Portrait of Addison Morrell Wrench, Telluride Pioneer

Addison Morrell Wrench was born in New York State in 1867 and he came to Telluride in 1890 where he accepted a position as assistant cashier of the old San Miguel Valley State Bank [the one robbed by Butch Cassidy and the Hole in the Wall Gang.] In the latter part of 1890, the bank was merged into the First National Bank of Telluride, and Mr. Wrench was promoted to cashier. The old First National Bank still stands in Telluride at the corner of Fir and Colorado. Previous to accepting the cashiership, Mr. Wrench was engaged in the loan business. He was also a director at the First National Bank. Mr. Wrench was engaged with L.L. Nunn in the erection of an electric plant in Utah. In 1894, Wrench assisted in the organization of the Telluride Board of Trade of which he was treasurer. He was also engaged with Nunn in the Telluride Power and Transmission Company.

— courtesy Jerry O’Rourke

From the Telluride Daily Planet, 2003

Town of Telluride deputy marshal exits

Town Manager Jay Harrington said deputy marshal Andy Darr was no longer employed by the Town of Telluride, but declined to say anything further on the circumstances surrounding Darr’s exit. Last week, though, town officials confirmed the deputy marshal was off the streets while an internal investigation took place into two separate incidents that were the subject of formal complaints. One complaint was filed by a local family and the other was reported by a part-time resident who was arrested by Darr last year for driving while alcohol impaired.

From The Telluride Times, July 21, 1988

Town saluted

Telluride will be one of four Colorado cities saluted during the fifth annual Festival of Mountain and Plain in Denver. The event is a recreation of a historic Colorado celebration in which, 91 [111] years ago, Telluride’s band won the state championship.

From the same issue:

Power under grounding

Council voted unanimously to authorize the mayor to execute an agreement with San Miguel Power Association for the under grounding of the power lines from Society Turn to Telluride.

From The Telluride Times, July 20, 1978

Bridal Veil power station saved

[Note: A few weeks ago I wrote about Eric Jacobson saving the Bridal Veil power station 20 years ago. It had also been saved 10 years prior to that, as the following article states.]

After the Ingram Boarding House burned to the ground last summer, Telluride resident Roger N. Williams became concerned about the fate of the Bridal Veil Power Station. Perched atop Bridal Veil Falls and visible from Black Bear Road, the power station has suffered increasing vandalism in recent years.

In his efforts to “save the building,” Williams, under the auspices of the San Miguel Historical Society, applied to the Colorado Historical Society (CHS) for help.

His efforts paid off. The Bridal Veil Power Station has been included in a CHS Preservation Office formal nomination to the U.S. Office of Archeology and Preservation for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. Such designation would make the power station eligible for maintenance, restoration and renovation grants.

The Bridal Veil Power Station was ordered built by Smuggler-Union owner Bulkeley Wells in 1904. It provided power to the Smuggler Union mine and later the Pandora mine until 1953.

From The Telluride Times, July 26, 1968

Pipeline construction in Dry Creek Basin

A construction project of far-reaching significance to San Miguel County and the entire area was started last week when Rocky Mountain Natural Gas Company, Inc. began work on the building of a natural gas pipeline from Dry Creek Basin to a point between Olathe and Delta.

The 10-inch line will extend some 58 to 68 miles to the point where it will connect with the company’s existing pipeline facilities. Approximately 15 miles of the line will be in San Miguel County.

Oil and gas development in the Dry Creek Basin area has been progressing without much fanfare for over a year. The amount of investment in the pipeline gives some idea of the productivity of the area. Speculation was developing rapidly in Norwood, Telluride and other county communities over the possibility of natural gas service at some future date.

From The Daily Journal, Aug. 12, 1903

Local Gossip

Last evening some boys notified Marshal Geyer that a burro was in a hole under the old Watson building. Geyer, finding this to be true in turn notified Human Officer Latch, who after further investigation learned that the boys had driven the burro under the building into the basement for safe keeping from older boys and in the dark the animal had fallen into an old shaft about 35 feet in depth, the same evidently having been used for a sump the last few years. A candle or lantern when lowered more than ten feet into the hole would not burn and with the assistance of Superintendent Breck of the Light Company, an incandescent lamp was lowered to the bottom and it being impossible to get the animal out uninjured, he was shot. Today a quantity of chloride of lime was thrown on the carcass and the shaft filled up.

Bobbie can be contacted at bobbies@telluridecolorado.net Comments are welcome.