For most of us, Saturday, February 10, 2024, went by like any other day. While Nederland residents prepared for Super Bowl parties and went shopping for their significant others for Valentine’s Day, the 150th anniversary of the Town of Nederland’s official incorporation quietly went by like any other day.

But there are those working diligently behind the curtain to plan Nederland’s sesquicentennial celebration, including the Nederland Area Historical Society, who are working to assure that the Town’s rich history, from the early pioneering days to the mining revival in the late 70s, is remembered.

On February 12, 2024, Lee Tillotson organized with Jessie Ansari, George Blevins, Linda Glasser, Sue Leto, and Jeannette Smith, to meet at the Nederland Community Library and review a vast collection of historical archives. This included editions of The Nederland Bugle, the Town’s official newspaper before The Mountain-Ear was established in 1977.

The 1974 Nederland Centennial Celebration special publication, which was from Leto’s personal collection of Nederland periodicals, printed the original handwritten copy of the then 100-year-old incorporation document, officially signifying Nederland as a municipality on February 10, 1874.

The newspapers came from both Leto and Smith’s personal collections and covered several decades of important news, including when construction on Eldora’s ski operation began in 1962, and when the remake of the classic western “Stagecoach” was filmed in Nederland and the nearby Caribou Country Club Ranch back in 1965.

Smith recalled meeting Bing Crosby, Slim Pickins, and Red Buttons while the movie was being filmed here, though she lamented that she didn’t get the chance to meet Ann-Margret. Glasser mentioned that a lot of the actors and crew would hang out at The Branding Iron (currently Sweet Sue's), though some were “too cool” for the Nederland scene.

Ultimately, Hollywood decided to pass on filming more motion pictures in Nederland, as the constant rain and wind that the “Stagecoach” crew endured cost the production 10 days of shooting time and an estimated $250,000. The weather became such a mitigating factor that the climactic ending of the movie was filmed in either Utah or on a Hollywood backlot.

In addition to the invaluable information and history found within the pages of countless copies of The Nederland Bugle, Blevins provided the group his original cartoon maps of Nederland, the first drawn in 1988, with an updated map created in 1993.

Blevins worked as The Mountain-Ear’s irreplaceable cartoonist from 1983 to the early 2000s. His maps gloriously detail the Nederland of old and, looking at it today, it highlights the many changes the Town has gone through over the years, including the former five-way stop that is the current location of the now infamous Highway 119 roundabout.

Blevins explains how the five-way stop, where Highway 119, Highway 72, East 2nd Street, and North Bridge Street converge, was once a cause of great confusion, especially to visitors and newcomers.

The group worked to identify events and locations that are “gone but not forgotten,” to include in special history-focused materials that, in conjunction with reprintings of Blevins’ maps, are to be distributed free to the public closer to July 4, 2024, when the Town of Nederland plans to officially celebrate its 150th anniversary.

As they worked they also told stories. Smith commented on an old photo of a cabin overlooking the reservoir, with a large bell situated nearby. It was a photo of St. Rita’s Catholic Church, which Smith has been attending since she was nine years old. She explained that the church was built in 1939, and that the original structure is still there today; she also mentioned that the church’s bell didn’t toll all that well.

Glasser told a story about how Boulder students used to pack into the Pioneer Inn to watch college games, specifically recalling a time in the winter when Nederland locals weren’t invited to the festivities, so they proceeded to get on the roof and stuff the chimney, eventually smoking out the entire bar.

The Nederland Area Historical Society is but one organization, comprised of individual volunteers, that is working on planning the Town’s sesquicentennial celebration. Previously, members of Town staff and local stakeholders and community leaders met for a Zoom conference to begin planning the festivities.

The conversation revolved around how to best honor the Town’s historic moment, from what events and activities should be hosted, to how to promote Nederland’s history, highlight its present, and envision its future. There was even discussion about a sesquicentennial cake, and what flavors would best represent the Town.

For more information on Nederland’s history, visit the Nederland Mining Museum at 200 North Bridge Street, the Gillaspie House Museum at 363-449 North Bridge Street, or go to: https://www.nederlandareahistoricalsociety.org.

When the snow begins to melt and summer approaches, be sure to follow The Mountain-Ear for more details regarding Nederland’s 150th Anniversary.

(This article has been edited to include a correction submitted by the journalist, after it was printed)