Meg at Northern Colorado History

History Now brings you the most comprehensive list of history & heritage events in Northern Colorado

An ad for a lumber company from the November 4, 1918 Loveland Reporter.

November 1 – 30

Fort Collins: The Avenir Museum is hosting a special, one month long display of World War I handkerchiefs in remembrance of Armistice Day. Learn more about the exhibit through this blog post from the museum — Historic handkerchiefs at Avenir Museum commemorate 100-year anniversary of end of World War I.

Admission to the museum is free. It’s located on the south side of the old Fort Collins High School building — 216 E. Lake Street, University Center for the Arts. It’s open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

November 1

Loveland: Angel Vigil presents Cuentos de los Antepasados – (The Gifts of Our Ancestors) at the Loveland Museum. For generations Latino families have had cuentos, traditional stories and legends at the center of their family experience. Angel will perform traditional stories from the Hispanic Southwest and Mexico, stories specially crafted to reference the specific images from the Posada and Carrasco pieces in the exhibit. (Reception in the lobby prior to program) 5 pm in the Foote Gallery. Free.

November 3

Loveland: Dr. Patty Limerick presents, Colorado and World War I at the Loveland Museum. Patty Limerick is the Faculty Director and Chair of the Board of the Center of the American West at the University of Colorado, where she is also a Professor of History. Limerick has dedicated her career to bridging the gap between academics and the public and to demonstrating the benefits of applying historical perspectives to contemporary dilemmas and conflicts. Reception in lobby following program.12 pm in the Foote Gallery. Free.

November 4

Fort Collins: The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery presents Stitching Through Time: Nature Weaving. November is the perfect time to enjoy nature’s bounty! Join the Collections Curators of FCMoD and local textile artist Melina Bernhardt as we explore nature’s cornucopia of colors and textures. First, we will examine textiles from the museum’s collection that were created with nature-based dyes and materials in the 19th and 20th centuries. Then Melina will guide you in the creation of your own simple loom made of wooden sticks found in nature. We will learn how to warp it (string the vertical threads) and weave on it (the horizontal threads/yarns). A variety of inspiring materials –wooden sticks, yarn, fiber, feathers, fabric strips, beads, buttons, and more will be provided in class. Feel free to bring any sentimental or personal objects that you would like to include. Ages 16+, with exceptions for parents with children who would like to come with. $7/$5 for members. 2 – 4 pm.

November 5

Fort Collins: The Civil War Roundtable presents Furthest Battlefields by Pat Johnson. Harmony Presbyterian Church, 400 E. Boardwalk.

November 6

Fort Collins: Come learn about growing up in Fort Collins as Bob Tobin shares stories of himself and his family. (Bob is related to Fancher Sarchet, a well known FC lawyer that tells his story in his book Murder and Mirth.) 7 pm at the Masonic Temple, 225 W. Oak Street. Free and open to the public.

November 7

Fort Collins: The CSU History Department is offering a talk Re-Creating the Past: The Archaeology of Beer with speaker Travis Rupp. 6 – 7:30 pm in Room 1207 in the CSU Stadium. This event is free and open to the public.

Fort Collins: Still Coming Home: Conversations About the Experience of War. Read work by Denver veteran writers collected in the recently published anthology “Still Coming Home” and talk with the authors, editors, and other community members about their experience of conflict and challenges since returning to civilian life in this moderated conversation series co-hosted by Colorado Humanities. Copies of the anthology will be provided. Recommended for ages 13+. 6 – 7:30 pm in the large meeting room on the first floor of the Old Town Library.

November 8

Fort Collins: World War I and Fort Collins: Exploring the John Hurdle Scrapbook. This November marks the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice of World War I. Join the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery as they commemorate the “War to End All Wars’” through the local lens of a remarkable scrapbook created by John Hurdle, a Fort Collins man who traveled to Europe and served on the Western Front with artillery Battery A during The Great War.. Doug Ernest, longtime Archive volunteer and 2018 recipient of the City of Fort Collins Friend of Preservation Award, will present stories and incredible visuals in the OtterBox Digital Dome Theater here at FCMoD. This one-of-a-kind scrapbook is filled with photographs and handwritten notes that track Hurdle’s route through the fields of war, and includes many images of Fort Collins citizens. This event is free, but due to limited seating we do require registration. Disclaimer: This program includes some graphic images of war and may be disturbing for some viewers. More info about the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice of World War I can be found at: fcmod.org/blog/ 6:30 – 8 pm.

Greeley: History Brown Bag: Battlefields, Cemeteries and Monuments of WWI in Europe at the Greeley History Museum, 714 8th Street. On Thursday, November 8th at noon, Military History Enthusiast and Geology and Geochemistry Professor Emeritus Don Runnells will present about Battlefields, Cemeteries, and Monuments of World War I in Europe. In this travelogue presentation of WWI sites he has visited, Dr. Runnells will explain how these places and events changed world history. The presentation will be held in the Community Room at the Greeley History Museum, 714 8th Street. The presentation is free, open to the public and no reservations are required. History Brown Bags are free afternoon events that aim to provide cultural and historical context to topics related to Historic Preservation in and around Greeley. Unless otherwise noted, all presentations are held from noon to 1 p.m. at the Greeley History Museum, 714 8th Street.

Loveland: Irish Study Group. This genealogical group discusses various subjects from personal research to using local and overseas databases in researching their Irish roots. Email group leader for topics for next meeting. Meets 2nd Thursday from 6-8 PM at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, 4044 Duffield, Loveland, CO.

Larimer County: Technology Study Group. This genealogical group discusses a variety of technology subjects including genealogy software, databases, and devices in helping to research your genealogy. Many members give their comments on these technology subjects. Meets the 2nd Thursday from 5:30-7:30 PM. Contact Jean Poland for location. Jean.poland@icloud.com

November 10

Fort Collins: It’s Hands-On History day at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. Here at FCMoD, we know that history is so much more than words in a textbook. Explore the fascinating world of our region’s past with a hands-on craft or activity in the gallery. We might even have more fun than Auntie Stone at her dinner parties! 10 am – 1 pm. Free with admission to the museum.

Denver: Women’s Land Army & the Victory Garden Movement During the First and Second World Wars, food shortages reached critical levels in the Allied nations. Government campaigns in both Britain and the United States recruited people to work on rural farms and to raise gardens in urban areas. Most of them women, the recruits readily volunteered in what came to be known as Women’s Land Armies. Stirred by national propaganda campaigns and a sense of adventure, these women worked tirelessly to help their nations grow “victory gardens” to win the war against hunger and fascism. Join Dr. Gowdy-Wygant, author of Cultivating Victory: The Women’s Land Army and the Victory Garden Movement, as she sheds new light on the cultural legacies of the Women’s Land Armies and their major role in shaping national and personal identities. 1:30 – 2:30 pm. Member $5 / Non-members $8. Byers-Evans House, 1310 Bannock Street, Denver.

November 13

Fort Collins: Family Writing Study Group. This genealogical group discusses how to research and write a family history using multiple methods. Each member will provide a personal family history while researching their family history. Meets second Tuesday at 1 pm. Contact Bruce Harshberger for location. Baudette72@gmail.com

Denver: Historic Denver holds a talk every other month on a topic related to historic preservation and urban growth. This month’s Re:Denver talk is entitled “Urban Amnesia.” What happens when names change, buildings disappear, and stories fade? Can a city forget its past? Join us to explore the role of memory and story-telling in place-keeping. Residents from Denver neighborhoods experiencing intense change will share their stories of place and identity, and partners at Lighthouse Writers Workshop will help us all explore our own connections to place, the stories we know, and those we may be losing. 7 – 8:30 pm at 119 Park Ave W, Denver. Free.

November 14

Loveland: The Northern Colorado Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society meeting will begin at 7 pm at the Medical Center of the Rockies. Free and open to the public.

Fort Collins: The CSU History Department is holding a special event. Leila Morrison, an army nurse, and Win Schendel, a German citizen, will share their recollections of World War II. 6 – 7:30 pm in the North Ballroom of the Lory Student Center.

November 15

Fort Collins: The Odyssey of a Civil War Sabre, hosted by the Larimer County Genealogical Society. Before coming to Fort Collins, one of the early settlers, Frederick R. Baker, played an important and unique role during the Civil War as a member of the Union Light Guard of Ohio, which was a cavalry unit assigned as Abraham Lincoln’s body guards. Baker was a witness to the activities that brought an end to the Civil War and to the events surrounding the assassination of President Lincoln. He brought these experiences with him when he arrived in Fort Collins in 1873. Until his death in 1906, Baker was a significant figure in the development of the city. As a major farmer, banker, and four-term mayor, he demonstrated the character, resilience, and vision his military experiences exposed him to. Tracking the odyssey of a Civil War cavalry saber with genealogical and historical records, led to the backstory of Baker, a story that had been lost over the years. Brian Carroll, a 20-plus-year resident of Fort Collins, is an avocational “keeper of history“, and a researcher of local past events and people that history has forgotten. This story is about one of those people and the saber that was his, which you will be able to see at the program. 6:30 – 8:30 pm at the Good Samaritan Society, 508 W. Trilby Rd.

Fort Collins: The City of Fort Collins and the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area would like to invite you to celebrate the grand opening of The Ross Proving-Up House on Thursday, November 15. The ribbon cutting ceremony will begin at 4 p.m., followed by house tours and celebration at The Farm (600 N. Sherwood). See flyer below:

Flyer for the grand opening of The Ross Proving-Up House

November 17

Fort Collins: Discovery Distilled: Hard Cider with a Slice of π.Thanksgiving is nearly upon us! What better way to prepare for a day of indulgence than discovering the chemistry laden secrets behind delicious seasonal treats like cider and pie! Join the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery for Discovery Distilled – Hard Cider with a Slice of π, a 21+, casual, after-hours night at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. Chat one-on-one with cidery, baking, and chemistry experts while you sip on some delicious beverages, learn something new, and explore all that your museum has to offer. One drink ticket, food & beverage samples, and unforgettable experiences are included with admission. Tickets $20/$15 for members. This event is 21+ only. ID required for purchase and participation. Sponsored by Odell Brewing. 6 – 9pm.

Loveland: Historic Loveland: Inside & Out. Join Historic Larimer County for a walking tour of three (or four) historic downtown buildings. Learn about the architecture, history, and preservation of the Rialto Theater, First National Bank, and the Lovelander Hotel, all located within Loveland’s Downtown Historic District. This tour is free for Historic Larimer County members and only $5 for non-members.. Not a member yet? Become one today! Meet up in front of Desk Chair Workspace, 201 E 4th St (old First National Bank building), at 10 am. Be sure to RSVP so we know to expect you.

Fort Collins: Intermediate Genealogy Part II with Carol Stetser, hosted by the Larimer County Genealogical Society. This FREE, three-hour class will provide clues you’ve been looking for to take your family history to the next level. Plus we will review the databases available at Poudre River Libraries and your home. Handouts will be available. Highly recommended to have attended Introduction to Genealogy and Intermediate Genealogy Part I if you are a beginner before attending this class. Please register for this class in advance. 9:30 am – 12:30 pm in the Harmony Library Community Room.

November 19

Denver: The History Colorado lecture series continues with Denver Water 100 Years: Present and Future — Water Connects Us All. Do you really know water? Water is Denver’s history. Native Americans camped where the Cherry Creek and South Platte River met; Denver evolved from three towns surrounding that confluence. City Ditch supported gold rush settlers. Lack of hydrants left downtown ablaze, then a deadly flash flood decimated West Denver. Examples abound . . . After decades of private water companies—shady deals, court cases, financial ruin—Denver voted to create a public utility in 1918. Denver Water now serves over 1.4 million customers. That expansion involved land acquisition, contentious decisions, engineering marvels and collegial interactions. Learn about the history and future of water in Denver. The lecture will be held twice, once at 1 pm and again at 7 pm at the History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway, Denver. $9 for members, $11 for non-members and $7 for students.

November 21

Larimer County: Colonial Study Group Meeting. This genealogical group discusses the colonial times when your early ancestors arrived in America, colonial databases, and personal research by the members. Meets 2nd Thursday at 1 pm. For the location of the meeting contact one of the leaders: Ken Horne Email: Klhorne@comcast.net, Karen Wente Email: Karenwestwente@gmail.com

November 26

Fort Collins: DNA Study Group by the Larimer County Genealogical Society. 6 – 8:30 pm. Meet in the Community Room at the Harmony LIbrary.

November 29

Loveland: Ken Jessen presents Colorado Gunfights at the Loveland Museum. A century ago, conflicts among outlaws, commoners and law-men, were often settled in a gunfight. Listen to Ken Jessen describe a few of Colorado’s most interesting stories that appear in his book, Frontier Colorado Gunfights. 6 pm in the Foot Gallery. Free.

If you know of any November events that aren’t listed here, please let me know at meg@northerncoloradohistory.com. Thanks!

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