Hope everyone is staying safe out there! The photo here is from John Fielder’s soon-to-be-released book about Weld. This project was commissioned by the Foundation as a gift to our great county in celebration of our 25th anniversary. It goes on pre-sale for bulk orders April 1st.
There has been a picture from the book featured in the Greeley Tribune every Saturday since January. You may have caught one. Each photo includes a write up from John Fielder with a bit of story and some tips of the trade. Here’s what he wrote on this one:
1952 Chevy Deluxe, Hereford
by John Fielder
The explosive growth of farming in the late 19th century spawned dozens of towns in Weld County, often with just a store and post office. The evolution of dryland farming in the early 20th century, along with the expansion of railroads, highways and byways, accelerated this trend. Hereford, barely two miles south of Wyoming, began as a section house and flag station on the Sterling to Cheyenne branch of the Colorado-Wyoming division of the Burlington Missouri River Railroad. It got its name in 1888 from the thousands of Hereford cattle raised and shipped from the station by the J. W. Iliff Land and Cattle Company. Chicagoan Fredrick Findeisen, a successful designer of a flush toilet and the Rayburn carburetor, developed Hereford. He owned nearly every business and his family members managed them. Drought and depression took their toll on the town in the 1930s. Hereford School was abandoned in 1940 and the few remaining students were bused south to Grover.
I made this image on March 20, 2020 while exploring the plains during a blizzard. I am a car buff, and recognized a classic when I saw it with or without the powder blue paint job! When I see anomalies (dominant features) in the landscape, my heart races. I’ve learned that single conspicuous objects can attract the viewer’s eye faster than many subjects in a photo. I photographed the car from many angles, but this one was my favorite.
From the book project Weld County: 4,000 Square Miles of Grandeur, Greatness & Yesterdays by John Fielder to be published in September. 50% of book profits will benefit Weld Community Foundation. Find more information at www.johnfielder.com and weldcommunityfoundation.org.
