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.
