Pioneers Museum exhibit marks the sesquicentennial anniversary of Colorado Springs’ founding

By Kristian DePue

The history of Colorado Springs was made with movers, shakers, entrepreneurs and geniuses.

During this year’s sesquicentennial celebration, the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum has taken the time to honor some of those people by acknowledging 150 of the historic “objects” that made the city great. “We use objects to tell our story – inviting curiosity, awareness and conversation,” says Leah Davis Witherow, the museum’s curator of history. Dubbed the “COS@150” exhibit, it showcases 150 objects that tell 150 stories across 150 years.

Established by General William Jackson Palmer July 31, 1871, the city has been a popular destination for residents and tourists alike. Today Colorado Springs is headquarters for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, home to the U.S. Air Force Academy and it continues to grow as one of America’s most attractive cities to live, work and play.

Tourists enjoy a ride on the Manitou Incline in the 1920s. Today, it provides a physical challenge for exercise buffs. Photo Courtesy Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum

The Pioneers Museum is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, having served as the El Paso County Courthouse from 1903 to 1973. The museum chose to enhance the exhibit for history buffs by using QR codes to augment the experience. “2020 presented a lot of challenges, but also opportunities,” Witherow says. “Moving beyond experiencing history within four walls, our QR codes create a layered experience and an accessible online exposition, offering our visitors more than what’s here on site. I believe when people connect with history, they see themselves as a meaningful part of their community here and now.”

The display includes a jawbone from a murder victim – spotlighting the early use of dental records for forensic investigation. There’s a death mask of Winfield Scott Stratton, prospector, millionaire and recluse. The collection also highlights the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and the accidental origins of the NORAD Tracks Santa program that many families have enjoyed on Christmas Eve.

Although people are behind nearly everything that happens, sometimes it’s a “thing” that puts its stamp on history. Originally constructed as a funicular (a type of railway) in 1907, the Manitou Incline carried construction equipment to support a water plant. After a short period, the rail was used to haul tourists. Eventually, the rails were replaced by steps and now the Manitou Incline is considered a bucket-list destination for health nuts who want to climb the 2,750 steps.

Although the exhibit focuses on objects to tell the city’s history, it’s the people behind the objects that are sometimes most interesting. From Hollywood stardom and technological innovations to putting a dent in the Ku Klux Klan, the city has seen its share of remarkable people that are highlighted by the Pioneers Museum.

Lon Chaney, “The Man of a Thousand Faces,” known for silent films like “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “The Phantom of the Opera,” was raised by deaf parents in the Springs. His maternal grandfather founded the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind in 1874. With parents unable to hear, Chaney became skilled in pantomime, prepping him for a dramatic career in film.

Entrepreneur and activist Fannie Mae Duncan founded the Cotton Club, a jazz joint that welcomed people of all colors and creeds. She was considered the city’s first African-American woman to succeed as an entrepreneur, philanthropist and activist. Named to the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, Duncan continually broke barriers in the Springs, attracting performers such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Etta James to her club during World War II.

Cassandra Peterson, better known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, spent part of her youth in the Ivywild neighborhood, graduating from Palmer High School. After school, she helped run her family costume shop. That’s where she discovered a love for dressing up while entertaining late-night television movie lovers in the 1980s, hosting a show titled “Movie Macabre.”

Inventor Nikola Tesla built a laboratory near the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind in 1899, where he produced artificial lightning. Thunder from the released energy was reportedly heard 15 miles away, light bulbs glowed while off, and butterflies fluttered with St. Elmo’s Fire. Tesla’s research with alternating currents would eventually be used by all electrical power sources.

On his 21st birthday in 1974, Ron Stallworth was sworn in as the Springs’ first African-American police officer. Five years later, he covertly joined and infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan, discovering plots to terrorize minorities. Stallworth’s KKK membership arrived in the mail with the signature of David Duke, the Klan’s grand wizard.

Born and raised in rural Indiana, Kristian DePue works as a contributing writer in Colorado Springs. In addition to writing, he enjoys travel, watching films, and a good cocktail.