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

Western History/Genealogy Newsletter

July 2008

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

Archives Collection News
New Books in the Western History Collection
Mystery Photographs

Archives Collection

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

Walter R. Eha Papers WH115

Walter R. Eha Papers comprise his work as an advertising agent for several clients. The bulk of the collection stems from his employment by the Denver Water Board where he edited the Water Board News for 14 years. Eha wrote a great deal about the history of water handling in Denver. He also operated the Eha Advertising Agency, and some of the products created for his clients. The Boy Scouts, First Baptist Church, Seeing Denver, and KFEL form part of the collection. His advertising and publicity efforts on behalf of organizations to which he belonged are also represented. Photographs of some reservoirs are included.

John Charles Notebooks WH54

The John Charles Notebooks are the notes taken while he was employed in the early 1900s as supervisor of construction for the U.S. Indian Service. Charles’ notebooks include drawings and notes about buildings, bridges, water supplies and other facilities at Indian reservations and schools, chiefly in the Western U.S.

Harman-Price Family Papers -M1959

The Harman-Price Family Papers is a small collection of papers related mainly to Elisha and Louisa Morrill Andrews and her ancestors. A few items about Edward S. Harrison, Mrs. Thomas S. Harrison and some other Harrisons are included.

Hidden Treasures

Bill Hosokawa Papers WH1085

Among the papers of former Denver newsman and author Bill Hosokawa are numerous items related to his experiences during World War II. Included is an album documenting the 442nd Combat Team that was comprised of Japanese-American volunteers. Among the decorations received by these soldiers during the war were one Medal of Honor, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, 28 Oak Leaf Clusters to the Silver Star, 4,000 Bronze Stars and 1,200 Oak Leaf Clusters to the Bronze Star. Perhaps most telling of the sacrifices made by these gallant soldiers were the 9,486 Purple Hearts awarded, making it one of the most decorated units during the war. In June 2000, President Clinton awarded an additional 20 Medals of Honor to members of the 100th Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team after records were examined without the racial prejudice that permeated the U.S. during and immediately after the war.

Archives Donations

The Western History and Genealogy Department is home to over 4,000 Archival Collections having to do with the history of Colorado and the states west of the Mississippi. We have countless families, individuals, businesses, and organizations to thank for our Archival Collections, which contain original materials such as correspondence, business records, meeting minutes, speeches, legislative files, scrapbooks, journals, diaries, and photographs. The generosity of our donors 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 are grateful for the opportunity to preserve and provide access to them.

Aguayo Family Papers (1910-2004)

Jose Marciano O. Aguayo Ybarra (a.k.a. "Shorty" Aguayo (1904-?) came to the United States from his native State of Aguacalientes, Mexico around 1917 in response to political and social unrest motivated by the activities of Poncho Villa. He worked in the railroad and sugar beet industries before finally settling in Sedgewick, Colorado in 1922. In 1929, Marciano married Jovita Ortega Gonzalez (1908-2000). She too had emigrated from her native State of Chihuahua, Mexico to Colorado in 1926, because of the effects of Villa's Mexican Revolution. Marciano worked as a farmer providing sugar beets for the Great Western Sugar Company before landing a job as a lineman for the Union Pacific Railroad in 1941, a job he held until 1973. Marciano and Jovita had six children, including Jose Aguayo, a graphic artist and the founder of the Museo de las Americas in Denver. The Collection (one box) includes correspondence, financial records, Great Western Sugar Company and Union Pacific Rail Road materials, medical bills, Mexican Consulate correspondence, and newspaper clippings related to the Aguayo family. Also included are materials related specifically to Jose Aguayo, including items related to his military service, city council candidacy, directorship of the Museo de las Americas, and work as a graphic artist.

Denver Assessor’s Office, Index to Trust and Property Deeds for the City and County of Denver (1903-1985)

The mission of the Denver Assessor’s Office, as stated on its web site, is to properly determine the values for all property in Denver in accordance with Colorado state law and the principles of the appraisal profession. The material recently donated to Western History/Genealogy includes 33 bound volumes of deed information arranged alphabetically by subdivision name, block, and lot number, followed by properties in unincorporated areas. The Library is also the repository for the Treasury Division records, which cover indexes to property sales due to delinquent taxes, tax deeds, trust fund records, assessment rolls, records of receipt, and ledgers and records of the Arapahoe County Assessor (1863-1902).

Western History Donations

Aguayo Family – one box of professional and personal papers donated by Jose Aguayo
Burns, Rex – donated one box of his professional papers
Childress, Cabell – one set of plans for house designed but never built donated by Helen Linger
Colorado Genealogical Society – one box of the organization’s records donated by Pamela Smith
Cordova, Donald – one large folder of papers donated by Patricia Cordova
DAR: Colorado State Society – organizational scrapbooks donated by Ann Anderson
Hernandez-Ramos, Florence – donated her professional and personal papers
Ladies Auxiliary of Veterans of WWI – one oversize scrapbook containing photographs, programs and mementoes donated by Jane McClaugerty
Mountain Plains Library Association – records, one additional box
Paddock, A.A. – one oversize folder donated by the Boulder Library
Parr, John – 14 boxes of his professional records were donated by Carol Relf
Roger Cisneros Papers: Denver judge – donated additional photographs, clippings, certificates, and a few pieces of correspondence
Sister Who/Denver NeVaar Papers – one additional box
Taussig-Hansen Piano Club Records – one small envelope
Tennant, Frances – one album/scrapbook donated by Laura Cronenwett
Westhaver, John W. – one folder of architectural plans donated by the Denver Art Museum

Western History Donations: New Collections

John Anderson Architectural Records/Personal Papers: Prominent architect (AndersonMasonDale/AMD) in Denver, President of AIA (2000-2001) – 28 boxes
Bruce Ducker Papers: Colorado author, Colorado Book Award winner and Pulitzer nominee – Donated two boxes of manuscripts, correspondence, press clippings, galleys
Betty Neale Papers: Member of Colorado House (1975-1992) – Donated campaign files, legislation drafts, clippings, and correspondence
Dwight Pitcaithley Papers: Chief Historian of National Park Service (1995-2005) – five boxes
Albert Sanchez Papers: Chicano artist active in Denver Mural Movement, Founding member of Incorporated Artes Monumetales (IAM) and Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC), played large role in City Walls project in Denver
Carl Williams Papers: Colorado Senator (1969-1972), cable executive – five boxes
Colorado Builders Group – donated abstracts of titles and photographs, late 19th/early 20th century
Southwest Symposium Records (1989-present): Non-profit founded in 1989 as a way for archaeologists to discuss current ideas and develop new networks – donated by Mark Varien of Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
Application for Charter, Army and Navy Union, W. D. Warren, organizer – donated by Carnegie Branch Library, Boulder
John W. Westhaver architectural drawings: Early 20th c. Denver "builder"/carpenter, many of the drawings are labeled as being for "Mrs. Hubbard" – donated by Laura Bennison, Denver Art Museum
Six architectural drawings of Family Apartment Court for Writer Bros., located on Clermont St., Denver, dated 16 February 1944, architect unknown – donated by Carnegie Branch Library, Boulder

Conservation Collection Donations

Bureau of Land Management – four boxes of organizational records donated by Joyce Kelly
Wilderness Society: Idaho Regional Office – seven boxes of records donated by Craig Gehrke

10th Mountain Division Donations

Clark, Earl – donated additional reunion and personal papers
Culbreath, Jack C. – an oral history donated by KTOO-TV, Juneau, Alaska, one DVD
Johnson, Edwin Allen – two envelopes of personal papers donated by Ann Fair
Morrison, Sam – donated two boxes of personal papers
Stewart, Thomas B. – an oral history donated by KTOO-TV, Juneau, Alaska, three-DVD set
10th Mountain Division Audio-Visual Collection – one DVD of five episodes of public TV production Alaskan Veterans Remember donated by KTOO-TV, Juneau, Alaska

Photo Donations

36 photographs of Native American Snake Dance, Butterfly Dance, and Harvest Dance taken in a village outside Tuba, Arizona, 1912
Two photographs of Phillip Gomer, Denver lumber dealer – donated by Carnegie Branch Library, Boulder
Portraits of Colorado Fifteenth General Assembly, House of Reps (1905-1906) – donated by Carnegie Branch Library, Boulder
Large panoramic photograph of "Jolly Bachelor's Outing at Starbuck Park" August 5, 1915 – donated by Carnegie Branch Library, Boulder

Mystery Photograph

We are introducing this new feature, “Mystery Photograph.” It is not a contest - simply because we do not know the answer. In the newsletters we will include unidentified photographs and invite our readers to email answers to these questions:

Who is it?
When was the picture taken?
Where was it taken?
Supplemental information?

There is no prize for an answer, in fact we ask for documentation of your answer. The readers who can provide the missing information will receive our thanks and a certificate recognizing them as an honorary reference librarian for the Western History/Genealogy Department of the Denver Public Library. Send you information to GenHist@denverlibrary.org and don’t forget to include the source of your information.

This is our first Mystery Photo. It is from the American National Red Cross Mile High Chapter Collection. The man in the middle is KOA radio and television sports reporter John Henry. The man on the left may be an executive with the Red Cross and the man on the right is not Russell Crowe. The photo was probably taken around 1958, presumably for a fund raising effort on behalf of the American Red Cross. Please help us identify either of the other two men and why, when or where the photo was taken. Send the information, and whatever documentation you can provide to GenHist@denverlibrary.org - thanks for helping clear up the mystery.

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.

New Books in Western History Collection

For this month's column, we present the second of our two-part series on food and drink in the West. And with the death in May of Robert Mondavi, the master American winemaker, it seems most appropriate to consider a few recent books about wine, the craft of wine, and wine's influence on the West.

One of the most recent works added to our collection is a history of the fractious and profoundly influential Mondavi family. Julia Flynn Siler, a San Francisco-based reporter for The Wall Street Journal, chronicles four generations of Mondavis in her book, The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty (Gotham Books, 2007), released last year to widespread acclaim. A study of a family, a business, and its role in the creation of contemporary American wine making, Siler's book is first-rate primer on the history of wine in California and the West.
Readers who find House of Mondavi of interest may also want to delve deeper into the history of American wine making. Modern wine making is a mix of high risk, hard science, and a near irresistible romance. Steve Heimoff's New Classic Winemakers of California: Conversations with Steve Heimoff (University of California Press, 2008) brings together the author's quarter-century of experience reporting on wine in the West with interviews of more than two-dozen contemporary winemakers. The result is a far-reaching discussion of a regional and global industry. Mike Weiss describes the creation of a wine, and a winery, in his exceptional A Very Good Year: The Journey of a California Wine from Vine to Table (Gotham Books, 2005), the story of the Ferrari-Carano winery and its 2002 fumé blanc.
California's wine-making regions, most notably the Sonoma and Napa valleys, are well-represented in other recent additions to our collection, including regional guides and studies of specific vintners. Nevertheless, it seems the most dynamic region for wine, and wine writing, is the Pacific Northwest. Several guides to Pacific Northwest wine making have appeared in recent years, including Paul Gregutt's Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide (University of California Press, 2007), Christina Melander's Pacific Northwest: The Ultimate Winery Guide: Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia (Chronicle Books, 2007), and Susan Sokol Blosser's memoir of life in the Oregon wine industry, At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life (University of California Press, 2006).
But, then again, perhaps all one needs is a drink of water? Next month, we turn to books on the most elemental of beverages, and one of the central ingredients of Western history: water.

Denver Public Library Genealogical News and Events Calendar

Colorado Genealogical Society Classes and Events

Previous Newsletters

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

View Slide Show

Found among the photos in the American National Red Cross Mile High Chapter Collection is this publicity photo of the Merry Macs. Mary Lou Cook joined Ted, Joe and Judd McMichael in their memorable novelty song Mairzy Doats, which became the top hit for five weeks during 1944.

Reconstruction of the City Ditch through City Park is captured in this photo taken in April of 1940. This image is also from the Walter R. Eha Papers and may have appeared in the Water Board News, which Eha edited for fourteen years.

This 1903 photo of the construction of Cheesman Dam is from the Walter R. Eha Papers. He was employed by the Denver Water Department for a number of years and operated his own advertising agency in Denver following his stint with the Water Department.

A page of photographs in the 442nd Combat Team album documenting the steps involved in processing the volunteers into the service in 1943.

Artwork portraying the theme of the voluntary unit, the 442nd Combat Team, of which many individuals had come from Hawaii.

Cover from the 442nd Combat Team album comprised of World War II volunteers with Japanese ancestry.