Although I’ve only been in Mancos for four years now, I’ve grown a deep appreciation and love for the community and am proud to call it my home.
As a librarian and lover of history, The Mancos Times has played an important role in my life over the course of the last few years. It has been my connection to the community, providing insight to various enterprises and concerns of my friends, neighbors and patrons of the library. It has been a historical reference, shedding light for me and others who were looking for information on Mancos’ colorful past. It has been a marketing tool, a way for the library and many other community organizations to share what we are doing and how we are attempting to serve the community.
I can remember reading articles that made me laugh out loud, shaking my head and thinking to myself “only in Mancos.” I can also remember choking back tears, reading about the losses, trials and struggles that we all faced together. And now, although our lives continue as before, we are losing that connection that was The Mancos Times, a loss that will be felt in the entire community.
The good news is that the past issues of The Mancos Times still are, and will always be, available as a resource for those looking into the history of our community. The Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection, a collaborative project between the Colorado State Library and History Colorado, has digitized the early issues (from 1893 to 1924) of The Mancos Times and made these available to the public for free. These can be accessed through the library’s website (www.mancoslibrary.org) by clicking on the “Colorado Historic Newspapers” link found in the left column of the website.
In addition to this resource, the library has (almost) every issue from the paper’s inception in 1923 up to present – most on microfilm. These are available to the public to use in the library during normal operating hours.
Although the future of The Mancos Times has come to a close, it’s past will be preserved for many generations to enjoy.
Lee Hallberg, Director
Mancos Public Library