Tag: history colorado
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Founding documents reconnect us to our shared American roots – and rebelliousness | Vince Bzdek
When you first lay eyes on the actual founding documents of our country that, for the first time in history, have traveled together from their gilded cages in Washington to visit us out here in the hinterlands, you’re struck not by their brilliance but their humanness. The original copy of the Bill of Rights brought…
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Freedom Plane national tour brings founding U.S. documents to Colorado
The Freedom Plane, a Boeing 737 carrying a collection of founding documents, has taken to the skies to celebrate a quarter-millennium of U.S. independence and will make stops in eight museums across the country, including History Colorado. “History Colorado is deeply honored to be one of only eight cultural institutions across the country selected by…
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Celebrating the life of Colorado veteran Amos Estrada
By History Colorado Imagine hearing a knock on the door and being handed a Western Union telegram notifying you that your husband, son or child has been killed in action. For those left behind during World War II, a telegram was the epitome of tragedy, and that’s what Lillian, the wife of Sergeant Amos F.…
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Polis, historians open 20th century time capsule discovered near Colorado’s Capitol steps
A box that had never borne witness to a car starter, a binder clip or a light switch until it was unearthed months ago was opened and its contents revealed on Tuesday. The tin box, which had previously been buried under the pedestal base of the bronze Union soldier statue near the state Capitol building’s…
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The lost and found history of Central City
By Lauren PerryHistory Colorado Each object in History Colorado’s collection has a unique and powerful story just waiting to be discovered. Supported by a grant from the Colorado Historical Records Advisory Board, I have used the collection to understand the untold history of Central City. I worked with History Colorado to digitize the Works Progress…
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A Denver detective and his feline friends
Meet Sam Howe, a detective in early Denver who was famous at the time for his cats. Today we remember his visionary recordkeeping that led to the first crime database in the country. By Jessica RothmanHistory Colorado In the late nineteenth century, the city of Denver was enraptured by Sam Howe. Not for his work…
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A mistaken map: Did putting El Paso in the wrong spot cost the U.S. $10 million?
By Shaun BoydHistory Colorado Maps hold a special place in my heart. Luckily, I’m one of the curators entrusted with History Colorado’s map collection, and one of my favorites came to the museum sometime between 1915 and 1930. Donated by James F. Willard, a University of Colorado history professor, the map tells the story of…
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Black cowboys unveiled
By Acoma GaitherHistory Colorado Just thinking about the Old West can evoke images of vast landscapes dotted with canyons, cacti, and critters, occasionally presided over by a kettle of vultures. The people within them, at least in most popular portrayals, are usually mounted on horseback, often chasing herds of cattle over open prairie. And they’re…
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Upcoming exhibit, commemorative stamp to celebrate ‘Colorado’s Photographer’
A new exhibit is opening at the History Colorado Center, celebrating the state’s most beloved nature photographer. “Mountains Majesty: On the Summit with John Fielder” will debut at the downtown Denver center with a ceremony Saturday morning that will also debut a commemorative U.S. Postal Service stamp. Made for Colorado’s 150th anniversary of statehood this…
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History Colorado debuts ‘Moments That Made US’ exhibit to mark state’s 150th birthday
History Colorado debuted a new exhibit on Saturday featuring 50 different artifacts from U.S. history to mark the state and country’s upcoming anniversaries. As Colorado celebrates its 150th anniversary and the U.S. its 250th next year, the exhibit, “Moments That Made US,” intertwines those two histories, said Senior Exhibition Developer & Historian Gwendolyn Lockman Friday…