Real estate appraisal card. 122 Lower (or North) D Street, lots 24-26, block, in Salida, Colorado.
This house was built before 1886 based on Sanborn Insurance maps. In 1903, Mrs. Grace Lightner (widow of Harry), lived here and rented rooms to three men who worked for the railroad: John H. Daniels, a switchman; Thomas Foley, a brakeman; and George M. Gerhart, an engineer. Mr. Gerhart was born in Kansas in 1872. Mrs. Lightner continued to rent rooms here in 1906. George Gerhart continued to live here, still working as an engineer. Peter Coons, a laborer and William Smith, a fireman also lived here in 1906.
By 1910, Clarence M. Walbridge, a conductor for D&RG, lived here with his wife Iverna E. Walbridge. Clarence was born in Kansas in 1881. lverna was born in Colorado in 1880. Clarence's daughter from a previous marriage, Ruth Meany (b.1899), lived here as well. By 1930, Clarence was remarried to a woman named Josephine, who was born in Kansas in 1888 and worked at a beauty shop. Also living with Clarence and Iverna Walbridge in 1910, was George Gerhart who had lived here since 1903. A couple, William H. and Kathrin Lambert, also roomed here. Mr. Lambert worked as a brakeman with D&RG. The parents of Mr. and Mrs. Lambert were all born in Germany. William was born in Pennsylvania in 1881 and Kathrin was born in Ohio in 1884.
William C. and Imogene Carl lived here by 1922. William Charles Carl (b.1881) worked as an engineer. Born in Landisburg, Pennsylvania, he came to Salida in 1906, at the age of twenty-two, and began immediately working for the railroad. He worked first as a fireman and later as an engineer. He married Imogene Brough in Denver in 1917. William died in October 1935 during a hunting trip. He was described as "a highly respected citizen of the community" and "a friend to all employed on the railroad." Imogene died in April 1951, at the age of 79.
In 1931, John and Jessie M. Marmet lived here. John Marmet worked as a conductor for D&RGW. They were both born in Nebraska, John in 1876 and Jesse in 1883. The 1965 city directory indicated that Ivan L. and Audrey O. Wickers owned this house and lived here. Mr. Wickers was a brakeman for the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
History Colorado's Architectural Inventory Forms have more information and are available at the Salida Library.
