Dark Clouds Over The San Juans

Just learned today though social media that Pagosa will no longer have a museum to house the treasures of past adventurers and settlers to the land of Archuleta County. Pagosa has gone through so many changes in the past 40 decades that it is barely recognizable to those whose childhood roots were etched in streets, mountains and streams of Archuleta County.
 To this old timer who has dedicated parts of  his family history to the Museum and always looked forward to renewing memories on each visit feels as though history is being allowed to fade away like so many of us early Pagosans.
 Seems very sad that a community can find ways to sell marijuana to create a rocky mountain high in the city, fly balloons over the rivers, have a hoe down on reservoir hill, big in corporate franchises yet can't find the funds to retain the history. Without the history of the settlers there would be no expansion of a city where cattle and farming once thrived.
 Yes, Pagosa is a beautiful part of Colorado and with today's marketing technology and digital photography it has become a vacationers paradise, if one can afford the luxury. Here is hoping Pagosa will find a way to retain all the artifacts and history stored in that building for future generations , Please keep "Red Ryder" and " Little Beaver"  alive never forget how it all started so many years ago.

Gone but never forgotten

Looking back at my youth and remembering such things as building that have long disappeared and the lessons learned so many years ago. These photos depict the way downtown Pagosa was like when I just a young boy, I can recall the time world war II came to and end and the bell from the old fire station rang for what seemed to be hours, my Mother hugging and squeezing me so hard I thought I'd done something so terrible she would smother me. Then everyone running into the street shouting and hugging and kissing, then I knew something real good had taken place.
 There was the time when a fire erupted at a petroleum storage at what is now San Juan and 8th street and there was only a volunteer fire department which had one truck and a hose cart that hooked up to the fire hydrant, that was another time the old Bell summoned for help and the whole town came running.
 As I grew and began to blossom into a mischievous teenager eager to taste the spirits that so many seemed to enjoy from the Pagosa  Bar or The Cantina on  main street. I found some of my older friends celebrating a successful deer hunt, I accepted their invitation to ride along and help with the joyous occasion, being young and immature had its price; as after consuming those wonderful spirits
my stomach began to rebel and I had to relieve myself. While throwing up and wishing the world would stop spinning a car pulled up behind, seeing that it was not a friendly friend but the Highway Patrol, we decided we best make a run for home. Not a good idea, as we pulled into the driveway,,old Marshall Saunders was right there and hauled us downtown to the office next to the fire station. He allowed us to stay there until our heads cleared before taking us home.
 The memories of that old building will forever be etched in my mind