The Founding Fathers

Foss, born on Oct. 7, 1917, was raised in Golden and graduated from Golden High School in 1935.

Known to be a mentor for small businesses among his friends and colleagues, Foss took over the family business, Foss General Store, which began as a small drug store founded in 1913, and eventually expanded it to 40,000 square feet with three floors.  He ran at least 8 Golden businesses through time (Foss Drug, Chocolate Shoppe, Foss Appliance Shop, Foss Carriage House/Golden Ram, Golden Squire, Golden Theatre, H.J. Foss, Mesa Meadows Land Company).

Foss was often fondly referred to as Mr. Golden for his participation in community affairs. Foss established and helped fund the Golden Civic Foundation, served as a member of the Golden City Council, was on the board of the Chamber of Commerce for 14 years, was a substantial supporter of the Christian Action Guild, past president of the Golden Kiwanis Club and a member of the Golden Masonic Lodge for more than 50 years.

A statue called “Lending a Helping Hand” is located on the southwest corner of 13th and Washington in downtown Golden, which was commissioned to recognize the contributions Foss and his late wife, Barbara, made to the community.