Though Meeker has always been a quiet and rather small town, there are many stories around it that you may find interesting. These stories range from the founding of Meeker to present day. Below you will see some of the most interesting, and peculiar stories about the little town. They may not be that short of stories, but this is the best summarized telling of them! If you have any stories you think would fit on this page, feel free to email us at [email protected]!
Cold Case Solved After 41 Years
Evelyn Kay Day - 1979
In 2020, the cold case murder of Evelyn Kay Jones Day was solved after 41 years. Evelyn, known as Kay to those around her, was born and raised in Meeker her whole adolescence and graduated from Meeker High School in 1968. Eleven years later Kay was living in Greeley with her husband, and two kids, while also working at the local community college, when she was reported missing in November of 1979. Kay was working as a business lab monitor, when she was last seen around 10 pm on November 26th by a student. The next morning her husband, Stanley Day, noticed Kay had not returned from work and filled a missing person report. Later that day, two of Kay's co-workers noticed her red station wagon on their way home from work. The car was parked just southwest of the college. The two co-workers approached the station wagon and found Kay's body inside. Sadly, Kay had been sexually assaulted and strangled, but luckily detectives were able to get DNA evidence from the scene. There were no leads and using DNA to track down suspects was still a very new thing in the late 1970s. The case sat cold for 41 years until the Weld County sheriff's office hired a detective, Byron Kastilahn, specifically for cold cases. He opened the case back up, and with new advanced DNA technology was able to link the murder of Kay to a Wichita resident, James Herman Dye. After further investigation, it was revealed that Dye was a student at the college Kay was working at the time, and a previous crime stoppers tip was given about Dye a few years after the murder. Dye also had previous accounts of sexual assault, which he pleaded guilty to, but he refuses to admit any involvement in the murder of Kay. Dye was arrested on March 22, 2021, and awaits trial for the first-degree murder of Evelyn Kay Day.
Interestingly, Kay was also connected to another murder, when her mother was killed in Meeker in 1973. Elenore Doris Jones was the local bookkeeper in Meeker when she was killed at the age of 52. Elenore was recently divorced, and killed by a "jealous boyfriend" in her own home. She was known as a missing person for many days until her body was found in her freezer. Don Hoerl was found on the run in Idaho shortly after and pleaded guilty to a second-degree murder charge. He was convicted and sentenced to 15-30 years in 1974, as part of his plea deal. Hoerl served just over seven years of his sentence when he was later let out on parole. For more information on these cases, visit https://www.theheraldtimes.com/murder-of-weld-county-resident-with-meeker-connection-solved-after-41-years/meeker/. and https://www.greeleytribune.com/2021/03/26/weld-county-sheriff-da-announce-arrest-in-1979-murder-of-evelyn-kay-day/
Interestingly, Kay was also connected to another murder, when her mother was killed in Meeker in 1973. Elenore Doris Jones was the local bookkeeper in Meeker when she was killed at the age of 52. Elenore was recently divorced, and killed by a "jealous boyfriend" in her own home. She was known as a missing person for many days until her body was found in her freezer. Don Hoerl was found on the run in Idaho shortly after and pleaded guilty to a second-degree murder charge. He was convicted and sentenced to 15-30 years in 1974, as part of his plea deal. Hoerl served just over seven years of his sentence when he was later let out on parole. For more information on these cases, visit https://www.theheraldtimes.com/murder-of-weld-county-resident-with-meeker-connection-solved-after-41-years/meeker/. and https://www.greeleytribune.com/2021/03/26/weld-county-sheriff-da-announce-arrest-in-1979-murder-of-evelyn-kay-day/
Barber Shop Rivalry Leads to Shots Fired
On September 14th of 1906, an ongoing rivalry between the two local barber shops in Meeker came to an end. Between 9 and 10 PM this night there was a conflict between Ed McMillen and R.C. Thornton. McMillen owned the barber shop in connection with the Meeker Hotel at the time, and Thornton owned the barber shop on sixth street. It is unsure how this fight was started, but near the post office on Sixth Street, McMillen was shot by Thornton. The bullet passed through his upper body, causing severe damage. McMillen ran to the near by drug store and was met with immediate medical attention. He was soon removed to his home farther out in town, and every possible medical personal was sent to help. Sadly, this was all to no avail as McMillen died less than an hour after being shot. Thornton was immediately arrested and put in the town jail. The town jail was not equipped to hold any prisoners for a long amount of time, so Thornton was transferred over to Glenwood Springs, where his trial would occur in October. It is presumed that jealousy over business matters was the cause for this murder. For more information and the direct newspaper clipping of this story visit https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=MEH19060915-01.2.6&srpos=2&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA-ed+mcmillen----1906---0------www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=MEH19060915-01.2.6&srpos=2&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA-ed+mcmillen----1906---0------
The First Gay Marriage in Colorado
Anna Slifka with her husband and kids later in life - date unknown
One of the first, and most interesting stories of Meeker is that it actually had the first (sort of) legal gay marriage of Colorado. In 1911, a young man by the name of Jack Hill arrived in Meeker. It didn't talk long for Jack to become popular around town, and he soon started a courtship with a young women named Anna Slifka. The couple was adored around town, and they eventually got engaged and married in 1912. They were congratulated and seemed to have the perfect life, but the whole thing was a lie. Jack Hill's real name was Helen Halstead or Hazel Hilsher (depending on the source), a women disguised as a man. At the time, Colorado didn't require birth records, and creating a new identity for yourself was much easier. This wasn't the first time Hilsher had changed their identity, she had done this once before, in Denver, but was later found out by her friends when she had to show she was the legal owner of some land. Hilsher had changed her identity for easier traveling from the East to West, since women would likely not be able to make it on their own out there.
The two had devised this plan to stop other potential suitors, as they both just wanted peace. The plan worked for ten months, and both women had peace until W.B. Thompson arrived in Meeker. It is unknown why Thompson was in town, but when he stopped at Anna Slifka's brothers shop, he saw a familiar face. Thompson had known Hilsher from her past attempts at being a man in Denver, and Thompson accused her right there in the shop. She denied it, but her brother-in-law was already alerted and on his way with a doctor to their house. Hilsher was found out and put in the town jail to await trial, and Slifka was brought back to her families home. The women explained before the court that they just wanted to save up money at a man's wage, and weren't bothering anyone. The trial would be postponed, and Hilsher moved back to Denver and eventually lead life in Chicago. Anna eventually went on to marry Fredrick Peaslee, and carried on life in Meeker. Though their life together lasted only a few years, the actions taken were historic, and continue to be talked about today. For a more detailed description of these events, visit https://narratively.com/in-1913-she-walked-down-the-aisle-disguised-as-a-man/?utm_source=Week.
The two had devised this plan to stop other potential suitors, as they both just wanted peace. The plan worked for ten months, and both women had peace until W.B. Thompson arrived in Meeker. It is unknown why Thompson was in town, but when he stopped at Anna Slifka's brothers shop, he saw a familiar face. Thompson had known Hilsher from her past attempts at being a man in Denver, and Thompson accused her right there in the shop. She denied it, but her brother-in-law was already alerted and on his way with a doctor to their house. Hilsher was found out and put in the town jail to await trial, and Slifka was brought back to her families home. The women explained before the court that they just wanted to save up money at a man's wage, and weren't bothering anyone. The trial would be postponed, and Hilsher moved back to Denver and eventually lead life in Chicago. Anna eventually went on to marry Fredrick Peaslee, and carried on life in Meeker. Though their life together lasted only a few years, the actions taken were historic, and continue to be talked about today. For a more detailed description of these events, visit https://narratively.com/in-1913-she-walked-down-the-aisle-disguised-as-a-man/?utm_source=Week.
Foul Play, Aliens, or a Simple Runaway?
Herman (Hermie) Parks in Meeker, 1930.
Meeker seems to be a small town where nothing happens, but in the summer of 1931 did Aliens make a pitstop in the town or was there more human crimes at play, like murder? On August 2, 1931 Lester Burn seems to have disappeared into thin air. The night before Burns was on his way to Marvine for a dance when he got into a car wreck. This allegedly happened because Burns was intoxicated. After getting into a wreck Burns gave up on going to the dance and returned to the K-T summer camp to spend the night. There are several witnesses that saw him that night and the following morning. After waking up Burn decided to walk and get his car, denying an offer from a friend to help him. Later in the day, Fritz Kracht returned to the camp and asked if Burns had returned with his car. Kracht then learned Burn had never shown back up. On the hunt to find Burns, Kracht went to where the car had been left the last night and learned Burn's car had not been picked up from Burn or anyone else and remained in the same spot. Later Burns tracks would be found to have rapidly stopped before a car's tracks turned out of the road and it would appear Burns got into the car.
So what happened to Mr. Burns? This remains a mystery. It would be easy to write this off and say Burns ran away and fled the country, but there are many reasons this is unlikely. It would be odd for Burns to leave his car on the roadside and get into another car willingly to leave the country. It is also said that Burns was not the type of person to just leave, especially because he was a prominent member in Meeker society and also part of the local IOOF. It is also unlikely Burns got lost and was seeking directions as he grew up in Meeker and had set foot in every part of the country side. Many around Burns also discount Burns getting into an accident and wandering off. So that leaves foul play or an other worldly visit. Burns had no known enemies, and why would someone go so far off the beaten path to harm him?
To make the situation only weirder, almost a year before this incident, Herman (Hermie) Parks disappeared under the same circumstances and in the same spot. Parks had still not been found when Burns disappeared. This only accelerated the investigation around Burns. It was discovered that there were horse tracks near the spot where Burns disappeared and lead to a lake nearby. Here a large stone had been taken from the bank and wasn't accounted for. This lead to the lake being dragged, but still no body or evidence was found.
Not long after the disappearance of Parks and Barns, a lone skull was found near the sight. After 86 years of the skull being unidentified, through tests and such, the skull was later confirmed to be Hermie Parks, though no other body parts were found. The skull was returned to Parks' family after the identification. Nothing for the investigation came from the identification as there was no evidence or trauma on the skull to help.
Is it possible both Burns and Park found themselves in the exact same situation, where foul play got the best of them? Or is is merely a coincidence of two men disappearing a year apart? Almost 100 years after these men disappeared we know no more about this case then the day they left. So, was this a case of foul play, aliens, or two simple runaways?
So what happened to Mr. Burns? This remains a mystery. It would be easy to write this off and say Burns ran away and fled the country, but there are many reasons this is unlikely. It would be odd for Burns to leave his car on the roadside and get into another car willingly to leave the country. It is also said that Burns was not the type of person to just leave, especially because he was a prominent member in Meeker society and also part of the local IOOF. It is also unlikely Burns got lost and was seeking directions as he grew up in Meeker and had set foot in every part of the country side. Many around Burns also discount Burns getting into an accident and wandering off. So that leaves foul play or an other worldly visit. Burns had no known enemies, and why would someone go so far off the beaten path to harm him?
To make the situation only weirder, almost a year before this incident, Herman (Hermie) Parks disappeared under the same circumstances and in the same spot. Parks had still not been found when Burns disappeared. This only accelerated the investigation around Burns. It was discovered that there were horse tracks near the spot where Burns disappeared and lead to a lake nearby. Here a large stone had been taken from the bank and wasn't accounted for. This lead to the lake being dragged, but still no body or evidence was found.
Not long after the disappearance of Parks and Barns, a lone skull was found near the sight. After 86 years of the skull being unidentified, through tests and such, the skull was later confirmed to be Hermie Parks, though no other body parts were found. The skull was returned to Parks' family after the identification. Nothing for the investigation came from the identification as there was no evidence or trauma on the skull to help.
Is it possible both Burns and Park found themselves in the exact same situation, where foul play got the best of them? Or is is merely a coincidence of two men disappearing a year apart? Almost 100 years after these men disappeared we know no more about this case then the day they left. So, was this a case of foul play, aliens, or two simple runaways?
1918 Spanish Influenza's Impact
In 1918, Meeker had only been a town for a few decades. This is when the 1918 Spanish Influenza appeared and had a huge hold over the whole country. Unlike the name would lead you to believe, this flu likely started in France, China, or even Kansas. Most countries decided not to publicize the epidemic, out of causing fear to spread, but Spain was one of the few that talked about it, thus giving it its name. By Halloween, the flu had spread through out the country, and the first deaths were reported. By the time Thanksgiving had occurred, many towns had forbid entering or leaving the town, going outside is social gatherings, and going into a complete lockdown. (This is very comparable to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, but even stricter.) Many of these lockdowns were unsuccessful though, as germ theory was a new idea and even with little contact the flu could be spread. This also meant that health professionals were unable to treat the flu, causing many to have secondary bacterial infection that could lead to death. Thankfully, Meeker caught a mild case of the flu, but this still meant that most people either had the flu or lost someone to it. The pandemic ended in early 1920, as everyone had developed an immunity to it by this time but descendants of the flu continue on in seasonal flu strains. To learn more about how the 1918 Spanish Influenza affected Meeker visit https://www.theheraldtimes.com/2018-marks-100th-anniversary-of-spanish-flu-epidemic/rio-blanco-county/
Theodore Roosevelt's Stay
Vice-President elect Theodore Roosevelt in Meeker - January 11th, 1901
In January of 1912, the governor of New York and Vice-President elect Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt visited Meeker with a couple buddied on a hunting trip. Teddy and his group stayed at the Meeker Hotel, while many were still trying to introduce themselves despite it being past midnight. Teddy's main purpose for wanting to stay in this out of the way town was to rest, and hunt. He had just left his governing job on January 1st, and would become the vice-president on March 4th. He simply wanted to go up river to hunt mountain lion for a past time. Though the actual count of Teddy's exploration is not known, some have said that up to 12 mountain lions were bagged by him (this number continued to grow through word-of-mouth communication.) While hunting, one of Teddy's guides, dogs stood out to him, and he eventually went on to adopt this dog and brought him back to Washington. This small brown terrier was known as skip, and lived the rest of his life out with Teddy. Teddy Roosevelt would go on to become the youngest president in US history after the president before him was assassinated. He was known to be one of the best presidents of his time, and even survived an assassination attempt of his own. He would eventually die in 1919 at the age of 60, but he will forever be remembered in Meeker. For more information visit: http://www.meekerhotel.com/files/4113/2155/9272/History_Book_Without_Charlie_on_the_front1.pdf and https://visitmeeker.com/history/
