The First Nostalgia Day

BY KIM GLASSCOCK

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It’s very fitting that this year’s Nostalgia Day honored Niwot’s postal workers and featured two former Niwot postmasters as parade Grand Marshals.

After all, keeping the post office open in Niwot was part of the reason for the first Niwot Nostalgia Day celebration in 1968.
“The Niwot Post Office was to be closed, probably due to budget cuts, by the U.S. Postal Service,” remembered history buff Mike Hicks, who grew up in Niwot and now lives in Longmont. “When they agreed to keep it open and gave us our zip code, the town celebrated.”

According to Hicks, Niwot grocery store owners Sylvia and Earl Knaus headed a petition drive to convince the Postal Service to retain the Niwot post office and assign the post office a zip code.

“I remember Sylvia dressed in a pioneer dress and bonnet being pulled in a wagon during the parade,” Mike said. “Some residents had carved a piece of wood to say ‘Sylvia Saves Our Post Office’ and she wore it like a medal around her neck.”

Earl Knaus rode in the parade dressed like Chief Niwot, the town’s namesake, according to Ann Hicks, Niwot resident and Mike’s mother.  “He had a full war bonnet that he wore,” she said.

The town also was celebrating its own fire department and acquiring a fire engine, the 1949 Chevrolet Engine No 10, Ann added. She also remembered former Congressman Tim Wirth attending the event.

“I think the first Nostalgia Day celebration was more like a big neighborhood block party,” Mike said. “People set up tables from the Left Hand Grange Hall, and brought food. There were games and crafts for us kids, and people visited with their neighbors.

“I remember everyone having a really good time.”