The Bean Pot Incident

At the east end of Bryan Avenue lies a miniature wetland: a tranquil beaver pond surrounded by sedges and reeds where ducks swim with their tiny broods and herons wade in search of small fish and frogs.  Once the train tracks went right through this area and on up Bryan Avenue.

In the spring of 1986 Gail Shickley of Marysville noticed heavy machinery crossing her neighbors’ property headed towards the east end of the beaver pond.  She was shocked to see the machinery roll over the top of Mount’s leach field, knocking over small trees that the Mounts had nurtured, hoping they would grow to be tall firs and pines.  She decided to call and check what was going on, and sure enough, the Mounts were unaware of the activity.

Come to find out, the activity was the beginning of an attempt to mine the pond of its peat.  It seems that Harvey McCollum and a man named Jerry Carnes had embarked on a joint venture to reap some profit from the peat.  One property owner, the Tonish family, had given their permission to rip up the pond, but other adjacent property owners had not been consulted.  Ruby and Jerry Brasel, long time Eldora residents, were grief stricken as they looked out their window to see the machinery tear out the east end of the beaver pond, releasing all the water downstream.

The Brasels called other neighbors, including the ECA Board, and a community meeting was called at the Goldminer Hotel to clarify what was happening and how to deal with the problem.  Eventually the County Land Use Department was called in, and it was discovered that no permit had been issued, nor did the County have any intention of doing so.  Naturally this caused the peat miners to become very disgruntled.

Meanwhile it was time for the monthly Eldora Potluck Dinner at the Goldminer Hotel.  Residents arrived with delicious dishes of homemade food and the Goldminer kitchen was filled with wonderful aromas.  Diane Brown and Dave Hallock walked in with a large round pot of baked beans topped with German bratwursts.  Harvey McCollum and Jerry Carnes, who some remember as having liquor on his breath,  arrived each with a bottle of beer in hand.  They were gunning for Dave because he worked for Boulder County.

One thing led to another and Jerry Carnes moved up to Dave, ready for heated conversation; suddenly he swung a punch with a direct hit to Dave’s nose.  Harvey leapt forward, but lost his balance and fell down, his glasses flying across the floor.  Diane had seen trouble brewing and had gone to the oven to get her beans and go home.  She arrived at Dave’s side just as Carnes was connecting with Dave’s nose.  There was nothing for her to do but to set the bean dish sailing at Carnes’ head, spilling beans all down over him, a sobering experience.  They say to this day the stains can still be detected on the floor and wall of the Goldminer. 

Diane ran out the door with Cindy McCollum in hot pursuit.  Becky Webb, who owned the Goldminer at the time, asked Dave to please to home; he was dripping blood all over the floor.  Dave says he doesn’t even remember being hit, however the blow broke his nose.  The police came and declared it a brawl; no charges were filed.  In June of 1986 Dave and Diane moved from the Rocky Ledge behind the Goldminer Hotel to Cloudy Ridge where they presently live. 

-- Diane J. Brown

Update on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 9:39AM by Goldminer Hotel

Several years later Diane submitted the following recipe to the Happy Valley Cookbook. It appears on page 33 under the title "Baked Bean Revenge." 

Dolly Madden’s Baked Beans

Fry 5 or 6 slices of bacon till crisp.  Remove from skillet to paper towel.  Pour off bacon grease.  In the same pan fry ¼ cup Bermuda onion, 1 chopped red pepper and 1 chopped jalapeno in bacon grease coating, which was left on skillet, till soft.  Add one large can of Bush’s original baked beans, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, some ketchup, 3 Tbsp. brown sugar and a few drops of Tabasco sauce.   Bake at 350° for one hour.

Diane reports that she begged for this recipe from Dolly Madden, who once brought it to a potluck at the Goldminer Hotel.  Dolly recited it as Diane took notes.