Colorado has always been a destination of interest, and for good reason. Today, tourists and outdoorsmen flood in from every corner of the world, eager for adventure. The 19th century was no different, as pioneering men and women settled in the Western Territories. Gold was a big motivator, and the California Gold Rush made men […]
Victor, Colorado: The City of Mines Read More »
Here’s a thought: If Alan Parker hadn’t directed his 1991 film version of The Commitments, chances are good I would never have read Roddy Doyle’s 1987 novel of the same name. That would have been a shame. When I started the book, though, I knew I was going to have a slight problem. The film version
“Have You Got Soul?”: Love, Music, and Clashing Egos in Roddy Doyle’s The Commitments Read More »
Winfield Scott Stratton Part 4: The More Things Change Continued from: Part 1: “A Test of Faith” Part 2: “Independence and Influence” Part 3: “A Testament to a Legacy” Winfield Scott Stratton was a man whose destiny had been shaped by dreams. As a teenager, he dreamed of coming to Colorado to seek gold. As
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Winfield Scott Stratton, Part 3: A Testament to a Legacy Continued from: Part 1: “A Test of Faith” Part 2: “Independence and Influence” Winfield Scott Stratton’s life had been directed by prophetic dreams: when he was a kid, he dreamed he would leave his hometown of Jeffersonville, Indiana to seek his fortune in Colorado. As
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Winfield Scott Stratton, Part 2: Independence and Influence Continued from: Part 1: “A Test of Faith” As dawn broke on July 4, 1891, Winfield Scott Stratton stood upon his two claims near Victor, Colorado: the Washington and the Independence, named to commemorate the date on which they were claimed. After paying off his grubstake to his
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Winfield Scott Stratton, Part 1: A Test of Faith Winfield Scott Stratton, perhaps the least known but single largest contributor to Colorado Springs, was an enigma. Known as much for his benevolence as for his eccentricities, Stratton was America’s first and biggest nineteenth-century multi-millionaire. Stratton was born in Jeffersonville, Illinois in 1848 as one of
Winfield Scott Stratton: The $10 Million Man, Part 1 Read More »