Billy Westall's Sacrifice and the Teacher and Students Who Remembered
As Teacher Appreciation Week comes to a close, this episode is dedicated to those professionals who help our children learn to think for themselves and find their own way, to become productive members of society, and to turn their ideas and dreams into success.
The train crash that ultimately took the life of Billy Westall. Photo from the Denver Public Library, Western History Collection
The Billy Westall Monument in its new location with the accompanying interpretive sign placed by the students of the West Jefferson Middle School. Photo by Tommy Allen.
The beautiful location in which the Billy Westall Monument resides. Photo by Tommy Allen.
A frontal view of the Billy Westall Monument. The words at the top of the inlay are, “Charity, Hope and Protection”. The words at the bottom of the inlay are Billy Westall’s last words, “Tell my wife I died thinking of her.” Photo by Tommy Allen
References used in this episode:
Klinger, T. and Klinger, F. (2007). C&S Platte Canyon Memories & Then Some. Tom Klinger.
Roeder, M. (1998). The Story of Billy Westall and the Westall Monument. Historically Jeffco. https://historicjeffco.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/98westall.pdf
West Jefferson Middle School. Westall Moument. https://westjeffms.jeffcopublicschools.org/our_school/history/westall_monument
West Jefferson Middle School. Interactive Timeline: Preserving the Westall Monument. https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=1TodtUHagBr64eoXtoHLdF_JGaF6UDXL3zcGE103dHjw&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=650
Walden, S. (2019, August 28). Billy Westall of the Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railroad. Colorado Railroads. http://www.corailroads.com/2019/08/billy-westall-of-denver-south-park.html
Historically Jeffco. (2014). Jeffco Students Champion Westall Monument. http://p12cdn4static.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_834541/File/Our%20School/Press%20Clippings/2014%20Historically%20Jeffco%20-%20Westall%20Monument.pdf
McCoskey, S. (2012, March 19). William G. “Billy” Westall. Find A Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/87039567/william-g-westall
U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railroad History.