Happy Birthday, Colorado Springs

150 years ago to the day, on July 31, 1871, Colorado Springs was born with a stake-driving ceremony at what is now the intersection of Cascade and Pikes Peak Avenues, two major downtown streets, the latter in line with the eponymous mountain seen in the featured photo. Originally founded and known as Fountain Colony, the … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Colorado Springs

Pikes Peak

The highest heights have inspired humankind since times immemorial. In Colorado, we are spoiled not only with lofty mountains, but with a generous number of 14ers: at least 53 stretch above fourteen thousand feet, though the actual number is still debated, depending on the definition used. That Colorado Springs was put on the map had … Continue reading Pikes Peak

A Bloomer Girl on Pike’s Peak

To be called a “Bloomer Girl” was not a compliment in polite society. According to Victorian mores, proper clothing for proper women equaled an ankle-length skirt, regardless of its impracticality for many activities. “Bloomer Girls” donned dresses that reached slightly below the knee and were worn over a pair of billowing, loose-fitting pantaloons – a … Continue reading A Bloomer Girl on Pike’s Peak