ROBERT (BUD) HEIL. Born 1929. VELMA HEIL. Born 1934. DALE HEIL. Born 1961. SUMMARY of OH 1821 This interview was recorded on October 16, 2012, for the Maria Rogers Oral History Program and Boulder County Parks and Open Space. The interviewers are Sheryl Kippen, Carol Beam, and Kevin Grady. The interview also is available in video format, filmed by Sheryl Kippen. ABSTRACT: Bud, Velma, and Dale Heil discuss the Heil Ranch including its purchase by the family in 1949, its many uses over the years, the buildings that dot the ranch land, and the sale of much of the ranch to create Boulder County open space. They describe the houses and outbuildings that the family used, many of which they moved from Boulder. Buildings include a barn built by expanding a garage, a cabin known as the outlaw cabin, and the Altona schoolhouse. They also discuss the many public events hosted by the ranch, such as hayrides, the Beer and Steer event, Christmas tree and firewood cutting, and paintball games. [A]. 00:00 Introduction of interviewers. Bud: born Sugar City, Colorado, in 1929 Velma: born in Calico Rock, Arkansas, in 1934 Dale: born in Denver, Colorado, in 1961 Bud: parents were John [Johannes] Heil and Katrina [Markus] Heil Velma: John Wesley Brinsfiel [?] and Gleena [?] Brinsfiel [?] Bud, Velma, and Dale name their siblings How Velma and Bud met. Their wedding in 1955. 05:03 How Robert received his nickname, Bud. Velma: moved from Arkansas to Englewood, Colorado. Moved to Boulder County when she got married. Page 1 OH 1821V, Heil family
Bud: Moved to Boulder County in 1949. Bud: How his family came to buy the Heil Ranch. Family was involved in farming and ranching even before buying the Boulder County ranch. Crops raised, cattle. Bud: Ranch was bought in the wake of his father s health problems including a heart attack. More discussion of crops raised. Quarrying. Selling firewood. Describes a year that was so difficult they had to sell off cows because they didn t have anything to feed them (1954). The worst drought he had experienced until this year (2012). 10:24 Various ways the ranch was opened up to the public, such as paintball games. Hayrides offered on the ranch during the 1980s. The annual Beer and Steer event. Favorite place to picnic. Ingersoll Quarry. 15:15 Cutting firewood for sale; offering Christmas tree cutting. Army trained on the ranch once a year. Cattle: Hereford cattle, about 300 head of cattle in the 1950s. Horses: 35 horses on the ranch at the peak. Roundups on the north end of the property. Cattle drives to forest service land (west to the Ballarat area) in the spring and back in the fall The outlaw cabin 19:22 Trespassers on the ranch, such as people who were caught hunting without permission. Hunting done by their family on the Heil Ranch property: deer, elk. Page 2 OH 1821V, Heil family
Hunting mountain lions on their property. Turkeys started appearing on the ranch about ten years ago. Porcupines: used to be plentiful, but started to disappear about ten years ago, haven t been spotted in last five years. Location where elk calved. Floods and snowstorms in the area. 24:00 Other local families who were friends. Dale: chores on the ranch during childhood: feeding cattle, milking cows. Checking cows during calving season. Dale: recreational activities during childhood. Hunting, hiking, riding, biking. Riding stables at the ranch. Velma: cooking for the visitors to the riding stables. Dale: breakfast rides. Velma and Bud: hired help. Velma: her work at the house, pitching in on other chores when needed Everyone: friends who helped out at the ranch. James, a ranch hand, until 2002. Anecdote about when he left. 32:12 Questions about the historic buildings. Property was bought by Bud Heil s parents in 1949. Moving to the ranch when he was 20 years old. Houses that were there in 1949: three houses, including the Altona schoolhouse. A house that was moved onto the property from Boulder (Virginia s house). 35:28 Bert s (Bertha Jo s) house, which also was moved in. Page 3 OH 1821V, Heil family
Hilde and her husband Wayne lived in the schoolhouse. History of the schoolhouse building. Bought by the Heil family for $150. Lack of trees on the property around the schoolhouse in earlier years. Discussion about a small shack on the property. Velma: When they got married in 1955, there wasn t much around them that was developed, unlike now. 40:46 Schoolhouse in 1949: empty and cleaned out. Barn on their property: a garage was moved onto the property and then they built onto that to make the barn. Cabooses and other railroad cars were brought in as well. History of acquiring them. Teepee rings on the property. Finding arrowheads and spearheads. 45:44 Stagecoaches that ran in the area. More about teepee ring locations. Discussion of location where Indians lived in Left Hand Canyon. Anecdote about people inquiring if they had trouble with the Indians in the 1980s 48:55 Moving the house that they live in from Boulder in the 1960s. Expansion of the house. Who lived in the various houses on the property. Stacked stones on the property: they look at photos. Remains of houses: foundations, a chimney. Remains of a well. Discussion of locations of what is shown in the various photos. More discussion of various outbuildings that were moved in to the property. 56:41 Velma identifies a photo of the chicken house. Bud: comments on what a good life they had on the ranch. Page 4 OH 1821V, Heil family
General discussion about how things are not the same without the whole ranch (i.e., since part of the ranch was sold). 59:05 End of interview Page 5 OH 1821V, Heil family