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In case you missed Lexi’s farewell letter in last week’s print edition, here it is. Farewell to the Readers To the faithful readers of the Plainsman Herald: I am writing today to bid my farewells and express my thanks to you all. I have so greatly enjoyed the support and encouragement from you all over…
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Sylvester Fowler’s firsthand account, “A Night in Trail City,” published in the Westmoreland Recorder in 1887, vividly depicts the lawless and debauched atmosphere of a boomtown fueled by the Texas cattle trade. The excerpt from Letters From Colorado: 1880-1889 by Kent Brooks provides context, explaining that Fowler’s letter is one of many personal accounts from…
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This episode outlines the details of the history of the R.L. Ballard Memorial Basketball Tournament in Springfield, Colorado. The tournament, initially organized by the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, aimed to boost the local economy and community spirit. It began in 1990 as a small event and expanded significantly over the years. The tournament was later…
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History and Stories
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“No machine has yet been invented to successfully replace the hand labor. The men, using broomcorn knives with sharp five-inch knives, move down rows in a field, bending the heads or brush with one hand and cutting the stalk about six inches below the bottom part of the brush with the other hand. “ -Pueblo…
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Rise and Fall of the US Broom Industry is an overview of the broom & broomcorn industries in the U.S. The foundation for this post was provided to me by Sam Moyer Ph.D. He gleaned much of this from BROOM, BRUSH & MOP, (especially Tim Monahan’s 1986 review) Sam Moyer, Ph.D. My updates specifically focus…
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In the talks I have given about broomcorn I have always mentioned that Benjamin Franklin is often credited with bringing broomcorn to America in the 1700s. This concept is usually presented as fact, but it turns out that whether this is true or not is actually up for debate. I introduced you to some of…
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Reposted with Permission by Dr. Sam Moyer. Although there hasn’t been broomcorn production in Baca County for many years, there actually has been quite a bit of research done in the not so recent past. My newest broomcorn acquaintance is Dr. Sam Moyer, a geneticist and a broom maker from New Jersey. Dr. Moyer has…