340 High Street

P.O. Box 9

Lyons, Colorado 80540

303-823-5271

 
 
 

Welcome To Lyons Redstone Museum

     The Lyons Redstone Museum (the town’s old schoolhouse built in 1881) is one place in Lyons, Colorado for folks to visit.  It features Lyons history in displays, photographs, and genealogy.  There is also a book sale and gift shop. The Museum is open daily June through September.  Our visitors include tourists, residents, past and present students, and those “seeking their heritage”. 

The stone school house was originally built as a 30 foot by 40 foot stone school building in 1881. The stone was obtained from the nearby quarries. and was completed and ready for the 40 students the fall of 1882 with Mr. T. J. Thorne as the first teacher.

In 1895 the stone building was remodeled into a two-story building with two classrooms. Then in the spring of 1902 it was remodeled again this time into a four-room, two-story building, looking like it does today.

 

 

Hours

We are open:

June 1 - September 30

Monday - Saturday 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Sunday 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Museum Phone # 303-823-5271

Others times are by appointment only by calling

Mrs. LaVern Johnson at 303-823-5925 or email her at lavern921 at aol.com

 

Special Events:

Watch for any upcoming events that the Lyons Historical Society and Lyons Redstone Museum will be hosting.

June 2, 2012 - Season Opens! See you then.

June 22-24 Lyons Good Old Days-we honor Lyons High Classes of 02's, (1922, 1932, 1942, 1952, 1962, 1972, l982, 1991, 2002,and 2012) Plan to get a Class Reunion together, and the 2012 Lyons Graduates of Pioneer Families at the Museum at 1:00P.M.

July, 2012 - Kids History Day Camp at the Museum - watch for more information


Exhibits
 

News:

Lyons Redstone Museum on Facebook

SOME HISTORY
We recently heard from Ginger (Livingston) Sanders of Oregon, whose family, Mary and Donald Livingston lived in Lyons at the turn-of-the-century. Donald was a brother to Mary Lowe Livingstone; he came from Scotland and was a quarry man. He and his brother-in-law, James Lowe, operated a small quarry and worked for the Murphy-Brodie Quarry. Bill Boone took Ginger around the quarry when she was here a couple of years ago. She states: “Everyone in town was incredibly nice to me, especially Andrea from the restaurant. I’ll be back there someday soon.”
Also from Verle and Marlyss Bradshaw, now of Mesa, Arizona, who called to say that her husband, Verle, worked for thirty years with his father Ranza Bradshaw, from the 1960s to the 1980s on the various homes he built in Lyons, and wanted to be added to the museum’s list of contractor’s, whom we honored last year during the Lyons Good Old Days.
The couple with daughter, Tina, moved to Arizona in 1982, after Verle suffered a back injury. They took care of his mom, Lena, for several years until her death at age 93. They have one grandson. Marlyss relates that Brad and Verle built many homes in Lyons: the Schuyler Subdivison on 5th Avenue, where Broomfield home, and a home out on the South St. Vrain that Marie McQuery lived. Nice to hear from them!

THE LYONS REDSTONE MUSEUM (town's 1881 school building), 340 High Street, is open
daily June 2nd thru Sept. 30th. You will enjoy the displays and learning the history of Lyons.
Also visit the Lyons Historic District-15 sandstone buildings built at the turn of the century.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS in 2011: Thanks to all who donated funds to purchase 20 Stereo Views
of Lyons 1908; and 9 old postcards (1940-50), and saved the D.W. King's Bird collection; We received grants from the Town-summer employees; SCFD & Blue Mountain Foundation-Museum operations; Lyons Community Foundation-Kids program; Restoration; and Google
and Stagecoach Questers-Preservation funds. We continually solicit Dues and Donations
and hold fundraisers to keep us going. Donations are tax-exempt. Send to Box 9, Lyons, Co.

Thanks to all who sent a Letter of Support for the Preservation Grant. We did not get
funded, and have to try again by April 1st, for funds to complete pointng the sandstone and painting the panels of the museum. Please send us another letter to:
Colorado State Historical Fund, Civic Center Plaza, 1560 Broadway, Suite 400, Denver, Co.
80202 We have to raise matching funds to complete the restoration.

*******

LET’S START LYONS’ OWN “DAY OF GIVING”
Let’s each give $25 (or more if possible) to a Lyons non-profit that you are connected with. It will help with their projects, and you will “do your good deed for the day.” The non-profits I can think of right now are: Lyons Community Foundation, Box 426; Lyons Parks & Recreation (fireworks) or name your project, Box 49; Lyons Historical Society, dba: Lyons Redstone Museum, Box 9; matching funds to finish Museum Restoration (paint upper panels and point the sandstone) Box 9; Lyons History Video Project, Box 274; Lyons Girl Scouts, Box 1719; Lyons Boy Scouts, 5363 Ute Highway, Longmont, CO 80503; Lyons Golden Gang, Box 1290; Student Activists, Box 590; D.W. King plaques, Box 9; Lyons Arts and Humanities Council (statues on Main Street), Box 49; and to the Lyons churches: Lyons Community, Foothills Baptist, The River Church, and Old Stone Church, for their many projects. Call (303) 823-5925 with your non-profit.
Or give to special funds to honor Gerald Mack (a bench at the Lyons Depot Library) and Wayne Werner (to enhance the Lyons Fountain in Sandstone Park) Send to Box 49, Lyons, CO.

The LyHistSociety won a grant from Comm.Fund for Kathleen Spring to continue the History Day Camp for a 3rd year! They also got a grant to repair sun-block curtains and display antique clothes. Thank You Lyons Community!

THIS THURSDAY, SCFD will pass out the $400,000 of checks to over 60 non-profit organizations who are having various cultural, scientific and historic programs and projects, at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, 1750 13th Street, Boulder at 6 p.m.
The Lyons Historical Society will receive $3,000 for museum operations including: utilities, fire protection, phone and monitoring, insurance, supplies, maintenance, displays, etc., which is greatly appreciated.

A REMINDER OF THE HISTORY OF LYONS HIGH SCHOOL
For the new folks, or as a reminder, we must not forget Lyons’ years (1948-1974) of struggle to keep our High School here in Lyons. Before 1962 they tried to just have one county high school; then (1962-1970) one large school in Longmont. Thanks to the outlying areas that stood up for small schools in their own community, LYONS HIGH SCHOOL was saved.! To show you the dedication to save our High School, we pay tribute to Wayne Maurer and Fred Robb, who sat on the front seat at the School Board meetings for 14 years, and to Ada Lou Hammans (mother of Rick, who was PTO President in 1967) who filled the Elementary Gym with Lyons protesters. She asked all 500 there to stand up, if they DID NOT WANT TO LOSE OUR SCHOOL. They stood enmass. Very heartwarming! Our Thanks!

LYONS DECENDANTS VISIT LYONS
Visiting Lyons recently were: Berene (McConnell) Sullivan of Boulder, 1942 graduate of Lyons High School; and daughter, Rosamond, [(my sister; daughter of Bernie & Irene McConnell, and granddaughter of Albert James and Bertha (Reese) McConnell (1895); and great granddaughter of John & Catherine Reese (who homesteaded where the High School is in 1862.] (Thus the names of: Reese Street and McConnell Drive).
Kristie Hinke of Platteville,visited her cousin Maxine (Ohline) Harkalis and the Lyons Redstone Museum. Her mother was Marilyn (King) Elshof daughter of Frank and Helen (Brown) King granddaughter of Hugh and Clara Bell Brown, who came from Carthage, Missouri to Lyons by train in 1918. Maxine is the daughter of Golda (Brown), the sister of Helen King, and Art Ohline. Kristie’s mother, Marilyn, passed away in November of 1984, and she had not been in contact with her Lyons cousins since.

Also, Scott, Jodre, Emma, and Eli Nicholls of Littleton, the grandson of Grant Gilger who came to Lyons in 1906 from Iowa due to his wife, Mattie, having tuberculosis. They camped in Meadow Park and were given housing by M. J. Scanlon who had their home above the Golden Rule Store (now the vacant lot of the Outdoor Market). Gilger operated the Lyons Mercantile and Lumber Co., on Main Street and 4th Avenue, which they operated until his death in 1934. His two daughters were Zella, who married Carl Frank, who operated the Frank Meat Market (now The Fork) and Claudine, who married Wayne Keinonen of Colorado Springs. Their daughter, Natalie, who married Thomas Nichols is the mother of Scott. Natalie, who lives in Indianapolis, visits Lyons whenever she visits Scott and family.

 

 

THE LYONS REDSTONE MUSEUM is the recipient of a $3500 grant from the Colorado Questers group, to re-set the steps and sidewalks at the museum. The members will present the check this Thursday. Their Motto is, “This Place Matters.”
The Society can apply for funding to paint the steel panels on the upper-story this November. Our thanks to this ambitious group of historians.

TID BITS
Lu Speires, now of Nathrop, Colorado, (she was Lyons‘ Elementary and Commnity School Director from 1976 to 1986), called to say “Hi” to her Lyons friends. She was glad her son Tim of Longmont had stopped by the museum. Lu started the F. LaVerne Johnson Scholarship in 1997 ($500 awarded to a Lyons High School Senior).

Another call came from Leona Dias of Denver, the granddaughter of William Hubbell, who came to Colorado in 1882 by covered wagon and settled in Lyons in 1888, where he bought an interest in the Lyons-Estes Park Stage Line, followed by his son William Henry who married Rose Funkhouser. They had three daughters, Ida Ellen, (dec’d); Leona Lillian, age 100, in March and Wanda Gauthier, age 91. The two ladies live together, and are both active. Their home in Lyons is on Evans Street, where Marguerite Peoples and family lived. They gave their history interview to Kathleen Spring last year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KATHLEEN SPRING – lady about town, who packed up bag and baggage in 1998 and moved to Colorado from Dearborn, Michigan. She immediately became involved in Towns of Lyons and Estes Park, She is a writer, belongs to two poetry clubs, gives Rocky Mountain Retreats at her home in Pinewood Springs in the summer, is a reporter for the senior news, started Minnie’s Red Hat Club, runs the Lyons History Video Project, is the program director for the Lyons Golden Gang (lining up trips), has helped the Lyons Historical Society with computer expertise, and has been hostess at the Lyons Redstone Museum the past two summers. It is a joy to have someone come from the east to take interest in the town, helping and advertising and promoting the town of Lyons. Thanks, Kathleen.

THE LYONS REDSTONE MUSEUM will close for the season this Sunday, Oct. 2. You are urged to visit this week to see the Stereo View Pictures, the D. W. King display, buy a book, “Birth of a Quarry Town-Lyons, Colorado-1800’s,” “Double Gateway to the Rockies-Lyons, Colorado-1900’s,” or “Piecing a Town Together-The Families of Lyons, Co,” for your winter reading. Thanks to those that kept the museum open to the public daily, June through October: Terri Weir, Katie Hirschfeld, Kathleen Spring, Janet Freeman, and Wanda Janik. Thanks to the Town of Lyons grant for summer employees; Blue Mountain Foundation and the Scientific and Cultural District-SCFD for Museum operation expenses; and all others who helped with fundraisers, and to paid dues and donations to keep the museum going, and to those that donated to the Stereo Views and D. W. King Fund. All much appreciated.

The Stereo View pictures will be moved upstairs so come view them now. The display consists of 20 pictures of Lyons 1900’s; as well as the D. W. King bird collection (new displays) Folks are invited to watch the Video Interviews of any of the 70 Lyons pioneers that have been taken, available at the Museum.

Thanks to all who donated to these causes – enabling the Museum to purchase the stereo views, and to save D.W.’s bird collection (a job well done, and a Big Thank You!)
Stop by in September. The Museum will open June 2, 2012 for the summer season.

MUSEUM VISITORS
Fall is the time when adults can get out to enjoy the amenities of the area, thus the museum, the town’s 1881 school building, saved from the wrecker’s ball in 1977. Visitors from near and far have stopped by. This week the daughter of Lake Dobbins, of Thornton visited. Lake was a member of the Class of 1971, and lives in Broomfield. His daughter was anxious to see her dad’s class picture of 40 years ago. Also, the son of Lu Spieres, from Longmont stepped in. He was interested in Lu’s file while she served as the Lyons Community School director in the 1980’s.

Also visiting, a group from the Alexander Montgomery family, cousins of Lynda (Mrs. Tim Kelling), as well as cousins of the Donald Montgomery family (live east of the Longmont water tank on the Centennial Farm.)
Alexander Montgomery was one of the five Montgomery brothers who came to the area in 1870s, At one time the County was known as Montgomery County. In the 1870s, he married Emma Ferguson and moved to Lyons.

The couple had seven children, one of which was Susan Savannah, Lynda’s grandmother. Susan clerked at The Golden Rule Store and attended beauty school in Lincoln, NE. She first married Wm Murray and later Harry Brown. Their children were Myrtle (who married Robert Scanlon), Imogene Dick (Lynda’s mother) and Mary Jane Krout. Their lovely and historic home on Stickney burned in 1988, due to an electrical fire. The Bill Steele family lives there now. The cousins from Denver and Grand Lake and Lynda’s sister, Lori and husband Jerry, from Longmont, enjoyed finding pictures and articles about their family, as well as buying the Frank Weaver books. They vowed to return to do more research..

 

The Lyons Redstone Museum has a display of Indian arrowheads, which were sewn on panels and taken in a small metal box for years to the Stone Age Fair. The arrowheads were collected by John and Eva Smith and family, Floyd, Mary, Nettie, Gertrude, and Eugene at their ranch in Merino, CO as they popped out of the mud during a heavy rain. In the spring of 1933, John and Eva loaded their belongings on a four-wheel trailer, pulled by a Model-A Ford and headed for Lyons. He built the home located on High Street, now owned by Barbara Goranson. They were active in the Odd Fellows Lodge. He died in 1958, and she in 1960.

VISITING THE LYONS MUSEUM last weekend was Barbara Marburger Hansen of Hot Springs, SD, whose ancestors, John and Otto Larsen, lived in Lyons in the 1890’s. She enjoyed touring the museum and the town. She is moving to Centennial, and promises to visit Lyons often.
Darwin Thomas of Riverside, CA., is visiting his brother Ray and family in the Lyons/Longmont area. Darwin and wife built the house on South Third Avenue and lived there for several years, before returning to California. Since then, she has passed away. It is nice to see Darwin

 

by Kathleen Spring
Do you know which Indian Nations settled in Colorado? Do you know if Lyons sandstone is mainly used for commercial or decorative purposes? Do you know how early Lyons pioneers washed their clothes without electricity? If you do not know the answers, you can ask one of the children who attended this year’s History Summer Day Camp at the Lyons Redstone Museum.

The young campers learned about life in Lyons at the turn of the century through interactive lessons, creative scenarios, decorative crafts, fun songs, music, and a treasure hunt through the collected old treasures at the museum. Each day the children colored, pasted, and wrote their memories in a keepsake album that some day they may share with their own children.

“We were impressed with the album the girls took home from camp,” said Juli Waugh. “Shenny and Harper were both very eager to share them with us, and they have pulled them out a couple of times. It was a great help to us to understand what they did and what they learned.”

Day one familiarized the children with the museum by having them use a treasure map to explore the displays in the museum. As they learned about the progression of washing tools used in early Lyons, they could touch the worn scrub board in a bucket, spin the simple agitator in the metal wash tub, and pull a sheet through the rollers of the wringer washing machine. The many old machines all seemed massive compared to today’s equivalent, like the office adding machine (calculator), floor-model radio (iPod), crank party-line telephone (smart phone), manual typewriter (portable computer), and more.

One day seemed hardly enough to tell the story of the Plains Indians who settled in Colorado. Out of the five tribes that roamed the eastern grasslands, the Utes were the main tribe who settled the Lyons area and the Rocky Mountains. The Arapaho settled the Boulder Valley. Within a couple of decades after the Gold Rush started, all of the Indians were forced to leave the state or go onto Indian Reservations.

The children each learned a word or two in the sign language of the Plains Indians. They acted out a scenario where two groups of Indians met. Through sign language they had to introduce their family, and one group had to relay to the other that they had traveled through bad weather and were tired and hungry. Even six-year-old Harper Waugh was able to learn the signs because the motions made with the hands were logical. A zigzag motion with her finger represented lighting.

After learning about Indian arts and crafts, and hearing old tales about Indian and pioneer encounters in the Lyons area, the children painted a wooden mandala. In the center they wrote something that represented what they wanted to draw to them and have more of, like peace. Maddie Dusel, age 7, made her’s cheerful by using colorful markers, glittery sprinkles, and multi-colored strings and beads in the shape of spokes radiating from the center.
“Each afternoon, after leaving camp, Lia always had a mouthful to say about what she learned at camp,” said Kim Malito. “She was most interested in the study of the Native Americans that lived in this area and the sign language they used to communicate. The stories you told about these people really seemed to resonate with Lia, as she brought it up on several occasions after camp week was over.”

Local musician Vance French brought in a variety of old musical instruments to show the children the difference in how they were made and their sound. Lyons has had bands since its early quarry days. Old-time songs were sung for and by the children. While they all were lively tunes, some of them told real stories that were melancholy, like “Grandfather’s Clock.” The children all made instruments out of objects found around the house, like a beach pail and shovel as a drum. Sara Santesteban, age 7, and Zoe Chase, age 8, chose pink sandwich boxes filled with either shiny stones or sandstone nuggets. They accompanied some musical rounds, like “Row, row, row your boat.” A couple of children were heard singing in their cars as they drove away home.

A discovery tour of Lyons would not be complete without talking about the famous red sandstone. Samples of a dozen different kinds of sandstone were inspected by the children, including red and buff colors, moss rock, diamond polished, dendrites, and more. They each got a flat stone, courtesy of Western Stone, to paint a scene on that represented Lyons. Noah Way, age 6, painted a beach scene on his, remembering the tales about Lyons being a sandy prehistoric beach.

The children enjoyed additional activities outdoors. They went outside to inspect the old thick sandstone walls of the Old Stone Church of the 1890s, and the thin fine flagstone on Rogers Hall of the 1950s. They marched to “The Battle of New Orleans,” banging their instruments, and circled the grand old trees around the museum grounds. And, they enjoyed picnics outdoors, including a “Teddy Bear’s Picnic” day, and a celebration cake on the final day.

The camp was made possible by the Lyons Historical Society and a Lyons Community Fund grant, which contributed funds and in-kind services to educate Lyons youth in their local history. The program was coordinated and conducted by Kathleen Spring. Helpful volunteers included Janet Freeman, Maggie McClain, Diane Stout, and Vance French.
The week concluded with each child acting as a personal tour guide for his or her parents, grandparents, and siblings. Simon Stone, age 9, was the head guide, since it was his second year attending the camp. He was able to answer even the most difficult questions about the displays and Indian culture.

___________________

THE MUSEUM has been having some interesting visitors, such as Ike and Marie Fitts’ daughter, Delores, from Denver, some folks from the Billings family, the class of 1981, many from the Lyons, and more!

HISTORIANS
Over 500 historians throughout the state, and sponsors of the Governor’s Residence Preservation Committee, attended a garden party last Thursday evening to raise funds to help preserve the mansion. Mayor Julie Van Domelen, her husband Joseph of the Lyons Recorder, and LaVern Johnson, President of the Lyons Historical Society, attended. Governor John Hickenlooper was the guest speaker, as well as Gwen Ritter and Frances Owen (former first ladies of Colorado). The mansion received $100,000 from the State Historical Fund, and have to raise matching funds of $25,000. To restore it completely will take over $1 million. Yes, all historians have their preservation/money problems! The food and beverages were furnished by Colorado vendors, from all over the state (Colorado Proud), promoting their wares. One of whom was Kathy Vasquez’s father, promoting steaks. A nice event.

BUY YOUR HISTORY BOOKS AT THE LYONS REDSTONE MUSEUM
Our Congratulations To Edie Deweese of Allenspark, who has just had the extension of “Weaving Mountain Memories” published. It’s for sale at the Lyons Redstone Museum for $24.95. If you are acquainted with the folks in Allenspark, you will enjoy this book.

Another book, just printed, is “Niwot, Colorado: Birth of a Railroad Town” by Anne Quinby Dyni for sale at $20. Also, buy the latest books by Diane Benedict: “Roofs and Hoofbeats of Hygiene, Colorado,” $15.95 and “Altona,” $19.95.

The Weaver books are also available: “Birth of a Quarry Town: Lyons, Colorado 1800s,” by Diane Benedict; “The Double Gateway to the Rockies-Lyons 1900s” and “Piecing a Town Together: The Pioneers of Lyons, Colorado,” $24.95, each; “The History of the Lyons Sandstone Quarries,” by Al Pace; and “The Welch Resort” by Denise Berg, $14.95, and more, as well as videos on the history and geology of the Lyons sandstone quarries and “What to Do and See in Lyons, Colorado,” To order, call (303) 823-5271; or (303) 823-5925.

GRANT AWARDS
The Scientific And Cultural District Of Boulder County Committee has recommended to the County Commissioners they award over $522,000 in grants to the 50l(c)3 non-profits. Having over $791,000 in applications, the committee has set a cap of $20,000 as the most to be awarded. The Lyons Historical Society will receive $3,000 for Museum Operating Expensex (utilities, insurance, supplies, maintenance, displays, which totals around $9,000 for the year). The check will be awarded by the County in October.

A YEAR AGO, August 17 someone tried to break in the Lyons Redstone Museum’s east door. They cut the metal lathe with a pair of heavy clippers and broke the padlock, but luckily a neighbor was walking by and called the police. The two boys clipping and two girls as look-outs have not been caught, as yet!
We are still looking for them to pay $600 in damage to the screen, padlock, and museum signs they broke.
However, as a wake-up call for you young scoundrels, more lights have been installed above the door and at the back, and a heavierpadlock is in place (the combination is L-43, R-12, L-37). The Sheriff’s Department says they have some suspects, who will be caught eventually.

THE LYONS REDSTONE MUSEUM is featured in the quarterly newsletter of the Society of The Rocky Mountain Archivist, a non-profit organization that encourages saving various artifacts throughout the state and nation.
Individuals and organizations are invited to join to facilitate the exchange of archival knowledge and assistance.

THANKS TO SUMMER MUSEUM EMPLOYEES
Terri Weir and Katie Hirschfeld, who worked at the museum from June 1, and are now called back to work or college. Hostesses at the museum now are: Janet Freeman, Wanda Janik, and Kathleen Spring. Be sure to stop by!

THANKS TIMES CALL – DAY & NIGHT SECTION
It is great that the Stereo Views of Lyons, Colorado, early 1900’s, and the D. W. King display (Lyons’ Birdman) were featured in the Day and Night Section. This will enable more folks to know about the unique displays and pay a visit to the Lyons Redstone Museum

GRANTS HAVE BEEN AWARDED by the state historical fund this week and both the completion of the Lyons Redstone Museum and the Dunkard Church by the Hygiene Cemetary Association were “NOT FUNDED.” However, the Hannah Barker house by Historic Boulder and the Cardinal Mine by Boulder County were funded. Our loss, their gain. We hope we will be notified as to why? We will keep trying; however, since money is being taken for the State Capitol Dome, it may be some years before they will be taking grant applications again!

MUSEUM VISITORS
Last Saturday, several members of the Class of 1981 visited the museum, the new Lyons High School, partied at the quarry (their old stomping ground), and had a picnic. Dee York was in charge of arrangements. More later.

Museum visitors this year have been from near and far, relatives and friends, a lot of Lyons residents and tourists. Of interest to all is the visit of Shirley Larson Kuhlman of Denver, whose grandfather built the wood archway, the “Gateway to the Rockies” sign in 1934. Also visiting were Margot (Parsons) Scharpf of Placerville, CA, whose grandfather, Loren Jenkins owned a creamery in Lyons, and Glen and Lois Spaur, Class of 1941 to name a few. Several have come to look up their family’s genealogy, to see the stereo view pictures, and D W. King displays. Bring your visitors to visit the Lyons Redstone Museum, 340 High, open daily through Sunday, Oct. 4.

THE LYONS REDSTONE MUSEUM has received a picture of Art Larson, as a small lad. Born in Lyons in 1897, he married Melva Alborn in 1930 in Superior, Wisconsin. The picture, and articles on the Lyons Cemetery, came from the estate of their daughter Jean Peddle, who was a genealogist, and they were sent by a niece, Barbara Hansen of Hot Springs, Ark. Otto Larson, and his wife Anna, was one of twelve children that immigrated to the United States in 1891. They came to Lyons and established a home. He worked for the quarry and paid H. N. Morey $125 to buy Lot 8, Block 34, on Prospect Avenue. At the time was the “Cleveland Depression” in 1893, where two million people were unemployed. The Larson’s had seven children; the first three died at birth, and are buried in the Lyons cemetery. The four other children were Selma-1896, Art-1897, Victor-1899, and Edgar-1902. There being no Swedish Lutheran church in Lyons by 1900, they had traveling Swedish Lutheran ministers for christening their children. Otto had a gold mine near Allenspark, named the Poor Man Lode. After a siege of diphtheria in the area they moved to Minnesota in 1904, to be near to relatives, and wanted to live closer to something more “civilized” when it came to a school. They sold their home on Prospect Avenue for $350 and moved to St. Paul. Otto died in 1923 and Anna in 1952.

Cousins Ted and Levy, attended the Noland School in 1913 with Arthur and Custer Ohline, Alice and Arthur Runberg, Elmer and Ernest Johnson, and teacher Jessie Coker, who lived in the house at 306 Evans (now owned by LaVern M. Johnson). Coker rode a horse three miles over the hill to the school. Their picture is in the Noland display in the Lyons Redstone Museum. Barbara Hansen, a great-niece, is hoping to sell her home in Hot Springs, and move to Denver.

THE LYONS REDSTONE MUSEUM is featuring the twenty Stereo View Pictures of Lyons 1900s by Ed Tangen, and the nine post cards of Lyons 1940s and ‘50s. We invite everyone to stop by and enjoy the pictures of the olden days. They are on display downstairs.

A unique collection of Lyons photographs was found by Denver antique dealer Tina Iannti and was offered to the Lyons Historical Society. This valued collection was purchased with donations from the following people: Tina Ianni, Robert and Shirley Ackerman, Donald and Judith Bishop, Gerald and Sharon Boland, Mary Birnbaum, Pam and Mark Browning, David and Mary E. Cartwright, L.W. and Carolyn A. Cole, Alberta and Dale Ewy, Coco Ruth Gordon, John and Sue Ann Frysig, Ted and Aldyene Gullikson, Jerry Johnson, Lavern Johnson, Kay Knifer, Ray Robertson, Robert Lightburn, Lyons Pharmacy, Sandra M. Plamondon, Donald Lyon, Frank and Barbara Mccurdy, Keith and Doris Meakins, Jean Morgan, Betty Ann Newby, John and Anne O’Brien, Tom and Phyllis O’Rourke, Aileen Osborn, Richard and KathRyn Ralston, Linda Ramey, Donna Reese, Reruns, The River Church, Calvin and Coleen Schilling, Nick Schneider, Erica Ellingson, John Sealander, Edwin Smith, W. Glen and Lois Spaur, Kathleen Spring, Steamboat Mountain Foods, St. Vrain Market, Berene Mcconnell-Sullivan, Judy (Morgan) Wagner, David and Sandra Waugh, The White Lion, and Marilyn Yates.

OUR THANKS TO ALL the others who donated cash in the jars around town and at the Christmas Bazaar, and the River Church for manning the jars during the Christmas parade.
The pictures were dedicated at Lyons Redstone Museum, Saturday, June 25, during Lyons 35th annual Good Old Days program. Reproductions displayed in the Lyons Redstone museum. Reprints can be purchased from the Lyons Historical Society, Box 9, Lyons, Co. 80540, (303) 823-5925; Lavern921@aol.com. Please advise if we missed anyone, as we want to acknowledge everyone for this unique collection of Lyons pictures. A job well done!

THE LYONS REDSTONE MUSEUM (town’s 1881 schoolhouse) is open daily for the summer through Sunday, Oct. 4. The hours are: Mondays through Saturdays - 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sundays - 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Hosts at the museum this summer are Terri Weir, the daughter of Herb & Linda McConnell; the granddaughter of Bertha (Reese) & Albert James McConnell, (who McConnell Drive is named for) and the great granddaughter of John & Catherine Reese (who homesteaded where the High School is located in 1862, and who Reese Street is named for), and Katie Hirschfeld (a CSU student of the Hirschfeld family, who came to Lyons in the late l950’s and of the Perdue family, whose great grandfather, Lawrence, came to Lyons in 1927 and operated a logging business; her great grandmother Maude Walkermarried Lawrence Perdue in 1925; her grandparents are Vicky (Perdue) and Lawrence Hirschfeld; her parents David and Teresa Hirschfeld. You should be able to learn a lot of area history from Terri and Katie. Kathleen Spring is the weekend employee, although only in the area for the past 12 years, she is in charge of the Lyons History Video project and has taken the interviews of over 70 pioneers, so she too is very knowledgeable about Lyons history. Stop by.

In May, 2011 Denise Berg received a certificate for authoring the “Piecing a Town Together - Families of Lyons, Colorado ” published in 2010, that Frank Weaver had started.

 

 

Copywrite Lyons Redstone Museum.

All Rights Reserved.