October History & Heritage Events

Meg at Northern Colorado History

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

Folks have been enjoying the beautiful colors of Autumn for ages, but trying to capture that beauty on film in 1930 left a little something to be desired. Though Autochrome arrived in 1907, it was a tricky process. It wasn’t until 1935 that Kodachrome debuted.

The above photo is from the CSU Digital Archive. It was taken near Chambers Lake in 1930 and is labeled (rather ironically given that the photo is in black & white) “Autumn Colors.”

October 1

Fort Collins: The Civil War Roundtable presents Robert E. Lee, a talk by David Ham. Harmony Presbyterian Church, 400 E. Boardwalk.

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October 2

Fort Collins: The Fort Collins historical society continues its series entitled “Rambling through a Fort Collins childhood.” Cheryl Glanz will tell us about her experiences growing up in Fort Collins in the 70s and 80s as well as stories from her family about growing up as immigrants in early Fort Collins. 7 pm at the Masonic Temple, 255 W. Oak Street. Parking is available on the street or behind the building. Talks are free and open to the public. We’d love to have you join us!

Fort Collins: Wayne Sundberg will present “A Soldier’s Visit from Historical Fort Collins“. This talk is part of the Poudre River Public Library’s Lifetime Enrichment Series: These programs are designed to give people with dementia (and their care partner) the opportunity to socialize, reminisce, or learn new things in a fun and engaging format. Old Town Library – large meeting room on the first floor. 1 – 2 pm. Free.
Loveland: Meet Alexander Hamilton in this Chautauqua level performance by Hal Bidlack entitled Hamilton Lives! The Loveland Historical Society is partnering with Loveland’s Cultural Services Department to provide this event free to the community at 7 pm at the Rialto. Alexander Hamilton was one of the most important of the founding fathers, perhaps second only to General Washington. It is Mr. Hamilton’s vision and spirit that continues to dominate the American culture and economy today. Our nation owes a debt to the good Mr. Hamilton that is as deep today as it was 200 years ago.

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October 4

Fort Collins: The  PLHC American West Program is taking place on Thursday, October 4th. Dr. Megan Kate Nelson will speak about her upcoming book, Path of the Dead Man: How the West Was Won – and Lost – during the American Civil War. Dr. Nelson won an NEH Public Scholar Award in 2017; has written for the New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Chronicle of Higher Education; and maintains the blog Historista. 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the Event Hall in Morgan Library at CSU.

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October 5

Fort Collins: History Comes Alive with Buffalo Bill. Come on down and experience the untamed American frontier with Buffalo Bill Cody! In this presentation all about the world famous showman, Jeff Norman will take you back in time with tales of Army scouting, buffalo hunting, Indian fighting, Pony Express riding, and more. At the Harmony Library in the Round. 7 – 8 pm. Free. Presented by the Poudre River Public Library.

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October 6

Berthoud: It’s Oktoberfest at Fickle Park! While you’re carousing about, swing by the Berthoud Historical Society table. Mark French and Tracy Briggs will be there with history and fun facts. They will also have copies of Mark’s recently-published book available for purchase. Come learn about German POW labor on Berthoud-area farms during WWII. 11 am – 6 pm.

Fort Collins: History Harvest with the Colorado Brewing History Collective hosted by the CSU History Department. We would love to hear your stories, see your memorabilia, or find out more about what you want to know about the history of beer and brewing in Fort Collins. Please join us at Odells Brewing Co. 11 am – 12:30 pm.

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October 7

Fort Collins: The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery presents, Stitching Through Time: Revival and Renewal. Everything old is new again! “Stitching Through Time” is a monthly series where you’ll meet to make a fiber-based craft project and learn about its history in the process. In this Sunday afternoon class, you will learn the basics of the Amish Stumpwork technique and receive the materials and instruction you need to create your own Stumpwork pincushion for keeping or gifting. The FCMoD historical artifact collection is a great place to discover beautiful crafting techniques just waiting to be revived. Join museum curators as we present the intriguing technique of Amish Stumpwork, which creates patterns of plushy pile. You will also get the chance to meet and learn the story of the local owners of Who Gives a Scrap, a business that takes the unused supplies from abandoned projects and gives them new life, “keeping literal tons of material out of the landfill by putting them into the creative hands of thrifty crafters.” Ages 16+, with exceptions for parents with children who would like to come with. $7/$5 for members. 2 – 4 pm.

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October 10

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 hosting a talk on the History of Homebrewing. Charlie Papazian, founder of the Great American Beer Festival, the Association of Brewers, and the American Homebrewers Association, will share with us his long history of homebrewing. Event will take place in room 1205 (East side) of the stadium. 6 – 7:30 pm. Free and open to the public.

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October 13

Fort Collins: The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery presents Culture in the Courtyard: Legends and Lore. Can you separate fact from fiction? Hear about some local legends of Fort Collins’ past, and see if you can decipher the truth! We’ll have our 3 historic cabins and 1905 schoolhouse open for exploration (and for finding clues!). This program is located in the Heritage Courtyard in Library Park at 200 Mathews Street. 10 am – 1 pm. Free with a suggested donation of $3.

Fort Collins: Join Historic Larimer County on Saturday, October 13 to learn about Fort Collins Underground. Former Fort Collins Preservation Planner, Carol Tunner, will guide us through several basements to point out old store fronts, a jail cell, an underground stream and more. This tour is free for Historic Larimer County members and only $5 for non-members.. Not a member yet? Become one today! The tour will start at Happy Lucky’s Teahouse. If you’d like to show up at 9am to get tea beforehand, look for Meg in the back room (the old jail). She’ll be there checking people in. The tour will start at 9:30 am. We hope to end around 11:30 and may suggest a place for folks to get together for lunch if you’d like to continue hanging out and talking northern Colorado history.

Johnstown: The Johnstown Cemetery Crawl begins a 1pm at the Johnstown Cemetery, located just north of CO Highway 60 on Colorado Blvd. (County Rd 13)

Loveland: The 2018 Larimer County Genealogical Society Conference for a Cause is featuring a full day seminar with Thomas W. Jones as speaker. There are several additional programs available including “Finding ‘Unfindable’ Ancestors”, “What is the Standard of Proof in Genealogy?”, and more! 9 am – 3 pm at the Medical Center of the Rockies community room.

Fort Collins: Water Works Open House hosted by the Poudre Landmarks Foundation. 10 am – 3 pm. Come learn about the historic 1883 Water Works. Take a guided tour led by The Poudre Landmarks Foundation and the Friends of the Water Works, who administers the ongoing preservation work at the property. 2005 North Overland Trail. Free.

Fort Collins: On Saturday, October 13th, from 1 – 3 pm, Lloyd Walker, retired from CSU’s Civil Engineering Department and part-time Hawaiian resident, will present “Hawai’i’s Colorful and Complicated History” at the Global Village Museum , 200 W. Mountain. Admission to the program is $5/person and includes entry into the Museum’s four galleries.

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October 15

Denver: The History Colorado lecture series continues with Borrowed Time. Stephen Batura will discuss the photography of Charles S. Lillybridge (1849–1935) and his own paintings and drawings—which derive exclusively from Lillybridge’s images. Batura isn’t concerned about the differences between life in Denver a hundred years ago and Denver today, he’s interested in the similarities. To the artist, the concerns of each generation are largely the same, and they form familiar patterns. Rather than sentimentalizing another era, Batura believes we should examine what’s still alive from the past and how it echoes in our contemporary world. 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.

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October 17

Loveland: The Loveland Historical Society is hosting a field trip to the Loveland Museum’s new storage facility, P.A.N.D.A. The huge new Loveland Museum archival storage facility, nick-named P.A.N.D.A., is full of antiques and interesting pieces of local and regional history. The Museum selects pieces for rotational displays and stores the rest, a very large collection. Let’s go see some expected as well as unusual and a couple even unknown pieces! Group is limited to the first 10 people to RSVP to [email protected]. Promptness is insisted. 9 – 10 am.

Fort Collins: River Stories at the Lyric. Celebrate the Poudre River at the 50^th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers act with a storytelling event that’s equal parts film festival, story swap, and art exhibit. Enjoy craft beers and kombucha while you connect with different stories and experiences about our Poudre River! At the Lyric, 1209 N College Ave. 6 – 9 pm. $12.

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October 18

Fort Collins: The Larimer County Genealogical Society presents, “Overcoming a 30-year Brick Wall: How We Found the Real Family Name and Our Shetl in Lithuania.” This story provides several clues to help find your ancestors, regardless of origin. Focusing, or re-focusing, on 3 to 4 key tactics will help break down your brick walls. Debbie Schwartz has been curious about her family history since the age of ten. Since 2010 she has been able to acquire abundant evidence for most of her eight great-grandparents, all of whom were born in Eastern Europe. She has recently begun a new career doing genealogy research for private clients. 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Meeting at the Good Samaritan Society (508 W Trilby Rd).

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October 20

Greeley: Head to Centennial Village Museum and harvest family fun and memories during the annual Howl-O-Ween trick or treat event. Try your hand at Halloween carnival games, check out the not-so-scary haunted house, trick or treat the historic structures, stop by booths and participate in the costume contest.  Admission is $2 per child, $3 per adult 18 and older. Children must be accompanied by an adult. 3 – 7 pm. Centennial Village Museum – 1475 A St. $2/child, $3/adult.

Bellvue: Take a tour of the newly rehabilitated Pleasant Valley schoolhouse at Morning Fresh Dairy on Noosa Yoghurt’s campus (5821 W Co Rd 54E), then learn what’s new with the programs and projects of the Poudre Heritage Alliance (PHA). Join us at the Howling Cow Cafe after the tour, and hear from current Heritage Culturalist volunteers as they share what they’re working on, including our Pedaling the Poudre bike tours, Heritage Trail project, Water Legacy video series, and more! Email programs@poudreheritage.org to RSVP! And find us on Facebook by clicking here. 10 – 11:30 am. Free.

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October 22

Denver: Barbara Fleming will be giving a talk on “Fort Collins: From Camp Town to City” at the History Colorado Center (1200 Broadway, Denver) from 1 – 2 pm. Beginning as a remote Army post in 1862, Fort Collins has evolved over about 150 years to become a vibrant city on the High Plains, a center of education and commerce. Through images and stories, author Barbara Fleming, a Fort Collins native, recounts the city’s colorful history—a past replete with Native Americans, board sidewalks, false-front buildings, a hanging, a rogue stagecoach driver, and indomitable men and women who held on through drought, grasshopper plagues, and more to build a town that ultimately thrived and grew. The story of Fort Collins is the story of the western frontier and the settlement of the West. The talk is $4 for members and $5 for non-members.

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October 25

Greeley: On Thursday, Oct. 25, at noon, Ron Edgerton presents “America’s Greatest Battle” as part of the Historic Preservation Program’s History Brown Bag Series. 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 St., on the fourth Thursday of the month.

Loveland: Ken Jessen presents Colorado Cemeteries at the Loveland Museum, a pictorial look at Colorado cemeteries including a pet cemetery near Salida strangely enough located across the street from a veterinary clinic. West of Fort Collins is the Manhattan Cemetery that once served a nearby mining community of the same name. Cemetery crawls are an engaging way of learning about the state’s history. Free. 6 pm in the Foote Gallery.

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October 26

Fort Collins: The FCMoD’s behind-the-scenes tour for October has a spooky theme to celebrate the spirit of the season! Join our curators for a journey into FCMoD’s collections storage as we highlight mysterious artifacts from Fort Collins’ past. We’ll also take a terrifying but educational look at yellowed photos, brittle documents, and a shattered silk dress as we discuss preservation techniques to help you care for your own family treasures! BOO! This program is free, however due to limited capacity we do require registration. Recommended for ages 12+

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October 27

Fort Collins: Barbara Fleming is offering a class at Front Range Community College entitled “History of the Poudre Canyon.” The class meets from 10 a.m. to noon, and costs $39. Registration is required, through FRCC’s continuing education program. (You don’t have to be an enrolled FRCC student to attend.) The Poudre Canyon west of Fort Collins has many tales to tell! Take a virtual trip through the canyon as local historian and author Barbara Fleming shares its colorful history, from the earliest explorers to the present day.

Johnstown: 17th Annual Stitches in Time – Quilt & Craft Fair. This event is a fundraiser for the Johnstown Historical Society and the Historic Parish House and Museum. 9am to 4pm at Roosevelt High School, 616 N 2nd Street.

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October 29

Somewhere in Larimer County: The Larimer County Genealogical Society is hosting a DNA Study Group from 6 – 8:30 pm. Check their website for updated details as the day approaches.