Pikes Peak Regional History Symposium 2026 Call for Proposals

Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) invites scholars, historians, researchers, and history enthusiasts to submit proposals for the 2026 Pikes Peak Regional History Symposium: How the Pikes Peak Region Changed Colorado. This year’s theme explores the pivotal role the Pikes Peak region has played in shaping the history, identity, and trajectory of Colorado.

From the deep histories of Ute Pass as a longstanding corridor of movement and trade, to the 1806 expedition that first documented Pikes Peak in English-language records, this region has long influenced the course of Colorado’s development. It was here that early territorial settlements took root, railways expanded under the vision of William Jackson Palmer, and the Gold Rush brought waves of migration and transformation. In the postwar period, the arrival of major military institutions solidified the region’s lasting impact—economically, politically, and culturally—across the state.

We seek proposals that illuminate the region’s influence across time and sectors. Topics might include—but are not limited to—Indigenous presence and persistence, settlement patterns, environmental change, military and industrial growth, cultural movements, labor history, transportation and infrastructure, tourism, and the region’s role in shaping state and national policy.

Submissions may take the form of traditional presentations or short films. We encourage creative approaches and original research that broaden public understanding of how the Pikes Peak region helped define Colorado’s past—and continues to shape its future.