Presentations for
Myths & Mysteries of the Rocky Mountain West
Sat., June 11, 2016
East Library
5550 N. Union Blvd.
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
click here to make reservations for this free event
Dennis Daily—Lone Eagle: The White Sioux
In 1956, Colorado Springs resident Floyd Shuster Maine published a book titled Lone Eagle: The White Sioux. The autobiography, a supposed true account, outlined a fascinating tale of two long-separated brothers, one raised in New Jersey, the other orphaned as a baby and raised by Oglala Sioux Chief Big Elk in South Dakota. When the two meet as adults, previously unaware of each other’s existence, Lone Eagle’s story unfolds. Who were these two men and could their story be true?
Beau Driver—“A Well Located Chautauqua”: The Garden of the Gods Summer School and Assembly of 1902
This presentation examines the Garden of the Gods Summer School and Chautauqua of 1902. As the first program of this type offered in Colorado Springs, it attracted thousands of students and notable professors, politicians, and instructors. By reviewing the reports on the assembly, the lectures, events, and the people who participated in this momentous event in Colorado Springs history, Driver will illuminate how the administrators of Colorado Springs attempted to build an image of the town as a cosmopolitan oasis on the frontier and how the ideas of the Chautauqua presenters helped to create a narrative on the meaning of the United States and of the West in the minds of the attendees.
Susan Fletcher—Myths & Mysteries in the Museum
This presentation will focus on the untruths/half-truths that well-meaning docents and tour guides sometimes accidentally pass along to the public, leading to some common misperceptions about Colorado history. Fletcher will offer the audience a glimpse into the museum world, including how docents and guides are trained, the ways in which false information gets perpetuated, and how historical research can clear up myths. The presentation will also deal with mysteries at museums including un-attributable documents found in archives, museum collections with unclear provenance, and other matters that puzzle staff.
Joyce B. Lohse—Baby Doe Tabor: A Matchless Spirit
Myths and ghost stories surround Elizabeth “Baby Doe” Tabor, the Matchless Silver Queen of Leadville. Lohse will share information gathered and adventures experienced while writing and researching her award-winning biography, Baby Doe Tabor: Matchless Silver Queen. During her journey, Lohse’s quest for truth was occasionally interrupted by spiritual coincidences which were difficult to ignore. Ms. Lohse will recount those tales, which add a new and different dimension to the colorful story of Baby Doe Tabor.
Richard Marold--Winfield Scott Stratton: How Many Marriages?
Winfield Scott Stratton lived in the Pikes Peak region from 1872 until 1902. He married Zura Stewart on July 26, 1876, and separated from her in November 1876. The Strattons legally divorced on January 25, 1879. Later, Stratton discovered gold on July 4, 1891, in the Cripple Creek/Victor gold fields. There is no record of him ever entering another marriage, but after he died on September 14, 1902, and his will was read, at least 13 different woman filed suits against his estate each claiming him as her husband. How many marriages did he really have?
Doris McCraw—Doc Susie & Hollywood: Myths of 19th Century Women Doctors in Colorado
The story of Dr. Susan Anderson, in the book Doc Susie, while a worthwhile biography, can lead one to believe that her story is the story of all women doctors of her time. With the addition of the popular television show, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, the misconception of the western female physician experience grew to become myth. Colorado attracted many pioneering female physicians, so that by the 1900s and the discovery of gold in Cripple Creek, the state had become home to numerous women doctors whose presence and actual experiences left a legacy that remains today.
Michael L. Olsen—“Not a pepper nor an onion”: The Myth of the Bloodless Conquest of New Mexico in 1846
For more than a century, from the 1850s to the 1960s, the myth persisted that the American conquest of New Mexico was “bloodless,” that no resistance was met, and that the population of New Mexico welcomed the conquerors. Yet, within a few months of the arrival of the U.S. Army of the West in August 1846, more than 300 Mexican citizens and Taos Indians had lost their lives opposing the American takeover. Why was this myth perpetuated and why did it endure? What consequences are faced today in multicultural relations in the Southwest because of the myth? This presentation will explore the historical events and ask these questions.
Steve Ruskin—Killer Rats & Missing Links: An Analysis of Two Regional Hoaxes that had National Impact
In the first two years of Colorado’s statehood (1876–1877), two regional hoaxes become national (even international) phenomena: the supposed death of a young girl on Pikes Peak by swarms of killer rats (invented by the signal station sergeant John O’Keefe), and the discovery of a purported “missing link,” nicknamed the “Solid Muldoon,” near Pueblo (invented by the famous huckster George Hull). This presentation will revisit these two hoaxes and discuss why such hoaxes were so easily perpetrated.
Pamela Owens and Bernard (Beau) Schriever—Breaking from the Hurd: Toward a Real History of the Place Known as Bents’ First Stockade
In 1960, Charles Wesley Hurd released his self-published book entitled Bents’ Stockade: Hidden in the Hills, in which he claimed to have identified the remains of the first trading post established by the Bent brothers, along Turkey Creek on what is now Fort Carson. Although the historical documentation was available at the time to refute Hurd’s claim, and one archaeologist did so, the myth has been perpetuated to the present among the public. In part, this situation is due to the lack of communication between archaeologists and the public regarding the site. However, it is also likely due to the emotional strength of Hurd’s story, which makes the reader want to unquestionably believe him. Regardless of the reason for the myth’s persistence, the real history of the place that Hurd mistakenly identified as Bents’ first stockade is fascinating in its own right and deserves to be rediscovered and told.
John Stansfield—Weathering the Weird & Wild: Tall Tales & True of Army Life at the Pikes Peak Summit
The U.S. Army Signal Corps maintained a weather and scientific observation station on top of Pikes Peak from 1873 to 1888. Reports telegraphed from the station to an expectant outside world presented images of extreme meteorological, electrical, and natural phenomena. The messages often suggest the many daily hardships of living at 14,000 feet. And some describe the quite unnatural natural history which emanated from the overcharged imaginations of summit residents. This presentation will explore some of the discoveries, struggles, wonder, and humor of those who staffed the Pikes Peak signal station.
Katherine Scott Sturdevant—Manifest Destiny Comes to the Great American Desert: How Expansionist Legends Fared in the Rocky Mountain West
From the earliest documented accounts of explorers in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain West, people applied theories and expectations to the region that grew quickly to legendary proportions. Some people did so from habitual prejudices and fears, others from excitement, patriotism, and faith. Many folks leapt to the legendary from unabashed boosterism, evangelizing for their points of view, or for their business self-interests. Frontier legends are inherently colorful and titillating. They also have caused fools to rush in where angels fear to tread, and to rationalize cruel destruction. Using the ideas and actions from the original words of regional people, we can see both the human comedy and tragedy of living by the legends.
Rick Sturdevant—UFO Sightings Across the Rocky Mountain West: A Historical, Non-Hysterical Survey
For countless decades, people around the world have reported seeing unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Concentrating on reports from the Rocky Mountain West, this presentation outlines some of the most familiar, and a few lesser known UFO sightings. It weighs UFO sightings and media reactions to them against a number of official U.S. government studies, and it assesses the popular durability of UFOs as myth or mystery.
Eric Swab—Henry Law’s Lanter City: The Next Cripple Creek?
“Landren” is an unexplained label on Robert Ormes’ Pikes Peak Atlas. In “History and Mysteries of Catamount Ranch Open Space,” both “Lander City” and “Lanter City” are mentioned as mysteries to be solved. What was this many-named place? This presentation will expose the story of Lanter City and explore its historical context.
Tamilla K. Wright—Remember Who You Are
A Colorado native’s journey to dispel family lore uncovers new discoveries about Colorado’s unbelievably twisted past. A few local ghost stories have led to identifying long lost historical facts that might have been overlooked. Wright also shares tricks on how you too can uncover your past. Just be prepared when you learn the good, the bad, and the fabulously scandalous that make up your genealogy.
Nethery Wylie—How do I look?: Western Women in Photographs
How true are the often-made generalizations about women in the early 20th century American West? Did these ladies conform to the stereotypes of the demure late Victorian? Of the strident suffragette? Of the wanton flapper? This presentation examines historic photographs for evidence of what Western women were actually wearing and doing in the early 1900s. How women look, how they dress and carry themselves is a cultural obsession of the present day and of times past. Our contemporary picture of the past is often influenced by stereotypes, such as the patriarchal father with his modest daughter, or its’ opposite, uncontrolled women misbehaving in public. Visual examples of a ranch girl in long skirt and bonnet or flappers at a night club are easily available. But what else did the camera witness?
In 1956, Colorado Springs resident Floyd Shuster Maine published a book titled Lone Eagle: The White Sioux. The autobiography, a supposed true account, outlined a fascinating tale of two long-separated brothers, one raised in New Jersey, the other orphaned as a baby and raised by Oglala Sioux Chief Big Elk in South Dakota. When the two meet as adults, previously unaware of each other’s existence, Lone Eagle’s story unfolds. Who were these two men and could their story be true?
Beau Driver—“A Well Located Chautauqua”: The Garden of the Gods Summer School and Assembly of 1902
This presentation examines the Garden of the Gods Summer School and Chautauqua of 1902. As the first program of this type offered in Colorado Springs, it attracted thousands of students and notable professors, politicians, and instructors. By reviewing the reports on the assembly, the lectures, events, and the people who participated in this momentous event in Colorado Springs history, Driver will illuminate how the administrators of Colorado Springs attempted to build an image of the town as a cosmopolitan oasis on the frontier and how the ideas of the Chautauqua presenters helped to create a narrative on the meaning of the United States and of the West in the minds of the attendees.
Susan Fletcher—Myths & Mysteries in the Museum
This presentation will focus on the untruths/half-truths that well-meaning docents and tour guides sometimes accidentally pass along to the public, leading to some common misperceptions about Colorado history. Fletcher will offer the audience a glimpse into the museum world, including how docents and guides are trained, the ways in which false information gets perpetuated, and how historical research can clear up myths. The presentation will also deal with mysteries at museums including un-attributable documents found in archives, museum collections with unclear provenance, and other matters that puzzle staff.
Joyce B. Lohse—Baby Doe Tabor: A Matchless Spirit
Myths and ghost stories surround Elizabeth “Baby Doe” Tabor, the Matchless Silver Queen of Leadville. Lohse will share information gathered and adventures experienced while writing and researching her award-winning biography, Baby Doe Tabor: Matchless Silver Queen. During her journey, Lohse’s quest for truth was occasionally interrupted by spiritual coincidences which were difficult to ignore. Ms. Lohse will recount those tales, which add a new and different dimension to the colorful story of Baby Doe Tabor.
Richard Marold--Winfield Scott Stratton: How Many Marriages?
Winfield Scott Stratton lived in the Pikes Peak region from 1872 until 1902. He married Zura Stewart on July 26, 1876, and separated from her in November 1876. The Strattons legally divorced on January 25, 1879. Later, Stratton discovered gold on July 4, 1891, in the Cripple Creek/Victor gold fields. There is no record of him ever entering another marriage, but after he died on September 14, 1902, and his will was read, at least 13 different woman filed suits against his estate each claiming him as her husband. How many marriages did he really have?
Doris McCraw—Doc Susie & Hollywood: Myths of 19th Century Women Doctors in Colorado
The story of Dr. Susan Anderson, in the book Doc Susie, while a worthwhile biography, can lead one to believe that her story is the story of all women doctors of her time. With the addition of the popular television show, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, the misconception of the western female physician experience grew to become myth. Colorado attracted many pioneering female physicians, so that by the 1900s and the discovery of gold in Cripple Creek, the state had become home to numerous women doctors whose presence and actual experiences left a legacy that remains today.
Michael L. Olsen—“Not a pepper nor an onion”: The Myth of the Bloodless Conquest of New Mexico in 1846
For more than a century, from the 1850s to the 1960s, the myth persisted that the American conquest of New Mexico was “bloodless,” that no resistance was met, and that the population of New Mexico welcomed the conquerors. Yet, within a few months of the arrival of the U.S. Army of the West in August 1846, more than 300 Mexican citizens and Taos Indians had lost their lives opposing the American takeover. Why was this myth perpetuated and why did it endure? What consequences are faced today in multicultural relations in the Southwest because of the myth? This presentation will explore the historical events and ask these questions.
Steve Ruskin—Killer Rats & Missing Links: An Analysis of Two Regional Hoaxes that had National Impact
In the first two years of Colorado’s statehood (1876–1877), two regional hoaxes become national (even international) phenomena: the supposed death of a young girl on Pikes Peak by swarms of killer rats (invented by the signal station sergeant John O’Keefe), and the discovery of a purported “missing link,” nicknamed the “Solid Muldoon,” near Pueblo (invented by the famous huckster George Hull). This presentation will revisit these two hoaxes and discuss why such hoaxes were so easily perpetrated.
Pamela Owens and Bernard (Beau) Schriever—Breaking from the Hurd: Toward a Real History of the Place Known as Bents’ First Stockade
In 1960, Charles Wesley Hurd released his self-published book entitled Bents’ Stockade: Hidden in the Hills, in which he claimed to have identified the remains of the first trading post established by the Bent brothers, along Turkey Creek on what is now Fort Carson. Although the historical documentation was available at the time to refute Hurd’s claim, and one archaeologist did so, the myth has been perpetuated to the present among the public. In part, this situation is due to the lack of communication between archaeologists and the public regarding the site. However, it is also likely due to the emotional strength of Hurd’s story, which makes the reader want to unquestionably believe him. Regardless of the reason for the myth’s persistence, the real history of the place that Hurd mistakenly identified as Bents’ first stockade is fascinating in its own right and deserves to be rediscovered and told.
John Stansfield—Weathering the Weird & Wild: Tall Tales & True of Army Life at the Pikes Peak Summit
The U.S. Army Signal Corps maintained a weather and scientific observation station on top of Pikes Peak from 1873 to 1888. Reports telegraphed from the station to an expectant outside world presented images of extreme meteorological, electrical, and natural phenomena. The messages often suggest the many daily hardships of living at 14,000 feet. And some describe the quite unnatural natural history which emanated from the overcharged imaginations of summit residents. This presentation will explore some of the discoveries, struggles, wonder, and humor of those who staffed the Pikes Peak signal station.
Katherine Scott Sturdevant—Manifest Destiny Comes to the Great American Desert: How Expansionist Legends Fared in the Rocky Mountain West
From the earliest documented accounts of explorers in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain West, people applied theories and expectations to the region that grew quickly to legendary proportions. Some people did so from habitual prejudices and fears, others from excitement, patriotism, and faith. Many folks leapt to the legendary from unabashed boosterism, evangelizing for their points of view, or for their business self-interests. Frontier legends are inherently colorful and titillating. They also have caused fools to rush in where angels fear to tread, and to rationalize cruel destruction. Using the ideas and actions from the original words of regional people, we can see both the human comedy and tragedy of living by the legends.
Rick Sturdevant—UFO Sightings Across the Rocky Mountain West: A Historical, Non-Hysterical Survey
For countless decades, people around the world have reported seeing unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Concentrating on reports from the Rocky Mountain West, this presentation outlines some of the most familiar, and a few lesser known UFO sightings. It weighs UFO sightings and media reactions to them against a number of official U.S. government studies, and it assesses the popular durability of UFOs as myth or mystery.
Eric Swab—Henry Law’s Lanter City: The Next Cripple Creek?
“Landren” is an unexplained label on Robert Ormes’ Pikes Peak Atlas. In “History and Mysteries of Catamount Ranch Open Space,” both “Lander City” and “Lanter City” are mentioned as mysteries to be solved. What was this many-named place? This presentation will expose the story of Lanter City and explore its historical context.
Tamilla K. Wright—Remember Who You Are
A Colorado native’s journey to dispel family lore uncovers new discoveries about Colorado’s unbelievably twisted past. A few local ghost stories have led to identifying long lost historical facts that might have been overlooked. Wright also shares tricks on how you too can uncover your past. Just be prepared when you learn the good, the bad, and the fabulously scandalous that make up your genealogy.
Nethery Wylie—How do I look?: Western Women in Photographs
How true are the often-made generalizations about women in the early 20th century American West? Did these ladies conform to the stereotypes of the demure late Victorian? Of the strident suffragette? Of the wanton flapper? This presentation examines historic photographs for evidence of what Western women were actually wearing and doing in the early 1900s. How women look, how they dress and carry themselves is a cultural obsession of the present day and of times past. Our contemporary picture of the past is often influenced by stereotypes, such as the patriarchal father with his modest daughter, or its’ opposite, uncontrolled women misbehaving in public. Visual examples of a ranch girl in long skirt and bonnet or flappers at a night club are easily available. But what else did the camera witness?
