Last Looks at Local Landmarks

The Former Moni’s Marina Slated for Demolition

Highway 50 between McClave and Las Animas is being widened.  Early excavation work is noticeable as soon as westbound travelers are a mile or two out from Hasty.  With the widening of the highway, a familiar highway sight in Hasty…Moni’s Marina and Mini Mart is being leveled.  For quiet a while, it was the last stop on the road other than the Valley Grocery store, to stock up on supplies if you were spending the day, weekend, or week at the dam.  In recent times, Moni’s was what it has been known for the longest, although some folks across the road at the Valley Market say that a full-service gas station used to be on that spot more than 40 years ago.  CDOT engineer, Paul Westhoff said a passing lane will be built where Moni’s used to be and a similar east side passing lane will also be constructed.  Because of EPA regulations, the gas tanks at the site will need to be unearthed and disposed of.  Plans call for acceleration and deceleration lanes to be installed similar to the ones built in Fowler several years ago. 

Highway 50 will be Widened at this Section

This reporter remembers the spot also being called Cowboy Kitchen for a short period about a decade or two ago.  There was another sign right on top of that that claimed, “We Serve Pennzoil Products”.  They should have been separated by a couple of feet, so travelers wouldn’t get the wrong idea about just what was on the menu.  “I’ll have the chicken fry with the 10W-30, please.”  If anyone cares to share some memories of the landmark, feel free to contact us at reportertpj@gmail.com or our facebook page. 

 In later years, the highway site tried to be even more full service, providing a hair salon and tanning booth, plus a C Store and small liquor store, but travelers were in a hurry to get to where they needed to be, and with the decrease of water in the dam and the park fee sites on the increase, fewer people used the dam as a far-away get-away destination.   

This Familiar Landmark is also Coming Down on Highway 50

Westhoff said another highway landmark is also coming down, the familiar white-painted Hud’s Campground building is also slated for demolition for the road improvement project.  Additional improvements call for the turn lanes at the Highway 196 intersection to be improved.

Hud’s at the Intersection of Highways 50 and 196 into McClave

By Russ Baldwin