HSI holds regular monthly meetings (third Friday of the month), which are open to the public, and keeps in touch with its membership and with property owners and tenants of buildings in the Salida Downtown national historic district. HSI also …

• Hosts speakers at its regular meetings and sponsors workshops and seminars about proper preservation techniques.
• Offers scholarships for classes in historic preservation offered by Colorado Mountain College.
• Conducts tours of historic sites in the area.
• Obtains grants on behalf of historic property owners who want to assess the integrity of their structures and rehabilitate them.

View of the main house from the ruins of the industrial works at Salt Works Ranch near Antero Junction in Park County.

HSI often works in partnership with the City of Salida and its Historic Preservation Commission to foster awareness and reap the economic benefits of historic preservation.

If you are interested in becoming a member of HSI and receiving the newsletter, please visit the website at  www.historicsalida.org or call membership chair Meriel Gooding at 719-539-9178, or write:

Historic Salida Inc.
P.O. Box 70
Salida, CO 81201.

Historic Salida Inc

Minutes of Historic Salida Inc., at United Methodist Church.

Present were Leslie Walker, Meriel Gooding—membership chair, Judith Kinzie—treasurer, Dara McDonald, Earle Kittleman–president, and Beth Smith—secretary. A quorum was present.

Earle called the meeting to order. Beth read the minutes of the October 17, 2008 meeting. Minor changes were made. Jackie moved we approve the minutes as amended. Motion passed.

Jackie reported on restoration of the Twitchell building. Anyone interested is invited Nov. 25 at 11:30 for a tour with Estelle Cole from CHF. Participants will meet at the Cowgirl Coffee. They will be reviewing the contract with Tom Zeman. There is no need for CHF to ratify each contract unless CHF has an issue with it. Several cornices on F Street have been repainted including repainting bricks below the windows.

Alison Ramsey ( P.O. Box 1522, Salida, 539-5106) may be interested in a HSI scholarship for CMC. She is chairman of Chaffee Co. Heritage Plan with GARNA. Beth will contact her.

Meriel reported 181 newsletters are in the mail.

Leslie talked about “Coming Together for our Town” and the new property code approved by the city council. It includes signs, mountain trails, farmers market, Boys and Girls Club, and many more local issues. The 2009 focus is on façade improvement, and rehabilitation of historic buildings. Dara McDonald will lead as Community Development Director. She needs volunteers to help with the workshop. Soon a press release will be in the local papers.

Leslie talked about “webinars,” an online workshop from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Main Street program for interested people at the Salida Regional Library. Jackie moved that HSI sponsor it with the city and the Salida Business Alliance. HSI would pay half the cost. Leslie seconded the motion. Motion passed. Leslie is chairman of the “webinars”. December 4th at 11 a.m. will be the first session.

The Unique Theater has been listed for sale with Leslie’s real estate firm. Thomas Morgan, a realtor is involved too.

Jackie wondered if we could set up an archive to preserve HSI papers. Earle and Judith have papers and contribute.

Jackie told about a program with Tom Noel and Ed Quillen called “What Good is Denver?” similar to the successful face-off we had earlier this summer at the Steam Plant. Perhaps HSI should plan a field trip to enjoy the program sometime in February.

Jackie moved we spend up to $1700 on the workshop coming up on property maintenance. Motion passed. Mr. and Mrs. Mike Perschbacher will organize it at the Scout Hut. The city will handle the expense of the Scout Hut. The city will send out follow-up letters to their downtown property code enforcement notices (sent out last month) inviting property owners to the workshop. Earle will welcome all to the workshop. Dara will discuss the city code. A Saturday in January or February will be the time frame.

Next meeting of HSI (regular meetings on third Friday of the month) will be December 19, 12:00 noon at the Methodist church. Cheryl Brown Kovacic will present a power point program on the Chaffee County Heritage Plan, which was adopted by the County Commissioners last week.

Meeting adjourned.  Beth Smith, secretary

HSI has recommended the Elk’s Club to Colorado Historical Fund to receive a grant for assessment and begin restoration on the roof. The Elks Club building is already recognized as a historic building. Bob Rich and Sam De Leo were present to lead a tour of the building after the HSI business meeting.

Dara McDonald, Bonnie Lathrop, Judith Kinzie, Peggy Barton, Jackie Powell and Beth Smith were present. Earle Kittleman presided at the meeting. Michael Yerman and Mike Perschbacher were guests.

The secretary read minutes and data on the Salt Creek Ranch was added by Jackie. Minutes were approved with this addition.

Treasurer J. Kinzie reported a total of $5,804.l0 in the HSI account. Jackie reported the contract for the $8000 Twitchell Building grant from CHF had arrived. They plan to read it after today’s HSI meeting.

No HSI scholarships have been awarded this semester. We plan to talk to the teachers in the historic studies department. Candy Chant in student services is the woman to see about scholarships at CMC.

The Heritage Plan has been presented publicly. Beth will see if Cheryl Kovacic will bring the power point program to HSI.

Mike Perschbacher told about his work in restoring 5 outbuildings on the Hutchinson Ranch. The granary is completed. In l869 it was moved from Granite to the Homestead. The Hutchinson lived in it while their home was being built. Display cases have been purchased; one in memory of Rex Rhodes.

Teachers will bring Longfellow second graders on a visit to Salida’s historic places on 10-23-08. They will visit the Hutchinson Ranch, the Smelter smokestack, Maysville School, Tenderfoot Mountain and the sign about Zebulon Pike (1806) on highway 285 among other things. Peggy and Bonnie offered to help with the second graders.

Michel Yerman discussed the city’s downtown property code enforcement. The biggest violation was with paint and historic windows, some minor foundation work needing repair and maintenance. After notification owners have 180 days to fix the building.

HSI is considering sponsoring workshops on repairing windows, paint, cornices for the owners in a Jan. or Feb. time frame. Mike Perschbacher has been teaching a workshop in South Park on historic window restoration.

The Unique Theater (Hartslief) has defaulted on the loan from the city to restore the building. The city will take the next step.

There is still interest in restoring the “Pest House” below the River Run Inn and some interest in declaring the F St. corridor a historic area.

The F St. Bridge is on the national historic register and will get an assessment soon. The Stone Bridge is also listed.

Following adjournment, Bob Rich and Sam De Leo gave us a tour of the Elk’s building and told us history of the Club at the old building.

Meeting adjourned. NEXT MEETING (3rd Friday of month): Friday, Nov. 21, 2008

Beth Smith, secretary

P.S. Cheryl Brown Kovacic will make her power point presentation about the Heritage Area Plan during the December board meeting of HSI set for Friday, Dec l9th at noon at the United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall.

Minutes of the August meeting were approved.

Meriel reported that letters had been sent to all members whose dues are due again. 65 members are currently on the roll. Members present volunteered to call the members whose dues were not paid by next month. Again this year Meriel will pay for the HSI
Web site. Thanks Meriel!

Judith Kinzie reported the Salt Works Ranch tour attracted 22 people last Saturday; raising $230.00 of which $l20.00 want to “Tag” Fanning and $110.00 went to the HSI treasury. Currently HSI has $5318.78 in the bank.

Those who toured the Salt Works Ranch reported a very successful day at the ranch. Many thanks were expressed to Jackie Powell and Gary Higgins for their help and a slide presentation before the tour.

Linda Balough, the head of the Park Co. Historical Preservation Society presented Jackie and Gary with an award on behalf of the Park County Commissioners and Park County Historic Preservation Advisory Commission for their help in establishing the Salt Works as a Historic Property. Today the Mt. Mail had a good article and picture of Jackie and Gary.

Historic Salida’s scholarship fund to CMC remains untouched this semester. Jackie will contact Bob Ogle about how to manage more student contact and report at the next meeting.

Suggestions for our Nov. newsletter were articles about the Salt Works Ranch tour, the downtown improvement going on and our scholarship fund.

Laura Cronenwett is very ill in her new home in Kansas. Donna will send a card with best wishes from the HSI group.

Earle will post a gallery of photos from Salt Works tour on the web site and see about the “pest house” requests.

Alan Robinson will give a tour of Leadville Stage road planned for development into a hiker and biker trail Sept. 27 or 28.

Earle told of his and Beth’s tour of the Nestle Waters site on Ruby Mountain. A DRGW boxcar is available at Jensen’s Ranch on CR 250.

Donna Francis will write a letter of support for HSI to Colo. Historic Fund to help the Elks club get a grant for restoration of their building’s roof and perhaps an elevator for the interior of the building.

Beth Smith, Secretary

Members present were Earle Kittleman, Meriel Gooding, Faye Golson, Jackie Powell, and Katy Grether. Guests were Linda DeLuca and Bob Rich.

Meriel read a letter she is sending to new members and all members whose dues are due reviewing our progress with Salida historic restoration. She was asked to include UMC scholarship information and notes about the upcoming Salt Creek Ranch tour. Judith Kinzie is the member to contact if you’d like to go to the Salt Creek Ranch tour on Sept.13. Anyone can go, $10 donation suggested, with half the money going to the Ranch and half going to HSI. Jackie and Gary Higgins will present a slide show about the area at the Methodist church at 9 A.M. before we car pool to tour the Ranch. Take a brown bag lunch; drinks will be furnished at the Ranch.

Our October meeting will be held at the Elks club including a tour of the historic building.

Bob Rich and Linda DeLuca were representing the Elks club, which is looking for advice and guidance on applying for historic designation and grants with the Colorado Historic Fund. Bob is the facility supervisor on the Board of Trustees at the Elks Club. Linda represented the women’s activities. Bob has already talked with Lyle Miller from CHF. HSI will write a letter of support for the restoration project when they are ready to apply for CHF designation. The next meeting will be on October 17, 2008.

The heritage plan is still under revision. Public meetings will be held soon.

Beth Smith, Secretary