The Colorado Magazine

Another decade-long chapter has been added to the book of Colorado history. While some things in Colorado hold true—for example, Coloradans still love the outdoors, and their pets, and still find ways to help one another—the Centennial State saw plenty of growth and change in the last ten years. So, before we put the 2010s on the shelf, let’s look back on 11 significant turns toward Colorado today.

“Much of the charm of this unique private park lies in its smallness. The kind of smallness that distinguishes a certain square, a court, a single shaded street in every great city…”  -- Polo Club Place brochure, 1960s

Beulah is a small town in Pueblo County, nestled into the foothills of the Wet Mountains. It inhabits a quiet, tranquil, and picturesque valley. But for decades during the 1800s, this otherwise idyllic valley wasn’t known for its gorgeous mountain views, its peaceful woods, or rushing creeks. Instead, it was notorious throughout the state as a hideout for bandits.

If you travel on Highway 50 away from the mountains, out into the heart of Pueblo County, you’ll eventually pass a small marker on the side of the road. That sign marks the rough location of a tiny town that existed for only a year, but which represented a unique chapter in the relationship between colonizers and natives.

The Landmarks of American History Project, an educational initiative by the National Endowment for the Humanities, is coming to the San Luis Valley in summer 2020. Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center will be hosting an educators’ workshop seminar as part of the NEH project.

“We’re one of sixteen projects around the country that is being funded by the NEH,” said Eric Carpio, the director of Fort Garland Museum. “Teachers from around the country will be able to participate.”

Working in a history museum, you run across some very interesting items in the collection. Some of them make you question their safety.

On November 7, 1893 Colorado women won the right to vote. The referendum vote tally was 35,798 for and 29,551 against. The road to this achievement was hilly and bumpy with lots of curves and two major detours along the way.

Construction and renovation in a historic area is a tricky game of compromise between preserving the original historic buildings and accommodating a city’s twenty-first-century needs. But those two aspects of a historic downtown don’t always have to be at odds. The recognition and celebration of historic buildings is becoming more and more common around the country, including right here in Colorado. Many towns⁠—Golden, Florence, and Salida among them—have incorporated their downtown areas into historic districts to celebrate their heritage and promote the local economy.

Women’s history is unfortunately often overlooked or underplayed, which is why it is so important to recognize important women throughout history. Colorado women have long been proud pioneers in various fields. Here are four incredible Colorado women who accomplished great things, and got there first.