Time Machine: 100 years ago, one-armed McConnon Products agent narrowly escapes death for the second time
Vail Trail/Vail Daily archive
40 years ago
April 26, 1985
The first phase of five-year plan to revamp Vail Mountain had gone into effect with the closing of the ski slopes for the season, the Vail Trail reported.
“Chair 16 will be replaced by the new Mid-Vail Vista Bahn, a covered quad chair that will go to MidVail, instead of about halfway up the mountain, as chair 16 did,” the Trail reported. “A quad will also replace the existing triple chair 4, while the triple will be moved to replace the double chair 3, also at MidVail. Quad chairs will also be installed this summer to replace the double chair 11 in the Northeast Bowl and the double chair 7 in Game Creek Bowl.”
Plans also included cutting a new intermediate run between chair 4 and Ramshorn; enlargement of ski terrain on Northwoods and Northstar in the Northeast Bowl; regrading of the fall line along Tourist Trap-Compromise-Lower Riva, making the length of Riva Ridge more accessible for less skilled skiers; cutting a skiway from MidVail to the bottom of Chair 11, opening access to the Northeast Bowl section of the mountain; moving the Nastar and self-timer courses to the eastern side of Hunky Dory on new terrain; and cutting four new intermediate runs in Game Creek Bowl.
50 years ago
April 25, 1975
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Many locals were on edge following the disappearance of Vail resident Julie Cunningham.
A radio station in town aired a story linking the Zodiac Killer from California to disappearances of women in New Mexico, Utah and Colorado, but Police Chief Gary Wall said there’s no evidence linking the Zodiac Killer to Cunningham, the Vail Trail reported.
“To my knowledge there hasn’t been a slaying in Vail,” Wall said.
80 years ago
April 27, 1945
News reached Eagle County of a Minturn man’s participation in a mission in which a German village was taken without any American casualties.
“The prescribed routes of attack had become snow-bound, so the doughboys used one under direct observation of the enemy — over the crest of a hill while the moon shone brightly during the early morning drive,” the Eagle Valley Enterprise reported.
The Americans were dressed in snowsuits, according to the report.
“Before entrance was made into the village, Pvt. Joseph Mascarenez of Minturn was one of four men who scouted the route and nabbed nine Germans on outpost guard,” the Enterprise reported.
The Americans took an enemy command post and found it unoccupied, with a German machine gun posted in the doorway in defense of the building. The stove was still burning and there was an untouched meal on the table, according to the report.
“Two Germans later sneaked into the town hoping to recover a cache of food left there during their hasty departure,” the Enterprise reported. “One was killed and the Yanks captured the second.”
90 years ago
April 21, 1935
An Oak Creek youth died after crashing a new master Chevrolet car in the Burns Hill area of Colorado River Road in Eagle County.
The boy was the son of George Hagerman, who was described by the Eagle Valley Enterprise as “one of the pioneer Chevrolet dealers and garage men of Western Colorado, having started the first garage in Oak Creek many years ago.”
The boy had attended a dance in Oak Creek the evening before, but his reasons for being in the Burns Hill area in the early morning hours were unknown, the Enterprise reported.
After the dance, at approximately 3 a.m., the boy “went home and secured a key to the garage, his parents thinking to put away the car,” the Enterprise reported. “He did this, but took out the new master Chevrolet and left in it.”
Officers of Routt County had feared that foul play had entered into the death, and asked Eagle County Sheriff Murray Wilson to investigate the accident.
“Mr. Wilson and his undersheriff, Eldon Wilson, went to the scene and made a thorough investigation, but definitely determined that the young man was alone at the time and at least shortly previous,” the Enterprise reported. “Phil Maxwell, who lives on the Colorado river road below McCoy heard the car go by his place at daylight Sunday morning, and noticed it stop below his place and the occupant changing a tire.”
100 years ago
April 24, 1925
One-armed McConnon Products agent Henry Anderson narrowly escaped death for the second time in his life after his steering gear broke in his Ford car while traveling along Colorado River Road, the Eagle Valley Enterprise reported.
“The machine, with Mr. Anderson still at the wheel, toppled over the high bank and plunged into the raging river, now nearly at flood stage,” the Enterprise reported. “A large boulder, protruding above the water breaks the current at this point and the car landed upside down in six or eight feet of water between the bank and this boulder. Mr. Anderson was able to crawl from under the car, submerged in water, and after a considerable struggle regain the bank. He was pretty badly bruised about the face and head, but not seriously hurt, his escape being almost a miracle.”
The car was retrieved, the Enterprise reported, and was not beyond repair.
“During the World War, Anderson was serving as a guard in the Glenwood canon on the Colorado river and suffered an accident which nearly cost him his life, and which did result in the loss of his right arm,” the Enterprise reported.
