Florissant, Colorado Pioneer Cemetery:
The Stories Behind the Tombstones
by Laura
Moncrief and Nancy Boyd
Donkey Derby Days
& Change of Venue for Laura Moncrief Book Signing
Due to popular demand, author Laura Moncrief has
switched from her program at the Florissant Library to a
two-day book signing at the Cripple Creek District
Museum Gift Shop. Ms. Moncrief will be signing her new
book, Florissant, Colorado Pioneer Cemetery: The Stories
Behind the Tombstones between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on
Saturday and Sunday, June 26 and 27. Written with Nancy
Boyd, this new book is the best interpretive history of
Florissant's historic cemetery and its permanent
residents.
The book signing will go hand in hand with Cripple
Creek's 79th Annual Donkey Derby celebration. This
classic event includes something for the whole family!
Vendors and performers will fill the streets of Cripple
Creek as the city celebrates its historic donkey herd.
Look for the Museum float in the annual Donkey Derby
Days parade on Saturday! Then, on Sunday, the Museum
will proudly host the Businessman's Race. Watch as
local business owners and their employees push, pull and
drag a donkey to infamy.
Jan
Collins
Director
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box1210 ~ 500 East Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813 www.cripple-creek.org
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540
Melissa Trenary
Friends of the Museum Coordinator
Cripple Creek District Museum
500 E. Bennett Avenue ~ P.O. Box 1210
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
Research Requests: Research is conducted by our
limited staff and volunteers. The Museum
respectfully requests a minimum $10 donation when
requesting research. PayPal is available on the
Museum website, or checks can be mailed to the above
address. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
not-for-profit foundation. Donations to the
foundation are tax-deductible. Ask about our
Friends of the Museum memberships!
The Cripple Creek
District Museum is now open for Summer hours!
The Cripple Creek District Museum is now open for Summer
hours, 7 days a week 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Come
on in and see what we’ve been doing. On Friday,
June 11, the Museum will be hosting the first “Evening
At The Museum” of the summer. We will be staying
open until 9:00 p.m.
Happy Father’s Day! Sunday June 20 all Dad’s
receive free admission. That same day, Ray
Seibert, author of the book “Up On Cripple Creek”
will be on hand from noon until 2:00 p.m. for a book
signing in the Museum Gift Shop.
June 26 and 27 is the 79th Annual Donkey Derby
Days in Cripple Creek. Once again, the Cripple
Creek District Museum is proud to sponsor the
Businessman’s Race on Sunday the 27th. Start
time is 2:30 p.m. in the Museum Parking Lot.
June 27, Museum volunteer and co-author of the
book Florissant, Colorado Pioneer Cemetery--The Stories
Behind The Tombstones, Laura L. Moncrief will be
giving a presentation at the Florissant Library in
Florissant, Colorado. The illustrated program will
feature some of the early pioneers buried at the
Florissant Cemetery. Admission is free and doors
open at 1:30 p.m., program begins at 2:00 p.m..
Following the program, Laura will be signing copies of
her book.
Don’t forget about our free Sunday afternoon
Historic Walking Tours. Take a stroll through the
downtown commercial district while learning all about
Cripple Creek’s early years. The tours leave at
2:00 p.m. from in front of the Museum Gift Shop.
Jan
Collins
Director
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box1210 ~ 500 East Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813 www.cripple-creek.org
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540
Research Requests: Research is conducted
by our limited staff and volunteers. The Museum
respectfully requests a minimum $10 donation when
requesting research. PayPal is available on the Museum
website, or checks can be sent to the above address.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
not-for-profit foundation. Donations to the
foundation are tax-deductible. Ask about our Friends
of the Museum membership
The Cripple Creek
District Museum is the place to visit this May!
We celebrating Mother's Day, May 9 by giving all Moms
free admission to the Museum all day.
Saturday, May 15 we will be opening full time for the
summer. In honor of Historic Preservation Week,
we are offering free admission to everyone. Our
new summer hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days
a week.
Also on Saturday, May 15 we will be having our
Hardrock Park Dedication Ceremony at 1 p.m.
Light refreshments will be served. Following the
ceremony, our two historic cabins will be open for
viewing.
Sunday, May 16 Mona Hodgson will be here from noon to
3 p.m. to sign copies of her latest book,
"Two Brides To Many". Mona is the
author of 28 children's books. This new book is
her first adult novel and is set in Cripple Creek in
1896. We will be serving light refreshments, so
come on in and get your own autographed copy of Mona's
book.
Also on Sunday May 16, Melissa Trenary will begin her
Sunday afternoon Historic Walking Tours. These
tours are free and begin from in front of the Museum
Gift Shop at 2 p.m.
Please feel free to call or e-mail us if you have any
questions regarding any of our May events.
Jan
Collins
Director
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box1210 ~ 500 East Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813 www.cripple-creek.org
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540
Research Requests: Research is conducted
by our limited staff and volunteers. The Museum
respectfully requests a minimum $10 donation when
requesting research. PayPal is available on the Museum
website, or checks can be sent to the above address.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
not-for-profit foundation. Donations to the
foundation are tax-deductible. Ask about our
Friends of the Museum membership!
On Christmas
night of 1901, miner James Roberts stopped off for a
drink at the Dawson Club on bawdy Myers Avenue in
Cripple Creek. A few hours later, after his friends
departed, Roberts exchanged some heated words with bar
owner William Brooks. As Roberts turned to leave,
Brooks came up behind him and gave the hapless man a
good whack on the side of his head with a Colt .45
revolver. Roberts fell, hitting his head once on the
heating stove and again when he hit the floor.
For the next
hour, Brooks and his friends jeered at the injured
Roberts. The man was urged to the bar for a drink as
he lay dying, then was dragged to the back of the bar
room as patrons continued drinking. Eventually someone
thought to call a doctor, but it was too late. Roberts
was dead by the time authorities arrived. Brooks and
several witnesses were arrested.
Enter J.
Maurice Finn, the illustrious lawyer who defended such
notable characters as outlaw Bob Curry of the
notorious Wild Bunch and worked for some of Cripple
Creek’s millionaires. Finn decided the best defense
was to prove Roberts had an abnormally thin skull and
thus his client did not intend to kill Roberts by
hitting him with a gun butt. Under dark of night, Finn
convinced the coroner to saw the top of Roberts’
skull off so he could use it in his defense. The ploy
worked. Brooks was acquitted, nearly mobbed by those
who liked Roberts, and got out of town on the next
train.
For over a
century, the partial skull of James Roberts has sat in
the Teller County Courthouse. It received brief
notoriety in the 1970’s but was virtually forgotten
until court reporter Lisa Sadler-Wheatcraft
rediscovered it early this year. Research revealed
Roberts was buried in Cripple Creek’s Mt. Pisgah
Cemetery, but the location of his grave is unknown.
Sadler-Wheatcraft worked with former attorney P.J.
Anderson to relinquish ownership of the skull to the
Cripple Creek District Museum for safe keeping.
Roberts’ skull is now on display, with the Museum
planning to bury it with its owner—if Roberts’
grave is ever found.
In other
Museum news, the two cabins acquired last September
are at last furnished and ready for viewing by the
public. Donated by the City of Cripple Creek, the
cabins were initially saved from demolition by City
Engineer Jeff Miller. One is the former home of
prostitute French Blanche LeCoq from the District town
of Midway; the other is a typical miner’s log cabin
from West Masonic Avenue in Cripple Creek. Each structure
has been decorated to look as it would have when
occupied, and a special ceremony on May 1 will include
dedication of a plaque for Mr. Miller. The Museum
would like to thank Mayor and First Lady Dan and
Janida Baader, City Councilmen Gary Ledford, Milford
Ashworth and Steve Zoellner, Karen Zoellner, Yvetta
Ashworth, Carrie Miller, Jesse Bielz and his crew,
Christina Whitmore of the Florissant Fossil Beds
National Monument, city employee Steve DiCamillo and
his crew, Jeff and Missie Trenary, District Supply,
The Lock Shop of Woodland Park, and everyone else
involved in making this project happen.
Jan
Collins
Director
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box1210 ~ 500 East Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813 www.cripple-creek.org
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540
Research Requests: Research is conducted
by our limited staff and volunteers. The Museum
respectfully requests a minimum $10 donation when
requesting research. PayPal is available on the Museum
website, or checks can be sent to the above address.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
not-for-profit foundation. Donations to the
foundation are tax-deductible. Ask about our
Friends of the Museum membership!
District
Museum Hosts Evening at the Museum, Art Show
The
Cripple Creek District Museum is set to host its final
Evening at the Museum for the summer. As a finale, the
event will also include an Art Show and Sale featuring
several talented local artists, as well as an historic
walking tour.
The
fun begins at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 18. Eight
local artists will be on hand to discuss and sell their
work. Regional residents are already familiar with Steve
Mackin of Cripple Creek’s melodrama fame and former
owner of The Crucible in Cripple Creek. Steve will be
showing his latest hand-crafted jewelry.
Sculpture-turned-painter Michael Slancik, who claims
Mackin as his mentor, will also be on hand with his
bronze sculptures and new oil paintings of Cripple
Creek’s wild donkey herd. Slancik’s most famous
piece to date is the majestic elk that graces the
entrance to WalMart in Woodland Park. Other well known
artists will include Rod Sutton with his hand-made
Native American figures, and Jon Zimmer with his Native
American artwork. Both artists have been in the area for
many years and make regular appearances at art shows all
over the West.
Other
artists will include Michael Halterman, whose delightful
bronze works can be viewed in front of the Coldwell
Banker building and other sites in Woodland Park. JoAnn
Kincaid is a local artist whose water color works are
currently for sale at the Museum Gift Shop. Last but not
least, the Museum is proud to introduce Corey Colllins,
the Museum’s restorationist who creates wonderful
sculptures from rustic “junque”, and Tricia Smith of
Goldfield whose imaginative renderings of downtown
Victor and other places are both colorful and whimsical.
At
6:00 p.m., historian Melissa Trenary will be conducting
a sunset walking tour of downtown Cripple Creek. The
walk lasts roughly an hour (walking shoes and coats are
recommended) and includes an historic tour of bawdy
Myers Avenue and the business stretch of Bennett Avenue,
complete with the history of several buildings, people
and places.
All
three of the Museum buildings—the 1895 Midland
Terminal Depot, the 1900’s Assay Office and the 1894
Colorado Trading & Transfer Company building,
including the Museum Gift Shop—will remain open until
9 p.m. This event is open to the public and all events
are free. Complimentary hors d’ouvres and beverages
will also be served.
For
more information, call the Museum at 719-689-2634 or email CCDMuseum@aol.com.
Jan
Collins, Director
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210 ~ 500 East Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540
CCDMuseum@aol.com www.cripple-creek.org
Research
Requests: Research is conducted by our limited staff and volunteers.
The Museum respectfully asks for a minimum $10 donation when requesting
research. PayPal is available on the Museum website, or checks can be sent
to the above address. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
The Cripple Creek District Museum
is a private, not-for-profit foundation. Donations to the foundation are tax
deductible. Ask about our Friends of the Museum membership!
Imagine
standing in an elegant 19th century parlor illuminated by light
from an antique chandelier. Or in a dining room, circa 1900, set
and ready for a wedding dinner. Or a vintage Assay Office
surrounded by tools and mining items from over a century ago.
If any
of these scenarios appeal to you, come join us for our monthly
Evening at the Museum on Friday, August 28. Between 5 and 9
p.m., staff and volunteers will be keeping the Museum open
for a special viewing. There is nothing quite like seeing the
Museum lit up at night! We are currently seeking volunteers, in
Victorian or evening dress, to come spend time discussing our
Museum and the fantastic history of the Cripple Creek District.
Volunteers and their families receive complimentary admission
and can partake in snacks and beverages that will be on hand. A
vested interest in local history and your support of the Museum
are the only requirements.
Contact
the Museum to sign up or for more details. Thank you for your
support!
Jan
Collins, Director
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210 ~ 500 East Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540
CCDMuseum@aol.com www.cripple-creek.org
TK Museum Offers Free Admission on
Smithsonian Magazine’s 5th Annual Museum Day --Museum Day 2009 Poised to be Largest to Date--
Cripple Creek
District Museum Participates 3rd Year in a Row
LOCATION AND
DATELINE TK — On Saturday, September 26, 2009, the
Cripple Creek District Museum will participate in the
fifth annual Museum Day, presented by Smithsonian
magazine. A celebration of culture, learning and
the dissemination of knowledge, Smithsonian’s Museum
Day reflects the spirit of the magazine, and emulates
the free-admission policy of the Smithsonian
Institution’s Washington, DC-based properties.
Doors will be open free of charge to Smithsonian
magazine readers and Smithsonian.com visitors at museums
and cultural institutions nationwide.
Last year,
upwards of 200,000 people attended Museum Day, with all
50 states plus Puerto Rico represented by over 900
participating museums, including 84 Smithsonian
affiliate museums. This year, the magazine expects to
attract over 1,000 museums.
“We are very
pleased to be participants in this worthwhile event,”
said Museum Director Jan Collins. “We have seen an
increase in our Smithsonian visitors each year that
we’ve hosted this event.”
The Cripple
Creek District Museum was has worked for over 55 years
to preserve, interpret and share the history of the
entire Cripple Creek District and Teller County. The
Museum receives approximately 11,000 visitors per year.
During the Nation’s recent economic slump, the Museum
has worked to accommodate patrons at a price that is
affordable to the whole family. Facilities consist of
three historic buildings and two recently acquired
turn-of-the-last century cabins from the City of Cripple
Creek. Victorian apartments, numerous exhibits
displaying minerals, pioneer life, photographs, and a
15-minute video on the gold assay process make for a fun
tour with the whole family.
Visit www.smithsonian.com/museumday
to download your Museum Day Admission Card.
Attendees must present the Museum Day Admission Card to
gain free entry to participating institutions. Each card
provides museum access for two people, and one admission
card is permitted per household. Listings and
links to participating museums’ can also be found at www.smithsonian.com/museumday.
About the Cripple Creek District
Museum
Founded
in 1953, the Cripple Creek District Museum is proud to be
the oldest historical institution in Teller County.
History buffs, pioneer descendants, museum lovers and
thousands of others have enjoyed visiting the museum for
generations. The Museum is a non-profit, private
foundation and relies on admission tickets, gift shop
sales and donations to survive. For information on the
Friends of Museum membership, contact the Museum at CCDMuseum@aol.com
or by calling 719-689-2634.
About Smithsonian Media
Founded in 1970 with
the launch of Smithsonian magazine, Smithsonian Media—comprising Smithsonian
magazine, Air & Space, goSmithsonian, Smithsonian Publishing Digital
Network, Smithsonian Books and advertising for Smithsonian Channel—allows
the intellectually curious to indulge and engage their passions for history,
the arts, science, the natural world, culture and travel. Smithsonian
Media’s flagship publication, Smithsonian magazine, has a circulation of
more than two million. This multimedia network is also affiliated with the
world’s most visited museum and research complexes at the Smithsonian
Institution. For more information, visit www.smithsonian.com,
www.airspacemag.com, and www.gosmithsonian.com
Jan
Collins, Director
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210 ~ 500 East Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540
CCDMuseum@aol.com www.cripple-creek.org
Following a
major computer crash last month, we have just finished
re-implementing our new and improved email address list.
We sincerely apologize for any inconveniences this may
have caused. If you wish to unsubscribe or are receiving
duplicate emails, please notify us immediately so we can
make corrections. We truly appreciate your patience during
this trying time!
Our old email
will remain intact for another month; please change your
records in the meantime so we don't lose track of our
valued supporters.
As you may
guess, the Museum is indeed needing an updated computer
system so we may continue our work on several
projects. The Museum is currently seeking funding for
the following items:
(2) computers, IBM compatible, with a minimum 40GB
hard drive to store digital photos, documents and
archival records
(4) Flat screen monitors
(2) Flatbed scanners
(2) HP Deskjet printers, 9650 or higher
Adobe PhotoShop software
PrintMaster graphics software
We continue to
seek grant opportunities to assist this project, but need
fast funding due to the urgency of our situation. Your
donation is tax deductible, and no amount is too small!
If you can help, please mail your check to us at the
address at the end of this message.
Computer
troubles aside, the Museum has completed many goals this
summer. These include, but are not limited to:
- Total restoration of the third floor Victorian
apartment in our 1895 Depot
- Painting of the Colorado Trading & Transfer Co.
building and the Depot
- Restoration of a baggage wagon behind the Depot
- Cleaning and reassembly of our 1900 Assay Office
In addition, we
recently received the generous donation of two historic
cabins from the City of Cripple Creek. These cabins were
rescued from demolition by city employee Jeff Miller in
2006 and reassembled at the corner of Highway 67 and
Golden Avenue in Cripple Creek. Plans are in the works to
relocate the cabins to Hardrock Park at the Museum within
the next month and furnish them as they would have looked
when they were private residences. A
hearty thank you goes to Mayor Dan Baader, City Planner
Larry Manning, Kathy Stockton and the Historic
Preservation Commission, Public Works employee Chip
Huffman, City Administrator Bill McPherson and many
others for their kind assistance!
In other Museum news:
The
Museum received several donations in the memory of
George Peters, who was born in the Cripple Creek District
town of Independence in 1911. Mr. Peters left the District
in 1956 but never forgot his love for the Cripple Creek
District. He passed away in Milan, New Mexico in April.
Artifacts
that have been donated recently include ledgers, ephemera
and two historic books on CD; extensive research on Joseph
Lesher and his famous "Lesher Dollars"; a box of
letters pertaining to the Mt. Pisgah tourist attraction, a
wooden saddle and a beautiful "Skookum" doll.
The
Museum has been proud to support the Old Homestead Parlour
House Museum's efforts and fundraiser. In June, the
Homestead successfully held a benefit auction for purchase
of furnishings belonging to the museum, and is currently
working to secure ownership of Madam Pearl DeVere's historic
bordello. They still need your support! PayPal donations can
be made from the Cripple Creek District Museum website at www.cripple-creek.org,
or call the Homestead at 719-689-9090.
Gift Shop Update
If you haven't been to the Museum Gift Shop lately, now is
the time to visit! We recently got in several
impressive prints by renowned artist Bev Doolittle, as well
as a new line of ***DONKEY***
figurines and items. And don't forget, the Gift Shop
proudly carries the largest history
book selection in Teller County. New
releases include books by local authors Ed Hunter, Jan
MacKell and Melissa Trenary. We also are carrying a new line
of Bee Bar soaps and lotions, as well as some local Native
American music. Plan your Christmas shopping early with us!
Fun for the Family
Wondering what there is for kids to do in Cripple Creek?
Have some out of town visitors? The Cripple Creek District
Museum is just the place to bring the whole family. Not only
are your tickets good for the entire day, but there is lots
to see and do. Here are just some of the exciting package
deals we have to offer. It's as easy as 1-2-3:
1. Explore the Treasures of
the Gold Camp!
The Museum and several area businesses have free
treasure maps. Follow the map to fifteen different
attractions, shops and hotels. Get your map stamped at ten
of the fifteen places to win a free, adorable plush donkey
from Wishpets, plus enter your name for a free grand prize
drawing after December 31.
2. Heritage Passport
Follow our trails of history with a one-ticket-buys all
package. Economically priced economically at just $8 each,
the Heritage Passport provides admission to the Cripple
Creek District Museum, the Outlaws & Lawmen Jail Museum
and the Victor/Lowell Thomas Museum. Save $3 when you buy
these package deals.
3. Friends of the Museum
memberships
One more way to save! Friends of the Museum memberships
include free admission to the Museum, gift certificates to
the Museum Gift Shop, 10% merchandise and photo
reproductions, special invitations to Museum events and
more! Memberships are available from $50 to $500 and assist
us with our many projects, plus your membership is
tax-deductible. Call or emails us for more information
today!
Upcoming Events:
As always, the Museum is heavily involved in community
events (in June, our Fire Wagon Float proudly took
third place in the 78th annual Donkey Derby Days Parade).
Other upcoming events include:
Look for us this weekend at the Annual Gold Rush Days Parade
in beautiful downtown Victor when we present
"The Stinky Sink Saloon"
with poker playin' dudes, a bevy of buxom beauties, a
gunfight, rollicking fun and lots of candy!
Saturday, July 25 - An Evening
at the Museum, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. There is
nothing quite so elegant as our Museum when it is lit up at
night! Stop by for an historic evening tour that will
include light snacks and libations. The Gift Shop will also
be open into the evening hours.
Thank you again for your support of the Cripple
Creek District Museum. We cannot accomplish our goals
without people like you!
Jan
Collins, Director
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210 ~ 500 East Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540
CCDMuseum@aol.com www.cripple-creek.org
Contact:
Cripple Creek District Museum 719-689-2634
or 719-689-9540
An
Evening at the Museum this Friday, May 22
Please
join the Cripple Creek District Museum staff for An Evening
at the Museum this Friday, May 22. There is nothing quite
like the elegant lighting cast when our beautiful museum is
lit up at night! All three buildings: the Midland Terminal
Depot, the Colorado Trading & Transfer Building and our
Assay Office will be available for viewing, and our Museum
Gift Shop will also remain open.
An
Evening at the Museum will be held once a month through the
summer months, giving visitors and locals alike the unique
chance to see the Museum after dark. Be sure to look for
future emails about An Evening at the Museum in June, July
and August.
This
Friday, the Museum will open at 10 a.m. and remain open
until 9 p.m. Beginning at 5 p.m., complimentary beverages
and snacks will be served. Admission is $5 for adults, $4
for Colorado residents, $3 for seniors, military (active or
not) and children. Kids age seven and under are free.
Friends of the Museum members and those in Victorian dress
also receive complimentary admission.
For
more information, please feel free to contact us.
Cripple Creek
District Museum P.O. Box 1210, 5th
& Bennett Avenue Cripple Creek,
Colorado 80813 719-689-2634 ~
719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek
District Museum is a private, non-profit foundation.
Donations to the foundation are tax deductible.
Ask us about our
Friends of the Museum memberships
Saturday, May 2
- Join authors Leland Feitz, Celinda Reynolds Kaelin, Kathi
MacIver, Jan MacKell and Richard Marold for Bookfest 2009 at
the Museum Gift Shop. Feitz, a former curator of the Museum,
will be signing his wonderful "Quick History" and
other local history books. Many of our guest authors have
new books out, including Kaelin’s American Indians of
the Pikes Peak Region (Arcadia Publishing), MacIver’s Historic
Places: Cripple Creek, Colorado (Columbine Press), Red
Light Women of the Rocky Mountains by MacKell
(University of New Mexico Press) and Winfield Scott
Stratton: The Reluctant Millionaire by Marold, who does
portrayals and programs on the District’s first
millionaire. The festivities will run form noon to 3 p.m. in
the Museum Gift Shop and light refreshments will be served.
Sunday, May 10
- Happy Mother’s Day! All moms will receive complimentary
admission to the Museum from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday, May 15
- The Museum will kick off for the summer with a day of free
admission to celebrate Historic Preservation Month.
Admission is free all day, and guests will receive
complimentary lapel stickers. Summer hours at the Museum
will be seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday, May 22
- An Evening at the Museum, 5 to 9 p.m. Come enjoy the
beauty of the Museum when it is lit up at night! Guests are
invited for a full tour of the Museum during the evening
hours, including our 1890's Assay Office and the Museum Gift
Shop. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served. Admission is $5
for adults, $4 for Colorado residents, and $3 for military
(active or not), seniors and children under 12.
For more
information on these and upcoming events, contact the Museum
at 719-689-2634 or CCDMuseum@ccvnet.net.
The Cripple Creek
District Museum is a private, non-profit foundation.
Donations to the foundation are tax deductible.
To unsubscribe,
please reply with "unsubscribe" in the subject
area.
Ask us about our
Friends of the Museum memberships
Cripple Creek
District Museum P.O. Box 1210, 5th
& Bennett Avenue Cripple Creek,
Colorado 80813 719-689-2634 ~
719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek
District Museum is a private, non-profit foundation. Donations
to the foundation are tax deductible.
Ask us about our
Friends of the Museum memberships!
Contact:
Charlotte at 719-689-2485
or
The Old Homestead House Museum Assn
PO Box 540
Cripple Creek, CO80813
Old
Homestead House Museum353 East Myers Ave. Cripple Creek, CO
Dear
Friends and Supporters of the Homestead House Museum:
Your
help is urgently requested!!!!!
You
may or may not know that Wild Horse Casino, former owners of the
Museum, shut down last fall and have sold the property including
the Homestead House to the Double Eagle Casino group.The sale to the Double Eagle did not include the
furnishings and artifacts in the house, so in order to keep the
museum viable and intact we are beginning a fundraising effort
to purchase the contents from the Wild horse folks.
It
is important to continue to have the museum open to the public
for future generations, so our first goal is to SAVE THE
FURNISHINGS AND ARTIFACTS that tells the story of an important
era in Cripple Creek’s history. We have had positive
communications with the Double Eagle and feel very optimistic
that the Museum will be open this summer, so need to accomplish
this first goal.
We
have approached the group and plan the formal proposal in the
next week or so.We
are thinking the more money we can have at least pledged to the
purchase the more likely the Wild Horse group would be to accept
our offer.So the
push is on to raise as much as we can quickly.(Note the appraisal of the furniture is a little over
$46,000, so unsure how much it will take but hope if we have
cash offer of less it would be excepted).
We
do have an anonymous donor willing to match up to $5,000.00, so
every donation will be doubled.Please consider making your donation or pledge amount
NOW!!!No amount is
too small.
All
donations are tax-deductible and should be made to The Old
Homestead House Museum Assn.Mail those donations or pledge amounts to PO Box 540,
Cripple Creek, CO80813or call Charlotte at 719-689-2485 for more information or
questions.
Winter may still be here, but the Cripple Creek
District Museum is moving ahead with needed
repairs and improvements.
As part of the Museum’s three year
strategic plan, all new electric wiring is
currently being installed in the 1895 Midland
Terminal Depot. “We have needed new wiring for
a very long, long time,” said Director Jan
MacKell. Repair of the plaster ceilings on the
third floor of the depot, as well as refinishing
floors, is going hand in hand with the project.
“We made history when we disassembled the
rooms,” added MacKell, who explained that most
of the third floor rooms remain as they were
when the Museum opened in 1953. “By the time
we finish, we’ll have four beautiful brand new
rooms upstairs.” MacKell also emphasized that
the Museum applied for grants to do the work
last year but was unfortunately turned down.
“The work was just too urgent for us to wait
any longer,“ said MacKell, “and we will
gratefully accept any and all donations anyone
wishes to make to help us out.”
Other recent improvements to the Museum
complex have included roof and chimney repairs
on the depot and a brand new tin roof on the
Assay Office that has returned it to its
original appearance. These projects were
generously financed by the city of Cripple
Creek, which continues to work with the Museum
on its many on-going projects. “We are
indebted to the kindness of Mayor Baader, city
administrator Bill McPherson, city engineer
Richard Thomas and planning director Larry
Manning,” said MacKell. “Without them this
work would have taken a lot of time to raise
money for, and it could have had a devastating
effect on our historic buildings.”
MacKell does emphasize the Museum is in the
process of applying for grants for supplies,
paint and other needed repairs to the Museum
complex and several larger artifacts. It was
also recently announced that the Two Mile High
Club, led by new president Tom Cooper, will be
partnering with the Museum to construct a
loafing shed and facilities for the city’s
famous donkey herd. The “donkey hangout” at
the Museum’s Hardrock Park will provide water
year-round and shelter during storms. “It will
be good for the donkeys to know they can come
there for water and shelter,” said MacKell.
Other projects in the near future include pin
striping the 1909 fire wagon the Museum restored
last year and putting it on display, plus
planning for events through the summer months. A
new event, An Evening at the Museum, is planned
for the months of May through August and will
allow patrons to visit during the evening hours.
“The Museum really does look lovely when
it’s lit up at night,” said Mackell.
“We’re looking forward to showing it off and
I think people will really enjoy it.” Also,
look for other festivities including book
signings, special free days, plus a reprisal of
the popular Night at the Museum in October and
Ghosts of Christmas Past in December.
The Museum is open Saturday and Sunday
through mid-May from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more
information or to schedule a special tour, call
719-689-2634 or email CCDMuseum@ccvnet.net.
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210, 5th & Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
non-profit foundation. Donations to the
foundation are tax deductible.
Ask us about our Friends of the Museum memberships!
Due to a particularly snowy winter, as well as
tough economic times, the Cripple Creek District
Museum will be reducing its winter hours to
Saturday and Sunday only, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
beginning January 2, 2009. "The Museum only
began staying open on Fridays five or six years
ago," noted Director Jan MacKell. "It
has always been a limited success, but this year
has been a hard one for everyone in the
area." MacKell also said the Museum will
open full time again in mid-May as it has always
done, and that the coming year will be a
deciding factor as to whether or not to remain
open three days a week next winter. Also, group
and special tours are still available at the
Museum by calling the main number at
719-689-2634 or emailing ccdmuseum@ccvnet.net.
The Friday closing has little bearing on what
the Museum feels have been several wonderful
accomplishments in 2008. Most notably the Museum
completed the largest part of restoring a 1909
Seagrave Fire Wagon that is original to the city
and one of only two known in America. "We
have several finishing touches that need
funding," said MacKell, "but the
important part is that the body is done and the
wagon is home." Also, with the generous
help of the City of Cripple Creek, the Museum
was able to install wheelchair ramps and new
sidewalks, incorporate new landscaping and
complete roof repairs to the 1895 Midland
Terminal Railroad Depot and a brand new tin roof
on its Assay Office. "A corrugated roof was
what was most appropriate for that
building," commented MacKell, "so now
it looks much more authentic."
In addition to needed and ongoing repairs around
the Museum complex, several interesting
donations were made throughout the year. During
2008 the Museum received over 400 photographs
from various donors, as well as Cripple Creek
Post Office records dating between 1892 and 1947
from Ken and Katherine Hartz and a beautiful
1920's grocery scale from Tarie and Robert
Villani of Florissant. Other interesting items
have included an original chair from the Collins
Hotel (now the Imperial Hotel), clothing, and an
1874 United States flag.
The Museum was also pleased to have participated
in several events over the summer, including the
premier of books about Spencer Penrose by Robert
C. Olson and former Governor Ralph Carr by Adam
Schrager of Denver’s 9News. In addition, the
Museum celebrated its 55th year
during the summer and coordinated the 50th
Anniversary of the Old Homestead Parlor House
Museum with the generous assistance of the Gold
Camp Victorian Society. The Museum’s annual
Night at the Museum at Halloween and a
resurrection of the Gold Camp Victorian
Society’s Ghosts of Christmas Past were also
highly successful.
Plans in the New Year will include more
events, as well as other booksignings. As part
of Year Three of the Museum’s strategic plan,
volunteers will be sought to assist with
upgrading the current archive system and other
exciting projects. In addition Museum fans and
visitors are still encouraged to enroll in the
Friends of the Museum membership, with a
friendly reminder that donations to the Museum
are tax-deductible. "We are certainly
appreciative of everything our community and
supporters have done for us," said MacKell,
"and we look forward to working with even
more supporters and volunteers in 2009."
For more information about the Museum, call
719-689-2634 or access the Museum website at www.Cripple-Creek.org.
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210, 5th & Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
non-profit foundation. Donations to the foundation
are tax deductible.
Friends of the Museum memberships are now available!
Contact us for information.
Contact:
Cripple Creek District Museum Gift Shop
719-689-9540
Museum Gift Shop
Offers December Sale
Beat the Christmas crunch and keep money in our
community! In an effort to help beat the budget
crisis this holiday season, the Cripple Creek
District Museum Gift Shop is having a 20% off
sale from December 1-28.
As one of the most unique gift shops in Cripple
Creek, with the best history book selection in Teller County,
the Cripple Creek District Museum can be
your one-stop shopping headquarters for all of
your Christmas gift needs. The inventory
includes such hard-to-find items as quality
reproduction Victorian china and glassware,
fine, costume and Southwestern jewelry, unique clocks,
fixtures, Lodge cast-iron cookware,
old-fashioned kitchenware, toys, cookbooks,
tea and mocha sets, Victorian china dolls and
Western Barbie dolls, vases, oil lamps, candles
and hand-crafted soaps, mineral samples,
commemorative items, calendars, t-shirts,
candy and hundreds of other one-of-a-kind gifts.
We also have the largest and best book stock in
Teller County. The Gift Shop carries a variety
of history books on numerous subjects, including
Native Americans, Mining, Women of the West,
Military and weapons, prostitution, flowers and
minerals of Colorado and several area history
books. Popular titles include John Fielder's Colorado
1870-2000 Volumes I and II, Cripple
Creek Days by Mabel Barbee Lee, Cripple
Creek District: Last of Colorado's Gold Booms
by Jan MacKell, Doc Susie by Virginia
Cornell, and Kathi MacIver's books on Cripple
Creek that include ghosts, cemetery, the Outlaws &
Lawmen Jail Museum and other interesting
subject. Leland Feitz' "Quick History"
books on Cripple Creek, Victor, bawdy Myers
Avenue, railroads and other areas make great
stocking stuffers!
The discount applies to all items in the Gift
Shop, and Friends of the Museum members
receive an additional 10% off. The Cripple Creek
District Museum Gift Shop is open Friday,
Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those
wishing to order items during the week can also
leave a message by calling 719-689-9540.
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210, 5th & Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
non-profit foundation. Donations to the foundation
are tax deductible.
Friends of the Museum memberships are now available!
Contact us for information.
Contact:
CCDM
719-689-9540
Jan MacKell 719-689-2634
Cripple Creek
District Museum Hosts Bookfest 2008
It’s no secret that books make fine Christmas
gifts, and the Cripple Creek District Museum Gift
Shop is proud [the?] to boast of the best history
book selection in Teller County.
This year, the Museum will present its annual
Bookfest 2008 on Saturday, November 22 in the
Museum Gift Shop. As always, a number of local
authors will be on hand to sign their books.
"We are indeed fortunate to have several
talented writers living in the area," says
Director Jan MacKell, "and this is a great
chance for the public to meet them."
MacKell will in fact be signing two of her
books, "Cripple Creek District: Last of
Colorado’s Gold Booms" and "Brothels,
Bordellos and Bad Girls: Prostitution in Colorado
1860 to 1930". Also in attendance will be
Sylece Andromeda, author of "Hardrock
Man" and "Speakeasy in the Gold
Camp"; Lyn Bezek who wrote the popular
children’s story "Daisy The Cripple Creek
Donkey"; Ed Hunter, who co-wrote "The
Colorado Labor Wars 1903-1904" with other
Colorado historians and Kathi MacIver, author of
several local history books covering anything from
ghosts to outlaws to residents of Cripple
Creek’s famous Mt. Pisgah Cemetery.
The booksigning will take place from noon to
three p.m. and refreshments will be served. For
more information, contact the Museum Gift Shop at
719-689-9540 or email the Cripple Creek District
Museum at ccdmuseum@ccvnet.net.
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210, 5th & Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
non-profit foundation. Donations to the foundation
are tax deductible.
Friends of the Museum memberships are now available!
Contact us for information.
Contact:
Mike Merson 719-689-6556
Jan MacKell 719-689-2634
Come to the Haunted
Hills of Cripple Creek!
Where better to celebrate Halloween than Cripple
Creek, home of ghoulies and ghosties galore! This
year, let the vampire in you visit two historic
museums in town for a spooky evening of fun. The
Outlaws & Lawmen Jail Museum will be
presenting The Haunted Jail, a
not-for-faint-at-heart visit with thieves,
murderers and goblins from the wicked past. The
Jail Museum is located at 136 West Bennett Avenue.
On the east end of Bennett Avenue at 5th Street,
the Cripple Creek District Museum will present
Night at the Museum II, with ghoulish Victorian
characters and lots of nightmarish fun.
Both haunted museums will run October 23 - 26 and
October 29 - 31 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tickets are
on sale in advance for $8 each or just $13 for a
combo ticket to each museum. For more information,
call the Jail Museum at 719-689-6556 or the
District Museum at 719-689-2634.
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210, 5th & Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
non-profit foundation. Donations to the foundation
are tax deductible.
Friends of the Museum memberships are now available!
Contact us for information.
To celebrate Armed Forces Weekend in Cripple
Creek this coming weekend, the Cripple Creek
District Museum is offering free admission to all
military, active or not. "Just because someone
served our country in the past doesn’t mean they
don’t deserve recognition today," said
Director Jan MacKell. Hence, the Museum will be
offering complimentary tours of all three of its
historic buildings to anyone showing a military i.d.
card. The offer is good Friday, Saturday and Sunday
August 15—17 and the Museum will be open from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. all three days. For more information
call 719-689-2634 or email ccdmuseum@ccvnet.net.
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210, 5th & Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
non-profit foundation. Donations to the foundation
are tax deductible.
Friends of the Museum memberships are now available!
Contact us for information.
In an effort to meet the economic needs for
vacationers this summer due to rising gas prices,
the Cripple Creek District Museum is now offering
discounted admission prices to all Colorado
residents. Come play in your own backyard! Three
historic buildings, Hardrock Park and thousands of
exhibited artifacts await this fun, family-friendly,
self-guided tour of Teller County's oldest historic
institution. Admission prices are as follows:
Adults $5
Colorado Residents $4
Seniors and Military (active or not) $3
Children ages 7-12 $3
Children 6 and under free
Group rates of 10 or more $3
Also, don't forget to visit the Old Homestead
Museum, Colorado's ONLY bordello museum and one of
only three in the United States. Cripple Creek's
last parlor house offers a guided tour that is
indeed family-friendly and truly unique. Admission
prices are:
Adults $4
Seniors and Military (active or not) $3
Children $3
Children age 7 and under free
Group rates of 10 or more $3
Both museums are open seven days a week during the
summer months. If you would like to plan your trip
in advance or schedule a group tour, please feel
free to contact us.
Thank you, and enjoy our history!
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210, 5th & Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
non-profit foundation. Donations to the foundation
are tax deductible.
Friends of the Museum memberships are now available!
Contact us for information.
Ever wonder what the wicked days of the Wild West
were really all about? Come find out on Saturday,
June 21 when the Old Homestead Parlor House Museum
in Cripple Creek celebrates it’s 50th
year as Colorado’s only brothel museum.
First opened in 1894 as one of the plushest
bordellos west of the Mississippi, the present
building was constructed after a devastating fire in
1896. Madam Pearl DeVere, who died of a morphine
overdose just six months after her grand re-opening,
remains the best known madam of the Homestead, which
catered exclusively to millionaires and prominent
citizens.
Since 1958, visitors have been treated to guided
tours giving intimate details of the house, its
antique furnishings and the naughty ladies who
worked and lived there. The museum is owned and
maintained by the Wild Horse Casino next door, which
partnered up with the Cripple Creek District Museum
in 2007 to run the museum during the summer months.
The festivities on June 21 will begin at 10 a.m.
with complimentary tours of the Homestead throughout
the day. Pearl, her girls and a number of brothel
inspectors, sheriff deputies and clients, not to
mention several shocked and dismayed townsfolk, will
be on hand. Also look for shoot outs taking place in
front the Homestead at 10:30 and 2:30, and in front
of the Outlaws and Lawmen Jail Museum at 1:30. Skits
are being generously performed by the The Gold Camp
Victorian Society’s Smokin’ Guns throughout the
city, including the Cripple Creek District Museum,
the Cripple Creek/Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad.
The general public is cordially invited to
participate in this most historic event. Victorian
dress (any style, any period) is welcome, and
visitors are encouraged to run amuck throughout the
town. A grand time will be had by all! For
additional information, call the Cripple Creek
District Museum at 719-689-2634.
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210, 5th & Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
non-profit foundation. Donations to the foundation
are tax deductible.
Friends of the Museum memberships are now available!
Contact us for information.
The Cripple Creek District Museum is set to
celebrate its 55th anniversary on
Saturday, June 14 with live music, a beer garden,
special guests and fun for the whole family.
“Until someone tell us different, we are the
oldest museum in the state,” said Director Jan
MacKell. “We’re definitely the oldest and
largest historical institution in the county. This
celebration will be a landmark day for us.”
The Museum opened on June 14, 1953 as a private,
non-profit foundation dedicated to preserving the
history of the Cripple Creek District and Teller
County. Such mid-50’s pioneers as Dorothy Mackin
of Cripple Creek’s melodrama fame, Richard Johnson
who owned the Cripple Creek Gold Rush newspaper,
millionaire heir Blevins Davis who once owned the
Baldwin Mansion in Colorado Springs, pioneer
daughters Margaret Giddings and Hazel Bunker and
millionaire widow Ethel Carlton played major roles
in starting the Museum.
The festivities will begin at 10 a.m. until 5
p.m. Throughout the day, Ralf’s Breakroom of
Cripple Creek will be serving up a variety of
goodies, and a beer garden will be open as well with
Budweiser on draft, sodas and bottled water.
Beginning at 11 a.m., author Robert C. Olson will be
on hand to sign his book, “Speck: The Life &
Times of Spencer Penrose.” Then at noon The
Riders, Teller County’s premier country rock band,
will take the stage in front of the 1895 Midland
Terminal Depot which is part of the Museum. Also
look for other special guests and speakers.
Admission is free to the public; donations, gift
shop sales and proceeds from beverage sales will go
to support the Museum.
For additional information, call the Museum at
719-689-2634 or email ccdmuseum@ccvnet.net.
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210, 5th & Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
non-profit foundation. Donations to the foundation
are tax deductible.
Friends of the Museum memberships are now available!
Contact us for information.
District Museum, Old
Homestead Set to Open for Summer
Following a busy winter of making such needed
improvements as interior painting and installing new
sidewalks that now include a wheelchair ramp, the
Cripple Creek District Museum is ready to celebrate
its 55th year during the summer of 2008.
Over the winter months, Museum staff worked with
a number of local contractors to finish painting the
interior of the 1895 Midland Terminal Railroad
Depot, as well as laying all new sidewalks in front
of all three Museum buildings. "We are
especially proud of our resident painter, Roger
Dunbar," said Director Jan MacKell. "It
took him just over a year to single-handedly strip,
clean and paint all of the windows and woodwork
throughout the Depot."
MacKell is also extremely pleased with the
sidewalks, which were excavated and installed by MMH
Inc. and Windsor Concrete. Local artisan Steve
Donner is currently making steel handrails which
should be ready in the next week. "Mayor Dan
Baader put together a wonderful team for us,"
said MacKell, adding that in addition to excavating,
MMH Inc. also provided much needed landscaping and
moved several pieces of heavy equipment to improve
the look of the Museum grounds. The project in its
entirety was paid for out of the City of Cripple
Creek’s budget for museum improvements. "We
are truly indebted to City Administrator Bill
McPherson for his assistance in making this
happen," said MacKell.
With everything in place, the Museum is ready to
open full time for the summer beginning Friday, May
16. Also, on Saturday May 17, the Museum is offering
free admission to the public in honor of Armed
Forces Day. "We want to show our appreciation
not only to our military forces that day," said
MacKell, "but also to all Americans who support
the troops."
The District Museum is also pleased to be
managing the Old Homestead Parlor House Museum for
the second year in a row. The Wild Horse Casino,
which owns the Homestead, graciously signed a lease
with the District Museum earlier this year to assure
the Homestead will be open once again. "We are,
as always, indebted to the Wild Horse for extending
this offer to us." said MacKell. The doors to
Colorado’s only brothel museum will once again
swing open on Friday, May 16 at 11 a.m. with guided
tours.
Both museums will be open seven days a week
through September 1. The District Museum opens daily
at 10 a.m., with the Homestead opening at 11 a.m.
Both places close at 5 p.m. Visitors will also want
to make sure and visit in June, when the District
Museum celebrates its 55th anniversary on
June 14 and the Homestead celebrates its 50th
anniversary on June 21. For additional information,
call 719-689-2634 or access the District Museum
website at www.cripple-creek.org.
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210, 5th & Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
non-profit foundation. Donations to the foundation
are tax deductible.
Friends of the Museum memberships are now available!
Contact us for information.
DISTRICT MUSEUM RAISES THE
ROOF, LEASES OLD HOMESTEAD
For the second year in a row, the Cripple Creek
District Museum (CCDM) is pleased to announce that
negotiations with the Wild Horse Casino have
resulted in the leasing of the Old Homestead Parlor
House Museum. "We are extremely pleased at the
opportunity to manage the Homestead again this
year," said Director Jan MacKell, "and we
are again very grateful to the Wild Horse for
working with us. We have some great plans for this
year."
The CCDM not only has plans for the Homestead,
but also a number events taking place during the
2008 summer season. The most prominent of these will
be the celebration of the Museum’s 55th
anniversary on June 14. "I’m not sure, but I
believe we are the oldest same-site museum in
Colorado," said MacKell. Close runners up
include the Old Homestead, established in 1958 and
the Victor/Lowell Thomas Museum in Victor,
established in 1960. The party on the 14th
will include live music, food and other events.
In the months both before and after the
Anniversary Party, the Museum has a number of other
projects in store. They include finishing
restoration of a 1909 Seagraves Fire Wagon with a
homecoming parade towards the end of April and
commencing on Phase II of the Facelift Fundraiser
which began last year. Among other tasks, the Museum
is currently seeking grant monies from the State
Historic Fund and the City of Cripple Creek to
replace the roof, repair four plaster ceilings and
replace electrical wiring in the 1895 Midland
Terminal Railroad Depot. Additional foundation
repair will be performed as well. "The depot
actually survived the fires of 1896," said
MacKell, noting that burned timbers in the attic
attest to the building’s close call as the rest of
the business district burned. MacKell also pointed
out that the Museum welcomes any and all donations
to continue their work. "We’re still a
non-profit foundation, and we still need all the
help we can get," she said.
Board of Directors member Steve Mackin is also
working with the city of Cripple Creek and other
organizations to install ADA-compliant sidewalks
with wheelchair ramps this summer. It’s the second
phase of making the Museum more handicap accessible,
the first phase being installing an ADA compliant
bathroom in the 1893 Trading & Transfer Company
building last year. In addition, the CCDM has been
working continuously with city officials to install
a better interpretive display about the Museum at
the Pikes Peak Heritage Center and explore ways to
link all the area historic sites together. "The
museums of the Cripple Creek District will be the
highlight of our visitor experience in the heart of
history here," said Mackin, emphasizing that
working with the new administration at City Hall has
been very effective.
Several other projects are planned at the Museum
as well, including the completion of extensive
window restorations which began in 2005. Painter
Roger Dunbar has worked over the last year to strip
or paint, caulk and repair each window in the depot,
room by room. This summer, Dunbar will be painting
the exterior of the depot as well as other areas of
the Museum. As in prior years, the Museum staff will
also continue to rearrange and better interpret
exhibits throughout the three-building complex. They
also hope to publish the long-awaited Gold Camp
Cooking and Other Recipes from the Cripple Creek
District this year, a compendium of historic
recipes from 1885 to present-day.
But the Museum has more than one book planned. In
February, the CCDM accepted an offer from Arcadia
Publishing to produce a pictorial history of the
Cripple Creek District. Arcadia’s Making of
America series will publish roughly one hundred
photographs that will be hand-selected and
interpreted by the Museum’s staff and Board of
Directors. Having received over 135 photographs from
donors last year, combined with 45 photos so far
this year and literally thousands of others to
choose from, readers will be assured a well-rounded
book illustrating the history of the District.
In addition, the Museum will be hosting no less
than three book signings this year, including an
appearance by KUSA Channel 9's Adam Schrager on
Saturday, March 15. Schrager will be on hand to sign
his new book, The Principled Politician: The
Ralph Carr Story, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Carr,
who served as governor from 1939 to 1943, grew up in
Cripple Creek and is best remembered for his stand
against incarcerating Japanese Americans during
World War II.
Other events to look for this year will include
"Trails Grown Dim: A Visit With Characters from
the Past" in July, a sculpture exhibit in
August, a "Doors to the Past" painting
exhibition in September, "Night at the Museum
II" in October and special free admission days
during certain military and other events. The Museum
is currently open 10 a.m.—5 p.m. Friday, Saturday
and Sunday and will open full time for the summer on
May 17. For more information call 719-689-2634 or
access the website at cripple-creek.org.
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210, 5th & Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
non-profit foundation. Donations to the foundation
are tax deductible.
Friends of the Museum memberships are now available!
Contact us for information.
District Museum Honors
Veterans, Hosts Booksigning
The Cripple Creek District Museum has two major
events planned for November. In honor of all who
have served their country, the Museum will admit all
current and former members of the military for a
complimentary tour of the Museum on Sunday, November
11. Just show any military i.d. to gain free
admission.
Then on Saturday, November 17, the Museum will
host Bookfest 2007, its annual pre-Christmas
booksigning party at the Museum Gift Shop. Local
authors Sylece Andromeda, Leland Feitz, Kathi
MacIver, Dale Peiffer and Museum Director Jan
MacKell will be on hand to sign and discuss their
books. The signing begins at noon and ends at 3 p.m.
and refreshments will be served. For additional
information, call 719-689-9540 or 719-689-2634.
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210, 5th & Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
non-profit foundation. Donations to the foundation
are tax deductible.
Friends of the Museum memberships are now available!
Contact us for information.
<- Travis
Allen of J.E.T. Service in Victor was in charge of
hauling Fire Wagon #3 from the Cripple Creek District
Museum to Colorado Springs. Museum staff members and
volunteers on hand were Melody Crawford, Evelyn
Trenary, Missie Trenary and Jan MacKell.
The Cripple Creek District Museum is downsizing its
hours for the winter months, but is pleased to
announce that the Gift Shop will remain open five days
a week. Beginning October 15, hours at the Museum will
be Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Museum Gift Shop will remain open from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. every day except Tuesday and Wednesday.
Although the Museum is reducing its hours, a flurry
of projects are still in the making. "It’s been
an exciting summer," remarked Jan MacKell, who
was made permanent Director in September.
"We’ve done so much to spruce the Museum up and
it made a difference in the number of visitors who
came to see us this year." Beginning last
December the Museum embarked on a number of projects
that included new paint and carpet, repairs,
rearranging exhibits and installing an ADA bathroom
that will hopefully be able to open soon.
But the Museum isn’t done yet; most recently, a
1909 Seagraves Fire Wagon that served CCFD #3 was
taken to Colorado Springs for restoration. Kelly Hagen
of Ghost Town Museum will be performing the work.
"Kelly’s work is unsurpassed," said
MacKell. "The quality and care he puts into his
projects are simply amazing." The project is
expected to take about four months, and the Museum is
welcoming donations to help defray the cost.
Some of the assistance will come from new members
of the Friends of the Museum, a campaign started in
August that has yielded almost forty members so far.
"We are still doing our mailers," explains
MacKell, adding that those wishing to get in on the
Charter Membership with special benefits have until
December 31 to join.
During the winter, the Museum staff will be working
to procure grant monies to complete other needed
projects. These include such repairs as on a
water-damaged wall on the MTRR Depot building,
installing a new roof on the Depot and stabilizing
seven other wagons, plus a number of other projects.
The Museum is also continuing to host monthly
events. Look for "Night at the Museum" on
October 31 from 5 to 9 p.m. Ghoulish characters from
the past will be lurking around the Depot and goodies
will be available for trick-or-treaters. An admission
fee of $3 will go to support the Museum’s efforts.
In November the Gift Shop will host a pre-Christmas
book signing, and former shopkeepers from Cripple
Creek’s halcyon days as a shopping mecca will be
selling their wares and visiting with old friends in
December.
For more information, call 719-689-2634 or
719-689-9540, or access the website at
www.cripple-creek.org.
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210, 5th & Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private,
non-profit foundation. Donations to the foundation
are tax deductible.
Friends of the Museum memberships are now available!
Contact us for information.
The summer season may be coming to a close, but
the Cripple Creek District Museum has big plans for
a fun-filled fall.
During the last several months, the staff at the
CCDM have been laboring to give the three historic
buildings located in the Museum complex a fresh look
with new paint and carpet, needed repairs, and the
cleaning and rearranging of several displays.
"The decision to give the ol’ gal a facelift
was actually made in December," explained
Director Jan MacKell. "A tire had come off a
semi-truck and struck the 1893 Trading &
Transfer Company building. We figured that, since we
had to make repairs, we ought to embark on some
other needed projects as well."
One of those projects included completing a grant
received by the El Pomar Foundation in 2005 to
restore a number of deteriorated windows in the 1895
Midland Terminal Depot and install an ADA-compliant
bathroom in the Trading & Transfer building. The
project is expected to be completed within the next
month when the City of Cripple Creek installs a
water line to the bathroom.
The Museum’s "Facelift Fundraiser",
partnered with a new "Friends of the
Museum" campaign, has also awakened Cripple
Creek and surrounding communities to the importance
of Teller County’s oldest historical institution,
which has worked to preserve the history of the
Cripple Creek District and Teller County since 1953.
"It’s been a lot of hard work," remarked
MacKell, "but the Museum looks better than it
has in many, many years." MacKell also said
that due to the increased publicity, donations of
historical items to the Museum have increased and
proceeds are up 10% over last year. Board President
Bonnie Mackin stated, "We are very pleased with
the increase in numbers and dollars this summer at
the Museum and with all that Jan and her staff have
done to improve this treasured Cripple Creek
attraction."
As part of the effort to stay on focus within the
community, the CCDM has also held no less than one
event a month beginning in May. They have included
"Trails Grown Dim", a day-long visit with
characters from the past and performed by local
volunteers, and last month’s exhibit of
award-winning bronze sculptures by artist Michael
Halterman. "We could not have done a lot of
this without all of our wonderful volunteers,"
said MacKell. "they have just come out of the
woodwork to put their time and effort in on behalf
of the Museum. We are very grateful to all of
them."
The Museum also gave a presentation at Cresson
Elementary School and several other organizations in
the region over the summer. Two other goals:
production of a 15-minute video explaining the gold
assaying process and the temporary lease of the Old
Homestead Parlour House Museum, are considered
crowning achievements of which the Museum is very
proud. "It was a joy working with Steve
Attenuccio Attonucio and the CC&V Mine producing
this fine video of the assay process," remarked
board member Stephen Mackin.
In keeping with their plan to continue hosting
community events, the CCDM has several celebrations
in store for September. During September 7—9, the
Museum will host visitors from Colorado Preservation
Inc., Colorado’s largest historic preservation
organization, with guided walking tours of both
museums and Cripple Creek and Victor, as well as a
book signing at the Cripple Creek Elks Lodge with
MacKell and Tom "Dr. Colorado" Noel.
Then on September 15, the Gold Camp Victorian
Society’s annual "Mt. Pisgah Speaks"
cemetery tours will leave from the CCDM. That same
day, the Cripple Creek Unified School District will
host an "ABC School Bond Fundraiser" from
1—5 p.m. in the Trading & Transfer Building to
raise money to address needed improvements at
Cripple Creek-Victor High School. " Hors
d’oeuvres will be served and local artists will be
selling their wares to benefit this cause; all
proceeds will go towards the bond.
On September 29, the CCDM will next partner with
the Smithsonian Institute and Hyundai Motor America to
host Museum Day 2007. Free admission to the Museum
will be offered to all Smithsonian members showing
their membership card at the CCDM, as well as over
450 other institutions across the country. "We
are really happy to be working with the
Smithsonian for this occasion," said MacKell. Last
year approximately 30,000 people attended Museum Day
nationwide.
Patrons to the Museum can also look forward to more
exciting events, including a "Haunted
Museum" tour in October, a pre-Christmas book
signing and Gift Shop Sale in November. The Cripple
Creek District Museum is located at 5th &
Bennett Avenue in beautiful downtown Cripple Creek.
For more information, call 719-689-2634 or
access the website at www.cripple-creek.org.
The Cripple Creek District Museum is pleased to
announce a lease agreement with the Wild Horse Casino,
owners of the historic Old Homestead Parlour House Museum.
In an agreement signed just last week, the CCDM will
oversee operations at the Old Homestead during the next
four months. "We are extremely pleased that the
Homestead is open for business again," said CCDM
Director Jan MacKell. "It was very important to us,
but also the Wild Horse, that the Homestead remain
available to the public."
Opened in 1896 by the notorious Madam Pearl DeVere, the
Homestead offered only the finest in women, liquor and
entertainment. After closing in the 1930's, the house was
privately owned for a short time before being opened as a
museum in 1958. Today, the historic brothel is the only
museum of its kind in Colorado and one of only three in
the United States. "In fact, one of those three, the
Dumas Brothel in Butte, Montana, is currently closed due
to its dilapidated condition," noted MacKell.
"That makes the Homestead even more important."
Wild Horse General Manager Bob Jeffries first contacted
the CCDM in early February about leasing or managing the
Homestead. The two entities worked for several months
before coming up with a viable solution in time for Donkey
Derby Days. "I am thrilled and happy, and I’m
looking forward to creating a stronger heritage attraction
for Cripple Creek," said Jeffries. "We want to
demonstrate that this is a viable entity, and we’re
looking forward to building a strong relationship between
the Wild Horse and the Cripple Creek District
Museum."
CCDM President of the Board Bonnie Mackin expressed
similar feelings. "We appreciate the Wild Horse’s
cooperation and patience with us while we figured this
out," she said, "and we are so glad the
Homestead is open once more for people to enjoy. We are so
grateful to all the owners and especially Bob Jeffries for
giving us this opportunity. And I really want to thank
fellow board member Ike Hern and Jan MacKell, who were
integral in getting this deal put together."
Familiar faces at the Old Homestead include Lodi Hern,
who owned the museum from 1967 to 1995 and has conducted
tours there for forty years. "I’m glad to be the
madam again," said Hern. "And I’m just happy
the house is back open. It is a landmark not just in
Cripple Creek, but all of Colorado."
During the four month term of the lease, the Homestead
will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through
September and on weekends in October. For more information
or to schedule a tour, call the Cripple Creek District
Museum at 719-689-2634 or access the Museum website at
www.cripple-creek.org.
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210, 5th & Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek District
Museum is a private, non-profit foundation. Donations to
the foundation are tax deductible.
Friends of the Museum
memberships are now available! Contact us for information.
District
Museum Throwing "Facelift Fundraiser"
Party
c 2007 by Melissa
Trenary
Located at the east end of Bennett Ave. is one of
Cripple Creek’s most valuable, yet often
overlooked treasures—the Cripple Creek District
Museum. This grand lady, who has watched over
Cripple Creek for more than 100 years, is now
receiving a long overdue facelift.
Last
December, the Colorado Trading & Transfer
building suffered damage at the hands of a stray
semi-truck tire.The Museum decided to turn the accident into
a positive experience by giving the entire complex a
fresh look. “We’re giving the lady a
facelift, buying her a new dress and a new pair of
shoes," says Director Jan MacKell. “We want
to restore her to her former elegance and really
make her sparkle again.”
To show off the recent renovations and enlist
donations in support of continuing projects, the
Museum will be hosting a “Facelift Fundraiser
Party” May 14 –20 from 10:00a.m.—5:00 .pm.
Admission is free and refreshments will be served
all week. Visitors to the museum will have an
opportunity to view the recent renovations as well
as speak to the staff about future projects. Also,
partrons are welcome to become a "Friend of the
Museum." Memberships are available at various
donation levels and entirle members to discounted
admissions and other perks.
This week also marks the full time opening of the
Museum for the season. Summer hours will be
seven days a week from 10 a.m.—5 p.m. The Museum
complex is comprised of three historic buildings: the
former Midland Terminal Railroad Depot that was in
operation from 1895—1949, the 1893 Colorado
Trading & Transfer Co. building (the only wooden
structure on Bennett Ave. to have survived both the
fires in April of 1896), and a turn-of-the-century Assay
Office which is know to have been on the site as
early as 1949. The Assay Office has in fact received
the most noticeable revival thus far.Award-winning artist Noel Wallace has
been busy touching up signs, painting the windows,
and applying a "patina" to the entire
building. "They wanted to really bring the
little Assay office to life,” says Wallace.“I told people I was working at the Museum,
and they assumed I was painting the other two
buildings. No one even realized that building was
there.” The goal for the Assay office has
been accomplished; a once overlooked structure now
stands out like a princess on coronation day.
The Depot is also receiving a fresh coat of
paint inside and out. Painter
Roger Dunbar is working his way through the building
room by room. The third floor is now completed,
with three rooms depicting Victorian life and a room
recreating Governor Ralph Carr’s office looking
brand new. “The third floor has taken on an
entirely new look,” says MacKell. “It looks
better than it has in years.” Dunbar is
currently refinishing all of the original Wainscot
and trim work on the second floor and will paint the
exterior of the Depot and Trading &
Transfer buildings this summer.
In addition to the exterior repairs made by
Rick and Ian Cluxton, the Trading and Transfer
building is receiving interior renovations. Kent
Burgess and John White, both of Victor, have been
hard at work constructing an ADA-accessible
restroom.The
project was made possible with funding from a 2005
El Pomar Grant. Burgess and White are also
working on other needed repairs around the
Museum.
Other recent upgrades have
included installing U
V-protective windows in the Depot building
to protect the artifacts from damage and
deterioration caused by sunlight. Wayne Stewart, owner of The Lock Shop in
Woodland Park, has generously donated his time
upgrading and installing security systems and fire
alarms throughout the complex. And, Museum
staff, board members, and volunteers have been
working hard cleaning, rearranging and labeling
displays room by room. It’s a project that will
last throughout the summer, but MacKell is excited.
“People like to see activity going on around here. They
keep coming up to see what we’re doing, and what
changes we are making.”
As the weather warms up, visitors will notice
several outside projects getting underway. Hardrock
Park, located directly behind the Assay Office, will
be getting a whole new landscape as will as the
addition of interpretive signage. Volunteers
are invited to come pull weeds and plant flowers at a
“Landscape Party” later this month. In
addition to landscaping projects, the Museum will be
working with Kelly Hagen of The Ghost Town Museum in
Colorado Springs to restore three historic wagons, a
wooden ore cart and a sleigh once owned by Winfield
Scott Stratton. They will also be restoring an
1890’s fire wagon from the Cripple Creek Fire
Station #3 brigade. The Museum also has dreams
of restoring the rear side of the Colorado Trading
& Transfer building to its original size and
design. Grants are currently being pursued to
help make this and several other projects possible.
MacKell would like to thank everyone who has worked
to make the renovations and upgrades happen. She
especially wants to thank Vinnie Dorazio, Harry
Pitlik, Mark Snare, Lyle Rose, Missie Trenary,
and Dean “The Spoon Player” who have all
graciously donated their time to a number of
projects. “We are indebted to all those who
have helped us out.The support form the community has really
been great.” The Museum is also grateful for
several recent donations from various pioneer
families.
The Cripple Creek District Museum is a non-profit
organization that is operated under the guidance of
a seven member board of directors: Bonnie
Mackin, President; John Bowman, Vice-President;
Georgianna Peiffer, Secretary; Ike Hern, Treasurer;
Stephen Mackin, John Sharpe, and Mary Alice
Robinson. Most of the members grew up in the
District and have very strong ties to the
community and it’s history. Combined, they
have over 300 years of knowledge and love for the
Cripple Creek District.
For more information regarding donations,
renovations, tours or Friends of the Museum
membership please contact the Cripple Creek District
Museum at (719) 689-2634 or visit their website at www.cripple-creek.org
.E-mail
can be sent to ccdmuseum@ccvnet.net
.
The Cripple Creek District Museum is set to host its
second annual Bookfest on Saturday, August
12. Join Colorado authors Sylece Andromeda, Lyn Bezek,
Leland Feitz, Ed Hunter, Kathi Mac
Iver and Jan MacKell between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. The six
writers will be signing a variety of
their books, including the Pikes Peak Library
District’’s new ""Colorado Labor Wars
1903-1904", a new collection of essays by several
authors and historians that were presented at Penrose
Library in Colorado Springs in 2004. Light snacks and
refreshments will be served at the event, which will take
place in the Museum Gift Shop at the 1893 Colorado Trading
& Transfer building at the museum. For more
information, call 719-689-9540, e-mail ccdmuseum@ccvnet.net
or access the
museum website at www.cripple-creek.org.
Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210, 5th & Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540 www.cripple-creek.org
The Cripple Creek District
Museum is a private, non-profit foundation.
Donations to the foundation are tax deductible.
This page, and this site is the work
of me, Linda Irene
Tingvik, and all text & pictures unless otherwise stated, is the
property of me.
All copying, hot linking, Whatever, should be seek permission for, Before doing it!
If you see something that should not be here, is wrongly marked, or have
anything to add, please write
me.
A page dedicated
to news I receive from the District, which for the time being
would mean news from the Cripple Creek District Museum.
