75 YEARS AGO: “‘Men Of Boys Town,’ starring Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney opens at the Kiva Theater.”

50 YEARS AGO: “City firemen answered a call at 1:58 a.m. Sunday to the Durango High School lawn where a big wooden cross had been erected and was burning.”

25 YEARS AGO: “A private search crew is planning an expedition into the San Juan Mountains to search for traces of grizzly bears. The last known grizzly in Colorado was killed in 1979 when it attacked an outfitter in the San Juans.”

Most items in this column are taken from Herald archives, Center of Southwest Studies and The Animas Museum. Their accuracy may not be verified.