Dolores 40 years ago

Taken from the Friday, Aug. 30, 1974, pages of the Dolores Star

Dr. Robert Carlson of Dolores was successful on a bear hunt last week as he brought home a 300- to 400-pound animal that will probably set some kind of record according to the skull measurement. It was six to seven feet tall and has been sent to a Denver firm for making into a bear rug. Dr. Carlson took the bear with his 45-pound bow on Hay Camp Mesa after hunting for some time there. He shot the bear on Aug. 18 and had some work bringing out the animal, which was in a canyon.

Bureau of Land Management officials have reported the possibility of development of the ruins on top of the river here near Dolores sometime this fall. The ruins were noted in the diary of Father Silvestre Velez Escalante and were the first Colorado ruins noted by him on his expedition in August, 1776 when he camped where Lost Canyon runs into the Dolores River. The work will be done in connection with the Bi-Centennial Commission working through the Escalante Trail Committee. Restoration work may be possible after an evaluation team comes in sometime during September to look over the ruins.

Dolores was honored this week by a visit from the Governor of the State of Colorado, John Vanderhoof, who was feted Thursday evening at a fund raising dinner for the Republican party at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Art Nielson.

A pair of bighorn sheep hunters including Ernie Nunn from here in Dolores were successful in the Weminuche Wilderness Area north of Pagosa Springs last week with their once-in-a-lifetime kills. The full three-quarter curl sheep weighed in at 210 pounds with very tasty meat. Colorado law provides that a hunter may only take one such animal during a lifetime, so Ernie's sheep hunting is over. The animals were killed at about 13,000 feet elevation.

Mr. and Mrs. R. D. Stratton spent last week in Denver.

Bob Stratton's grandmother, Mary Smith of Cortez, recently celebrated her 89th birthday at the Stratton home.

Stanley Coval, Fred Oakes' cousin, bagged an elk during bow season.

Mr. and Mrs. Don Brewer enjoyed dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Ed Page Saturday evening.

Mattie Holsten and Dorothy Trevino from Mancos ate lunch with Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Brooks Tuesday.

Leonard Wood and wife JoAnn from California and Wanlee Markham of Craig, Colorado were recently here visiting Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Brooks and other relatives.

Lyle Cline returned to Lamar Thursday after spending two weeks at the Meadows.

Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Carrigan went to Durango to view the fire and do some shopping.

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Keleher from Denver were visiting with the James Engles Sunday. She is the former Nancy Stinson.