This month the Historical Society celebrates one of the earliest settlers and the cabin he built, now surrounded by the farmhouse which stands at 44th and Robb Street. James Baugh stands out because of his contributions and the timing of his arrival. Baugh was the first in the area to file on a 160-acre plot
When Fathers’ Day rolled through a few weeks ago, I began to wonder if there were any famous fathers around Wheat Ridge. A little research produced several references to the Honorable Henry Lee, Father of Wheat Ridge, another of the area’s first wave of pioneers. Born in 1839, Henry Lee arrived in America from England
Oil your chain and locate your helmet — it’s almost time for the Historical Society’s newest Second Saturday event: Bikes, Bingo & BBQ, scheduled for June 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.at the Baugh House. In keeping with the celebratory nature of the WRHS’s 50th year, the June event has switched from the “Clean
Though April’s weather seemed manic, keep the faith that the second Saturday in May, when the Historical Society’s May Festival is scheduled on May 11th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the temperature will be in the high 70s with blue skies, the grass in the Historical Park (4610 Robb St.) will be a luxuriant
It’s not an April Fools’ prank that I’m going to devote this column to April Fools’ Day when it’s already past. The day is one of my favorite times of the year, although having been a public school teacher, it always contained certain challenges — think tacks on teacher’s chair or, worse, water. I beg
It’s great to have active members in the Historical Society. Sometimes, like cats, they bring you treats. Member Sandy Nance contacted me recently about the passage of some local history: A Wheat Ridge institution will be closing March 30 on its 60th anniversary. Beauty Inc. is believed to be the oldest woman-owned business in Wheat
Along with fashions popular in the Era, the Victorians ushered in all sorts of societal change. One lasting convention was the new idea that marriage should be based on romantic love instead of by arrangement or for “convenience.” With the new societal dynamic, references to and descriptions of love appeared frequently. A popular mid-century lithograph,
Pockets. They seem like such a simple concept, so practical, so necessary! Yet, they have been the focus of debate for centuries, particularly for women. The word pocket comes from the French “poke” or “pouque,” which meant pouch. I suppose Ötzi, aka “the Iceman,” is the earliest link to pouch pockets. He lived around 3000
In these days of online everything, shoppers must automatically trust the products they’re going to receive without seeing the actual physical items. We live in a world where we expect (and secretly regret!) the planned obsolescence of our purchases. How did this come to pass? Consider clothing: few people are willing to put in the
Working on the archives in Wheat Ridge’s original Post Office is a rewarding endeavor – but, at the same time, quite challenging. The old building in the Historical Park is chocked full of fascinating information on all sorts of historical topics, ideally on the history of the area, but in reality, ranging far beyond those
I don’t know about you, but in autumn when the weather starts changing, my energy increases. Cooler temperatures prevail, and best of all, apples ripen! Trees change their energy level, too. Sap slows, and crisp, cool nights change the apples; they quit increasing in size and grow sweeter and more flavorful. The Wheat Ridge Historical
“Dogs on Display” seems like an oddly-themed Second Saturday event for the Historical Society to undertake. We do it because it truly is one of the more amusing ways to spend a Saturday with your CBF (canine best friend) and pay homage to the untold number of dogs who literally walked to and through the
As Heritage Day at the Baugh House (West 44th Avenue and Robb Street) approaches, volunteers are readying examples of the Historical Society’s vintage quilt collection for display at the event, to be held Aug. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day was created to recognize the long and colorful history of the actual
In a simpler time, when four-lane highways were in their infancy and automobiles went slower, a popular advertising campaign captivated a nation of motorists traveling the roads from 1927 to 1963. Small red signs with white lettering appeared along the right side of the roads with sequential rhymed messages. The last of the five or
One of the Wheat Ridge Historical Society’s lifetime members passed away earlier this month at the age of 87. We don’t usually publicly commemorate these passages, but this woman was more than a lifetime member. She was born in the Red Brick House long before it became part of the Historical Park. She was the
You’d think a country that gave new meaning to an ageless rite of spring celebration would take the time to actually celebrate it. The closest we get is letting kids deliver baskets of flowers and candy to friends. May 1 has been observed worldwide for millennia. Celts thought it the most important day of the
Goals. Gotta love ‘em. Volunteers in the Johnson Cabin and the Old Sod House have been working steadily toward the goal of bringing both museums in line to illustrate the Century-long Story theme the Historical Society adopted in 2021. The Cabin is around 95 percent done, reports Priscilla Marshall, Director of Collections. The remaining five
Sifting through the archive collections in the Old Post Office at the Historical Park, I find myself again wishing donors who had good hearts and insight into local history had taken a few extra moments to record some details that would add provenance before donating. Scrapbooks by the dozens contain a plethora of interesting information.
Honestly, a recent dive into the origins of Valentine’s Day soon became a slog through a mass of conflicting historical theories, originating with pagan ritual and Roman law versus the Catholic Church, then further amalgamated by legend and popularized by marketing. Western civilization came to observe Saint Valentine’s feast day on Feb. 14, which coincides
With the arrival of each new year, the Historical Society hosts one of my favorite events: the Historical Fashion Show and Tea Party. It’s just ahead on Saturday, Jan. 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Baugh House. Past gatherings have featured an array of fashions from mid-1800s prairie chic, to slick bowler-topped
Amidst all the frustrations of a constant need to organize and preserve, workers in the Old Post Office at the Historical Park occasionally delight in a real find. Last week researchers came upon two bound volumes (1912-14) of The Wheat Ridge News, a newspaper published by local luminary Samuel Johnson. Paging through the volumes, I
Curiously, celery has a proud heritage in the Wheat Ridge area. Long ago, after I bought my first house, I could hardly wait to plant a garden. I tilled a 30-by-20-foot plot and planted all the standard vegetables. While seed shopping I had encountered a six-pack of celery, a novelty to me. I put forth
“An apple a day …” Multiply that one apple by hundreds, and you have a beginning vision of the Cider Day Festival, the annual Historical Society’s celebration of “All Things Apple.” Scheduled for Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Historical Park (4601 Robb St.), the biggest draw is, of course, the
I’ve had at least one dog, sometimes more, for most of my life. I love ‘em. Dogs possess such dedication and have interesting, sometimes quirky, personalities. I had a golden retriever once that I could send into my house to check each room and make sure it was safe before I entered; that’s an important
