Hayden Heritage Center Museum & Research Library

10/13/2026

𝙏𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙏𝙞𝙙𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙨 - 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙞𝙙𝙗𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙖𝙮𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙒𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙍𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙩 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙏𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜.

𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗟. 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗟 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆

The Norvell Building is one of the community’s oldest standing business structures in the town of Hayden. The two story building was originally built in 1888 on the William Walker ranch, and was considered to be one of the sturdiest and best insulated buildings of its day. Until 2020, it was still a place for locals to gather and tell a tale of yester-year, just as it was in the early 1900s. It is easy to say that thousands of men and women have graced the inside of this building to buy goods and reminisce of the “good old days”. The story of the “bar on the Highway” – “the HiWay Bar” – “the HiWay Bar & Grill” – the “Hiway 40 Grill & Lodge” is long and rich in history. If only those walls could talk….

James Lafayette Norvell was born in Tennessee November 20, 1861. He headed out west at age 20 and located on a ranch near Hayden in 1882, feeding cattle for Sam Reid. In the winter, he carried mail, owning stage lines between Wolcott, Steamboat Springs, Craig, Lay, Rawlins (WY) and all points in between. Jim (as he was known) was a colorful and active figure in Northwestern Colorado engaging in many fields including: cowboy, mail carrier, road contractor, merchant, cattle buyer, townsite promoter, rancher, cattleman and even saloon keeper and gambler.

After marring his childhood sweetheart, he bought land in Hayden and began developing townsites. He bought a two-story building on main street in 1897 from William Walker and developed the J. L. Norvell Mercantile Company – a grocery and general merchandise business which included building supplies and lumber. Tons of supplies were brought in by team and wagon from Wolcott and Rawlins, to help the citizens of Hayden through the long winter months. The Norvell store became a gathering place for locals who would sit around the pot-bellied stove and exchange ideas, or tell stories while whittling on a stick or chawing on some to***co.

The Mercantile company thrived and Jim purchased a livery stable and hotel in Hayden. However, Jim’s interests weren’t really in running his businesses himself. He left the management of his businesses to managers while he pursued other interests. He once owned Steamboat Springs Town Company and platted additions to Craig, Yampa and Steamboat Springs.

Jim prospered in, and seemed to enjoy the most, the buying and selling of cattle. He would buy cattle (sometimes two to three thousand head) up and down the valley, fatten them up and sell them in Denver. Jim’s ups and downs went along with others, sometimes making and losing tens of thousands of dollars -- but he never allowed his losses to daunt him – often joking at fate and with enthusiasm as he started a new project.

In the early 1900s, the J.L. Norvell store in Hayden was thriving, managed by Byron (BT) Shelton. The building also housed the first bank in Hayden, Yampa Valley Bank, and a saloon. Shelton, and Jim, along with his younger brother Bob (Robert E.) decided to incorporate their business in 1902, with the Shelton brothers and Shelton being the first stockholders.

Jim seemed to enjoy a reckless life of drinking and gambling and probably because of this, Jim’s wife left him in 1900. He remarried Mary Jane Hamilton from Steamboat in 1902. Sometime in the early 1900’s, Jim became a “changed man”. He left his previous “reckless life of drinking and gambling” and became a “cowboy evangelist” around the state. He had owned several saloons and he vowed that for each saloon he’d build a church in the community. It was even said that after his “change”, he went to Hayden, rolled the barrels of booze from the saloon and opened the spigots, spilling the booze into the street.

Jim sold the Norvell building and store to M.Q. Starr in 1916. He continued on for many years with his other interests around the valley until his death, in Yampa, on Sept 29, 1936.

The Norvell building went on to house the Starr Mercantile until 1933 (after Prohibition) when the building was leased to Sam Lighthizer and converted into a bar and café. The original bar came from Germany and was used in Leadville until prohibition days. Mr. Lighthizer then purchased it out of storage in Denver and brought it to Hayden to be used in his bar.

For almost 90 years, the Norvell building housed a bar along Highway 40. Usually with “Hiway Bar” in some form of it’s name, it was “one of the oldest continuous places of business in Colorado, featuring a full-service bar, restaurant, and nightly and short- term rentals in the upstairs apartments.” A fire in the building in July of 2020 brought an end to the legacy and although the building still stands, it was mostly gutted for fire restoration and has never returned to operations.

Stay tuned for our next Tuesday Tidbit.
Visit the Hayden Heritage Museum at 300 W. Pearl Street in the Old Depot
P.O. Box 543, Hayden Co 81639
(970)276-4380
[email protected]
https://www.haydenheritagecenter.org/

We’d love to hear your memories and Feedback on our Tueday Tidbits! Have an idea for a Tuesday Tidbit… or want to hear more about something… don’t hesitate to let us know by commenting below or emailing us!

10/10/2026

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has approved the addition of Routt County Deputy Sheriff Charles E. Gibbs to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Deputy Gibbs, whose end of watch was March 21, 1929, will be formally honored during the 39th Annual Candlelight Vigil on May 13, 2027, as part of National Police Week. His name will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial alongside thousands of officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their communities.

Deputy Gibbs was killed when he was caught in an avalanche 22 miles northwest of Steamboat Springs, while on his way to serve papers on two miners. He was also an army veteran of World War I.

"This recognition ensures Deputy Gibbs' service and sacrifice will be remembered for generations to come," said Routt County Sheriff Doug Scherar. "We are grateful to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund for helping preserve the legacy of those who gave their lives in the line of duty."

Located in Washington, D.C., the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial serves as the nation's tribute to federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. More information about the memorial is available at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund website, www.nleomf.org.

10/08/2026

10/06/2026

10/06/2026

𝑻𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝑻𝒊𝒅𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒔 - 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒊𝒅𝒃𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑯𝒂𝒚𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑾𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑹𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒕 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒏 𝑻𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈.

G𝐨t M𝐢l𝐤? 𝐑a𝐲m𝐨n𝐝 𝐘o𝐚s𝐭 𝐚n𝐝 𝐭h𝐞 𝐇a𝐲d𝐞n V𝐚l𝐥e𝐲 𝐃a𝐢r𝐲

Mesa Farm Dairy of Hayden was started by Ruth and Howard Baily in 1923. About 1930, O.P. Kelso began operating the Kelso Fairview Dairy, located on the mesa near the present-day Yampa Valley Regional Airport. The rationing of gas and the shortage of rubber at the onset of World War II forced Kelso to sell his business to Mesa Farm Dairy. In February 1943, Mesa Farm Dairy was sold to Ralph Dunckley who changed the name to Hayden Valley Dairy. On September 1, 1946, Dunckley sold the dairy to Raymond and Mary Yoast.

Ray Yoast had been in the meat department at the Hayden Mercantile for many years and was ready to have his own business. The August 30, 1946 “Routt County Republican” newspaper reported that Mr. Yoast would install complete pasteurization equipment after the first of the year and that he planned to furnish the Mount Harris and Hayden community with “plenty of clean fresh milk and cream, handled by the most modern and sanitary methods.” He made arrangements at the H&M Locker to use the cooler room and insure freshness while furnishing an adequate supply of milk at all times. However, the very first problem that arose was a shortage of milk bottles as people were not returning their bottles in a timely manner and more bottles, although ordered, were not arriving.

By February 1947, Ray Yoast was building a modern dairy plant on the vacant lots west of the newspaper office. This would be the brick building at 175 West Jefferson Ave. After months of waiting for equipment, and hours of labor, Ray announced in October 1947 that his modern pasteurization plant was in working order. He was producing 500 gallons of milk a day. In March 1949, he added a modern electrical bottle-capper to his equipment. The hand capper that was replaced was capping four bottles a minute and required a workman. The new capper could do 16 bottles a minute on it’s own! By February 1950, Hayden Valley Dairy was offering buttermilk and with additional equipment was processing cottage cheese by March. The Hayden Valley Dairy eventually offered coffee cream, half and half, whipping cream, sweat sour cream, and cottage cheese, ice cream, butter, and buttermilk along with their pasteurized and homogenized milk. Ray’s day began at 3:30 each morning because after all, people wanted their milk before breakfast!

In 1956, Ray and Mary Yoast purchased the trailer court property directly behind their dairy and the Texaco Station. They ran this for many years and were a part of numerous community organizations and committees. They donated milk and other dairy products for events throughout the community along with sponsoring a bowling team and many awards each year at the Routt County Fair.

In July 1971, due to economics, and stricter state regulations, the last dairy herd supplying Hayden Dairy, owned by Donald Blake, was sold. After twenty-five years in business the Hayden Valley Dairy was forced to close. When Ray had purchased the dairy in 1947, there were 50 dairy herds in Routt and Moffat county that supplied his dairy, the Yampa Valley Dairy in Craig and the Selch Dairy in Steamboat Springs. However the end of the Hayden Valley Dairy was not the end of Ray’s “cheerful whistle” which could still be heard as he made deliveries to his customers with products from the Yampa Valley Dairy in Craig.

In 1975 when Hayden was temporarily left without a grocery store, Ray came to the rescue offering regular business hours at his store with a full supply of dairy products along with bread, cakes and cookies. He also temporarily stocked a few canned goods and fruits and vegetables until the Hayden Merc was reopened in January 1976.

In 1978, Ray Yoast was chosen as one of three grand marshals for the Routt County Fair Parade. He was chosen for his longs-standing service to his community in a small business aspect. “If I can help lift someone’s burden, than my day is a success” said Ray. Incidentally, this was not the first honor for Ray at the Routt County Fair as he was selected as “The Most Perfect Baby” at the first Fair in 1914!

Ray Yoast continued serving milk to the citizens of Hayden until April 1, 1979 when he sold his property and retired. Ray passed away in 1991 followed by his wife Mary (Sullivan) Yoast in 1997. They were each laid to rest in the Hayden Cemetery.

Please consider becoming a member of the Hayden Heritage Museum – your membership helps keep history alive! https://www.haydenheritagecenter.org/membership

Stay tuned for our next Tuesday Tidbit.
Visit the Hayden Heritage Museum at 300 W. Pearl Street in the Old Depot
P.O. Box 543, Hayden Co 81639
(970)276-4380
[email protected]
https://www.haydenheritagecenter.org/

We’d love to hear your memories and Feedback on our Tuesday Tidbits! Have an idea for a Tuesday Tidbit… or want to hear more about something… don’t hesitate to let us know by commenting below or emailing us!

10/05/2026

We are on the lookout for an ADVISORY Non-Profit CPA to be on an on-call/as needed basis. We have a very capable Board Treasurer who simply needs some guidance at times - specifically with 990 (long-form) language and prep, large grant accounting/reporting and auditing. We are willing to pay for services, however, this is not a "regular accounting services position" - we are thinking a few hours per YEAR! This would be a perfect position for a retired CPA with non-profit experience!
Let us know if you could help us out, or if you know of someone who could!

10/04/2026

Did you know that we are also a part of the Colorado Passport Program! Check in at participating locations for a chance to win $500 in United travel credits or the 150,000 United MileagePlus® miles grand prize.

We are happy to featured in the Colorado Passport Program! Colorado Passports are free, mobile-exclusive passes that reward you for exploring the Centennial State, making it easy and fun to discover Colorado’s vibrant towns, cultural landmarks and local businesses. With every stop, you’ll uncover hidden gems, celebrate Colorado’s rich heritage — all while earning prizes and perks along the way.

Check in at participating locations for a chance to win $500 in United travel credits or the 150,000 United MileagePlus® miles grand prize.

Hosted by Visit Colorado and America 250 - Colorado 150 Commemoration.

The History Colorado Center is featured in the following:
☑️Family Fun Pass
☑️250/150 Celebration Pass
☑️Arts and Culture 2026

Learn more and get started at: https://www.colorado.com/passport

10/01/2026

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we've had to postpone our Annual Fundraiser! Please make plans to join us! Tickets will be available this afternoon.

09/30/2026

MUSEUM MARVELS #8 of 50
Buermann’s Legendary Spurs

𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘳𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭, 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘮, 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵.

These rare spurs are the best of the best for this early, and eventually largest, American spur maker. They are further proof that artistry wasn’t lost on the utilitarian items of the Old West. Far from it.

Born in Germany in 1842, August Buermann eventually moved to the US and enlisted just in time for the Civil War. When the war ended in 1865 he began working for a saddle manufacturing company in Newark, New Jersey. Within a couple years, while still in his mid-20s, he had already bought out his employer and renamed it Buermann Manufacturing Co. where he soon added spurs to the product line. Besides being one of the earliest American spur makers, Buermann also became the largest.

Buermann Manufacturing eventually employed more than 100 people in various locations throughout the US – especially in the West in order to keep the pulse of new styles and demands. At their peak they had a catalogue of 440 types of spurs and nearly 500 bit designs! Buermann also produced stirrups, buckles, conchos and various other decorative items that adorned the American cowboy.

Though Buermann is known for being the first to mass-produce bits and spurs, he still maintained a couple hand-crafted lines for customers who demanded the very best. One of the specialty items, the spurs pictured here, are considered the very top of them all – the Roosevelt spurs. Today they are considered quite rare, especially in original and exceptional condition like these. This pair is part of the museum’s extensive spur collection housed in our renowned Cowboy & Gunfighter exhibit.

Buermann handed over the company to his son in 1896 until it eventually sold to their longtime competitor, North & Judd, in 1926.

Be sure to follow us for dozens more jaw-dropping artifacts coming up in our Museum Marvels series.