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Band, presentation Aug. 14 to help History Center mark Colorado City's annual Founders Day

      
The Frontier Army Band of Colorado will perform at Founders Day in the Old Colorado City History Center Sunday, Aug. 14. The group is shown above during the 2013 Founders Day.
Westside Pioneer file photo
Sunday, Aug. 14, from 1 to 3 p.m., will celebrate the 157th anniversary of Colorado City's founding in 1859.
       Featuring live, vintage music and a presentation, the free, annual Founders Day will be at the Old Colorado City History Center, 1 S. 24th St.
       Between bites of birthday cake, attendees can learn more about Anthony Bott, one of the town's co-founders, in a talk by long-time Westside historian Dave Hughes; and take in live music by the Colorado Frontier Army Band, which plays 19th-century instruments and is attired in a similar style. The band previously performed at the 2013 Founders Day.
       The event organizer is the volunteer Old Colorado City Historical Society (OCCHS), which owns and operates the History Center.
      
Crochet artist Marilyn Joseph (right) gets some help from fellow crafters in setting up her booth on the north side of the Old Colorado City History Center early on a summer Saturday. Ten or so crafters rent outside the center on Saturdays, hoping to attract some of the many hundreds that typically flock to the Farmers Market. History Center volunteers are planning a xeriscape project to make the ground on the north and west sides of the building more attractive.
Westside Pioneer photo
Started during the initial gold rush along the Front Range, Colorado City was an incorporated town covering what's mainly now the older Westside. In 1917, Colorado City was annexed by Colorado Springs; in later years, an unincorporated town calling itself Colorado City was started about 20 miles south of Pueblo. That's why the original Colorado City today is called “Old Colorado City.”
       The official date of Founders Day, is Aug. 12, but the society traditionally recognizes it on the nearest weekend.
       In a separate initiative, the OCCHS is fundraising for a project to xeriscape the north and west sides of its History Center at 1 S. 24th St. - a total of more than 1,000 square feet.
       The cost has been estimated at $1,800, according to organizer Joanne Karlson, a former president of the volunteer organization.
       At one time, the area had been grass, but it has been worn down over the years - admittedly as an offshoot of the summer-Saturdays craft fairs outside the History Center. “A lot of it is just packed dirt,” Karlson said.
       In its place will be rock xeriscaping and “a few drought-tolerant plants” (but not where crafters might step on them), she explained. This will also help reduce the center's water bills. “We're trying to be thrifty,” she said.
       For more information, the center is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., or call 636-1225 during those times.

Westside Pioneer article
(Posted 8/4/16; Community: Old Colorado City History Center)

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