Many Highlandlake Pioneers Enjoy Pleasant Day of Good Fellowship
Longmont Ledger - Mead Messenger Page, June 15, 1928

Right: Photo from the 1929 Pioneers Picnic - the forerunner of our annual Highlandlake Reunion and Community Gathering

The pioneers of the Highlandlake section met Friday, June 8, in the church building with about 125 old timers or their descendants present. A bountiful country dinner was served at noon. The Evans family, who nearly all live in the Windsor district, were present with fully forty - old and young - and put on the major part of an interesting program. Mrs. F. H. Coates had charge of the program and Mrs. W. W. Woodley read the minutes of the last meeting and greetings from Mr. And Mrs. Henry Holmes of California, Mrs. C. P. Emery of Pueblo, whose father was once pastor in the church, and Mrs. Lillian Van Zant of Oak Park, Illinois. The deaths of Charles Ide and Mr. Doudy were reported.

E. L. Evans was present from Windsor. He came to the Highlandlake section along with the Meads, Oviatts, Hubbells, Waites, Newbys, Holmes, Pounds - all early settlers. Mr. Evans came from Pennsylvania, lived two years at Arvada, and then homesteaded in 1877 near the lake, which was then but a small body of water. The family consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Evans, George, Charles, Thomas, and Lyda. School was held in the upstairs of the Hubbell home with Miss Emma Hubbell as teacher. The house still stands. The next year the school district was organized and a schoolhouse built on the east side of the lake.

The Evans family kept their homestead and remained there intact for 20 years. George and Charlie went to Longmont College, a Presbyterian school east of the tracks in Longmont, now a Catholic home. They attended about 1887, the first year of the college. W. O. Thompson was president.

George now lives at Bennett and has three boys and one girl. Charles is the present manager of the Great Western factories at Greeley and Eaton. He has the same sized family. Tom is a farmer near Windsor and has two daughters. Jess has six children and Perry 8, and they too live in the Windsor territory.

The first Mrs. E. L. Evans passed away in 1905, and since then Mr. Evans and two of his sons have married a mother and two of her daughters.

In addition to this family, who were nearly all present, including Eli Evans himself, were a brother of the first Mrs. Evans, H. G. Coates, and Mrs. Coates from New Castle, Pennsylvania, who are spending some time in the Evans, Coates and Kraig homes and with other relatives. This is his first visit "back home" in 22 years. His children are all married and as he said, "Mother and I are out for a good time."

An interesting group of four generations from Boulder consisted of Mrs. M. A. Johnson, Mrs. Myrtle Apple, Mrs. Alice Erickson and her little daughters, Jean and Betty. With her first husband, Mr. Cruthers, Mrs. Johnson came to the Highlandlake section in 1881, and left eleven years later for Lamar.

Mr. and Mrs. James Bodkin of Denver were present. They lived near the lake for many years prior to eight years ago.

Mrs. Vesta Waite Daeschner, with her husband, A. Daeschner, who is a teacher of science in the junior high school at Boulder, and their son were present. Mrs. Daeschner' s parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. P. Waite settled first at Lyons during the boom, and went to the lake district in 1873. Mr. Waite and L.C. Mead were the first settlers. Mrs. Daeschner and Mrs. Marietta Waite Thomas of Pomona, California, are all that is left of the family. One brother drowned in the lake. Prof. Daeschner spoke feelingly of his early memories of visits to the community -- particularly of attending church 29 years ago when his wife was still Miss Waite. He feels it is good to gather where youth once reigned--to renew friendships, and find again hope for the future. He said that he who wishes to be as good as his ancestors much be better than they were, for he has their achievements to build on.

Several members of the Coates family were there. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Coates who joined the community in '84 have both died. Mrs. Ed Kraig, Lew Coates and F. H. Coates all live in Mead territory; F. B. Coates lives in Johnstown; and Mrs. Dora Holmes lives in Long Beach, California.

Mr. and Mrs. Gus Biederman were present. Mrs. Biederman came with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. I. H. Mayfield, in 1873 and settled in the St. Vrain Valley, later moving near the lake. Thomas and Will Mayfield had come earlier. The Biedermans have long been substantial residents of the district.

M. G. mead, at 52 years, has the distinction of being the only man in the district who lives in the house in which he was born. His father was L.C. Mead.

Mrs. Kate Newby of Longmont was present. She has taken the Longmont Ledger for 40 years. With her husband she joined the settlers around the lake in the early 80s. Mr. Newby died in 1886 and she was left with six children to raise. Isn't she a pioneer in the bravest sense of the word?

the meeting was held in an inviting church building given to the community in 1896 by Miss Bumstead whose picture hangs on the wall. At that time a cheery red and yellow ingrain carpet was laid, and it still looks as clean and bright as only a good wool carpet can. Church has not been held there for about 12 years, and the building, which now belongs to nobody, is used as a community house. A part of the collection taken Friday will pay for clothes hook recently installed. A piano, seats, and a kitchen nook makes it a most desirable meeting place.

A delightful program consisted of two vocal solos by Miss Irene Evans; two clever readings by Mrs. Clinton Smith; a poem, "Boys You Used to Know," written by Mrs. Laura Parks, read by Mrs. Coates; a recitation by Mabel Arlene Smith, two years old; a song by a group of six Evans little children; who sing well, indeed; such whistling as you never heard by Jerome Evans, who gave the Doll Dance in birdlike quality, beautifully clear. He introduced sort of a pucker and trill that made his encore a decided novelty. For sheer foolishness, the reading in German dialect exceedingly well given by Donald Evans, took the cake. Mr. Mead says that Charlie Ide spoke the same piece at the Highlandlake school 40 years ago. Donald's encore was almost as likely to cause disastrous results from laughter.

T. J. Landrum's Silver Threads Among the gold on the fiddle, accompanied by Mrs. J. F. Bradley, brought a hush of retrospect over the audience, showing fullest appreciation. His livelier music made it hard for even Rev. Campbell of Mead to sit still. Blest Be the Tie That Binds and America were sung by the gathering and they dispersed reluctantly to meet again next year on the second Friday in June, in the same place.

This page was updated on October 22, 2009