Thursday, December 29, 2011

picture perfect...

this photo looks like it could've been taken at the turn of the century...that's 1900, not 2000.  although in 1900 there would've been very little ground showing.  victor boasted a population of around 15,000.  hard to believe now with a population of around 500.  so many of the old buildings and houses are gone.  after the mining boom peaked and ebbed, many structures were abandoned and ravaged by years of neglect.  thankfully enough still remain intact to give a good representation of what the little mining town looked like back in the day.

i'm marking the days off on my calendar until we close on the olympia hotel.  i'm torn between wanting to stay to get started on it and going to arizona for 6 weeks to rest and soak up some sun.  but with the hectic schedule of 2011, my head tells me to go for the relaxation.  i'll be ready to tackle the project with renewed vim and vigor!

Monday, December 26, 2011

an original piece is coming home...

after receiving an ebay gift certificate for Christmas, i began looking for vintage victor colorado items.  to my surprise and delight i found this old c & h sugar barrel stamped victor colorado.  as i looked at it closer, i couldn't believe my eyes!  also stamped on it was purity steam bakery...one of the earliest businesses that operated in our building, now home to marigold mercantile.

i was nervous all day, waiting for the auction to end and hoping against hope i wouldn't be outbid.  so with my strategy planned (and credit line ready to tap if necessary) i was determined it would return to it's original place of use.  joy oh joy...it is coming home!  i am a strong advocate that artifacts from the district should stay in the district.   let's just say it will be over my dead body that it leaves victor again!   and should the dead body scenario happen sooner than later...let it be known to all that this piece is to go to the lowell thomas museum.  so let it be written, so let it be done!

Friday, December 23, 2011

chipping away...

work is progressng on the office space in back of building.  although the process of chipping off plaster is slow, exposing the original brick wall underneath is turning out just like we were hoping for.  the evidence of a fire in years past is still evident on the cargo door that leads to storage area.  it will remain intact in an effort to keep the building as original as possible.  i can barely wait to have a real office again.  after packing up all our files into tubs when leaving IN and working off  my kitchen counter for the last 6 months, it's more than likely the barn red paint that's going on the floor won't be dry before i'm dragging my desk and file cabinets in!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

anxiously awaiting...

just 2 more weeks and we'll be closng on the olympia hotel and old plumbing shop next to it.  the olympia is one of the oldest, longest running hotels in co.  it has been shut down for several years, but our hopes are to have it up and running by gold rush days this coming july.  i immediately fell in love with it because it hasn't been 'updated'.  all the original woodwork, transoms, flooring, etc are intact.  it needs a good cleaning and painting and then the fun can begin.  oh, i guess i should mention it needs a new roof, new windows, brickwork repair, plumbing repair, electrical repair...minor details as i look through my rose colored glasses that i always wear when considering an historical property...i really should get those fixed!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

saying goodbye...

it is with great sadness that we say goodbye to terry's mom, carmelita rose akins.  after passing from injuries sustained in a fall 2 days ago, we want to honor her life by posting pictures of some of the happy times we've had together in recent years.  here she is, enjoying the arizona winter with us in tucson a couple years ago.  her specialty was mouth watering pies and with an abundance of fresh fruit available, there were pies on the table almost every evening for dessert.

she loved her family dearly.  here she is with great grandson, tristin.  she always had time for cuddling, squeezing and smooches.

and who else but a loving great gramma would endure the 'help' of little fingers?

terry always said she gave him the best hair cuts ever...her barber chair was always open...anywhere!

the sonoran desert museum was a favorite place to visit.  she really enjoyed the beauty of the desert and excaping the snow and cold temps of a missouri winter

great gramma rose has room on her lap for a tired little girl and grandpa terry still has energy to push everyone.

she was a devoted Christ follower and we are confident she is rejoicing in the presence of her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  She used her God given gift of hospitality to the fullest, and we thank God for her faithful witness to her family and friends throughout her life. 

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

true shabby, no chic...

finally got our clothesline hung to display several clothing items that belonged to a victor resident from years gone by.  they are from the 30's and almost threadbare.  they depict how hard life must've been in this mining community at that time.  they have been lovingly patched in several places, several times, obviously trying to get a little more wear out of them.  the cotton fabrics are such 'homey' prints.  i could look at them for hrs, pondering what life must've been like for the woman who wore them.  i'm thankful to my friend, linnea, for rescuing them and passing them on to me to be displayed at marigold mercantile.  may they be a constant reminder of the blessings that abound around us...even in these hard times.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

big rig in a little alley...

almost missed getting photos of the last 'deposit' being made of the best of my 'junque' at the old antlers hotel in victor.  we traded a house for another commercial fixer upper.  this one will have to set for quite awhile as there's another hotel ahead of it on the to do list.  this building no longer functions as a hotel.  after a fire burned off the upper floor several years ago, only the ground floor remains.  it will be renovated into individual store fronts eventually.  the rv would barely fit down the alley, and we were promptly advised that we'd never make it out the other end, so it had to be backed out.  sure glad i wasn't driving!


boarded up windows on the antlers building.  the door to the right was the door going up to the hotel.  now it just has stairs to nowhere...maybe a roof deck someday? 

another photo found in an old book showing the door up to the hotel.  the window is cracked, words barely visible, but will be repaired as much as possible and reinstalled at some point in the future.

our love of old buildings will be the death of us.  just one request...bury me in victor's sunnyside cemetery with wire bedsprings around my grave!