General William Palmer – Adventures in Western History

Deck the Club Halls

By joyce4books | December 16, 2010 by joyce4books

As a self-employed freelance writer, my prospects for a holiday office party are fairly bleak. Writing by nature is a solitary undertaking. For that reason, writers often join associations and organizations in order to pool resources, exchange ideas, and yes, party, with associates. Recently, I attended a holiday gathering at the Denver Woman’s Press Club. Coincidentally, it is the 100th anniversary of the DWPC clubhouse, a charming little Victorian building surround by tall office buildings…

Lost and Found

By joyce4books | May 2, 2010 by joyce4books

While attending a Denver Open Doors event, I found a bronze plaque commemorating General William J. Palmer in Union Station. In 1929, five of these plaques were installed in various key locations: Mexico City, Salt Lake City, Hampton Institute in Virginia, Colorado College in Colorado Springs, and Union Station in Denver. I looked high; I looked low. I never could find the Palmer plaque in the historic old Denver train station. The bronze memorial must…

In Like A Lion

By joyce4books | March 4, 2010 by joyce4books

Actually, the weather has taken a mild turn with the arrival of March. A road trip to the West Slope over the weekend was still mighty cold with a dusting of snow on the mountains, although a snowstorm threatened to block our way home over the Great Divide. Since then, a welcome whiff of spring has been riding in on the mountain breezes. Looks like winter might be winding down after all. Book activities are…

Book Launch Week

By joyce4books | April 22, 2009 by joyce4books

A book launch is a most exciting time for an author, and the reason for all we do. My new book, “General William Palmer: Railroad Pioneer,” was delivered to me by my publisher, Filter Press, on Thursday, just before a Colorado spring blizzard socked Denver. Although an author open house I was scheduled to attend at a rural library was canceled on Saturday, the sun popped out and events carried on for Sunday and Tuesday.…

A Victorian Funeral

By joyce4books | March 22, 2009 by joyce4books

Folks might think it a little strange that I would voluntarily spend a springtime Saturday enjoying a funeral. We drove down to Colorado Springs to watch a Victorian funeral procession, escorted across town by police cars, as it entered Evergreen Cemetery. A hearse and carriages were hitched to draft horses, with antique cars at the end of the parade. Local history experts portrayed General William Palmer’s family and friends 100 years after the fact.…

Spring Forward in Colorado

By joyce4books | March 7, 2009 by joyce4books

As we spring forward deep into March, daylight savings time looms. In spite of this change, with its annoying psychological adjustments, spring brings hope and optimism, and a full history calendar. The highlight of this spring has been the arrival of a small but mighty little baby named Cutler. All difficulties dim and recede with the arrival of a grandchild. A birth of a different sort will take place next month with the publication of…