“You cannot improve what is already perfect!” remarked Bill Jochems to a round of cheers and applause in the crowded parlor of the Redstone Inn. In the first of a new series of talks featuring longtime residents of Redstone, hosted by the Redstone Historical Society, Bill Jochems and Jeff Bier recounted tales of living in the Ruby of the Rockies beside a bubbling gas fire to an enchanted audience. The talks hope to preserve and collect the history of Redstone from failed business ventures at the fabled castle to the hard-fought battles for preservation and conservation in the Crystal Valley.
Ranging from such topics as the 1981 explosion in the Coal Basin mine that claimed the lives of 15 miners, to the “goofy schemes” of such parties interested in ski areas in Marble, and two major dams along the Crystal River that would have, had they come to fruition, submerged Redstone under 150 feet of water and (hypothetically) centered Marble as a ski resort hot spot with over 20,000 residents. Around the room in the audience, other longtime locals, each with their personal legends and histories in Redstone, all of them coming together in the spirit of discussion and storytelling.
Redstone, in the stories shared and memories recollected, is not just a coal mining camp, nor is it solely a tourist destination or the site of the famous castle. The character Redstone played in these conversations was simple: Redstone is home. In the shadows of the days of Colorado Fuel and Iron (Osgood’s mining company), talking to any of this generation of Redstone residents fully communicates that reality. Home is here, and home is important.
There is a deep generational tie to the land here and the mighty Crystal itself and the history of the fight for its pristine beauty was also strongly central in the talk. Bill spoke in depth of the history of the fight for the crystal dating back to the 1970s with the proposed dams and ski areas all the way to the proposal for a sewage treatment plant. A communal sense of dedication to protecting this place at all costs was echoed across the audience of locals and visitors. With the founding of the Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association (CVEPA) in the 1970s, the battle has since been fought on all fronts to ensure the continuation of the legacy of Redstone for all future generations to experience.
The fight for the Crystal is multi-faceted, touching all sides of the social spectrum — from political arenas from Pitkin County all the way to the U.S. Senate to local volunteers who have stood unified for the Thompson Divide, for the Crystal River and for the gem of a place they call home for over five decades.
On the other side, the fight is to keep the history of the area alive for future generations to experience. At the core of this stands the Redstone Historical Society, an all-volunteer organization of locals works tirelessly to preserve the storied past of Redstone’s history. In their collections, hundreds of photographs, artifacts and living histories work in concert to share the unique reality of the little coal mining town nestled in the Crystal Valley.
In addition to hosting this new series of fireside chats (check the community calendar section of this paper for future dates) and preserving the history of Redstone, the Historical Society is now seeking the community’s help as they enter into a new phase of conservation of history. A historical home on Redstone Boulevard immediately next to the Inn is now for sale for the first time in almost a century from the same family that has lived there the entire time. The Historical Society has a chance to purchase the home with the intent to preserve its history (and the original mining day furniture inside) as part of a new permanent, full-sized Redstone Museum where they will be able to display the priceless artifacts from Redstone’s past in a safe and secure museum for visitors and locals to appreciate. Since the Society is all-volunteer, they are seeking donors to help make this dream a reality. Inquiries about donating and membership to the Society may be sent to historyredstone @gmail.com, care of Deb Strom.
Redstone Historical Society fireside chats series seeks to ignite a passion for Crystal Valley history
