The Magazine of History Colorado Winter 2017/18 100 Objects. 100 Portals to the Past. Presented by Colorado State University “Mr. Folk Music”: Walt Conley and Colorado’s Folk Revival Azalia Smith Hackley: Musical Prodigy and Pioneering Journalist Tony’s Conoco: A Lasting Symbol of Crested Butte At the History Colorado Center Steve Grinstead Managing Editor Micaela Cruce Editorial Assistance Darren Eurich, State of Colorado/IDS Graphic Designer The Magazine of History Colorado Winter 2017/18 Melissa VanOtterloo and Aaron Marcus Photographic Services How Did We Become Colorado? 4 Colorado Heritage (ISSN 0272-9377), published by The artifacts in Zoom In serve as portals to the past. History Colorado, contains articles of broad general By Julie Peterson and educational interest that link the present to the 8 Azalia Smith Hackley past. Heritage is distributed quarterly to History Colorado members, to libraries, and to institutions of A musical prodigy made her name as a journalist and activist. higher learning. Manuscripts must be documented when By Ann Sneesby-Koch submitted, and originals are retained in the Publications 16 “Mr. Folk Music” office. An Author’s Guide is available; contact the Walt Conley headlined the Colorado folk-music revival. Publications office. History Colorado disclaims By Rose Campbell responsibility for statements of fact or of opinion made by contributors. History Colorado also publishes 24 Tony’s Conoco Explore, a bimonthy publication of programs, events, A symbol of Crested Butte embodies memories and more. and exhibition listings. By Megan Eflin Postage paid at Denver, Colorado All History Colorado members receive Colorado Heritage as a benefit of membership. Individual subscriptions are available through the Membership ALSO IN THIS ISSUE office for $40 per year (four issues). 1 The First Frame To receive copies of this or other History Colorado or Colorado Historical Society publications, contact the 3 From the Hart Publications office at 303/866-4532 or publications@ 12 Spotlight On . state.co.us. 14 The Community Museums © 2018 BY HISTORY COLORADO 28 Above & Below 31 History Colorado Partners 32 Ask Us! THE COLORADO BOOK REVIEW on the cover Interested in reading online reviews of new publications Folsom spear point, Lindenmeier site, 11,700 to 12,900 years ago; loan, Denver Museum of about Colorado? The Colorado Book Review and Nature & Science, IL.2017.23.1. Wilbur Fisk Stone’s gold ingot, 1865; bequest, Judge Wilbur New Publications List is an online journal devoted F. Stone, H.60.2. Ancestral Puebloan cooking jar, AD 1100–1280; Wetherill Collection, to new Colorado nonfiction. The site is cosponsored O.267.1. Rocky Flats nuclear facility anti-contamination gloves, 1985–95; gift, Department by History Colorado and the Center for Colorado of Energy–Rocky Flats, 96.18.18.A-.B. Outdoor Christmas lights, 1936–38; loan, James S. Studies and housed at the Denver Public Library. The Peterson, IL.2017.16.1. Denver Volunteer Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 helmet, 1866–69; Colorado Book Review lists new nonfiction works History Colorado, H.B.1.1.4.42. All on view in Zoom In. See page 4. about Colorado and provides reviews of selected recent publications. Check out the latest! It’s all at history. All images are from the collections of History Colorado unless otherwise noted. denverlibrary.org/center-colorado-studies. For additional content, see h-co.org/blogs and medium.com/Colorado-Heritage-Extras Send any new books or booklets about Colorado, for listing and possible review, to: Publications Department History Colorado HISTORY COLORADO BOARD OF DIRECTORS History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway Denver, Colorado 80203 AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT Mr. Marco Antonio Abarca Executive Director and Ms. Cathy Carpenter Dea State Historic Preservation Officer Ms. Cathey M. Finlon Steve W. Turner, AIA THE COLORADO ENCYCLOPEDIA Mr. Rick A. Pederson Chair, Board of Directors Did you know? More than 100 Colorado Heritage articles Ms. Ann Alexander Pritzlaff Robert E. Musgraves have been adapted for the Colorado Encyclopedia—a new online resource where you can find a wealth of Mr. Alan B. Salazar information about Colorado history. What’s in this Mr. Christopher Tetzeli twenty-first-century reference work on the Centennial Ms. Tamra J. Ward Printed on recycled paper using vegetable-based inks ♽ State? Find out at ColoradoEncyclopedia.org. THE FIRST FRAME Like many mid-century Americans, Golden resident Ray V. Frost loved his camera. A master brewer at Coors Brewing Company during the workweek, Frost spent his weekends and vacations behind the lens. From the 1950s through the mid-1980s, he took thousands of color slides of his road trips and his skiing, hiking, and mountaineering adventures throughout Colorado. Slide collections by amateur photographers like Frost may seem commonplace, but they’re actually quite significant; photos like his offer some of the best glimpses of our state’s rapid economic and social changes during the mid-twentieth century—including views of bygone fashions, fads, and places. This color slide captures Frost’s friend Cliff Evans standing in the “parking lot” of the Berthoud Pass Lodge on April 19, 1953, at the now-defunct Berthoud Pass ski area. 2014.33.77 To order a scan or print of this image, or to see more Ray V. Frost photos from our collection, visit the History Colorado Online Collection at h-co.org/collections. HistoryColorado.org 1 WHO WE ARE Zooming in to Make depths of winter, Connections with the Past we’re looking ahead to spring ave you seen Zoom In yet? Our new- and one of Colo- Hest History Colorado Center exhibi- rado’s favorite tion, Zoom In: The Centennial State in pastimes: base- 100 Objects, has been drawing in visitors ball. Play Ball! who’ve been anxious to see more of our A Celebration of America’s artifacts make their way into the galleries. Game opens in conjunction with Presented by Colorado State University, Zoom In has the Colorado Rockies’ home-opening weekend in April and also generated a lot of buzz in the press. In The Denver Post, showcases collector Marshall Fogel’s holdings of genuine Ray Mark Rinaldi calls the exhibition a “moving tribute to baseball memorabilia. It’s one of the largest collections of the place we call home.” He points out that our exhibit devel- baseball artifacts outside the Hall of Fame, and what you’ll opers “combed through their archives and connected with see is simply amazing. community groups to select the lineup.” The resulting array of Watch for more about Play Ball! in the March/April issue artifacts “brings us closer to our past and more aware of the of our program calendar, Explore. For now, enjoy what’s left present. Native and newcomer, it unites us.” of winter, and we hope to see you among the visitors leaning In her own recent cover story, longtime Westword editor in for a closer look at their past in Zoom In. Patty Calhoun calls Zoom In “a true object lesson in Colo- rado history.” She writes that the exhibition brings out “a variety of objects all designed to give visitors a taste of Colo- rado’s wide-ranging past, and to encourage them to tell their Steve W. Turner, Executive Director own stories inspired by the collection.” She adds that the exhi- bition is doing just what we’d hoped: “Zoom In has exceeded Harvey Park Memories History Colorado’s expectations, not only bringing people in, Southwest Denver’s Showpiece but inspiring them to return.” A Correction: In our last issue (Fall 2017), we incorrectly identified the father of In the meantime, we’re busily planning the next experi- Denver’s Harvey Park neighborhood ence at the History Colorado Center. Though we’re still in the as Fred “Tex” Harvey. The correct mericans have always been on the move, and they often take that freedom of movement for granted. With the advent of the automobile, their restlessness A only increased, especially after the Second World War. Seeking new opportunities and believing that the grass really was greener elsewhere, many abandoned downtown areas and small towns for the suburbs. Now, across the name is Arthur “Tex” Harvey. country, while suburbs are still growing, Americans are increasingly migrating back to denser downtowns and central cities. Back and forth we move. But what might our lives be like if we didn’t take advantage of this freedom of movement? What if we were to stay put, watching out the front window as the world changed around us? BY S HAWN SNO W, WITH MEM ORIES 18 COLORADO HERITAGE / FALL 20 FROM DEAN REIN FORT 17 OUR SITES HistoryColorado.org/discover-colorado/museums MISSION History Colorado Center Grant-Humphreys Mansion 1200 Broadway, Denver 770 Pennsylvania Street, Denver History Colorado 303/HISTORY 303/894-2505, GrantHumphreysMansion.org Byers-Evans House Museum Healy House Museum and Dexter Cabin inspires generations 1310 Bannock Street, Denver 912 Harrison Avenue, Leadville 303/620-4933 719/486-0487 to find wonder and El Pueblo History Museum Pike’s Stockade 301 North Union, Pueblo Six miles east of La Jara, near Sanford, meaning in our past 719/583-0453 just off Highway 136 Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center Open: Memorial Day to October 1, or by East of Alamosa off U.S. 160 appointment. and to engage in 719/379-3512 Trinidad History Museum Fort Vasquez 312 East Main Street, Trinidad creating a better 13412 U.S. 85, Platteville 719/846-7217 970/785-2832 Ute Indian Museum Colorado. Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & 17253 Chipeta Road, Montrose Railroad Park® Expanded museum now open! Georgetown/Silver Plume I-70 exits 970/249-3098 1-888/456-6777, GeorgetownLoopRR.com Above: Ballot box, 1884, El Paso County Precinct 94, Colorado Springs.