Dick Dixon Collection
Dick enjoying a light-hearted moment with Arlene Shovald, ca. 1980.
Dick Dixon was deeply involved in Salida history. As a Colorado and Western History teacher at Salida High School, he was also an advisor for the SHS Le Resume yearbook and for the student newspaper, the Tenderfoot Times, which won numerous accolades during his tenure.
Famous for his vast knowledge of Salida history, Dick was instrumental in the creation of the Salida Centennial Collection, a project that involved gathering numerous images of Salida and the surrounding area for the Centennial celebration that occurred in 1980.
He was a prolific author, among his works being “Off the Beaten Path: Back Country by Automobile-Scenic Trips from Salida,” “Smokestack – The Story of the Salida Smelter,” “Trails Among the Columbine – A Colorado High Country Chronicle, the D&RG’s Calumet Branch and the Turret Mining Area,” and “Ascension Church: Into Its Second Hundred.” Dick also coauthored “Salida: the Early Years.”
Dick died in November 2020. The following images were graciously donated by his wife, Terry Dixon.
Bird’s Eye View of Salida, June 1, 1895
Forbes McPherson
David May
Charlie Wheeler
Charles Fowler
Captain Joseph S. Hutchinson, 1863
Captain Joseph S. Hutchinson, 1861
Andrew McPherson
William F. Bailey, 1874
Unknown Gentleman
Unknown Gentleman
Galatia Sprague, Lake County Judge
Caroline Sprague
Bird’s Eye View of Salida from Mt. Lookout (aka Mt. Tenderfoot) – Mt. Ouray in the distance, rising over 10,000 feet above. Mellen photo. D.&R.G.R.R.
Unknown Lady
Unknown Lady
Unknown Gentleman
Unknown Gentleman
Mary Hanks
Albert Hanks
Unknown Young Man
Unknown Young Girl
Unknown Young Woman
Unknown Salida Men’s Lodge – Sign reads ‘Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen’
Unknown group of Hospital workers, presumably standing outside the Denver & Rio Grande Hospital
Unknown Gentleman
Unknown gentleman from California Gulch, 1862
Tom S. Wells, namesake of Wellsville, Colorado. Image taken at California Gulch, 1862-64
Robert Berry in California Gulch, 1862
Rev. John Dyer at the Methodist Episcopal Conference in Colorado City, 1866
Rev. Gilliland at the Annual Methodist Episcopal Conference in Colorado City, 1866
John Prowers
Unknown group portrait
Harvey, Blanche, and Galatia Sprague in 1885
J.W. Sprague and family
Cameron Family Portrait. Each person listed at right.
Unknown family posing in front of house with horses
Two women in buggy bedecked for a parade at 125 E. 1st Street, the old Salida Mail offices.
F St. alleyway looking west
F St. alleyway looking east
The images to the left were used in Case #2121, Deering vs. City of Salida. They are plaintiff’s exhibit #3. In August 1907, Melvin Deering (of the transfer firm Deering & Van Orman), had loaded heavy trunks into his wagon and was transferring them through the alley between 1st and 2nd Streets just west of F Street, when one of the trunks toppled and fell off. Melvin leapt from the wagon to save himself and fell into an outdoor cellar staircase, sustaining a compound fracture of the leg. Deering sued the City of Salida and in 1911, won his case and was awarded a $10,000 settlement.
In these images, Vaughn lumber is visible at back of image, and The Right Place’s advertising, which was located at 124 F, can be seen.
Alleyway at 128 F with outdoor staircase filled in
Three men standing by streetlight at 128 F Street
The Best Steam Laundry at 122 E. 1st Street.
Salida Greenhouse storefront at 225 F Street
122 W. 2nd St. in Salida
Golden Rule Mercantile Company at 219 F Street
Colorado Telephone and Telegraph office at 122 W. 2nd taken Sept. 28, 1909. L to R: Cassie Rutherford, Mrs. Ruth Stodgehill Johnson, Alice Velly, Fannie Cullinan, Beauregard & Mary McNamara. Lillian Wright stands at rear. The office remained here until the new building was erected at 508 F Street.
St. Joseph Catholic Church Confirmation class
Salida baseball team, ca. 1900. Roy Williams is second from left, Arthur Marvin is fifth from left, and Manager Otto Rose is far right
Artist’s Embellishment of Hangman’s Tree in Maysville, Colo. This is probably the work of the Hermit of Arbor Villa, as he is visible at bottom of image
Salida Transfer Company at 140 W. 1st Street. Drivers L to R: Art SMith, Tom Green, Jim Bennett, Jack Aqckle [poss. misp.], unknown, Jack Welch, Bill Green, Cliff Tedder. Background: Jim Blunkall, Letha Mahar (owner of company), Sam Blunkall, Joe Stancato, Frank Stancato (of Stancato Bros. Grocery Store).
Signs from left: Bazar; Troy Laundry; Moose Rooming House, 25, 35,& 50 cents; Salida Transfer & Storage Co., Phone Chaffee 100; (High) Eagle’s Hall (low) Helmar Cigarettes
Salida High School Wireless Radio Club, 1916-17. Photo taken in manual training room of old Presbyterian [Salida] Academy. Standing at rear L to R: Robert Gough, Joe Ayres, Harold Thurston, Frank Bode, Fred Bode. Center row: Partial unknown, Charlie Briggs, Warren Hall, Al Everett, Stewart Sexton. Seated: Unknown, Melvin Crotser, Treyce Van Pelt. Standing Teacher: C.R. Bernard – Seated Teacher: Rev. George Oakley, Pastor of Presbyterian Church
Salida High School Graduates Class of 1897. L to R: Inez A. Chinn, Esther Eloson Kreamer. Nettie Bly, Maude Davis Howard, Laura Champ Rumsey, and Ava Barnes. The principal at this time was Professor Marquis de Lafayette Buell, and assistant principal was Cora Louise Nelson, who later became Mrs. Alex Davidson
Salida High School built in 1910. Opened for class in the Fall 1910. First graduating class in 1911. Destroyed by fire on April 14, 1962. $34,000 bond issue floated in 1909, it was built on ten acres purchased in 1904 on which the Presbyterian Academy stodd. Edgar Kesner was superintendent and Clarence Tanton was principal of SHS. The Salida Academy in the rear was used as a manual training shop until 1922 when it was torn down to make room for a new shop building
Salidans on hunting trip in Saguache County, Jan. 1903 with their kill of 1,650 rabbits. Included in photo are Dr. O.T. Parker, Henry Hughes, __ Jarrett, Sam Roney, Dr. F.N. Cochems, Harry Lee, Herbert Exter, Dr. C.I. Kramer, D.D.S., Dean Buzz, Austin Jacques (from Saguache), Buster Gourd, J.D. Whitehurst, D.J. Kramer, Walter Higham, N.C. Figley, Fred Paine, __ Alexander, George Miller, Rollo Means, Dr. N.J. Kelly, D.D.S., __Cole, Steve England, Rob Ellis (from Saguache), and half of Wesley Whitehurst
Salida Academy cornerstone, 1886, as photographed by C.H. Clark
Railroad Depot etching by F. Reistle
The town of Monarch, Colorado
Laying the cornerstone of the Salida Academy Oct. 16, 1886
Laying of the cornerstone at First Methodist Church
Unknown store interior
Ideal Auto Company at 341 W. 3rd. L to R: James Blunkall, unknown, unknown, Mrs. Frances Denning seated in car, Mr. C.H. Denning standing
Helen Hanks behind the wheel of Henry Hay’s car
Public Service sign at 317 F
Colorado Power sign at 317 F Street
Public Service Company at 317 F Street
Three women passing by Public Service Company at 317 F Street
Public Service Company with Tenderfoot Mountain in background
J.H. Holcomb’s Feed & Implement store on W. 3rd
H Street School room, presumably the second floor
H Street School classroom with students
Unknown group posing in front of the ‘Boy and the Boot’ statue at the Denver & Rio Grande Hospital
Unknown group in front of Salida Harness Shop, probably at the corner of 9th & D Streets
Unknown group in American patriotic dress
Girls Drum Corp in Alpine Park, 1911
Ford Tri-Motor at the Salida Airport, July 3-4, 1929
Frantzhurst Trout Farm
Five unknown men in wagon
F Street streetscape with Tenderfoot Mountain in background
E.G. Holman’s Hot Springs Livery and Feed Store was also the Turret and Whitehorn stage office. The driver is a man known only as ‘Magpie’
Salida High School Graduates Class of 1932
Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Depot at left and the Monte Cristo Hotel at right
Denver & Rio Grande Hospital
Denver & Rio Grande engine in the Salida railyards
Mrs. A.N. Appleby’s store in Poncha Springs, 1906. Mrs. Helen McLauren and her daugher Mary Blanchard are at left
Denver & Rio Grande Depot, ca. 1912. See notes to right concerning this image
[Warning: Offensive Language] Text of note reads:
(Kaess on side) About 1912. Denver & Rio Grande Depot, Salida, Colo. I believe this picture dates back to about 1910-12. The train is all ready to head for Poncha & on over to Gunnison. Express wagons were far left Birdsell, Mixer, HJodgeman. Buggy with white horse Hinton (I’m not too sure of last one.) At far right – Nigger Jason with black enclosed cab. At times there was Wood’s cob & Pike Brothers. Don’t forget Old Man Newell with the long white beard who drove the street sprinkling wagon. Umbrella on wagons was ‘Francis Brothers’ clothing. Sign on mountain berlay visible through smoke was ‘Ben Disman Clothing.’
‘The Clink” – part of the Days of ’49 celebration in Salida. A light-hearted jail sentence was bestowed on unwitting passersby, sometimes for offenses as extreme as not having a beard.
Baptist Church at 419 D Street under construction
Hortense School
St, Joseph’s Catholic Church built about 1890 after fire destroyed the 1886 structure. LAter used as a parish hall until 1922 when it became a school. It was moved in 1958 to make room for the new school. It is now part of Grange Hall on the mesa.
This image was taken in 1926 in front of City Hall at 124 E Street. L to R: Special Agent from Grand Junction [possibly D&RG Agent J.S. Burris], Salida Police Chief Fred Hampe, Night Patrolman Sant Smith, unknown, & James Blunkall
W.S. Edwards Wholesale Liquor at 309 W. 1st
Cathedral Spire at Castle Gardens