“Cruising Colorado for 100 Years” is the theme for the 44th annual Silt Heydays, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 3-4, at Veterans Memorial Park.

Kick things off Saturday morning with a pancake breakfast at the park.

Edgar Allen Roe VFW Post 9304, the Rifle American Legion Kelly Hansen Post 78 and Cub Scout Troop 222 will hold a flag-raising ceremony, with craft, food and game booths setup around the park’s perimeter.

Parade staging will be at the Silt Historical Park at Ninth and Orchard streets. The parade route is from Ninth Street, west on U.S. Highway 6&24 to Fifth Street, north on Fifth Street to Grand Avenue, then east on Grand Avenue to Seventh Street and north to the former Roy Moore Elementary School, where it will conclude.

Entertainment during the day includes the Western Slope Stompers, Acoustic Mayhem, the Caleb Dean Band and other groups by the gazebo.

The Anvil Points Quilt Guild’s eighth annual show will take place at the historical park. More than 100 quilts will be on display. Ribbons will be awarded by celebrity judges, plus a viewers choice. Nominal admission provides support to worthwhile local organizations.

Other attractions include a beer booth, kid’s games and a vintage base ball game. Also, food-centered contests include watermelon seed spitting, hot dog eating, jalapeno eating and pie eating contests.

Sunday starts off with the fourth annual Heyday Hobble 5K race. It is a benefit for the Silt Historical Society.

The fifth annual Silt Heyday Car Show is open to all who love their automobiles, from the classic restoration and the ’60s muscle car to today’s vehicles. Early registration of $20 will include a door prize, T-shirt and dash plaque. Entry the day of the show is $25.

For more information about the car show, contact Levy Burris at LRedman95@AOL.com or call 876-0653.

Booth, parade and car show entry forms can be picked up at Silt Town Hall, or call 876-5861 to have one emailed to you.

Parade grand marshalls all about Silt history

Carl Mobley, his wife, Dee Starbuck Mobley, and her brother, Joe Starbuck, are this year’s parade grand marshalls. They are descendants of two families who were instrumental in the settlement of this area over a span of more than 100 years.

Carl Mobley’s grandfather, John C. Mobley, came to the territory of Colorado in the early 1860s and served two terms as the sheriff of Julesburg from 1862-1870. In 1880, he and his wife, Julia, crossed Schofield Pass and settled in the Crystal River and Roaring Fork valleys.

Carl Mobley’s dad, Charlie Mobley, was born in Carbondale in 1890. In the winter of 1897, the Mobley family left the area and settled in the Rio Blanco/Moffat County area on Blue Mountain and established the Three Springs Ranch. Descendants still live in the Roaring Fork and White River valleys.

Dee and Joe Starbuck’s grandfather, Asa Starbuck, came to the territory of Colorado soon after the Civil War ended. His family had migrated west from Nantucket Island into Iowa.

Asa Starbuck married Clara Mae Williams in 1882. She was born in Greeley in 1866. Asa and Clara Mae Starbuck had seven children. In 1895, they followed Clara Mae’s father, Dave Williams, and her uncle, Seth Williams, to Garfield Creek, south of New Castle, where they each homesteaded.

When Asa and Clara Mae Starbuck’s son, Lester, was killed in a 1912 mine explosion in New Castle, they moved to West Divide Creek to his homestead, which is still called The Lone Cedar. They continued ranching there until they solid it in 1941.

Joe and Dee Starbuck’s father, Ray Starbuck, was born in 1887. Around 1912, Ray Starbuck homesteaded what the family calls The Upper Place, not far from the Lone Cedar and also the O’Brien place on West Divide Creek.

Ray Starbuck married Margaret Terrell in 1918. She was born in Minturn in 1900. Ray and Margaret Starbuck had five children: Ardith, Frank, Joe, MaeBelle and Dee, who they raised on their West Divide Creek ranch. Ray and Margaret Starbuck continued in the cattle ranching business on West Divide Creek until they retired.

Joe Starbuck continues to live on Divide Creek.

Dee and Carl Mobley purchased their place on Silt Mesa in 1976 and reside there.