Historic Landmark Advisory Board asks county to help 'capture the story' and suggests hiring a historian

Members of the Historic Landmark Advisory Board asked Montrose County commissioners to support outreach and research that will identify and document local historic sites.

"We like to consider ourselves a happy board because we have no controversy, and we don't cost you much money," Kent (speaker 10) told commissioners as he described the board's public‑facing presentation. Kent and Tim Stroh (speaker 19) said the board wants to collect stories, help applicants complete landmark nomination packets, and expand county‑wide representation of nominated sites, including the West End and smaller communities such as Cimarron and Bedrock.

The board emphasized that its role is advisory: it recommends landmarks to the commissioners but cannot impose land‑use restrictions. Tim Stroh stressed that the group is "trying to capture the story" rather than to regulate property owners. Board members also suggested hiring a historian to research archival county records, digitize older ledgers and make historical documents accessible; they said grants may be available for that work.

Why it matters: Commissioners and board members described the effort as a way to gather community history and deepen public appreciation of the county's heritage, while clarifying the advisory board does not change property owners' rights or zoning. The board requested guidance on places the county suggests they investigate and offered to support the county with narrative materials for the commissioners' hallway display.

Next steps: Commissioners invited further coordination and said staff or a commissioner might attend a board meeting to discuss outreach and the historian proposal.