The Ouray Mountain Rescue Team celebrates 50 years of rescue service this coming summer, and while the organization once had to take out a short-term loan from a local bank to purchase the food and su...

OURAY COUNTY February 7, 1974 - OPINION: Dear Ms. Jorgensen: We received our first issue of the Ouray County Plaindealer on Thursday and know we will enjoy our subscription very much. We bought some p...

Winter Wine Festival returns to Wright Opera House Feb. 17 A little more than a year ago, four community members and business leaders sat by the fireplace in the Tavern at the Wright Opera House and a...

Editor's note: The story has been corrected to reflect that Jim Link's wife's name is Katie, not Stephanie. After nearly 30 years, ambulance driver Jim Link is still in a rush to help in the most tryi...

OURAY COUNTY January 31, 1974 - The idea of a domestic rural water system to serve the Uncompahgre Valley between Ridgway and Ouray was put back into play at the annual meeting of Tri-County Water Con...

2020 Pulitzer finalist for drama comes to Ouray this weekend It’s an open secret that theatermakers are, by and large, politically progressive. Kate Kissingford knows this well as a progressive hersel...

Offering memberships and classes, San Juan Potters' Guild carries on legacy of Mountain Dog Arts in Ouray While the opportunity came swiftly and somewhat suddenly, the path to owning her own pottery a...

OURAY COUNTY January 24, 1974 - The Ridgway Garage was broken into last Wednesday night for the second time in two months and burglarized. This time, however, two suspects were apprehended and are now...

Ice Fest features world-class athletes, clinics, fireside chats — and an icy sculpture to be set on fire Peter O’Neil knows interest in the sport of ice climbing has moved beyond the narrow niche of a...

OURAY COUNTY January 17, 1974 - “And above, in the high thin blueness, the Bridge of Heaven on Horsethief Trail. Four hundred years of it – the plunder trail to heart’s desire. So for Coronado’s Spani...

Event combining rodeo and snow sports expands to 3 days, adds novice competition Competitors for this weekend’s San Juan Skijoring competition will come from as far away as Canada to race the course a...

January 10, 1974 - A State Highway Dept. snow plow from the Silverton side was caught and buried in a snowslide Saturday afternoon approximately four miles south of Red Mountain Pass. Guy Lewis of Sil...

Throughout Shea Freedom’s life, timing has been everything for better and for worse. It was everything when his mother passed away right before he was emancipated from foster care and discarded to the...

OURAY COUNTY January 3, 1974 - Dean Hainey, postmaster at Ridgway since April 8, 1947, retired Dec. 31. The Haineys have sold their home in Ridgway and purchased a trailer home. Dean says he has no im...

OURAY COUNTY December 27, 1973 - I’ve kind of lost track of all time,” was Ray Ledford’s comment when the Plaindealer wanted specifics on the State Highway Department’s activities during these last he...

More than 20 years before opening Greenwood’s in Ridgway, childhood friends Bill Greenwood and Marty Frank dreamed of owning a restaurant together. Their paths separated after high school, with Greenw...

Step into Karli Cox's Fresh Face Skin Studio, and you'll encounter a world of potions, high-tech light therapy and a relaxing place to be pampered. Want to take a nap during a treatment? She's fine wi...

December 20, 1973 - Harold Walker of Ouray had his vehicle stolen from the 4J Trailer Park Friday night, from where he had parked it. The car was found Monday morning by Jack Clark, parked in front of...

Editor’s note: The Ouray County Plaindealer started publishing profiles of nonprofits between Thanksgiving and New Year’s in 2020 as a community service. The purpose of these profiles is to highlight ...

Editor’s note: The Ouray County Plaindealer started publishing profiles of nonprofits between Thanksgiving and New Year’s in 2020 as a community service. The purpose of these profiles is to highlight ...