This week in history as reported by The Summit County Journal the week of Jan. 13, 1923.

Breckenridge loses prominent citizen

After several years of illness, which confined him to his home, Robert W. Foote passed to the great beyond on the afternoon of Jan. 11. In him, Breckenridge has lost one its progressive and energetic citizens, who even two days before his death was busy planning a new mining venture for next summer.

Mr. Foote came to Breckenridge in February 1880 with $30 in his pocket and “full of day’s work” and 18 years of age. He soon learned mining, and when the gold strikes were made on Farncomb Hill he took an interest in several leases and actively engaged in gold mining. He was so fortunate in his mining ventures as to get the title of “Luck Bob Foote.” While he was still interested in Farncomb Hill, he entered the local politics and was elected county commissioner. Later he was twice elected mayor of Breckenridge, also served one term as town trustee and for eight years was a member of the Breckenridge (District No. 1) school board; it was during his incumbency of that office that the present brick school building was erected.

In mining, he was always ready to take a chance and at different times had operated the Minnie Mine on the game hill and numerous leases.

He with others organized the Wellington Mines Company, which is credited with having produced over $19 million worth of ore and which has paid $2.05 million in dividends to stockholders. As he was personally largely interested in a number of the properties embraced in the company’s holdings he naturally became its first general manager.

High winds block train

Thursday morning’s South Park train out of Leadville was blocked by hard-packed snow near Dickey station. After plowing through more than a mile of the packed snow, which the high winds had drifted into the track which had been cleared of 3 feet of snow a few days ago by the rotary snow plow, the engine of the train was held at the Dickey coal chute until about 7 p.m. that evening. The road was again cleared by the rain from Denver preceded by two engines, a wedge plow and a fighter. The stalled train left Breckenridge on its delayed run to Denver at about 8 p.m. that night.

Commissioners meet

The county commissioners completed their labor on Thursday. After the new officers were sworn in and their bonds approved, there were bills allowed and other routine matters — making practically two sessions of the board. The full proceedings will be given in our next issue.

Mr. W. H. Briggle, the new county commissioner, was sworn into office by County Judge D. W. Fall, who also administered the oath of office to Edward Stuard, the new county assessor. After which the several officers who retain their office by reason of being reelected took their oaths and fave their several bonds.

There was only one application for the position of janitor of the courthouse, that of Charles Godfrey, Republican, so he was appointed to take the place so long and satisfactorily held by Jacob Wild, a Democrat.

Mrs. Carl Ecklund dies

A recent letter to Mrs. Theodore H. Knorr of Olathe, Colorado, announces the death of Mrs. Carl Ecklund at Portland, Oregon on Jan. 1. The remains were interred at Centreville, Utah, her hometown, on Jan. 7. Carl Ecklund was born and raised here, and the sympathy of the older residents who knew him go out to him in her loss.