denver in the 60's70's (Lakewood, Westminster: how much, taxes, live in)

[Barrelburger]

Speaking of burgers, does anyone recall The Barrel Drive-in, at 2776 No. Speer Blvd. It was there from about the late 20s or early 30s on, and it closed in about 1973. The owner, Lou Ballast received the first trademark for his cheeseburger, and so he is actually credited with having invented it. His "Barrelburgers" were simply the greatest hamburgers ever cooked on this planet.

[NowInRichmond]

I'm going to try this again. Ther first one didn't post properly.

We moved to Denver in Dec of '68 and left in Nov of '86. I miss the city a lot. I would love to move back, but I could never convince my hosband to. He doesn't like snow and he says there are too many people now.

We first lived in Aurora, then Westminster and finally Broomfield. Here are some things I remember.

Luby Chevrolet; Spedding Chevrolet

Northwoods Inn; Black Angus; Victoria Station; The Hungry Farmer; Round the Corner; Wiinchel's Donuts; Duffy's; Trader Vic's; The Pepper Mill; The Boston Sea Party; Bonanza Steakhouse (around 72nd and Federal)

LeGrue's (on Broadway); Curtis Mathes; OG Wilson's; Eakers; Joslins; The Tie Bar (Northglenn Mall); Richmond Brothers (Northglenn Mall); Cinderella City; Northglenn Mall.

Cinderella City opened one day and Northglenn Mall opened the next. I was at both of them.

KHOW - Hal Moore, Charlie Martin, Don Martin (traffic reports), Little Johnny Harding, Ray Durkee, Lindsey English, Lynn Woods. I Love You, Denver Parties that Hal and Charley used to host.

TV Personalities and Shows - Carl Akers, John Rayburn, Ed Sardella, Lynn Sanner (sports) Noel and Andy (it used to com on either before or after Captain Kangaroo. My kids watched both. I think it was on CBS.
Merrielynn - I think she was the wife of a prominent Denver politician.

Petro Lewis - Husband worked there for many years.
Edgewater Typewriter - I worked there. Later it became Edgewater Office Products.

[MisterB]

I remember the bad recession us Denverites had in the 70s. Lots of people out of work, after energy crashed and all those buildings on 17th street becoming empty. There were lots of real estate developments were abandoned, and you could buy real estate in Cherry Creek for cheap, real cheap (wish I would have bought some). I remember many apartment complexes "going condo". Although mortgages at that time were around 17%.
The space program was over and the only project they were working on at Lockheed Martin was the Viking Mars lander. Didn't they put up the Johns Manville building up around that time?
Dot-Com was still years away but I believe Storage Tek was just starting at that time.
Remember those WIN (whip inflation now) buttons that the fool Jerry Ford was pushing? I never saw anyone else wear them.
Things eventually did get better...

[ExcopRon]

MisterB

I remember those days well......i too wish i had money to invest in. I recall working off duty at a gas storage unit off of 38 th and I 25.........there were threats of bombing such facilities, so they hired off duty officers............the truck drivers would come into town, expecting to empty their tankers, and get back on the roads again. They ended up just parkimg their fuel rigs in the lot....they would be so P/O, as the rumor was we had a shortage of fuel in the area. They were pissed cause every day they sat here, they weren't making money...some sat for days at a time

Back when Denver was in the running for the Olympics, 1976 i think .........the city's politicians were so sure we would get them so they went out and ordered thousands and thousands of patches..........well, you can guess who had to wear them when Denver didn't get them,,,,,,,,,,the Police Dept.......they were determined to get some use from them ....we thought it was so "lame" at the time

Anyone else remember when the Marvin Davis' ( Denver Socialites and Colorado's wealthiest man at the time) , , held the Carrousel Ball Every year. It was the premier of socail events for the city.......Almost EVERY big name entertainer in the world would attend......The city seemed to light up during the Ball era.

I too remember working off duty at a smaller branch bank on 17 street in downtown..........A major bank across the street was owned by Marvin Davis. I would watch out the banks windows in amazement at all the long, black, sleek limousines that constantly pulled up there. I didnt know Denver had so many limos. Marvin Davis was THE MAN , wealth wise, until Philip Anshutz came on the scene. I was saddened to hear of Mr Davis' passing after he moved to California

[DOUBLE H]

What was sad was Marvin Davis was a HUGE baseball fan and wanted it in Denver in the worst way. And almost got it when Charlie Finley, the owner of the Oakland Athletics baseball club, almost sold it to them. Then at the last minute he backed away from the deal. It was another 15 years until Denver secured a major league baseball club.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by ExcopRon

Anyone else remember when the Marvin Davis' ( Denver Socialites and Colorado's wealthiest man at the time) , , held the Carrousel Ball Every year. It was the premier of socail events for the city.......Almost EVERY big name entertainer in the world would attend......The city seemed to light up during the Ball era.

I remember well. A friend of mine worked for their charity, Children's Diabetes.
The Davis' grandchildren went to the preschool where I worked.
It was quite a loss when they relocated to California. They took a lot of glamor with them, but also people lost jobs when they left.

NowInRichmond, I remember every single thing you listed. Merrie Lynn was married to the governor of Colorado. And your husband is right, you would hardly recognize Denver now from those old days.

I do think there are still a couple Rockybilts and Dolly Madison stores open.

[Kevin Preston]

Here's an odd memory, wonder if anyone else remembers it.

Sometime during the mid 60s, I remember there being something going on where all the programming on the television was messed up. Nothing matched the TV guide. This seemed to go on for a few days. I was a little guy at the time, but loved TV, everything from the original Star Trek to Blinky's Fun Club to Prince Planet. So really being into TV as a kid, it was like someone was screwing around with my internal clock! It just felt so wrong. There were odd documentaries on, and nothing was on like it was supposed to be.

Looking back as an adult, I wonder, was there some massive broadcasters strike or something like that? Anyone recollect? It has bothered me for years....

[DOUBLE H]

I believe there was a strike, yea, somewhere around 1967(?)

Now in Richmond has a LOT of cool listings. Ah yes, Cinderella City!
At that time (April of 1968) they said that was the future of shopping for America. I was active in Letterman's Club and Key Club when I went to Englewood High School and a lot of us volunteered (actually got volunteered) to pass out info sheets to the public as they were coming into the parking lots, walking in the entrances, etc. The sheets showed the store layout and where the stores, restaurants, management offices, restrooms, etc were located.

I'll still never forget the amount of people that first day who came. I went in there with friends maybe a week later and the place was packed still. For a long, long time that was THE place to shop if you lived in the southern part of the metro area.

[DanBev]

I moved to Denver in Aug of 1971,a nice uncrowded city.We lived at Chief Hosa Campground until we purchased home in Conifer.We got snowed on around Labor Day.Evergreen was still a part of summer retreat for a lot of people.Hiwan Country Club was was just getting started.Our telephone manager,Tom Sjoden,still lived in Mountain Bell house in Evergreen.Across the road from our home in Aspen Park was the $.29.9 gas station and Coney Island hot dog stand brought up from Colfax.The Mountain Division used Aspen Park for winter training in WW11.Gov. Lamb killed the winter Olympics for this area.The railroad was prominent at one time going to Bailey.In 1971 There were a lot of very interesting old timers.I had the good fortune of talking with them.In Denver we had season tickets to Englewood Speedway,a lot of fun with nice people,until growth drove them out,people started complaining of noise as they started to build around them.We enjoyed Mile High Flea Market.I read where a person mentioned Petro Lewis,bought it and Loil as penney stock,still have worthless certificates.I was an Telco installer for all of the new bldg's in down town Denver during this boom.Around !972-73 and on our son pen palled with Allan Phipp's owner of Bronco's,this was unknown to us to start with.We were guests at Mile High in his suite,this was when "High Tops" Turner kicked a long field goal and my son received many items from this very generous man.The kids at school wondered how he got a jersey with various players jersey's.I particularily remember 43,Foley's.He also recieved a AFC ball signed by John Ralston and all team members.I still have items he sent our son from Allan collected from monday night football crew,Cossell,Alex Karas,Gifford and Merridith.We still have Bronco Jacket,on and on it goes.Unbelievable how a prominent Denver man adopted us.He called in 1986 and said there was Bronco Jacket at Logan Street facility.These were the best of times for Denver.Our son was a Denver policeman and worked game security at Mile High,unfortunately we lost him to brain tumor at age 30 and now buried at Fort Logan.

[DanBev]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

So for those who were around back then before I was born, would you have rather lived in the Denver of the 60's and 70's or the Denver of today?

I do have a post on this subject and I will say that the 70's and early 80's were outstanding,no gangs,very easy to move around and a very friendly population.We enjoyed antique stores in Morrison,up and down Broadway even Federal and Alameda.I will bet the old gray mare ain't what it used to be!!!