Denver Public Library: Western History Genealogy: News, Exhibits and Classes

Western History/Genealogy News

February 2008

Welcome to The Denver Public Library's Western History/Genealogy News. This page is updated monthly and includes:

Archives Collection News
Western History Art Collection News
New Books in the Western History Collection
New Books in the Genealogy Collection

Archives Collection News

A note about the Archives Collection: all Archives Collections are cataloged and a brief record is available through the Library catalog. Only a portion of the Archives Collection has extensive online guides found in the Archives Finding Aids that contain detailed descriptive information and lists of contents including the following new materials.

New Archives Finding Aids

Edgar A. Burton WH44

Edgar A. Burton became the editor of the religion and social services department of the Rocky Mountain News. He was a Baptist minister and Doctor of Divinity. This collection comprises mostly articles transcribed by Burton from the Rocky Mountain News relating to labor issues and the life and sermons of Congregational minister Myron W. Reed. Burton painstakingly noted articles about Reed from his arrival in Denver in 1883 until his death in 1899. Burton's unfinished manuscript about Myron Reed's life comprises a portion of the papers.

Gilpin County Pioneer Association WH153

Gilpin County Pioneer Association was established on March 4, 1882, when 17 pioneers, who had arrived in Colorado prior to January 1, 1861, met in the offices of a Central City newspaper. A week later, 152 pioneers gathered in the parlor of the Teller House for the Association's first meeting. In June of 1882, the Association held its first reunion. Annual meetings and banquets continued, along with an occasional picnic gathering. The bulk of the collection spans from 1882 to 1890 and corresponds with the dates the organization was created and most active.

John Ericsson League WH1995

John Ericsson League was removed from the Swedish Medical Center Records to form a separate collection. The John Ericsson League of Denver, Colorado was founded in 1928 on principles similar to leagues established in Illinois and elsewhere from the mid 1890s. As its March 21, 1928 constitution observed, the League sought "to foster better and higher citizenship and convey to the Scandinavian electorate its recommendations of those seeking office." And while primarily Republican in politics, "if the occasion demands take its stand for the best men of any party." Within five years the word "Republican" was inserted into the official name of the Colorado organization, though in later years it was again known as The John Ericsson League of Colorado. The League was active through the 1930s and 1940s.

Circus Records WH66

Circus Records contains programs, posters and memorabilia from early American circuses. The circus became the most popular form of entertainment in America during the last half of the nineteenth century. In 1871, P.T. Barnum and William Cameron Coup began P.T. Barnum's Museum, Menagerie and Circus, a traveling exhibition, which became America's leading circus. Barnum purchased land in Denver, Colorado, in 1882 for an off-season respite for his show and the area became known as "Barnum." The Denver Post owners started Floto Dog and Pony Show in 1902. In 1906, Willie Sells bought into the firm and renamed it Sells-Floto Circus. Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show performed with the circus until his death in 1917 and Jack Dempsey performed with the circus in 1919.

Historical Records Survey of Colorado WH183

Barnum is one of the communities that became part of Denver and is included in the Historical Records Survey of Colorado. In 1935, Luther H. Evans organized the Historical Records Survey as a project of the Works Progress Administration to survey and index historically important records in government archives to facilitate basic research in United States history. Workers for the Historical Records Survey made typed transcriptions of meeting minutes of the communities annexed to Denver including Argo, Barnum, Berkeley, Colfax, Elyria, Globeville, Harman, Highlands, Montclair, North Denver, South Denver and Valverde.

Recent Donations

The Western History and Genealogy Department owes much of its growth and success to the generosity of its donors. Over the years, families, individuals, businesses, and organizations have donated their papers, photographs, and heirlooms to the library so that we can preserve and provide access to them. This has allowed countless researchers to glean one-of-a-kind information about Colorado and the West, and it has enabled generations of family members to visit the library and learn about their ancestors. We consider our archival collections to be treasures of the library, and we think of our donors as among our most dedicated benefactors.

Dakan Family Papers, 1860-2003

The Dakan family was active around the state for 143 years. Albert Dakan and his wife, Jessie Stanton Dakan, were early graduates of the University of Colorado at Boulder. After graduating, Albert established law offices in Longmont, and over the years he served as city attorney for Longmont and Lyons. For one term he served in the Colorado state legislature. Albert was instrumental in organizing the sugar beet growers union in Colorado. The Dakans had five children, Allen, Mary, Lew, Bernice, and Frank, all of whom made their mark upon Colorado history in one way or another. The collection (35 boxes) contains correspondence, photographs, diaries, clippings, legal materials, and material related to the Great Western Sugar Company lawsuit. The collection was donated by Peter Pollack of Boulder, Colorado, and Martha Bullock, of Brookline, Massachusetts.

Crow Canyon Archaeological Center Records, 1985-2005

The mission of the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, located in Cortez, Colorado, is to advance knowledge of the human past through research and education. The Center conducts sustained field research in the American Southwest in collaboration with the public. They develop and test archaeological methods and theories, create and deliver educational materials and programs, involve American Indians in the development and implementation of its research and education programs, explore past and present cultures worldwide, collaborate with individuals and organizations with common interests, and disseminate its work through multi media outlets. The collection (9 boxes) contains administrative materials for the center such as proposal and grant information, correspondence, research files, committee and meeting files, financial information, photographs, ephemera, and reports.

Tim Flores Papers, 1960-1989

Tim Flores was the Legislative Director of the Colorado Labor Council. He worked on the John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Tim Wirth, Pat Schroeder, and Gary Hart Campaigns. As a life-long Democrat, Flores was an Assistant to the President of the Colorado AFL-CIO, the Chairman for the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, the Hispanic support group of the AFL-CIO, and the United Auto Workers Union. Flores also ran as a Labor Delegate for the 2nd Congressional District as a Jimmy Carter delegate. He served on the Denver City Advisory Board for Career Education, Vocational Rehab, and the Commission on Aging. The collection (14 boxes, 1 photo box) contains correspondence, clippings, agendas, handwritten notes, reports, photographs, and other materials related to Flores’ union work. His son, Dr. Estevan Flores, and his wife, Lupe Flores, donated the collection.

More Donations

Western History

Durfee, J.N – one envelope of family material donated by Sandra Dallas
Ross, James – letter donated by Wes Brown
Hunt, Swanee – donated one box of her records
Old Spanish Trails Association – three folders of records donated by Carol Corbett
Worden family – two boxes of genealogical records donated by Carol Schleich
Allard, Wayne – donated two boxes of records
Abstracts of Title of BarBell Ranch – donated by Mooey Hammond
Noel, Tom – donated a partial box of papers
Worthington, Carl – donated 26 boxes and 31 oversize boards of photographs

Conservation Collection

Bureau of Land Management – one box of organizational records donated by Joyce Kelly
The Wilderness Society – two boxes of organization records and projects donated by Ben Beech
The Nature Conservancy – donated three boxes of organizational records

10th Mountain Division

National Association of the 10th Mountain Division – a 2007 reunion article donated by Norman J. Ehrgott

Information for Donors

Individuals, businesses, and organizations are welcome to contact the library to discuss donating materials having to do with the history of Colorado and the West. Such materials may include, but are not limited to, original personal and professional correspondence, organizational and business records, meeting minutes, memos, speeches, legislative files, subject files, scrapbooks, journals/diaries, and photographs.

We are particularly interested in locating archival materials that document the following areas of state and regional history:

Colorado legislators and political figures
Ethnic groups, such as the Hispanic and Japanese American communities
Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender communities
Sports history and industry
Cultural and non-profit organizations
Native Americans
Notable historical families or individuals
Societies, clubs, and organizations

If you are interested in donating materials to the library, please contact Erin Edwards, Acquisitions Specialist, 720-865-1810, eedwards@denverlibrary.org or check here for donation guidelines.

Volunteering

Volunteers are always welcome to assist with the processing of the Archives Collections and processing the related photographs. If you are interested in volunteering to help process Archives Collections, contact the volunteer office.

Western History Art Collection News

Masterpieces of Colorado: A Rich Legacy of Landscape Painting

February 22 - May 23, 2008
Central Library, Gates Western History Reading Room - Level 5
An exhibition featuring the work of prominent Colorado artists from the late 19th- and early 20th-centuries, as well as that by celebrated contemporary painters. Curator Rose Glaser Fredrick has worked with Foothills Art Center to organize this major exhibition showcasing more than sixty works, starting with Thomas Moran and Helen Henderson Chain, among others, and then jumping forward to work by sixteen contemporary painters that include Chuck Forsman, Karen Kitchel and Daniel Sprick.

Featured Donations to the Art Collection in 2007

In 2007, the permanent art collection of the department was increased substantially in both quantity and quality by the generosity of donations from the public. We received the largest number of fine art donations in the recent history of Western History/Genealogy, and this important artwork enhances the library’s reputation for obtaining and making the work of renowned artists accessible to the public.

Western History/Genealogy accepted over fifty pieces of quality artwork this past year, and we now have added the work of such esteemed 20th-century Colorado artists as James Balog, Eve Drewelowe, Laura Gilpin, Beverly Rosen, Pawel Kontny, and Roland Bernier, among others, to our permanent Western History art collection.

These are five of the fine art items that were donated last year.

These items can be viewed in the View Slide Show

Florida Panther, 1989 [printed 1992], James Balog, photograph: dye-transfer color print, 45/50,19 x 19 inches, gift of C. William Reiquam & Eleanor Reiquam
Miss O’Keeffe Standing, Abiquiu, New Mexico, 1980, Myron Wood, photograph: archival silver gelatin print, 4/80, 15 x 19 inches, gift of C. William Reiquam & Eleanor Reiquam
Running from the Storm, 2000, Loretta Young-Gautier, photograph: archival silver gelatin print, 2/15, 17 x 16 inches, gift of C. William & Eleanor Reiquam
The Eagle Medicine Man – Apsaroke, n.d., Edward S. Curtis, photogravure, 204/228, struck from original copper plates produced by Curtis, 9 x 6 inches, gift of Robert Trefz
Two Dancers, n.d., Eve Drewelowe, woodblock print, 8 x 7 inches, image, gift of Robert Trefz

New Books in Western History Collection

Each year we add hundreds of new publications to the Western History collection. These works range from studies of local history to sweeping narratives of the region's history, to travel books, studies of Western films, and examinations of graffiti art. We select publications to build on the existing strengths of our collection, to fill gaps, and to represent new and interesting areas of inquiry. In this and future columns, I'd like to highlight some recent publications, and to describe the selection process and choices we make in purchasing published materials. For this edition, let me briefly describe three new works that have caught my eye, each with a different take on the Western experience, and one slightly older work of note.

Matthew Klingle's Emerald City: An Environmental History of Seattle (Yale University Press, 2007) examines the history of that city's effect upon its urban and regional environment, as well as Seattle's perception of itself as an environmentally responsible community. As Klingle's title suggests -- with its allusion to the fantastical city of Oz, Seattle's own nickname, and the color synonymous with environmental consciousness -- the disparity between perception and reality sometimes has been sadly ironic.
Peter La Chapelle's Proud to be an Okie: Cultural Politics, Country Music, and Migration to Southern Music (University of California Press, 2007) explores how music both reflected and shaped the political experience of white migrants to southern California during the Dust Bowl era and the decades that followed. From Woody Guthrie to Merle Haggard and beyond, Okie-inflected sound and song have given voice to a varied politics and senses of self, and played a surprising role in the political life of California and the nation.
In The Long Embrace: Raymond Chandler and the Woman He Loved (Pantheon, 2007), Judith Freeman examines the lives of Raymond Chandler, the troubled writer whose vision of Los Angeles has shaped how we see the most enigmatic of Western cities, and his wife, Cissy. Freeman's fascination with the couple leads her to research in traditional sources, as well as to explore the contemporary city for what remains of the couple's many Los Angeles homes and haunts. The result is a portrait of a marriage, a city, and the challenges before any writer who would seek to capture the texture, nuance, and truth of either subject.
Finally, Freeman's work brings to mind a remarkable anthology of writing on Chandler's foremost subject, the city of Los Angeles. In his 2002 collection, Writing Los Angeles: A Literary Anthology (Library of America), David Ulin compiled an extraordinary body of excerpts from writings of residents and visitors to the city. From those writers like Chandler who are inseparable from Los Angeles, to those whose time as Angelenos will surprise you, these are pieces of fiction and non-fiction not to miss.

New Books in the Genealogy Collection

Boogher, William Fletcher. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely From Original Sources. G975.5 B644gL
Boyd, Gregory Alan. Family Maps of Jackson County, Alabama. G976.195 B692fam
Cox, William E. Hensley Settlement: A Mountain Community. G976.91 C839he
Dobson, David. Scottish Highlanders on the Eve of the Great Migration, 1725-1775: The People of Inverness-shire. G929.341156 D656sc
Ederington, William. Ederington’s History of Fairfield County, South Carolina. G975.749 E22ed
Foster, Cynthia Selensky. Wake County, North Carolina Burials: Swift Creek Township. G929.575655 F811wak
Godson, Susan H. Guide to the Memorials of Bruton Parish Church: With Maps. G929.3755425 G941
Granville County Genealogical Society. Granville County, North Carolina Cemeteries. G929.5756535 G767 2001 2 vols.
Holcomb, Brent. South Carolina’s Confederate Pensioners in 1901. G929.3757 H697soc
Kaylor, Peter Cline. Abstract of Land Grant Surveys, 1761-1791: (Augusta and Rockingham Counties, Virginia). G929.3755 K184ab
Lee, Ida Johnson. Lancaster County, Virginia, Marriage Bonds, 1652-1850. G929.3755 L228Le
McCary, Ben Clyde. Indians in Seventeenth Century Virginia. G975.500497 M127in
Maher, James P. Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York World: 1860-1865. G929.37471 M277inw
Mead, Edward C. Genealogical History of the Lee Family of Virginia and Maryland from A.D. 1300 to A.D. 1866. G929.2 L517gen
Miller, Alan N. West Tennessee’s Forgotten Children: Apprentices From 1821 to 1889. G929.3768 M612we
Myers, Margaret E. Marriage Licenses of Frederick County, 1778-1810. G929.375287 M992mar
Ogle/Ogles Family Association. Ogle Genealogist. 2000-2005 G929.2 O35ogL vols. 21-26
Rogers, James Allen. Early Lands of the Rogers Family in the Foxtown Area (Millington Society) of East Haddam, Connecticut. G929.2 R633roge
Rousses, Theodore L. Aguilar, Colorado, and the Upper Apishapa Valley: Obituaries and Death Notices. G929.578896 R763ag
Scriber, Terry G. Fourth Louisiana Battalion in the Civil War. G973.763 S4341fou 2008
Selch, Glenn Charles. Our Ancestors [Selch, Darnell, Powell, Hamm, Shellabarger, Wailes, Ashley, Scanrett, Wiebe, Klassen, Janzen]. G929.2 S463seL
Skinner, V. L. Abstracts of the Testamentary Proceedings of the Prerogative Court of Maryland. vol. 8. G929.3752 S6275abt
Soule, John E. George Soule of the Mayflower and His Descendants for Four Generations. G929.2 S722so
Sparacio, Ruth and Sam. Spotsylvania County, Virginia: Virginia County Court Records, Deed Book: 1728-1729. G929.3755365 S7361spd 2002
Sparacio, Ruth and Sam. Spotsylvania County, Virginia: Virginia County Court Records, Deed Book: 1729-1730. G929.3755365 S7361spd 2002
Sparacio, Ruth and Sam. Spotsylvania County, Virginia: Virginia County Court Records, Deed Book: 1730-1731.
Swedish American Genealogist. Vols. 23-27. G929.373 S974
Thomas, Jane Kizer. Blount County, Tennessee Deeds: Deed Book 1, 1795-1819. G929.3768885 T361bl
Webb, May Folk. Cary-Estes Genealogy. G929.2 C257web
Wilder, Minnie S. Kentucky Soldiers of the War of 1812: With an added index. G973.52469 W645ke

Previous Newsletters

March 2007, April 2007, May/June 2007, July 2007, August 2007, September 2007, October 2007, December 2007, January 2008

View Slide Show

1902 Ringling Brothers Circus advertisement

Slight exaggeration was present in this 1902 advertisement of the appearance of the “last and only known giraffe” in a Ringling Brothers Circus.

The Adam Forepaugh Circus, founded by Adam Forepaugh, was a major competitor of P.T. Barnum and Ringling Bros. This color advertisement was printed around 1894.

Publicity for Ringling Brothers Circus, 1902

Publicity for Ringling Brothers Circus at Riverfront Park in Denver, 1902.

Cover of The Long Embrace: Raymond Chandler and the Woman He Loved by Judith Freeman.

Cover of Emerald City: An Environmental History of Seattle by Matthew Klingle.

Cover of Proud to be an Okie: Cultural Politics, Country Music, and Migration to Southern Music by Peter La Chapelle.

Cover of Writing Los Angeles: A Literary Anthology by David Ulin.

Mount of the Holy Cross, c. 1890, attributed to Thomas Moran, oil, 40 x 30 inches, Denver Public Library – Western History Art Collection

Twin Peaks, n.d., Tracy Felix, oil, 49 x 36 inches, courtesy of Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art

Running from the Storm, 2000, Loretta Young-Gautier, photograph: archival silver gelatin print, 2/15, 17 x 16 inches, gift of C. William & Eleanor Reiquam

Two Dancers, n.d., Eve Drewelowe, woodblock print, 8 x 7 inches, image, gift of Robert Trefz

The Eagle Medicine Man – Apsaroke, n.d., Edward S. Curtis, photogravure, 204/228, struck from original copper plates produced by Curtis, 9 x 6 inches, gift of Robert Trefz

Florida Panther, 1989 [printed 1992], James Balog, photograph: dye-transfer color print, 45/50,19 x 19 inches, gift of C. William Reiquam & Eleanor Reiquam

Miss O’Keeffe Standing, Abiquiu, New Mexico, 1980, Myron Wood, photograph: archival silver gelatin print, 4/80, 15 x 19 inches, gift of C. William Reiquam & Eleanor Reiquam