Director Education Assistant Curator Curatorial Assistant
Jesse Gagnon
Kathleen Eaton
Doug Skiba
Andrew Terrill
Student and Interpretation and Development and Graphic Designer
Family Programs Visitor Experience Communications (Freelance) Coordinator Coordinator Editor (Discover)
Cover image: John Cummins, a University of Denver student, performs a northern traditional dance during Autumn Fest at GHM. Photo by Corinne Westeman / Colorado Community Media.
Director’s
Welcome
There are so many exciting things happening at Golden History Museum & Park this fall! First, we are opening two exciting new exhibitions. The Clear Creek Room is the museum’s newest exhibition and program space that explores the unique history of Golden’s defining waterway. We Are Still Here: The Endurance of Native Jewels is our first co-curated exhibition with our Native American Advisory Board members and features historic and contemporary Native fashions that utilize two
powerful Native jewels—elk ivories and dentalium shells. Help us celebrate these two new spaces at our Open House and Exhibit Reception on Thursday, August 22, from 5 – 8 p.m. Enjoy live music, food truck, beer by CODA Brewing, and get a first glimpse of the new exhibits. Admission is FREE. Also, in this edition of Discover magazine is an update on GHM&P’s Indigenous Connections Project— an institution-wide initiative to elevate Native American representation and voice across our exhibits, collections,
and programs. Bring the whole family to Autumn Fest on Sunday, October 6, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. for a day of special activities and events. Help us celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Golden History Park with demonstrations, games, live music, and Native American dancing. Autumn Fest is also FREE.
I look forward to seeing you at GHM&P this fall!
Nathan Richie
Indigenous Connections Project Update
By Nathan Richie
Project Beginnings
Golden and all of Colorado has been and continues to be Indigenous peoples’ homeland. Presently, the State of Colorado maintains a list of 51 federally recognized tribes with historic ties to Colorado and it is likely that several more tribes have yet to be recognized. Indigenous people have inhabited every corner of our state from the deserts to the alpine peaks to the high plains. Scientific evidence from the Magic Mountain Archaeological Site in Golden has shown that Native people have lived in the area for more than 10,000 years while Indigenous
knowledge points to an even longer presence. The region’s first White inhabitants like Alexander Rooney and Thomas Golden knew and wrote about the Native peoples throughout the region. Yet, for all this information, Golden History Museum & Park has presented next to nothing about regional history prior to the 1859 Gold Rush in its nearly 85-year existence. We as a staff have been aware and critical of this glaring omission, and increasingly, museum visitors have also voiced concern and disappointment at the notable absence of Indigenous stories in our sites and publications. We needed a plan for action.
Advisory
members and friends
Recognizing the need to make changes was one thing, but creating a viable plan with actionable outcomes was quite another. The museum had virtually no experience working with Native communities and had no contacts on which to draw. This would necessitate meeting knowledgeable, reputable people and earning their trust over time. It would require a sustained commitment from the organization and staff to make long-term relationships. It would also require committing and growing financial resources to implement project initiatives. Continued overleaf
Native American
Board
in between performances at Autumn Fest in Golden.
The first phase of this work could best be described as “research and experimentation.” Museum staff spent months having conversations with colleagues in the museum and cultural field about where to start the process and how to make meaningful change. It also required finding a good starting point to begin our work. Through conversations with individuals from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, History Colorado, the Tesoro Foundation, and others, we concluded that the museum needed a baseline understanding of the Golden region from the perspective of its Indigenous peoples. In 2022, GHM&P received a grant from the State Historical Fund to create a regional ethnography— a history of Indigenous peoples as told using Indigenous knowledge. We selected Maren Hopkins of Anthropological Research LLC of Tucson, Arizona, to lead the project. The ethnographic team worked directly with tribal experts from six different tribes in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Utah. The resulting publication Indigenous Connections: Native American Ethnographic Study of Golden, Colorado and the Clear Creek Valley presents an overview of the region from the perspective of the Núuchiu (Ute), Hinono’ei (Arapaho), and Tsistsistas (Cheyenne) peoples who were the primary residents of the Golden area before European settlers arrived in 1859. This valuable resource can be downloaded free of charge on the museum’s website, GoldenHistory.org
Phase Two: Building Relationships
The ethnography was the ignition GHM&P needed to catalyze its Native American outreach. Phase Two of what we began to refer to as the Indigenous Connections Project built upon the foundation that was started with the ethnography and spread across every component of the museum’s work. With the help of Steve LaPointe (Sicangu Lakota) and 1st Tribal Consulting, we established a Native American Advisory Board to review our practices and outputs, suggest how we can elevate Indigenous voice and representation in our work, and give guidance and input on future initiatives.
We started by reviewing what we held in our collection. One frequent criticism Indigenous peoples have for museums is their lack of transparency about what Native American items
are held within their collections. Often museums are not forthright about what they own or how they obtained objects, nor do they allow access to cultural property. GHM&P decided to tackle this by doing the exact opposite. We scanned the entirety of our collection for anything that was associated with a tribe or was labeled Native American or Indian. We assembled all the items together in a single display case in the front of the museum for everyone to see and invited visitors and our Native advisors to comment on the collection and what next steps the museum should take.
The museum began introducing Native American-centered programming throughout the year including at our signature fall event, Autumn Fest. We worked with tribal liaisons to review existing exhibits and programs for accuracy and to identify
opportunities to tell a more inclusive narrative. We received a second grant from the State Historical Fund to build upon the work of the ethnography by hosting tribal site visits to Golden. In 2023, we welcomed tribal representatives from the Northern Arapaho and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma to deepen relationships and find ways of working together in the future. In 2024, we are working to bring members of the Northern Cheyenne and Southern Ute to Golden. During the first phase of exploration, we spoke to leaders of many Front Range cultural institutions about their past experiences working with Indigenous communities and lessons we could learn as we began our work. What we discovered was that many, if not most, peer cultural institutions believed they were in a similar position as Golden. They wished to interpret more Native history, they lacked meaningful connections with community members, their collections were lagging, and other priorities were preventing them from making significant progress. So, in the spirit of group learning and improvement, We created the Indigenous Connections Network, an informal group of cultural leaders, educators, and Indigenous knowledge holders. The network has developed into a community of learners who meet quarterly to learn about one another’s projects, make connections, share resources, and seek opportunities to collaborate. In May 2023, GHM&P hosted a cultural awareness training for museum staff and members of the network. On November 29, 2023, GHM&P
coordinated a group visit to the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site on the anniversary of the atrocity. Fifty-four Front Range museum and cultural agency leaders as well as GHM&P staff and supporters and City of Golden leaders toured the site and learned firsthand from Cheyenne and Arapaho elders about the importance of the site and how the massacre forever changed their peoples and way of life. Overwhelmingly, participants were moved by the experience, and many felt the need to direct others to visit the site.
Future and Ongoing Efforts
The Indigenous Connections Project continues to grow and mature. What started as an effort to reform GHM&P practices and change how it engages with historically marginalized communities has evolved into a long-term commitment to partnering with Indigenous communities, understanding, and responding to their needs, nurturing trusting relationships, and demonstrating results through deeds and outcomes. Furthermore, through its work to build a regional community of practice, GHM&P is increasingly sought out by peer organizations for our expertise and advice. The next phase of the Indigenous Connections Project is twofold. First, we will invest in short-and long-term outputs that enhance the museum’s interpretation of Indigenous history and culture. Such projects include the forthcoming exhibit “We Are Still Here: The Endurance of Native Jewels” that opens at the History Museum this August. We Are Still Here is
co-curated with our Native American Advisory Board and highlights the use of Native jewels (dentalium shells and elk ivories) in historic and contemporary Indigenous fashion. We will also dedicate a new Native American Arbor (a traditional shaded gathering space) at the History Park. This beautiful new feature will be located on the east side of the park and be enlivened with programs and events throughout the year. To date, the museum has already invested $100,000 with another $200,000 planned for future projects.
Second, GHM&P will expand its role as a convener and educator to advance the understanding of Indigenous history and culture in our museums and schools. The museum will host its first-ever Indigenous Connections Summit with the theme “Beyond the Land Acknowledgement.” It will bring together cultural leaders and Indigenous knowledge holders to talk about practical ways museums can make meaningful changes in their institutions to increase Native American voice and perspectives. We will also tap into our robust network of schoolteachers to learn how we can help develop educator knowledge and resources to teach about Indigenous history in the classroom.
Telling a full and honest history of Golden is central to our organization’s mission. The Indigenous Connections Project is an important institutional commitment and endeavors to elevate Native American representation in Golden’s past and present. It’s also a significant way GHM&P can have a lasting, positive impact in our community and region.
NEWEXHIBIT OpeningAugust22,2024
We Are Still Here: The Endurance of Native Jewels
By Stephanie Gilmore
Continuing our Indigenous Connections initiative, Golden History Museum & Park is hosting its first-ever exhibit co-curated by members of the local Native community. We Are Still Here: The Endurance of Native Jewels is about the perseverance of Indigenous people, especially women, despite 500 years of colonialism which has included exposure to foreign disease, warfare, genocide, forced relocation to reservations, boarding
schools designed to eliminate their culture, broken treaties, and blatant disregard for tribal sovereignty.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines a jewel as 1. a precious stone, 2. an ornament of precious metal often set with stones or decorated with enamel and worn as an accessory of dress, and 3. one that is highly esteemed. Under definition number three, people (in this case, women) can be jewels, too. Though Native Americans most
certainly exist today, an astonishing 40% of non-Native Americans believe that they are extinct! There are numerous reasons for this, but perhaps the strongest is due to a lack of education about modern Indigenous people and their impacts on society. A 2015 survey found that 87% of what is taught about Native Americans in K-12 school textbooks took place before the year 1900. This simple fact illustrates how American schoolchildren are primed to believe Natives
are no longer here. Therefore, this exhibit aims to show that Indigenous people are still here, and they are also doing amazing things while maintaining their cultural heritage through different traditions. These traditions come in many forms, including, but certainly not limited to, speaking and teaching Indigenous languages, making and wearing traditional clothing, practicing Native religions, and creating traditional artwork.
Examples of Native Jewels
For millennia, Indigenous women of the Plains region (what is today the central United States) have worn clothing decorated with elk teeth and dentalium shells. These kinds of Native jewels hold great value, and thus they identify women of great value, within tribes. Elk teeth are commonly used to adorn women’s and girls’ dresses. One dress can contain tens to hundreds of teeth. However, the teeth used for these dresses are not just any elk teeth. They are specifically the “vestigial tusks” or “ivories,” of which there are only two in an elk’s jaw. Therefore, if a dress contains 100 elk teeth, that means that at least 50 elk were required to make that dress (and of course the remaining parts of the elk were used for meat, clothing, tools, etc.). The number of elk teeth signifies how much a woman is valued by her spouse, father, or brother, as evidenced by his hunting prowess. Dentalia come from small, seadwelling mollusks. Dentalium shells, shaped like tiny tusks, are used to
Plains women and girls. These tiny shells, which decorate clothing by the thousands, are only found in saltwater environments. Specifically, the shells used by Plains peoples are from the northwestern coast of what is today British Columbia. Therefore, to reach the region they had to be traded and moved either by foot or via waterways, as there were no large beasts of burden or wheels prior to European colonization.
While traditional elk tooth dresses and dentalium collars are still worn for special occasions and communal gatherings like powwows, today’s Native women also incorporate them into their everyday wear as an intentional celebration of their Indigeneity. In this exhibit we will explore the strength of Indigenous women and their cultural expression through clothing they make for themselves and their families.
NEWEXHIBIT OpeningAugust22,2024
Clear Creek: The Heart of Golden
By Stephanie Gilmore
Clear Creek Canyon…The grandest scenery in the mountains, as it twists and turns marvellously (sic), and its stupendous sides are nearly perpendicular, while farther progress is to all appearance continually blocked by great masses of rock and piles of snow-covered mountains.
— Isabella L. Bird, from: A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, 1879
The Golden History Museum is excited to debut a newly remodeled dual-purpose gallery and meeting room. The Clear Creek Room will house the exhibit, Clear Creek: The Heart of Golden, which will explore the natural, industrial, recreational, Indigenous, and agricultural histories of Clear Creek. With a window that faces the creek itself, this room will also serve as a relaxing meeting space for employees and visitors alike.
Natural Beauty
The beauty and splendor of Clear Creek has dazzled humans for thousands of years. Without the creek, Golden would not exist. Over the last five million years, cyclical glacial melting and refreezing via numerous ice ages has kept the creek flowing, shaping the landscape. Today, crisp Rocky Mountain snowmelt still flows through the heart of town, carving meanders and deep holes that support rainbow and cutthroat trout, as well as other riparian fauna like the brilliantly colored belted kingfisher and the tiny American dipper, who rely on the water for their diets. Peachleaf willow, narrowleaf cottonwood, and the rare yellow lady’s slipper orchid also call the banks of Clear Creek home.
Industry
From smelting and mining to brewing and brickmaking, Clear Creek has a long industrial history. Water from the creek made Golden an ideal spot for
industrial pursuits, and the relative flatness of the valley provided easy access for commerce and rail transport. In 1859 prospectors came here in search of gold. While scant gold dust was present in the creek, the true mining value of the area would come in the forms of clay and coal. Smelting, whereby metals are extracted from ore via heating and melting, was another of many industries present here. Later, breweries and flour mills would add their marks to the landscape. While there are no longer active mines here, the legacy of mining remains through the Colorado School of Mines, perhaps the best and oldest mining university in the United States. Coors Brewery, founded in 1873, still produces one of the most popular American beer labels, and in the decades since its establishment, numerous craft breweries have followed suit and settled near Clear Creek.
Recreation
Swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing, and sunbathing are just some of the popular pastimes on Clear Creek. Tubing has become wildly popular
in recent years, enabling Golden’s summer visitors to leisurely float or ride the rapids (depending on water levels) downstream from the mouth of the canyon nearly all the way to downtown. Since 1934, Colorado School of Mines students have used the creek for various recreational activities, including tug-of-war matches and cardboard-boat races during the school’s Engineering Days each spring. Due to the high amount of activity year-round, Firefighters from around the Denver metro area practice water-rescue techniques near the museum because of the creek’s challenging terrain and swift rapids.
Native Homelands
Indigenous traditional histories and archaeological evidence indicate that Native people have settled along Clear Creek for millennia. Situated within a unique intersection of alpine, high plains, and riparian ecosystems, the Clear Creek valley is still prized by Native peoples for its clean water, abundant wildlife, herbs, and medicines. A natural conduit between the interior of the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains, Golden and its surrounding terrain are part of the ancestral homelands of the Núuchiu (Ute), Hinono’ei (Arapaho), and
Tsistsistas
(Cheyenne), among others. Over 180 plant species in this area have documented Indigenous uses and names, a testament to Clear Creek’s enduring importance for Colorado’s Indigenous community.
Agriculture
The fertile soil along Clear Creek once sustained fruit orchards, grain fields, vegetable crops, and dairy farms. While it is no longer the primary industry in Golden, for over 150 years agriculture was a big business here, from the first European settlement in 1859 through the mid-20th century. Perhaps because little gold was discovered in Clear Creek, early residents of Golden realized that they could turn a profit by supplying food for the mining operations in the nearby foothills. Evidence of the farming industry can be seen in the intricate network of irrigation ditches and reservoirs, some of which still operate today. World War II saw a major decline in farming in this area, and so many farms were replaced with multifamily housing developments.
GHM&P is offered many and varied things every year, certainly every month, and sometimes even weekly.
In the last 12 months we have collected some wonderful items that highlight stories of Golden and its people.
Photograph of the interior of the E.E. Stewart Grocery Store, 1914
In 2023, Ellen Fleer generously gave the museum a collection of photographs, yearbooks, and postcards from Ray Fleer, the great-nephew of Harold E. Stewart, son of E. E. Stewart. The E.E. Stewart Building still stands today at 922 Washington Avenue.
While it now houses a consignment shop, a salon, and a wellness center, this is a building with quite a colorful
and storied past. Erected in 1892, the first business to occupy it was the E.E. Stewart Grocery Store. Exterior photographs of buildings are quite common, but interior shots tend to be far more scarce. In this image, Elvyn E. Stewart, the store’s namesake and founder sits in a wheelchair near the center. Behind the counter are two of Elvyn’s five sons, Harold and Frank, along with Burt Stewart, who might be one of his grandsons. The other people in the photo are unidentified.
Pete Smythe East Tincup Materials
Another wonderful donation we received in 2023 was from Pete Smythe Jr., whose father, Orville “Pete” Smythe, created and ran the East Tincup theme park which was active from 1960-1963 in Golden.
From 1951 to 1969, Smythe also hosted the KOA radio-TV show “Smythe’s General Store,” which far outlasted the existence of East Tincup. He interviewed many famous people in “Smythe’s General Store.” Notable Hollywood actors and singers, such as Bob Hope, Rex Allen, Mahalia Jackson, and Nellie Lutcher are just a few. We are fortunate to have many images of these famous folks and more from Smythe.
In this image Smythe is interviewing Oglala tribal leader Oliver Red Cloud, a fourth-generation descendant of Sioux Chief Red Cloud, on the set of the General Store at KOA-TV.
Push Toy Firetruck
In 2023, we were visited by Larry McInroy who is a cousin of Leland “Lee” McBride. Larry gave the museum this toy firetruck, which was signed by family and friends and presented to McBride upon his retirement from the Golden Fire Department in 1988. McBride, who died in 2023 at age 88, was a fixture in Golden for decades. For 46 years, he worked for the Foss General Store in several different capacities, including serving as the first vice president of the store. From 1969 to 1988, he was a volunteer firefighter with the Golden Fire Department, for which he served as chief for several years. He never stopped serving his
Vine Deloria Jr. Materials
Vine Deloria Jr. was a renaissance man, best known for his prolific writings about the injustices brought upon Native Americans, their modern issues, and their treatment by White society.
A member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe of North Dakota, Deloria first found his way to Golden after he
community and was an active member of the Lions Club, City Counselor for Ward 3, and was Fire Chief No. 3.
McBride was honored as Firefighter of the Year in 1976 for his heroic rescue of five people from a vehicle wreck in Clear Creek Canyon. A tow truck driver who was first on the scene nearly drowned trying to
graduated from Iowa State in 1958. After a year and a half studying geology at the Colorado School of Mines, Deloria flunked out and decided to study theology, as both his father and grandfather were ministers. He moved to Illinois to attend Augustana Lutheran Seminary, earning his master’s degree in theology in 1963. He would return to Colorado to earn his Juris Doctorate from CU Boulder in 1970.
Vine, his wife Barbara, and their three children would move from Colorado, to Iowa, to Arizona, and back to Colorado several different times during the 1960s through the 1990s. Deloria taught at the University of Arizona, and later at CU Boulder as a law professor.
While in Colorado in 1976, Deloria was appointed by then-governor Richard Lamm to serve on the
save four passengers who were trapped in a submerged car. McBride tied a rope to his waist which he fixed to a point on the shore and waded into the water to save the passengers and tow truck driver. Were it not for McBride’s efforts, all five people could have died that day.
Bicentennial Commission. As we are nearing the Sesquisemiquincentennial (or the 150th anniversary of Colorado’s statehood coupled with the United States’ 250th anniversary) in 2026, Barbara Deloria sent us several items from Vine’s bicentennial work. Among them are posters for the bicentennial, Vine’s commissioner medals, his CU Boulder law diploma, and finally, one of the typewriters he used to write the 20-plus books he published throughout his life.
The modern tribal sovereignty movement has had no single great inspirational leader, no Martin Luther King, Jr., no Cesar Chavez.... Yet if one person may be singled out, it is Vine Deloria, Jr.
- Charles Wilkinson, Colorado law professor and Deloria’s personal friend.
Programs
Programs are subject to change. Visit our website for full details.
GoldenHistory.org/events
Purchase advance tickets:
1) online,
2) by phone during business hours, 303.278.3557, 3) in-person.
Join expert survivalist Aaron “Hutch” Hutchings in making your very own capote coat (a long wrap-style wool coat) using a wool blanket. Attendees will need to bring their own wool blanket for a true finished product, but fleece will be provided to any attendees unable to bring a blanket. You will leave class with a coat and the skill to make more for the whole family.
September 17, 2024, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
History of the Electoral College
Location: Golden History Museum
Free to members; $10 non-members; registration required.
What is the electoral college, how does it work, and why was it put in place? This program will dive into the electoral college, why Colorado has the number of votes it does, and other interesting facts about the history of voting.
September 21, 2024, 9 a.m. – noon
Blacksmithing in the Park
Location: Golden History Park
Free for everyone; no registration required
Have you always wanted to learn about blacksmithing, but you’ve had trouble finding a good option? Join our volunteer for a fun morning of observation and learning. Our blacksmith shop, complete with historic tools and coal-fired forge, will transport you to the 1800s.
Join expert Aaron “Hutch” Hutchings in making your very own snowshoes. This class will take you step-by-step in making your own set of snowshoes. You will leave class with both the finished product and skills to make more.
Visit the graves of legendary Golden characters with storyteller Barb Warden. Tours begin and end at the Golden Cemetery. This program sells out every year, so get your tickets early. This is a rain-or-shine event.
4
October 19, November 16, December 21, 2024, 9 a.m. – noon
Blacksmithing in the Park
Location: Golden History Park
See September 21 for full description.
Roundup Education
Behind-the-Scenes:
Developing and Launching a New Program
By Jesse Gagnon
On the first day of a new program you always hold your breath a little bit. There is a smile on your face as you greet the new round of kids who are arriving to the museum to spend the day and you project energy and enthusiasm. On the inside though, you are running through the schedule for the day, hoping you have all the supplies you might need, that you have anticipated all the different ways a new activity could go, and you cross your fingers and toes that you have enough activities to keep the kids busy over the course of the day. There is a lot that goes into formulating a new program and the planning
usually starts months in advance, if not earlier. You start with a theme. Our 2023 Thanksgiving break program started with the idea of engineering. We wanted a program that would be more unstructured than is typical and allow kids to experiment, maybe fail a little bit, and then try again.
Once we identify a theme, the research begins. During this stage, we are working to find ways to touch on contemporary and historical topics relevant to Golden (or Colorado, more broadly), and to find hands-on activities that will allow the kids to explore those topics in their own ways. Of course, those
activities must also be fun!
Slowly, our new program called Design and Build began to take shape. There is a lot of two-stepsforward-and-one step-back as you refine and reflect on the curriculum you are building. Our objective for the kids during this full-day program was to learn about and practice the engineering design process. They would observe a problem or a goal, design a solution, build their design, and then test it. Highlights from the day would include learning about annual bird migration in Colorado before designing and building their own bird feeders using only recycled
What We Learned
materials. Attendees would explore bridge design and discuss historic and contemporary bridges in Colorado through photographs and during a walking tour in Golden. They then would get to work designing, building, and testing their own bridges built entirely out of straws and masking tape. As a culminating activity, attendees would work in small groups to design and build their own marble runs out of only recycled materials using the museum’s Makedo Cardboard Construction set that was donated by a museum member. That was the plan. All that was left was to run the program and see what the kids thought.
From a staff perspective, this theme was a huge success. The kids were engaged in the topics and the activities, they had lots of questions, and they were buzzing to tell their adults about everything they did that day. It was also fun to watch as their adults decided how they would get their child’s creations into the car. A highlight was the kids talking about the ways they could improve their various designs once they got home. If anything, we learned that our participants wanted even more time with each activity. They wanted more time to design, more time to build, and more time to revise their designs when something did not go according to plan.
What Comes Next
The evolution of a program does not stop after it is launched. Most new programs require a review cycle of two to three sessions to work out all the kinks. Sometimes instructions are not as clear as they should be or kids work through an activity much faster (or in this case much slower) than we anticipated. This is what makes developing and implementing programs so much fun. You always have a sense of how a program will go, but the kids constantly surprise you with their ideas and interpretations of an activity. This year, we have plans to develop at least one new full-day curriculum to debut this fall. We hope to see your kiddos there!
School Break Programs at the Museum
Join us at Golden History Museum & Park when school is out! During these full-day programs for ages 6-12, participants will explore science, art, history and more while enjoying the unique setting of our history park, whether it is a visit to the chickens or cooking something in the historic Pearce/Helps Cabin. Space is limited. Dates coincide with no-school days for JeffCo Public Schools. Learn more at GoldenHistory.org.
Member prices require a current Household membership or higher.
Fall After School
Backyard Botanist with Aaron “Hutch” Hutchings (Ages 6-11)
Club Dates: Tuesdays from 4 – 6 p.m. starting September 10. Club dates include September 10, September 17, September 24, October 1, October 8, October 15.
Join us for six weeks of after school club with Colorado native and expert survivalist Aaron “Hutch” Hutchings. Get your budding young botanist geared up for some plant fun while exploring the types of trees, plants, flowers, and leaves that nature produces within the landscape of the Golden History Park.
Cost for the six weeks is: $130 for members; $155 for non-members.
Fall Break
Monster
Quest with Aaron “Hutch” Hutchings
Thursday, October 17, 2024, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
To get ready for Halloween, adventurers will explore basic tracking, track identification, and casting tracks before embarking on their own monster quest. Will your adventurer be able to track down Frankenstein or Dracula?
Celebrations Around the World
Friday, October 18, 2024, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Join us and learn about different fall celebrations around the world. Participants will learn about Día de los Muertos and bake Conchas Pan de Muerto, build a kite while learning about the Guatemala Kite Festival, and create an insect hotel to take home while learning about the Hungry Ghost Festival.
Cost per day: $75 members; $90 non-members.
Registration opens Thursday, August 1 and closes Tuesday, October 15.
Thanksgiving Break
Clear Creek Discovery Days
Monday, November 25, 2024, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Tuesday, November 26, 2024, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
During this Clear Creek-focused program, participants will explore how water and ice have shaped the landscape, the enduring importance of this area to Indigenous communities, and the positive and negative impacts of industry and recreation on the area. Activities will vary each day; sign up for one day or both!
Cost per day:
$75 members; $90 non-members. Registration opens Thursday, August 1 and closes Friday, November 22.
SAVE THESE DATES: Summer Camp 2025
Registration opens to members (exclusively) Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Registration opens to the public Friday, January 10, 2025
Staff Profile
Wyatt Benson
Volunteer Profile
Deb Richardson
Wyatt joined GHM&P in 2023 as an Outreach Education Program Facilitator. Wyatt has a background in public history, having worked as an assistant museum collections manager for History Colorado and the Colorado State University Archaeological Repository. Additionally, Wyatt taught labs and helped instruct undergraduate classes pertaining to biological anthropology, osteology, zooarchaeology, and forensic anthropology at Colorado State University. He also has worked as an archaeologist wherein he conducted pedestrian surveys, recorded prehistoric and historic artifacts, and mapped cultural sites throughout the Southwest for various cultural resource management firms.
Wyatt received his BA in anthropology with an emphasis in archaeology as well as minors in geographic information systems, geology, and forensics from Northern Arizona University and a MA in biological anthropology from Colorado State University. Through his work and school experiences, Wyatt gained an appreciation and developed a passion for both preserving and sharing the stories, histories, and voices of various cultures and communities with a wider audience. In his current position with GHM&P, Wyatt enjoys getting the chance to present the lived histories of Colorado’s diverse communities with students, helping inspire Colorado’s youth to learn more about their state’s past and how those experiences relate to today.
Iinitially started to volunteer at the front desk of the Golden History Museum to learn more about the history of Golden and the surrounding area, but I got lots more! I really enjoy the people that visit the Museum, the other volunteers, and the staff too. I really enjoy the children that visit the Touch Gallery and helping them with our scavenger hunts. I also help with the Storytime crafts in the summer months.
I was born in Roswell, New Mexico, (no I’m not an alien!) but was raised in Estes Park, Colorado. After a 30-year stint teaching kindergarten and first grade in New Mexico near the Four Corners, I moved back to Estes Park
and taught the same grade for 14 more years. After retirement and subbing, I moved to Golden about two years ago to be close to my son. I have two children and five grandchildren. My daughter is a registered nurse and lives in Johnstown with her three children. My son is an engineer and met his wife at the Colorado School of Mines where he played football, and she played volleyball. Who knew that I would become a volunteer at the Golden History Museum! I love history and Golden is sure full of lots of it! I’ve learned so much from my fellow volunteers and staff, and I’m still learning!
Golden History Museum & Park Donors
January — December, 2023
$10,000 +
Dale and Linda Baker
City of Golden
Community First Foundation
Anonymous
The Denver Foundation, Greenwood Fund
Downtown Development Authority
Steve and Cynthia Enger
Mark and Nancy Foster
Kathryn Andrew
Darryl and Cheryl Annett
Richard and Cynthia Bauman
Robbie and Gary Berlin
Dirk Bird and Caron Blanke
Bill and Carol Bleau
Shelly and Nick Bleckley
Betty Bloom
Jennie and Charles Boeder
John Bunting
Anya Byers and James Ashby
Bonnie Campbell
Dane Christensen
Linda Churches
Celeste Cizik
Thomas and Julie Clark
Jim and LouAnne Dale
Ingrid Depta
Pat Donahue and Kevin Skeate
Kathleen Doyle
Jeremy and Sarah Drechsler
Heather Duncan
Richard Flint
Norma Fricke
Dorothy and Michael Gleason
Betty and Thomas Gleaton
Wendy and Rick Goad
Elizabeth McGeachin McKee
Foundation
Golden Civic Foundation
Suzy McKee
$1,000 — $9,999
Friends of Golden History Museum & Park
Kathleen Weller Horky and Kevin Horky
Anne Kerwin
Kristi and Robert Mallow
$150 — $999
Martha Gould
Lynsey Grace
Julia Graff
Nikki and Dan Gray
Janet Gruenwald
Lynne Haigh
Olivia and James Hart
Paul and Vivian Haseman
Steve Hughes and Sue Cornish
Erin Jackman
Frank and Gaye Jacobs
Janet Johnson
Shannon Kessler
Sharon and Robert Kirts
Fran Konsella
Elizabeth Lawton
Haddas Lev and Eric Rubio
Becky Luna
John and Karen Lynch
Mary Anna and Walter Madden
Pat and Judy Madison
Emily Madison and Chris Crook
Bob Metz
George Meyers and Merrill Wilson
Robert Miller
Carl and Anne Mulay
Kevin and Kathleen O’Connor
Molson Coors Beverage Company
Scientific and Cultural Facilities District
Pat Spieles
Elaine and Joseph Marolla
John and Andi Pearson
Danielle and Louis Samuels
Statewide Internet Portal Authority
Lynette and Jeffrey Vann
Justin and Sarah Wade
Bryan Palmintier and Michele Minihane
Mark and Cathy Pattridge
Vicki Pollard
Wendy Potthoff
Mary and Charlie Ramstetter
Melinda Reed
William F. Rex, Jr.
Deborah Richardson
Erica Ross
Theresa Schock
Stony and Theresa Shelton
Kermit Shields
Elanor Sidman Lange
James and Melanie Smith
Stephen and Beatrice Szadokierski
Michael and Marla Tamburro
Michael Tamny and Cynthia
Merrill Tamny
Dixie Termin and Ron Miller
Robert Thresher
Shelley Trujillo
Barb Warden and Frank Blaha
Tom Weimer
Mike and Mary Wood
Elizabeth Woodard
Be a part of Golden history. Become a member today!
Did you know members get special pricing on most programs? It’s one important way we can welcome you back time and again to discover the amazing history of our community. Peruse the benefits chart to decide which level is best for you. Then pay online, in-person, by phone, or by sending a check to 923 10th Street, Golden, CO 80401.
923 10th St., Golden, Colorado 80401
Autumn Fest is a celebration of Golden featuring hands-on activities for the whole family, including crafts, big trucks, and even farm animals. Join us to welcome the fall season at Golden History Park, 1020 11th St. and at Golden History Museum, 923 10th St. Sunday, October 6, 2024, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
