer. Talks include the RevenueMine, Wildflowers of the San Juans,Rural schools of Ouray County, theUtes in Colorado, the Wright OperaHouse, a Liquid History ofLegendary San Juan Watering Holes,and Ridgway Area Ranching.

We have scheduled guided tours ofCedar Hills Cemetery, Main Street

Ouray and the Silverton RailroadRight-of-Way on Red Mountain. Andthere is always the outstandingAnnual Quilt Show, which this yeartakes place in September, as well asour Annual San Juan CountyMemories Photo Show in July.

We continue to add new informa-tional signs to our displays so if youhaven’t visited the museum in awhile you will find many changes.For additional information see ourweb site at www.ouraycountyhistori-calsociety.org.

By Don Paulson

By Glenda Moore

OCHS Guided Tours & Special Events 2012April 19 – June 30 ~Bridal Exhibit April 19-July 5 ~ Otto Mears Exhibit4th of July ~ Brownies & Lemonade at the Museum

June 9 ~ Corkscrew Railroad Bed & Turntable HikeJuly 9-August 15 ~ OCHS Photo Exhibit July 11 ~ Museum Tour led by Don PaulsonJuly 14 – Cedar Hill Cemetery TourJuly 21 – Historic Main Street TourAugust 17 ~ Vignettes of History “War & Angels”August 17 – November 19 ~ Otto Mears ExhibitAugust 18 ~ Cedar Hill Cemetery TourAugust 25 ~ Historic Main Street TourSeptember 1-30 ~ Annual Quilt ShowSeptember 28 ~ Quilter’s Tea and Announcement of Quilt Raffle WinnerSeptember 16 ~ Log Hill Lungbuster Bike ChallengeSeptember 20-23 ~ Ouray County Railroad Days

*For further information and times please visit the OCHS website: ouray-countyhistoricalsociety.org

Ouray County Historical Society’s 2012 Evenings of HistoryJune 12- Andrew Gulliford, "Utes in Colorado - The Ute Trail, Ute Peeled

Trees & Modern Utes,” June 19- Bob Larson, “The Revenue Mine”June 26- Kay Sibold, “San Juan Mountain Wildflowers” July 10 -Dee Williams, “The Wright Opera House – Past, present and

Future”July 17 - Tom Noel, "The Silvery San Juan: A Liquid History of Legendary

Watering Holes" July 24 - Don Paulson, “Rural Schools of Ouray County” *August 1 – Ginny Harrington, “Ridgway Area Ranching”

The first six talks are at the Ouray Community Center and the last talk isat the Ridgway Town Hall. All talks begin at 7:30pm.

Nuns on hospital porch, circa 1897

Dave Calhoon wanted to join the military whenhe was seventeen, but his mother refused to signthe paperwork that would allow her underageteenager to enlist. She insisted that he finish highschool. The year was 1942 and the next May afterhe turned 18 and graduated, Dave and his olderbrother Robert were inducted into the Navy.

David Andrews Calhoon was born onNovember 16, 1924 in the mining town of Victor,Colorado. His father George worked as an electri-cian for power plants and his mother EvelynAndrews, a graduate of Western State College,taught school and raised three boys. Dave grew upduring the hard depression years. He remembersworking all week to earn the 10 cent cost of movieadmission. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor,Dave was the delivery boy for the Rocky MountainNews. He sold the special edition that marked theevent. In the eleventh grade, Dave worked nightsafter school as a crusher man in a mill earning 49cents an hour. With his shift starting at 11:00 pm, hemanaged to get only about four hours of sleep atnight.

Dave and Robert left for the induction center inColorado Springs less than a week after their grad-uation ceremony and then travelled to FarragutIdaho for boot camp. Training included “a lot ofmarching with ‘dummy’ rifles and running obsta-cle courses.”

Robert and Dave next attended a diesel class atIowa State University and received their red stripesignifying that they were fireman first class, and

then they qualified as motor machinists. First sta-tioned in at Patuxent River Naval Air Station inMaryland, he worked in the transportation depart-ment. Dave remembered that “It was one of thecoldest places in the world . We woke up everymorning to frozen windshields.”

After a little over a year, the Navy transferredDave to Norfolk Virginia where he was put on atroop train headed to California. The route throughthe southern states took over a week, and afterarrival, he was shipped out on a troop carrier (withmany seasick sailors). Their destination was anaval supply base on Calicoan Island in thePhilippines. By the time Dave arrived in late 1944or early 1945, the allies had captured thePhilippines from the Japanese.

Dave remembered the island as having “a lot ofmonkeys, mosquitoes, python snakes, and bitterbananas.” Beer rations were two cans a week, andcorned beef, biscuits speckled with maggots, andpowdered eggs and powdered milk were on themenu. An eccentric Captain decided that theQuonset huts needed to be painted coral, and Daveand two other sailors were chosen for the job.Aboard ship, the sailors slept on canvas bunkshung from chains stacked three deep.

From Calicoan, Dave was transferred toOlongapo Naval Repair Station near Manila to pre-

pare for theinvasion ofJapan. Hew a sassigned toL a n d i n gShip Tank(LST) #668.These navalvessels weredesigned tocarry prima-rily tanksbut alsov e h i c l e s ,troops, ands u p p l i e sdirectly ontoa shore.They meas-ured 300 feetlong and 50feet wide, and the bows of the ships had largedoors to facilitate unloading tanks. Dave was anengine mechanic. Then, on August 6, 1945, the U.S.dropped the atomic bomb.

After a defeated Japan surrendered in March of1945, Dave’s LST sailed to Luzon to pick up tanksfor transport back to the U.S. The ship only trav-elled about 8 to 10 miles an hour and during thevoyage, the vessel ran into a typhoon that filled thetank deck with water. To further complicate thetrip, one of the ships engines failed. The shiplimped first into Pearl Harbor and then into the SanFrancisco harbor 64 days after leaving Manila.Petty officer 2nd class Dave Calhoon mustered outof the Navy in May of 1946.

Dave’s brother Robert served in Europe. Duringthe D-Day invasion, his landing craft sunk butRobert survived. After the two brothers returned toVictor, Dave paid $300 for his first car, an oldModel A.

In 1950, Dave put his suitcase in his car thenmoved to Ouray with three schoolmates to work atthe Idarado. Dave lived in the bunk house at themine. Then, he decided to take advantage of the GIBill and left mining to study engineering at FortLewis College in Durango.

After returning to Ouray, a friend introducedDave to Josephine Ficco and the couple married. Aself described “Jack of all Trades,” Dave also servedas a Ouray County Commissioner for 24 years.Dave and Josie have a son Joe who lives in Ourayand is the proprietor of Cascade Woodworks andtwo grandchildren Aaron and Andrea. Aaron fol-lowed in his grandfather’s footsteps and joined theNavy serving as a Navy Seal. He is currently finish-ing up a mining engineering degree at the MackaySchool of Earth Sciences and Engineering in Reno.Andrea is married and teaches high school in SanDiego. Josie and Dave will celebrate their 62ndwedding anniversary in April.

4 sss HISTORIAN • Ouray County Historical Society’s Newsletter MAY 2012

On the Home Front: Ouray County Citizens Help the War Effort

Ouray County Citizens Help the War Effort

Even before the Japanesebombed Pearl Harbor onDecember 7, 1941, OurayCounty’s residents felt the“winds of war.” In the fall of1940, Congress instigated thedraft. By November of that sameyear, Ouray County’s selectiveservice board registered 286 menbetween the ages of 21 and 35,and Dr. Bates determined thephysical fitness of each man. ByJanuary of 1944, almost everyable bodied man of military ageliving in Ouray County waseither serving or employed in themines, farms, or railroads, occu-pations deemed essential to thewar effort.

President Franklin Rooseveltsigned the Lend Lease bill onMarch 11, 1941 a year after theoutbreak of war in Europe. Thisbill gave the President theauthority to ship weapons, food,and equipment to the Alliednations; the result was a re-tool-ing of U.S. industries. World WarII created a need for planes,ships, tanks, guns and bulletsand Ouray’s mines geared up tohelp supply that demand.Restrictions on gold miningbegan almost immediately afterPearl Harbor and the WarProduction Board closed thenation’s gold mines altogether in1942. Production shifted to leadand zinc. The Idarado mineexpanded its operations, and theMickey Breen, the Revenue, andMountain Top mine all shippedore. Old mine dumps were runthrough mills to extract strategicores.

The Ouray County Heraldannounced on October 20, 1943that “Mining in Ouray best sinceWorld War I. Payroll is quadru-pled, business boosted. Everyhouse in city is filled and thedemand is for many more.Twenty-five mines going.” Butafter men shipped out to war, themines suffered from a shortageof workers. At the Camp Bird,office workers became muckersto keep production going. OurayCounty farms too were hard hitby the draft.

Ouray County citizens heldscrap drives to gather up metalleft from old fences and trashdumps. They collected the railsof the Silverton Northern as wellas abandoned mining equipmentall over the San Juans. In July1942, over 2000 tons of scrap wasshipped out. Ouray’s Boy Scouttroop #88 helped with the effort.

Occasional air raid alertssounded the city hall siren. Foodrationing books arrived limitingthe amount of sugar, butter andmeat as well as gasoline and rub-ber. The Woman’s Club gatheredup nylon, silk, and rayon stock-ings and sent them to the armedforces for parachutes. The citycouncil decided to suspendChristmas lighting for the 1942holiday season. War chest drivesraised money, and the govern-ment encouraged citizens to buywar bonds. The Ouray Red Crosswith the slogan “RememberPearl Harbor” collected dona-

tions, and woman knitted socksand sweaters and sewed pajamasfor the troops.

The Ouray Herald reportednews of Ouray’s military menand women. In January of 1943,its readers learned that Lieut. B.D. Sport was heard from afterspending two years in a Japaneseprison camp. Second Lt. AlbertC. Schneider received medals for“accomplishing extremely dan-gerous and difficult missions.”(May 25, 1945). Corporal AlFedel sent news of his training inthe Air Corp (March 27, 1942). InMarch of 1944, Minnie-Bell Boydwrote a thank you note to theWoman’s Club for sending hergreeting cards. She was stationedin Albuquerque at the air base.“Fred Zanett is Back From theSouth Seas” headlined theDecember 14, 1945 edition.

On D-Day June 1944, a generalalarm sounded to announce theinvasion of Europe so peoplecould “pray for the success of theboys.” On August 17, 1945, V-JDay, huge celebrations tookplace. The Ouray Herald report-ed, “The people of the citypoured out of their homes andonto the main thoroughfares,shouting in their joy and blastingtheir horns. It was pandemoni-um.” Ration books became arti-facts. Approximately 125 menand women from Ouray Countyserved in the military duringWorld War II; seven men gavetheir lives.

(Want to learn more? Visit theVeteran’s Room located on theupstairs floor of the Museum.)

By Gail Saunders

married Philip F. Icke.The couple later movedto Ouray where Philipbecame a prominent

attorney and eventually Ouray County Judge.Their son, Philip K. Icke, serves on the OCHSBoard of Directors.

Ouray part time resident Linda Wise Cracraft’s1966 wedding gown is the only “modern” piece ondisplay. The sleek, peau de soie sheath dress withlace trim is featured on a pedestal to show off itsflowing train. Linda is an OCHS volunteer anddaughter of John Wise, who was a manager at theIdarado Mining Company.

.

Dave Calhoon: WWII Vet

EXHIBIT: Vintage gowns From pg 2

By Gail Saunders