Historic Homes of Denver: Updates in the Mile High City - Family Returns Home to No Roof - 11/27/10 01:14 AM
Imagine coming home from work one night right before Thanksgiving on a beautiful Colorado day to find half of the roof of your house gone!  That is exactly what happened to one Colorado family this week.  No they had not contracted for a new roof.  But someone obviously thought that they had.  During the day, a work crew showed up and began tearing off the roof of the Peterson family home.  Half way through they obviously realized that they had the wrong house and...they picked up and left without a word.  The Peterson's came home after work to quite a surprise!  The rougue roofing … (6 comments)

Historic Homes of Denver: Historic Homes and Buildings - The Stoiber-Reed-Humphreys Mansion - 11/26/10 07:05 PM
Costing $65,000 and having nearly 16,000 sq/ft, the Stoiber-Reed-Humphreys Mansion was built for mining tycoon Edward Stoiber and his wife Lena in 1907.  Located at 1022 Humboldt Street the Stoiber-Reed-Humphreys Mansion backs to the west side of Historic Cheesman Park and was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in December of 1978. The Stoiber-Reed-Humphreys Mansion was designed in the Italian Renaissance Revival style by Marean & Norton, the same architects that designed the Historic Boettcher Mansion, the Greek Theater in Civic Center Park and the Pavillion in Cheesman Park .  The Stoiber-Reed-Humphreys Mansion is one of only a handful of Historic Denver Mansions of this size that remain.                                                                    
 
 
… (2 comments)

Historic Homes of Denver: Historic Homes and Buildings - Denver Has Lost So Many Architecture Gems - 11/24/10 02:54 AM
At times, writing about Historic Homes of Denver is distressing because it becomes so evident how MANY Architectural Gems that Denver has lost over the years. The gold rush of the late 1800's brought an enormous amount of wealth to Denver very quickly.  As fast as miners could pull gold and silver out of the mountains to the west, Denver's wealthy built immense mansions to rival those found anywhere in the country.  Denver's middle class viewed Denver's rich much as royalty. Many of the largest and grandest homes were built in and around present day Capitol Hill and Cheesman Park.  Author Richard Harding Davis wrote … (2 comments)

Historic Homes of Denver: People Who Shaped Denver’s History - Daddy Bruce Randolph - 11/23/10 04:08 PM
Each year as Thanksgiving approaches, my thoughts go to Daddy Bruce Randolph.  A Denver legend, Daddy Bruce Randolph was born in Arkansas in February of 1900.  Daddy Bruce Randolph left home at 15 to earn his living working in the mines, as a mule driver and as a water boy.Daddy Bruce Randolph opened a restaurant in the early 1920's were his signature was BBQ ribs.  Widowed in 1933, Daddy Bruce Randolph moved to Texas with his son Bruce Randolph, Jr.  There, Daddy Bruce Randolph became a successful businessman operating a restaurant, liquor store, taxi company and dance hall. Daddy Bruce Randolph went through a painful and costly divorce in 1958 … (12 comments)

Historic Homes of Denver: Wine & Food Series - Jerusalem Restaurant - Best Middle Eastern Food in Denver - 11/21/10 06:06 PM
I have been going to the on the southwest corner of Evans and High since it opened in 1978. After having lived and traveled throughout the Middle East, I know Middle Eastern food and really enjoy making it at home.  But honestly, I don't always have the time, and that's when I head down to the Jerusalem Restaurant.  To be honest, there are a few dishes that it just doesn't make sense getting out the old food processor for, especially for just for one person.  Again, the Jerusalem Restaurant fits the bill.I recognize that many people favor the Jerusalem Restaurant for vegetarian food, and they … (4 comments)

Historic Homes of Denver: Neighborhood Series - Central City, Colorado - 11/19/10 07:51 PM
I have made enough references to Central City in my previous blogs that I thought a bit of history on this pivotal town was in order.  A miner by the name of John Gregory discovered gold in 1859, 35 miles west of Denver.  Known as "The Gregory Lode", word spread fast that gold had been found, and, within 2 months, over 10,000 people arrived in Central City looking to strike it rich in Colorado's gold rush.  Many gold discovery's were made near Central City.  Becoming so "central" to the gold rush, Central City became known as "The Richest Square Mile On Earth".   By the fall of 1859, almost $2 million in gold had been found.  One gold … (1 comments)

Historic Homes of Denver: People Who Shaped Denver’s History - Aunt Clara Brown - 11/19/10 01:42 AM
Clara Brown was one of Denver's first early black pioneers.  Born in 1800, Clara Brown was born a slave in Virginia.  During her childhood, Clara Brown was sold several times eventually ending up in Kentucky.  At the age of 18, Clara Brown married her husband Richard, also a slave.  Clara Brown and her husband had four children.  Three girls named Margaret, Paulina Ann and Eliza Jane and one son named Richard.At the age of 35, Clara Brown's owner died and her entire family was split up and sold off one by one at auction.  Clara Brown was purchased by one George Brown and worked as a house slave until Brown died when … (8 comments)

Historic Homes of Denver: People Who Shaped Denver’s History - Mattie Silks, Queen of the Red Light District - 11/16/10 01:46 PM
Mattie Silks was Denver's best known Madame.  She ran several brothels, but perhaps her most well known was Mattie Silks House of Mirrors. Born in Kansas in 1846, Mattie Silks was a petite girl with blue eyes who imitated the look of British singer Lily Langtry.  By the age of 18, Mattie Silks was already running a brother or "maisons de joie" in Springfield, Illinois.  From there, Mattie Silks made her way west through Missouri to Colorado opening several brothels and settling in Georgetown, CO in 1875. With her good business sense, Mattie Silks opened up another Brothel in Denver on what is today 1942 Market Street.  Mattie Silks had several businesses lining present day Market … (4 comments)

Historic Homes of Denver: People Who Shaped Denver’s History - Augusta Tabor - 11/15/10 07:48 PM
Augusta Tabor was the 1st wife of Horace Tabor and part of one of the most infamous love triangles in Colorado History.Augusta Tabor was born Augusta Pierce in March of 1833 in Augusta, Maine (you had to wonder where that name came from!).  Born into a stable, educated, hard-working middle class family, Augusta Tabor married Horace Tabor who was an employee at her father's stone quarry.  Augusta Tabor soon moved to Kansas where her husband had homesteaded land.After growing up comfortably, Augusta Tabor found the harsh realities of frontier life difficult.  The environment with all it's draw-backs were difficult for her.  From the lack of books to read, to the harsh … (4 comments)

Historic Homes of Denver: People Who Shaped Denver’s History - Horace Tabor Colorado's Silver King - 11/14/10 04:50 PM
Although his second wife, Baby Doe Tabor, receives much attention in modern day discussions, it is well worth learning a little bit about Horace Tabor the "Silver King" of Colorado to understand the dynamics that were in play over 100 years ago.Horace Tabor is commonly referred to as the "Silver King" of Colorado.  Horace Tabor was born in Vermont in 1830 to humble beginnings.  Horace Tabor learned stone-cutting as a trade.  He courted and married Augusta Price, his employers daughter.  Horace Tabor and his wife Augusta made a living as farmers with Augusta giving birth to a son named Maxey. At 25, Horace Tabor moved his family to Riley County, Kansas.                                                                                           Horace Tabor was elected to … (8 comments)

Historic Homes of Denver: People Who Shaped Denver’s History - Baby Doe Tabor - 11/11/10 05:05 PM
Baby Doe Tabor was born Elizabeth Bonduel McCourt in September of 1854 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  By all accounts, Elizabeth  "Baby Doe" McCourt was a beautiful and outgoing child.Around the age of 22, Elizabeth  "Baby Doe" McCourt met and married Harvey Doe.  Shortly after they were married, the couple moved to Central City, Colorado where Harvey's father had 50% ownership in a silver mine.  The newly married couple was very poor, which forced Elizabeth "Baby Doe" McCourt into the mines to help her husband scratch out a living.  Being the late 1870's, having a woman work in the mines caused an uproar amongst the miners and Central City as … (3 comments)

Historic Homes of Denver: Wine & Food Series - Best Gyros in Denver with Pete Contos - 11/09/10 04:32 AM
Sometimes you just get a craving for the Best Gyros in Denver.  When that happens to me, I head down to Pete's Kitchen on the southwest corner of Colfax and Race.  Pete's Kitchen is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So realistically, you can score the Best Gyros in Denver anytime that you're in the mood.  In actuality, Pete Contos has 8 restaurants in Denver.  Most of them are along the East Colfax corridor.  So, if you see "Pete" in the name, chances are it's one of Pete Contos' places and you will be able to sample the Best Gyros in Denver at … (3 comments)

Historic Homes of Denver: Neighborhood Series - Skeletons Found in Cheesman Park - 11/08/10 06:39 PM
It's happened again!  City workers have found human skeletal remains in Cheesman Park.  This happens from time to time in Denver's Historic Cheeman Park.  Cheesman Park used to be the site of Denver's former Prospect Cemetery.  In 1861, the name was changed to Denver City Cemetery.  By 1866, over 600 people were buried there.  In the years to come thousands of people were buried in the cemetery.  Eventually, there was a Catholic, Jewish, Chinese and pauper section of the cemetery.As the fledgling city of Denver grew, it grew closer and closer to, and eventually encircled the graveyard "outside of town".  By 1890, Congress ordered Denver to move the graveyard.  The area was then named Congress … (5 comments)

Historic Homes of Denver: People Who Shaped Denver’s History - Alferd Packer the Cannibal of Colorado - 11/07/10 03:14 AM
Alferd Packer, the Cannibal of Colorado, was one of the first names that I learned about when I first moved to Colorado.  I went to college at the University of Denver and many of the students used Alferd Packer Day as a reason to get falling down drunk.  Born in Pennsylvania in 1842, Alferd Packer enlisted in the military when The Civil War broke out.  He was discharged due to epilepsy.  Alferd Packer spent the next few years working in and around mining camps in the west.In 1873, Alferd Packer left Utah along with 20 other men all who decided to try their luck mining for gold in the San Juan … (6 comments)

Historic Homes of Denver: People Who Shaped Denver’s History - Frank Bonfils or Frank Buonfiglio? - 11/06/10 03:42 AM
There are more than just a few colorful characters in Denver history and  Frank Bonfils is most certainly one of them!  Born in Missouri in 1860, Frank Gilmer Bonfils claimed to be of Corsican descent.  In fact, Frank Bonfils' father, "Americanized" the family name from Buonfiglio to Bonfils.Frank Bonfils briefly attended West Point before dropping out.  He then earned a handsome living in land speculation throughout the southwest.  Frank Bonfils moved to Denver in the 1893 with over $800,000.In 1895, Frank Bonfils, along with Harry Tammen bought the failing Denver Post Newspaper for a mere $12,500 and built it into one of the largest, most successful newspapers in the entire country earning Frank Bonfils the nickname the "Desperate Desmond" of western … (0 comments)

Voting in the Election - What year is it anyway? - 11/02/10 06:25 PM
                                                                                                                                               Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it 2010?  Didn't we just celebrate the coming of the new millennium just 10 short years ago?  Were we not heralding the coming of Y2K, technology, the information super highway and all of that great stuff?
In my lifetime we have:
Gone from one black and white TV in the living room for the whole family to watch to  - color flat screens in virtually every room.Gone from calling Grandma & Grandpa long distance only once in a while because of the cost to - having unlimited long distance whenever you want it.Gone from one … (10 comments)

Historic Homes of Denver: Historic Homes and Buildings - Wood-Morris-Bonfils House - 11/02/10 02:33 AM
The Wood-Morris-Bonfils House is located at 707 Washington Street in the 7th Avenue Historic District of Denver.  Designed by architects Maurice Biscoe and Henry Hewitt in the Italian Renaissance Style, the Wood-Morris-Bonfils House was built in 1908 for mining and railroad magnet Guilford S. Wood.  This accounts for "Wood" in the Wood-Morris-Bonfils House name.  In 1923, after the death of Wood, the Wood-Morris-Bonfils House was sold to Andrews S. Hughes who lived in the home and eventually willed the Wood-Morris-Bonfils House to his daughter and son-in-law, Peter Randolph Morris, after his death.  Incidentally, P. Randolph Morris was another railroad businessman.  This accounts for the "Morris" name in the Wood-Morris-Bonfils House title.                                                                                                                                                    Finally, in 1948, the Wood-Morris-Bonfils House … (4 comments)

Historic Homes of Denver: People Who Shaped Denver’s History - Architect William Lang - 11/01/10 03:54 PM
I have mentioned William Lang in several previous blogs.  I thought that a little bit of history regarding William Lang was in order.  William Lang is one of Denver's most recognized architects.  A testament to his standing in Denver was the fact that Mrs. Louise Hill, of the sacred 36, listed William Lang on her social registry. 
Born in Ohio in 1846, William Lang studied architecture in 1883 and 1884.  William Lang designed at least 3 buildings in Kansas prior to his move to Colorado.  One of William Lang's earlier buildings was The Albion School, in Albion Kansas . A wonderful example of how talented William Lang was considering this structure was one of … (5 comments)