Pikes Peak Regional History Symposium
Nice, Naughty, & Notable: Colorado Springs at 150: Part 2
Sat., June 26 from 10 – 11:30 a.m.
Printable Program
Introduction
10 – 10:10 a.m.
Each presentation is scheduled for 20 minutes.
A five-minute break is scheduled between presentations.
Susan Fletcher: Glen Eyrie at 150
10:10 – 10:30 a.m.
This presentation will explore the colorful story of Glen Eyrie in celebration of the estate’s 150th anniversary, from the time the first structure on the property was built in 1871 to the present. The presentation will briefly situate the property in its geological timeline and talk about the First Nations people who lived in the area, and then will discuss the people and events that have contributed to the rich legacy of the property over 150 years from the Palmer family to The Navigators.
Tom Noel: The Broadmoor Hotel’s Beginnings: From Count James Pourtales to Spencer Penrose
10:35 – 10:55 a.m.
The Broadmoor, Colorado’s finest resort hotel, put Colorado Springs on the map as a world class tourist attraction. The story of its founding in 1918 by Spencer Penrose is well known. Less well known but just as fascinating is the story of the first Broadmoor resort founded by Count James Pourtales. He and others kept the Broadmoor dream alive until its fruition with Spencer Penrose in 1918.
Eric Swab: Three Trails That Ring Cheyenne Mountain, Three Tales of Infidelity, Bribery, and Provocation
11 – 11:20 a.m.
Spencer Penrose had an interest in a system of trails that once encircled Cheyenne Mountain. His motivation was to provide recreational opportunities for the guests of the Broadmoor Hotel. By 1918, the year the hotel opened, the trails had been mapped and named for three friends and associates of Penrose, Henry M. Blackmer, Charles M. MacNeill and Russell K. Dougherty. This proposal will explore the social prominence and frailties of these three men.
Questions and Answers
11:20 – 11:30 a.m.
Speaker Biographies
Susan Fletcher serves as the Director of History and Archives for The Navigators and Glen Eyrie. She is the founder and CEO of History Joy Consulting, an archives and museum consulting firm. Susan earned her MA in History from Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis. She is the coauthor of Exploring the History of Childhood and Play Through 50 Historic Treasures, the co-author of Dawson Trotman in His Own Words, and has written numerous chapters on state and local history for the Pikes Peak Regional History Book Series. In addition to her scholarly work, Susan’s writing appears in Springs Magazine.
Thomas Jacob Noel is Emeritus Professor of History and Director of Public History, Preservation & Colorado Studies at the University of Colorado Denver. Tom is the author or co-author of 53 books and a longtime former Sunday columnist for the Rocky Mountain News and he appears regularly as “Dr. Colorado” on Channel 9’s “Colorado & Company.” Tom completed his B.A. at the University of Denver and his M.A. and Ph.D. at CU Boulder where his mother (a psychiatrist) and grandmother (a teacher) also did their graduate work. Please check Tom’s website: dr-colorado.com for a full resume and updated list of his books, tours and talks where you are most welcome. In 2018 History Colorado appointed Tom the Colorado State Historian.
Eric Swab is married with a son and three grandchildren. As a volunteer for the National Forest, he has researched the Fremont Experimental Forest, the Skelton Mountain Ranch, the Manitou Incline, and the Monument Nursery. He has given numerous talks on his research. He has prepared exhibits for the Old Colorado City Historical Society and the Manitou Springs Heritage Center. He is also engaged in several other research projects focused on his passion for the history of human activity on Pikes Peak. Eric is the author of two published books, "From Utility To Attraction: A History of the Mt. Manitou Park & Incline Railway" and "Fred Barr: Pikes Peak Entrepreneur", and the soon to be released, "The Granite Attraction: Stories of the Pikes Peak Highway and Summit".