The main building of the Tivoli Brewery complex is a four-story brick structure built in 1882. It is joined to a High Victorian Italianate style tower building, constructed between 1890-1891, by a shallow three-story brick overpass that forms a covered entry to the courtyard between the two buildings.
There are over 10,500 artifacts in History Colorado’s historical archaeology collection, representing a variety of artifact types that provide insight into life during the state’s early settlement. The artifacts are from more than twenty significant sites—such as historic houses, stage stations, and fortified strongholds. Funding from the Statewide Internet Portal Authority recently made records for the historical artifacts available digitally via the online portal here.
Today, Jefferson County residents know Belmar as a vibrant shopping, dining, governmental, and residential development that opened in the heart of Lakewood in the early 2000s. The main attraction, once known as Villa Italia, opened in 2004 as one of the state’s largest shopping malls. It has since evolved into a much larger commercial and retail complex that keeps expanding.
What shoppers, residents, and visitors may not know is that the name “Belmar” comes from the extraordinary estate built there by May Bonfils, daughter of Fredrick Bonfils. The Bonfils name—both famous and infamous—conjures not only Colorado’s most successful and feared newspaper tycoon but also his two feuding daughters, May and Helen, striving to improve and culturally enrich the lives of Coloradans.
In this issue our new State Historian, prolific author Tom Noel, tells the story of May Bonfils—the wealthy Lakewood heiress who was as eccentric as she was philanthropic. You can also read about the history of Pueblo, Colorado, as witnessed through the lens of the city's Union Depot, a grand edifice that's seen it all. And, we've put the spotlight on Ute cradleboards—artifacts both charming and artistic that are among the many on view in our upcoming exhibition Written on the Land: Ute Voices, Ute History, developed in partnership with the three Ute tribes.
Once upon a time, Columbus Day was not a source of contention but of celebration. Italian-Americans led by Denverite Angelo Noce pushed for the holiday to honor their national heritage. Italians are generally so integrated today it is easy to forget that they were once near the bottom of Colorado’s pecking order.
Colorado’s richly diverse history is evident in the many historic places that we work in, travel by and visit.
Our Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation helps Coloradans recognize our state’s most historically and architecturally significant buildings and places through the National Register of Historic Places and the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties.
Federico Peña was elected Denver’s first Hispanic mayor in 1983. He went on to serve as U.S. Secretary of Transportation and then as Secretary of Energy during the Clinton Administration.
Earlier this spring, Peña shared his oral history with our curator of archives, Shaun Boyd, and our director of community engagement, Marissa Volpe. Below is a summary of what he shared—you can also listen to it in its entirety below or here.
History Colorado is gathering and sharing memories that celebrate our state’s rich Hispano culture. Here, Gina Del Castillo shares the sixth in our monthly series produced exclusively withThe Weekly Issue/El Semanario.
So many people have made their mark on Colorado’s rich history, and our state’s Hispano residents have been here longer than many. Hispanic Heritage Month reminds us to celebrate their stories — stories of discovery, patience, persistence and resilience.
No matter where you live or travel in Colorado, the Hispano influence is powerfully felt. Here are some places where you can appreciate and learn from that legacy.
It should come as no surprise that, as lovers of stories, many History Colorado staffers find inspiration and delight in listening to podcasts across a wide spectrum of topics.
For this year’s Podcast Day, we asked them which ones they might recommend to people interested in learning more about history, especially the history of our beloved state. Here’s what they had to say!