Colorado History Presentation

A History Presentation by Author Joyce B. Lohse: “Mining for the Real Baby Doe Tabor” at Historic Tattered Cover LoDo Bookstore 1628 16th St. at Wynkoop in Denver Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. A legendary pioneer woman, Baby Doe Tabor, provided us with one of the greatest rags-to-riches-to-rags stories in America’s western history. Award-winning biographer Joyce B. Lohse has written her biography set in Colorado’s days of boom and bust. The story appeals…

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History in Your Home Town

Sometimes it is easy to become complacent and forget about the rich history in our own backyards. A walk on a sunny Saturday morning in Denver led us to Civic Center Park, where we stepped into the recently restored Greek Theater in the South Pavilion to enjoy a historic scene called “The Trapper”, a 1920 Allen True mural. Allen True was a local artist and illustrator who provided the city with public art, which we…

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Buffalo Bill Days

Local festivals are a great way to enjoy the Old West. Last weekend, I attended Buffalo Bill Days in Golden, Colorado. A terrific parade almost two hours long brought out the best of local bands, horses, and folks in Western attire and costumes for the celebration. It was great fun to peel myself away from writing and editing to enjoy the sunshine and the sites in the Colorado foothills for the celebration of the pioneer scout and showman, William Cody, who is buried on Lookout Mountain above Golden.

In his day, Buffalo Bill was like a rock star. People came from far and wide to attend his Wild West shows, a combination of Old West, theatrics, and circus. His critics felt that he exploited rather than preserved the Old West. I feel another biography coming on. Perhaps a deeper look at the story while revisiting primary sources will provide some insight.

Perhaps a book about Buffalo Bill is in my future. For now, my days are full will presentation, articles, and tidying up loose ends with Baby Doe. In the meantime, I am grateful to live in a place that allows me to enjoy a glimpse of the old West now and then and enjoy its history.

Joyce B. Lohse, 7/29/10
www.lohseworks.com

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Closure and Reflection

Finalizing a book manuscript to hand over to the publisher is a strange and wonderful time. I could continue editing indefinitely, but the time has come to finalize it. The danger with over-editing is that the life and character might be sucked out of the text, rendering it ordinary. Thus, I bid farewell to Baby Doe Tabor while she is still lively and colorful so her story can move on to the next step. I…

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Celebration Time

Recently, I received an e-mail from the Colorado Author’s League containing a list of finalists for the annual Top Hand Awards. As usual, I browsed through the names to see if any of my friends were listed. I was pleased to see that Susan Tweit, a fellow  Women Writing the West member, would be honored for her book, Walking Nature Home. When I continued through the list, I was amazed to find my own name…

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History Repeats

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…

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History In My Hands

  History researchers in Denver beware and be aware. As of Oct. 31, the Colorado Historical Society is closing its library for the next two years while they move and reconstruct their museum. Yes, I said two YEARS!! Realization of this closure has thrown my research schedule for my next biography into panic mode. The subject for the next book is Elizabeth Tabor, known around Colorado as “Baby Doe”, the Silver Queen of Leadville. Although…

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Spring Forward in Colorado

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…

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Late Winter In Colorado

Late winter is a great time to touch history in Colorado. I recently rode up to the mining community of Fairplay with my research pal, Christie. It was a little cold and windy that day, but the sun was out, and so were we. The road took us up Buckskin Gulch, to the Alma Cemetery, for some righteous walking and tromping through the snow, and a good photo shoot. This cemetery is special for its…

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