Hotchkiss-Crawford Historical Museum

11/06/2026

What everyone in Hotchkiss was talking about in 1966.

Here is a newspaper clipping from 1966? when the First State Bank demolished the building next to their building, which had previously had its top story removed. They then built an addition onto the bank. The bank is now the United Business Bank. First State merged with United Business Bank in October of 2019. I

In the photo you can see Memorial Hall through the gap between buildings.

11/06/2026

Here is a newspaper clipping from 1966? when the First State Bank demolished the building next to their building, which had previously had its top story removed. They then built an addition onto the bank. The bank is now the United Business Bank. First State merged with United Business Bank in October of 2019. I

In the photo you can see Memorial Hall through the gap between buildings.

11/05/2026

The next meeting of HCHS will be on Monday November 9th at 1PM. We meet every 2nd Monday at the museum.

11/05/2026

On the job. The new curator's committee met Tuesday morning at the museum and received some training from administrator Ben Bentele, who has been moving thing seriously into the digital age.

Here an 1880s quilt on display is examined, photographed and entered into the museums new digital cataloging system.

11/04/2026

Here is another angle from a Hotchkiss parade photo from the 1940s. L to R: Gambles (now vacant and for sale), City Market (Now part of Elks Lodge), Duke Hanson Mercantile (closed in about 1951 and converted to Elks Lodge). Bank of the North Fork building/Hotchkiss Town Hall. The picture was taken from in front of the Conoco gas station located when Gambles is now. Also, the street looks paved.

11/03/2026

When did Colorado begin? A share of something posted by the Ute Indian Museum in Montrose.

11/03/2026

The Hotchkiss Hotel building under construction in 1898. The project was done under the direction and ownership of Enos T. Hotchkiss with the construction being led by his nephews, Al and Carl Sherman who produced the bricks using local clay fired at their own brickyard near where the Fairgrounds is now. Their bricks had a somewhat varied quality.

The Shermans were also stone masons who later build the Hanson Castle on Leroux Creek.

11/03/2026

More regional history shared from History Gunnison Colorado. A history of Anthracite/Ruby that was then call Floresta.

11/02/2026

Lazear (Hurst) School building closed and boarded up. It was called the "Hurst" school after Charles A. Hurst, a local stone mason who was the lead builder of the school. There were several schools on Rogers Mesa in the early years including the one that is now the Roger's Mesa Community House on the SE corner of Hwy 92 and 3100 Road.