Rio Grande County Museum partners with Windsor for holiday event

Fundraiser will support Barlow and Sanderson Stage office restoration

DEL NORTE — As part of the celebration of Del Norte’s 150th anniversary and to raise funding for the Barlow and Sanderson Stage office restoration project, the Rio Grande County Museum is partnering with the Windsor Hotel to host an evening of fun on Nov. 12 and a chance to literally bring history back to life.

For the past year, local resident Suzanne Off has launched an effort to raise funding to restore the old Barlow and Sanderson Stage office which has fallen into disrepair.

It is no secret that the stage was the reason many people traveled to the area in 1874, which was seven years before the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad brought the train this far west in the San Luis Valley and changed the course of history from that moment on.

During those long-forgotten days, the Windsor Hotel, originally called the Whitsett house was built between 1874 and the spring of 1875 to encourage the traveling public to visit the growing town of Del Norte. The stage was what brought people here and the hotel was where they stayed until they found their forever homes or moved on to other locations.

According to the museum, there are several well-known names written in the pages of the 1882 Windsor Hotel registry book that is housed in the museum and will be on display the night of Nov. 12 for all to see. There will also be several other artifacts surrounding the history of the Barlow and Sanderson Stage as well as the Windsor Hotel.

This event will feature a three-course meal and wine pairing as well as a cash bar and a chance to be a part of something special. Each plate will cost $100 per person with all proceeds going to the preservation and relocation of the stage office.

RSVP to the Rio Grande County Museum at 580 Oak St., Del Norte, and for more information, call 719-657-2847 or email the museum at [email protected]. There are limited seats available.