Time Machine: 30 years ago, railroad property imagined as future home to ‘trails and other open space’
Vail Trail/Vail Daily archive
30 years ago
June 7, 1996
The U.S. Justice Department and the Department of Transportation announced opposition to the proposed merger of the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads, the Vail Trail reported.
“Because the deal would shut down rail traffic in the area from Tennessee Pass to Dotsero, Eagle County officials have been watching the deal closely,” the Trail reported. “Former railroad property could be taken over by the county and put to use as trails and other open space.”
40 years
June 6, 1986
Gov. Dick Lamm expressed his support of Vail Mountain’s effort to create a new portal onto the mountain with the Cascade Lift, emerging out of the Westin Hotel.
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“Developers of the project, Vail Ventures Ltd., successfully organized 90 acres into the Cascade Village Metropolitan Recreation District, which was approved by voters during two elections in March and again in May,” the Vail Trail reported. “Vail Ventures is now trying to obtain a permit from the U.S. Forest Service to build the lift, which will be located on Forest Service land. The Cascade chairlift is also part of Vail Associates’ $4O million mountain expansion plan.”
50 years ago
June 11, 1976
Important decisions that would shape the future of Vail were expected to come before the Town Council soon, the Vail Trail reported.
Big decisions included plans to build the Vail Golf Course, “what, if any, other land should be acquired, what to do with the $3.5 million Antholz property, when and where to build a maintenance building for the town government’s street vehicles and buses, what to do about the Vail Ski Museum, and what direction to go with land use policy and zoning,” the Vail Trail reported. “And those are just the major decisions.”
75 years ago
June 7, 1951
Augustus “Pat” Benjamin, formerly of Minturn, died under mysterious circumstances while serving in the Navy.
The Navy was investigating the death, the Eagle Valley Enterprise reported.
“The 22-year-old Navy man was reported AWOL when he failed to return to his base, Whidby Island, Washington, ten days ago, following liberty,” the Enterprise reported. “His body was found on Memorial Day in a body of water and an investigation was launched.”
100 years ago
June 11, 1926
R.B. Stirfire, a Buick automobile dealer from Fruita, was killed in an automobile accident in Avon when he drove off the O’Neill hill and crashed into an irrigation flume below the hill.
“The car crashed through the flume and landed right side up, but on Stirfire’s body, pinning a heavy timber across his neck and shoulders,” the Eagle Valley Enterprise reported.
A coroner’s inquest was held at the request of the county coroner.
“The verdict of the jury being that death came to Stirfire from an automobile accident, cause of accident unknown,” the Enterprise reported.
