The Raymer enterprise. (New Raymer, Weld County, Colo.) 1910-19??, 1910-10-13
Pleasant Valley Farn+Io


Twenty-Five years ago. =.
October 10, lass. IS
Continued from last week. .
Dear Reader:- Z
We will then drop into Fred Stephen
sons sheet iron shop. Fred was one of
our town characters. Somehow or other
he acquired a taste for vinegar and he
preferred it to any other soft drink. The
trainmen on the local freights used to
call Fred Vinegar Bill. Away back in
the dim past Fred organized the Ray
mer Sheet Metal and Cornice Works,
and at present employs about twenty
five men.
Up on the corner is the Raymer Lum-
Der Company. j. H. Brownlee was the
proprietor, altho he was seen but sell
dom, Louis Allen was manager. Like
the rest of US, Louis farmed few hun
dred acres just for fun, and he still
thinks it so much fun that he has never
moved to town. In 1915 the yard was
moved down on the tracks and was en-
larged to about twice its first size. Sew
eral years ago they added a Wholesale
department and are doing a nice bust
ness. Louis stills retains a financial in
terest in the concern, but is leaving the
management to the younger generation.
The lumber yard is the last business
house on the east side of the street,
and we will know call on Truxaw &
Kruger, the general merchants just
across the street They had been in
business just about year previous to
this time and shortly after sold out to
Ed McEvoy and John Dugan, both Ed
and John retired number of years ago
to make way for the present Raymer
Mercantile, Co. of which Eugene is
the head. Both Of the older gentlemen
still retain interests in the concern, as
well as in the Raymer Milling and Ele.
vator Company.
Coming south we pass the restaurant
but at this time it was closed. A short
time later it was leased by Mrs. Crabh
whom the older residents will well re.
member. She did good business fol
number of years but has long since
retired, and lives in a coy residence in
the north part of town.
Next in our path is the livery and
feed barn, which Ed Murphy was run,
ming. I'll tell you itused to take small
fortune to buy feed, and naturally il
showed up when one came to settle with
Ed.
Bly, Moons blacksmith shop lined up
next. Bly, long since found Central
Avenue too expensive location for his
shop and moved west two blocks where
still pounds the anvil once in a while
and meets all old and new friends. He
added carriage shop some years ago
and is doing well in both lines.
Right here | want to say that all the
old-time residents, with very few ex-
ceptions, have done and are doing well.
They knew good things when they saw
them, and their sticktotiveness has had
its reward.
One would hardly look for the first
home of the present metropolitan Daily
and Weekly Enterprise in the little II
KID shack between the first postoffice
and the blacksmith shop. But here il
was that Perry Majors worked long ant
hard those first days. l will give you {
comparison of the first days and presen,
plants in succeeding letter.
South of The Enterprise office was the
Postoffice. Bert Vik was first postmast
err, and the writer the first assistant.
The latter was position largely of hon.
or, since about the only duties were to
see that the one mail sack was brought
to and from the Cannonball or Aerop.
lane Mail each day except Sunday.
The 20" always was christian road.
The last building on the west side OF
Central Avenue was the sea, of all evil.