Idon’t know whether to laugh, cry or be thankful – but the nasty little black slab that I carry in my pocket and charge at night has become a ghost phone. It won’t ring, it won’t vibrate and it scarcely works – not surprisingly, because it’s seven years old. Rather than running out and getting a new phone, I’m happily retreating into the pre-internet world that I’ve always loved.
Remember books? Those quiet, undemanding bound sheaves of paper that can transport you into multiple worlds, that you can start this afternoon and finish 20 years later, whose authors may be long-deceased or barely out of their teens, that you can buy for a few bucks and treasure for a lifetime? They’re still around.
By any definition, I’m a book addict. My mother was a bookseller, my parents and grandparents were readers and keepers, and I revel in books.
So here are eight 19th and 20th century books that illuminate Colorado Springs and its mildly illustrious history. The men and women who wrote them lived full and passionate lives, and treasured the community that they helped build. So turn off the nasty little black box and immerse yourself in a book (or two, or eight).
“A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, by Isabella Bird, 1873. Reading this for the first time was transporting and wonderful. The account of her ascent of Longs Peak with trapper Jim Nugent is both a classic of Colorado mountaineering and a love story. Bird writes beautifully, and never reveals her emotions – but we feel them nonetheless. She’s clear-eyed and unsentimental, describing Colorado City as a “decayed-looking cluster of houses.” Isabella, if only you could see us now!
Immerse yourself in a book.
South By West, by Rose Kingsley, 1874. Like Bird, Kingsley was an intrepid, well-educated and fearless young woman in search of adventure. She arrived in the Springs in November of 1871, accompanied by her brother Maurice who had contracted to work for General Palmer. She was unbothered by discomfort or danger. Reading it, you realize that our city’s august founders were just kids in 1871. “The Palmers are living in a sort of picnic way, in rooms 10′ x 10′, partitioned off from the loft over the stable! There was just room for the four of us to sit a tea, and we had great fun!” That’s just the beginning, as Rose describes the early days in Colorado Springs, their trip through Mexico with the Palmers and much more.
Memories of a Lifetime in the Pikes Peak Region, by Irving Howbert, 1925. Howbert was wise, smart, deeply flawed, ambitious and successful. It’s hard to imagine Colorado Springs in its earliest days without Howbert – imagine the Yankees without Babe Ruth. Howbert writes well, and gives us a unique take on regional history.
The Book of Colorado Springs, by Manly and Eleanor Ormes, 1933. A detailed and well-written account of the city’s history, written by careful and unbiased historians. Factual, fun and informative.
Musick Medley – Intimate Memories of a Rocky Mountain Art Colony, by Archie Musick, 1971. The 20s and 30s were times of an artistic renaissance in Colorado Springs, although none of the artists became rich or famous. But they had fun, did fine work, had more fun, painted murals, printed lithographs, developed photographs, had even more fun, and left a striking legacy. Pick up a copy at a used bookstore and check out the strip poker scene on page 41. Wish I’d been there!
In & Around Old Colorado City – A Walking Tour, by Cathleen Norman, 2001. OCC and the neighborhoods that surround it are eminently walkable, and Norman’s book is a perfect companion. It’s alive with history, and available for purchase at the Old Colorado City Historical Society at 1 S. 24th Street. It’s an invitation, not a task – so enjoy!
The Invisible People of the Pikes Peak Region, John Stokes Holley 1990. Thirty-four years after its publication, this book remains relevant. Holley’s deep dive into the long history of Black people in Colorado Springs is factual, not argumentative. Holley died in 1993, so he didn’t live to see Leon Young serve as Mayor or Yemi Mobolade be overwhelmingly elected to the office in 2023. Mr. Holley, your work was not in vain!
The Century Chest Letters of 1901: A Colorado Springs Legacy. Edited by Judith Reid Finley 2001. Sealed in 1901, the Century Chest was opened on January 1, 2001. It contained scores of letters, photographs and other memorabilia from prominent (and not so prominent) residents of Colorado Springs. I didn’t pay much attention to all the furor about it, until Judy Finley called me a few weeks after it was opened.
“Was your great-grandmother Harriet Peck Fransworth?” she asked. ”
“Yup.” I replied.
“She wrote a letter to you and all of her great-grands. Come see me and I’ll show it to you.”
I saw it, I read it, I wept. Re-reading it 23 years later, I wept again. Get a copy, and you’ll see why.