I wondered what happened during the holidays of 1894.

Mancos Times Dec. 28, 1894

W. H. Kelley, editor, George M. Carr, associate. Terms of subscription $2 per year.

On Saturday, Dec. 22, 1894 in this village. to the wife of H. N. Sprague, a son. (Henry Norton Sprague was the station agent and telegrapher at the Mancos train depot for a number of years.

Another heavy snow storm is brewing.

This has been the coldest week of the season so far. (Over the years the week between Christmas and New Years has quite often been the coldest one of the year.)

Don't forget there will be a big dance at the Union Hall next Monday night. (The Union Hall served largely as a community building until 1898 when the fairly large two story wooden building became a school building.)

Mr. John Bailey informs us that he will form a music school at which branches of music will be taught.

Ed Humiston partook of his Christmas dinner in Rico, but we trust that this gave the first one piece of extravagance will not occur again. (Ed was snowed in at Rico. (Edward Everett Humiston passed away in 1943. He was the grandfather of Glenn Humiston.)

By far the handsomest calendar yet received by this office is that sent in by the First National Bank in Rico.

Mancos has indulged in two dances - one on Monday and the other on Tuesday night - this week. The Criterion Comedy Co. gave the first one and between thirty and forty tickets were sold. A grand supper was served at Mrs. Mary Hyde's. Ashbaughs Cornet Band had the second dance and over fifty tickets were disposed. Tickets were served at the Hotel Ausburn. (Along with her husband Mary Hyde conducted a trading post on the San Juan river for many years. After her husband died, Mary ran the Hyde's Restaurant at which dinner meals cost .25 cents.)

Don't sit on a box when you can get a nice chair at Burghardt and Co.

Fresh celery at Mancos Meat Market. (I wonder how far away that celery was grown.)

Livery and Feed Stable, Kelly and Jarrett. (In 1898 Jarrett sold his livery business to his partner, Charles B. Kelly. Lou Jarrett passed away in 1904. Charlie Kelly continued outfitting and conducting parties to mesa Verde and later converted the livery into an auto garage. He was the grandfather of Jean Bader. He passed away in 1927.)

If you are in need of anything from a cambric needle to a mowing machine call upon George Bauer. He keeps more and a better grade of groceries, dry goods and clothing than can be found in any other house in the San Juan country.

When in Mancos stop at Hotel Lemmon the only first class hotel in the valley. Free buses to and from the trains. New House and new furnishings and our table always has the best the market affords. D. H. Lemmon, Proprietor. (David Lemmon was operated on for appendicitis but died three days later on August 17, 1898.)

Mancos Steel and Iron works, L. H. Soens, Proprietor - mine and farm machinery promptly repaired. (Louis Henry Soens had only 17 weeks of school but was an excellent blacksmith. He passed away in 1930.

Matt Caviness - Club and Rooms. We always have wines, liquors, beer and cigars available. (His younger brother, Ed, shot and killed a man in Matt's establishment.)

Darrel Ellis is a longtime historian of the Mancos Valley. Email him at dnrls@q.com