The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon. (Canon City, Colo.) 1911-192?, 1919-09-11
The Family Skeleton
DID YOU KNOW THAT

DID YOU KNOW THAT
Canon City used to have a Chinese
section situated about where the main
business section now is? There were
laundries galore. Some of these could
be seen from the Webster residence
on Greenwood avenue, and one day
Ruth Webster saw man stealing
clothes from Chink's line. She,
whistled and hollereu until the Chinks
were attracted. and the clothes were
saved and the man captured.
The first building erected ON the
site of Canon City is still extant? 1t
is the log cabin situated in what is
now called Rudd park. and is on the
alley to the rear of Sixth and River
streets. Arson Rudd, later governor
of Colorado, lived in it. The house is
to be restored to its former condition
and preserved as historical relic of
the early days.
The Hot Springs hotel, now practi-
cally in ruins, was at one time fash
ionable and popular hosiery TO which
people from all over the East and
West came to rest and recuperate?
Many Canon City swain tnow bald
headed and with bunions on his feet)
used to take his lady love to dinner at
this resort, and it was indeed quite a
treat. A large number of people were
cured of various kinds of diseases by
the baths in the famous mineral
water.
The D. & R. G. railroad used to be
a narrow gauge all through this Sec
ton, clear to Pueblo, and for many
years after the broad guage line was
put in the narrow gauge was still re-
tanned SO that stock shipments and
freight from the Marshall pass line
would not have to be transferred at
Salida, but could be pulled into Pueblo
and there transferred. This laird rail
was torn up along about 1910 or 1912.
The old Pueblo & Arkansas Valley
Railroad Company, the predecessor of
the Santa Fe Railroad Company, is
still corporate entity That it's board
of directors is still existent and that
once a year its members come to
Canon City in special car and hold
their annual meeting to comply with
the law? The P. & A " Railroad
Company has no tangible or visible as
sets of any kind.
That City Clerk H. C. Webster
came to Canon City from New Jersey
in 1875, the year after the D. & r. G..
railroad was built here, and that he
has been continuous resident of the
community ever since Mr.. Wooster
was one of the Santa Fee engineers
that located the route thorugh the
Royal Gorge during the famous rail
road war" 80 years ago. He helped
survey the town of Cleora. near Sa-
Ida before the Chaffee county metrop-
ellis was ever dreamed of. He as
sisted in mapping out the first rail-
road grade over Marshall PASS and
was at one time a surveyor at Albu-
querque, N. M Mr. Webster was
chief clerk at the penitentiary under
WArdens Smith, McLister, Hoyt and
Cleghorn and, for part of the time
under the administration of Warden
Martin.
That John Chetelat. superintendent
of Canon City's waterworks system.
Was one of the pioneer settlers of the
Wet Mountain valley? Mr.. Chetelat
was born at Baltimore, Md. but re-
moved with his parents to Woodford
county, ILL.,, when boy. He came to
Colorado and established himself in
the Wet Mountain valley in 1874, four
years after Gen. Wulstein had emf
grated there at the head of large
party of German colonists from Chi
eago. While not one of the original
-colonists," Mr.. Chetelat, perhaps.
knows more. about Gen. Wulstein's
ambitions and enterprises than any
body now living in Canon City.
The First Methodist Episcopal
church used to be located on the cor
ner where Frank L. Smiths store is
now situated? 1t was moved away
IS or is years ago to make room for
the beautiful building which now occu-
pies the site. Mr.. Smith who. by the
way. was secretary and treasurer of