My research route took me once again to the Denver Post Card Show. Do not overlook post cards as a fun and fabulous source for historic images from the past. Another Denver Post Card Show is scheduled for April 30 and May 1 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall. Be careful. Collecting historic post cards can be addictive. Check E-Bay and online sources as well.
There is a movement afoot to rebuild the Denver Welcome Arch, pictured in the post card image above. The arch, built about 1906 in front of Union Train Station, was torn down around 1930 as a traffic impediment. Rumor has it that pieces of the original arch still exist in dark corners of basements in the LoDo section of Denver. History buffs are collecting money, interest and energy to rebuild it. History repeats, indeed!
A productive history week in Colorado continued. With the sun on our faces and snow crunching under our boots, my research pal, Christie, and I enjoyed the outdoors while tracking down cemetery facts in the bone yard. The next day found me indoors at Denver Public Library. While DPL struggles through construction woes, I sailed through reels of microfilm to collect data for a research client. Repeating visits to familiar haunts and repositories often yields new material and interesting experiences. This week was no exception to that rule.
History repeated on the front page of the Denver Post this week. Mayor John Hickenlooper announced he will run for state governor. My favorite pioneer governor, John L. Routt’s photo, appeared on the same page. Routt, the subject of my book, “First Governor, First Lady”, was the first Denver mayor to run for governor, as Hickenlooper has chosen to do. Ah, yes, history repeats. Hickenlooper is a literary fellow. He introduced Kurt Vonnegut for a speech I attended about a decade ago. It was a stunning moment when I realized I would fulfill my destiny as a writer. So it goes.
Joyce Lohse, 1/15/10
www.lohseworks.com