Then and Now
1
T he Berthoud High School classes of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s will be holding reunion activities on Berthoud Day weekend. Members of these classes remember Berthoud High School as a two- story, blonde- brick building at the northwest corner of Ninth Street and Massachusetts Avenue. Turner Middle School occupies that location today, but for over a half-century the site was home to a building that housed the town’s junior and senior school students. In 1919 Berthoud residents be- gan discussing the construction of a new school. Prior to that time, the entire town’s elementary, junior and senior high students assembled in a schoolhouse that stood in the center of present-day Fickel Park. The building was so crowded that manual training classes met on the second floor of the Chamber of Commerce Building, and eighth grade classes met in the Masonic Hall. Classes were also held in the school’s base- ment, where the coal furnace was located. In a bond election held in January 1920, Berthoud’s voters ap- proved the construction of a new school by the margin of 133 to 22. In April John Bell, a Berthoud contractor, won the contract to con- struct the school with a bid of $89,287.92. Wallace Plumbing & Heating Co. of Denver was awarded the con- tract for heating and ventilation at a cost of $4,159. The building was finished in time to begin the 1921-22 school year. Berthoud’s new junior-senior high school consisted of two floors built over a concrete “semi-basement.” A gym- nasium that measured 50 x 65 feet shared the semi-basement with manual training and domestic science rooms, a furnace room, lockers and toilets. The gym’s ceiling was a mere 17 feet in height and was partially obstructed by heating and ventilation ducts. Specta- tors sat in a balcony above the gym floor. Prior to the construction of the new school and its state-of-the-art gymnasium, bas- ketball games were played in a large, second- floor room in the lumberyard building on East Mountain Avenue. The school’s first floor boasted four classrooms, the superintendent’s office and the entrance to an auditorium that was described as “ ... the largest room in town.” The side wings of the auditorium’s stage doubled as the school library. On the second floor there were five classrooms and the entrance to a balcony in the auditorium. The gymnasium and auditorium represented major upgrades over the old school building that contained nei- ther amenity. When the town’s seventh through 12 th grade students moved into the new school, the old school building in Fickel Park became the home of first through sixth grade students. At that time the town’s elementary and high school teachers were paid minimum salaries of $1,200 and $1,400 per year respectively. Berthoud’s school super- intendent earned $3,000 per anum for overseeing the educations of the town’s nearly 400 elementary, junior and se- nior high school students. Few changes were made to Berthoud High School (BHS) from the time it was built in the early 1920s to the days when the classes of the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s attended school in the build- ing. Overcrowding spelled an end to the gymnasium and auditorium in the early 1960s when those facilities were replaced with classrooms. A new gym- nasium was built west of the old school, but Berthoud languished without a high school auditorium until the current high school was built on Spartan Avenue. The BHS classes of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s will assemble this coming weekend to recall their school days when 20, 30 and sometimes 40 stu- dents made up the graduating class. Today that number is closer to 150, but that same small town feel continues to prevail. Berthoud Weekly Surveyor June 5, 2014 Page 5 A LOOK AT BERTHOUD Berthoud High School once stood at corner of Ninth and Massachusetts Leslie Ross Mechem Jan. 12, 1937 — May 25, 2014 Leslie Mechem of Berthoud, Colo., passed away on May 25, 2014, in Mount Dora, Fla. He was vacationing with his wife at their daughter’s home when he became ill. After heart surgery and rehab treat- ment his heart gave out. His memorial service will be held on June 10 at 10 a.m. at the Ber- thoud United Methodist Church, Ninth Street and Lake Avenue, Berthoud, Colo. He was preceded in death by both parents and his sister Flor- ence Noelck. Les is survived by his wife Connie, daughter Deb (Virgil) of Mount Dora, Fla., son Brad (T.J.) of Torrington, Wyo., granddaughters; Taylor (Jeff), Bailey, Carly, Nicole; grandsons, Braden, Cody(Sara), Bo (Jaquel); five great grandchildren, sister Eleanor Griffin, Waxahachie, Texas, brother Frank (Mary) Mechem, Clarion, Iowa, sister-in-law Loy- dene (Mark) Strum, Littleton, Colo., and many nieces and nephews. Les was born Jan. 12, 1937, in Clarion, Iowa. He grew up on the family farm and attended the Clarion public schools. He went on to attend Iowa State University with an emphasis in agriculture/farm courses. In 1959 he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served until 1962. He met his wife Connie while he was sta- tioned at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colo. The couple married on Jan. 1, 1964. At that time they moved back to Iowa and farmed the family farm until 1979. Leaving the farm, the couple moved back to Colorado, settling in Berthoud. Les gained employ- ment with the Regional Transpor- tation District and retired from that company after 20 yrs. From there he worked part time as a driver for the Mead Coop in Mead, Colo., for the next 8 years. Les was a member of Masonic Cyrene Lodge of Clarion, Iowa for 49 years. He was also a member of the Berthoud Unit- ed Methodist Church, 085 Mobile Squares and the American Lowline Association. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Berthoud United Methodist Building Fund. Then & Now Surveyor Columnist Mark French Photo courtesy of the Berger Collection, Berthoud Historical Society In 1920-21 Berthoud Junior/Senior High School was built at the corner of Ninth Street and Massachusetts Avenue. John Bell, a local contractor, built the school at a cost of $89,000. Katie Workman, of Berthoud, Colo., a sophomore in nursing, was named to the Dean’s List for the spring semester 2014 at MacMurray College in Jackosnville, Ill. She is the daughter of Rob and Laurie Workman of Ber- thoud. To be named to the Dean’s List, a student must have a 3.5 grade point average and be enrolled for at least 12 credit hours. Alexandra Sullivan of Berthoud, Colo., was named to the Dean’s List at Morningside College for the 2014 spring semester. Each semester the Dean’s List recog- nizes students who achieve a 3.67 grade point average or better and complete at least 12 credits of coursework with no grade below a “C-.” Alternatives to Violence (ATV) announced the organization has raised 80 percent of the $1.3 million necessary to open a SafeHouse in Loveland. ATV has been providing services for victims of domestic violence in Loveland for over 30 years, and the SafeHouse is one more element in the continuum of care for victims to help them change their lives and find a path to healing and safety. Details on an open house at the new facility can be obtained by calling 970-669-5150. Berthoud Library kicked off summer in style on Saturday, May 31, the library held a wildly successful Summer Reading Program (SRP) kick-off event with close to 1,000 people attending. The day’s festivities included a barbecue and lawn games, bouncy castle, mad scien- tist/green screen photo ops, a DJ and, most importantly, Summer Reading Program registration for the whole family. Countrywide public library summer reading pro- grams aim to advance students’ literacy and academic performance, to involve parents and families in their chil- dren’s reading efforts, and to promote a love for the writ- ten word for every age level. Carter Lake Sailing Club will again provide three fun filled weekends for youth to learn to sail on beautiful and clean Carter Lake Reservoir. Youths from 10 to 16 year of age will have the opportunity to sail sunfish and learn to maneuver around the lake. Sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the fol- lowing weekends: June 28 & 29 — July 12 & 13 —July 26 & 27 Costs include $85 per weekend, plus a one time materi- als fee of $25 for books and t-shirts. Register now at the CLSC website: www.sailcarter.org. The first two weekends will be for beginner/interme- diate sailors, and will focus on basic sailing skills such as points of sailing, parts of the boat & sail, weather awareness, care of the boat, and understanding sail trim enough to successfully pilot the boat. For more informa- tion check out the website www.sailcarter.org or call the director, Laurel Bower, at 303-717-4824. OBITUARY Leslie Mechem COMMUNITYNEWS&NOTES Berthoud Feed & Supply 970-532-3774 603 3rd St. • Berthoud, Colo. [email protected] BerthoudFeed.com Livestock & Pet Feed & Supplies New owners: Brett, Sylvanna, Bella, Ashton and Mia Zurbrick Locally owned and operated in Berthoud CALL, Text or Email 970.302.2532 or visit APlusHeating-AC.com • Avoid Breakdowns! • Blow Colder Air! • Make It Last Longer! • Save On Utilities! Summer Is Finally Here! Make sure the heat stays outside. A+ Heating & A/C $30 OFF SPRING Normal Price $98 TUNE-UP One coupon per customer. Not valid with any other coupon or special promotion. Call for details. Must mention coupon at time of booking call. Present the coupon during time of service. Expires 6/30/14 Photos by Pam Martin
-
Upload
rebecca-hemmann -
Category
Documents
-
view
219 -
download
0
description
Berthoud Weekly Surveyor, Berthoud, Colorado, history, Mark French, Then and Now
Transcript of Then and Now
The Berthoud High School classes of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s will be holding reunion
activities on Berthoud Day weekend. Members of these classes remember
Berthoud High School as a two-story, blonde-brick building at the northwest corner of Ninth Street and Massachusetts Avenue. Turner Middle School occupies that location today, but for over a half-century the site was home to a building that housed the town’s junior and senior
school students. In 1919 Berthoud residents be-
gan discussing the construction of a new school. Prior to that time, the entire town’s elementary, junior and senior high students assembled in a schoolhouse that stood in the center of present-day Fickel Park. The building was so crowded that manual training classes met on the second fl oor of the
Chamber of Commerce Building, and eighth grade classes met in the Masonic Hall. Classes were also held in the school’s base-ment, where the coal furnace was located.
In a bond election held in January 1920, Berthoud’s voters ap-proved the construction of a new school by the margin of 133 to 22. In April John Bell, a Berthoud contractor, won the contract to con-struct the school with a bid of $89,287.92. Wallace Plumbing & Heating Co. of Denver was awarded the con-tract for heating and ventilation at a cost of $4,159. The building was fi nished in time to begin the 1921-22 school year.
Berthoud’s new junior-senior high school consisted of two fl oors built over a concrete “semi-basement.” A gym-nasium that measured 50 x 65 feet shared the semi-basement with manual training and domestic science rooms, a
furnace room, lockers and toilets. The gym’s ceiling was a mere 17 feet in height and was partially obstructed by heating and ventilation ducts. Specta-tors sat in a balcony above the gym fl oor.
Prior to the construction of the new
school and its state-of-the-art gymnasium, bas-ketball games were played in a large, second-fl oor room in the lumberyard building on East Mountain Avenue.
The school’s fi rst fl oor boasted four classrooms, the superintendent’s offi ce and the entrance to an auditorium that was described as “ ... the largest room in town.” The side wings of the auditorium’s stage doubled as the school library. On the
second fl oor there were fi ve classrooms and the entrance to a balcony in the auditorium.
The gymnasium and auditorium represented major upgrades over the old school building that contained nei-ther amenity. When the town’s seventh
through 12th grade students moved into the new school, the old school building in Fickel Park became the home of fi rst through sixth grade students. At that time the town’s elementary and high school teachers were paid minimum salaries of $1,200 and $1,400 per year respectively. Berthoud’s school super-intendent earned $3,000 per anum for overseeing the educations of the town’s nearly 400 elementary, junior and se-nior high school students.
Few changes were made to Berthoud High School (BHS) from the time it was built in the early 1920s to the days when the classes of the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s attended school in the build-ing. Overcrowding spelled an end to the gymnasium and auditorium in the early 1960s when those facilities were replaced with classrooms. A new gym-nasium was built west of the old school, but Berthoud languished without a high school auditorium until the current high school was built on Spartan Avenue.
The BHS classes of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s will assemble this coming weekend to recall their school days when 20, 30 and sometimes 40 stu-dents made up the graduating class. Today that number is closer to 150, but that same small town feel continues to prevail.
Berthoud Weekly Surveyor June 5, 2014 Page 5
A LOOK AT BERTHOUD
Berthoud High School once stood at corner of Ninth and Massachusetts
Leslie Ross Mechem Jan. 12, 1937 — May 25, 2014
Leslie Mechem of Berthoud, Colo., passed away on May 25, 2014, in Mount Dora, Fla. He was vacationing with his wife at their daughter’s home when he became ill. After heart surgery and rehab treat-ment his heart gave out. His memorial service will be held on June 10 at 10 a.m. at the Ber-thoud United Methodist Church, Ninth Street and Lake Avenue, Berthoud, Colo.
He was preceded in death by both parents and his sister Flor-ence Noelck. Les is survived by his wife Connie, daughter Deb (Virgil) of Mount Dora, Fla., son Brad (T.J.) of Torrington, Wyo., granddaughters; Taylor (Jeff), Bailey, Carly, Nicole; grandsons, Braden, Cody(Sara), Bo (Jaquel); fi ve great grandchildren, sister Eleanor Griffi n, Waxahachie, Texas, brother Frank (Mary) Mechem, Clarion, Iowa, sister-in-law Loy-dene (Mark) Strum, Littleton, Colo., and many nieces and nephews.
Les was born Jan. 12, 1937, in Clarion, Iowa. He grew up on the family farm and attended the Clarion public schools. He went on to attend Iowa State University with an emphasis in agriculture/farm courses. In 1959 he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served until 1962. He met his
wife Connie while he was sta-tioned at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colo. The couple married on Jan. 1, 1964. At that time they moved back to Iowa and farmed the family farm until 1979.
Leaving the farm, the couple moved back to Colorado, settling in Berthoud. Les gained employ-ment with the Regional Transpor-tation District and retired from that company after 20 yrs. From
there he worked part time as a driver for the Mead Coop in Mead, Colo., for the next 8 years.
Les was a member of Masonic Cyrene Lodge of Clarion, Iowa for 49 years. He was also a member of the Berthoud Unit-ed Methodist Church, 085 Mobile Squares and the American Lowline Association.
In lieu of fl owers the family requests donations be made to the Berthoud United Methodist Building Fund.
Then & NowSurveyor Columnist
Mark French
Photo courtesy of the Berger Collection, Berthoud Historical SocietyIn 1920-21 Berthoud Junior/Senior High School was built at the corner of Ninth Street and Massachusetts Avenue. John Bell, a local contractor, built the school at a cost of $89,000.
Katie Workman, of Berthoud, Colo., a sophomore in nursing, was named to the Dean’s List for the spring semester 2014 at MacMurray College in Jackosnville, Ill. She is the daughter of Rob and Laurie Workman of Ber-thoud. To be named to the Dean’s List, a student must have a 3.5 grade point average and be enrolled for at least 12 credit hours.
Alexandra Sullivan of Berthoud, Colo., was named to the Dean’s List at Morningside College for the 2014 spring semester. Each semester the Dean’s List recog-nizes students who achieve a 3.67 grade point average or better and complete at least 12 credits of coursework with no grade below a “C-.”
Alternatives to Violence (ATV) announced the organization has raised 80 percent of the $1.3 million necessary to open a SafeHouse in Loveland. ATV has been providing services for victims of domestic violence in Loveland for over 30 years, and the SafeHouse is one more element in the continuum of care for victims to help them change their lives and fi nd a path to healing and safety. Details on an open house at the new facility can be obtained by calling 970-669-5150.
Berthoud Library kicked off summer in style on Saturday, May 31, the library held a wildly successful Summer Reading Program (SRP) kick-off event with close to 1,000 people attending. The day’s festivities included a barbecue and lawn games, bouncy castle, mad scien-tist/green screen photo ops, a DJ and, most importantly, Summer Reading Program registration for the whole family. Countrywide public library summer reading pro-grams aim to advance students’ literacy and academic performance, to involve parents and families in their chil-dren’s reading efforts, and to promote a love for the writ-ten word for every age level.
Carter Lake Sailing Club will again provide three fun fi lled weekends for youth to learn to sail on beautiful and clean Carter Lake Reservoir. Youths from 10 to 16 year of age will have the opportunity to sail sunfi sh and learn to maneuver around the lake.
Sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the fol-lowing weekends: June 28 & 29 — July 12 & 13 —July 26 & 27
Costs include $85 per weekend, plus a one time materi-als fee of $25 for books and t-shirts. Register now at the CLSC website: www.sailcarter.org.
The fi rst two weekends will be for beginner/interme-diate sailors, and will focus on basic sailing skills such as points of sailing, parts of the boat & sail, weather awareness, care of the boat, and understanding sail trim enough to successfully pilot the boat. For more informa-tion check out the website www.sailcarter.org or call the director, Laurel Bower, at 303-717-4824.
OBITUARY
Leslie Mechem
school and its state-of-the-art gymnasium, bas-ketball games were played in a large, second-fl oor room in the lumberyard building on East Mountain Avenue.
fi rst fl oor boasted four classrooms, the superintendent’s offi ce and the entrance to an auditorium that was described as “ ... the largest room in town.” The side wings of Photo courtesy of the Berger Collection, Berthoud Historical Society
COMMUNITYNEWS&NOTES
Berthoud Feed & Supply
970-532-3774603 3rd St. • Berthoud, [email protected]
BerthoudFeed.com
Livestock & Pet Feed & Supplies New owners: Brett, Sylvanna,
Bella, Ashton and Mia Zurbrick
Locally owned and operated in Berthoud CALL, Text or Email 970.302.2532 or visit
APlusHeating-AC.com
• Avoid Breakdowns!• Blow Colder Air!
• Make It Last Longer!• Save On Utilities!
Summer Is Finally Here!Make sure the heat stays outside.
A+ Heating & A/C $30 OFF SPRING
Normal Price $98
TUNE-UP
One coupon per customer. Not valid with any other coupon or special promotion. Call for details. Must mention coupon at time of booking call. Present the coupon during time of service. Expires 6/30/14
Photos by Pam Martin
