Rolling Resources

During a recent family excursion to the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, I stumbled across this genealogy resource on wheels. How would you write the citation? 

The Fort Collins Museum of Discover is a wonderful facility that we have just recently explored. We enjoyed our first day there so much, in fact, that my parents decided to gift us with a family pass for the coming year. My daughter and I were thrilled, as there is much yet to explore.

One of the displays that caught my eye was this historic wagon.

Neat piece, isn't it? 

As I looked closer, I began to realize that there are names and dates scribbled all over the side panels. The genealogist in me got real excited, real quick. 

I did not have a great deal of time that day to ask around, but I did email the archives this week to ask about the signatures, and if they had ever been transcribed. I received the following response back from the curator at the museum:

I received your inquiry... "about signatures on the Museum's Frank Miller Mud Wagon. What an interesting notion, to follow up on the names signed on the wagon! I don't know of, and was unable to find any record of anyone transcribing them. The wagon underwent a fairly intensive conservation/restoration in 1995, and we have the report here at the Museum. The report mentions that the conservation work retained the penciled signatures, but doesn't describe them. It included several photos, but none that specifically focus on the signatures. 

From what I can tell, the signatures date from two periods. In the days before WWII, Frank Miller entertained a steady stream of guests, including many Western performers and celebrities, at his guest ranch and exotic animal zoo, Trail's End. Several sources mention that many of these visitors signed the body of the wagon. Will Rogers is said to have added his signature in pencil at this time (though I haven't found it yet). Miller gave the wagon to the City of Fort Collins in 1948 as a memorial to his son, who had died in Germany during WWII. The wagon was displayed downtown in an open-windowed brick building and many passerby added their signatures to it then. In 1978 the wagon, deteriorating from exposure to the weather in this semi-enclosed shelter, was moved into storage at the Fort Collins Museum. The wagon came back out on exhibit in 1990 in the Museum's gallery.

So the signatures would date from about 1917 to the mid-1940s, and from 1948 to 1978." 

There you have it. No transcription currently exists. A project for the local genealogical society, perhaps?

I have to share one last photograph, which is a close up of the section above one of the rear wheels. The date is 1878:

A Little R&R

Colorado Railroad Museum.
Image: Jen Baldwin, 2014

Once in a great while, I actually get to just do something for fun.


However, with my family and our mutual interests, this often leads me to a historical or genealogical discovery anyway. Camping trips often include exploring nearby cemeteries (hubby doesn't have to ask anymore, he just pulls in), weekends include museums and historic towns, you get the idea. This past weekend, we decided to enjoy some warmer temperatures and mad a jaunt to Golden, Colorado, home of Coors Brewing, the Colorado School of Mines and enough historic buildings to keep just about anybody happy. They also happen to have the Colorado Railroad Museum. All three of us were anxious to spend the day in t-shirts, so off we went.


It started out innocently enough. Lunch, a walk around the historic core of the downtown of Golden. Then back to the Colorado Railroad Museum. We had passed it once, and it looked amazing, so there was no stopping us! I've been wanting to explore this site for a while, as they house the Robert W. Richardson Railroad Library, "one of the most comprehensive railroad research and reference collections in the United States."(1)  Who doesn't love trains? I sure do, I grew up with them, and still own some of my tracks and engines from the display in the basement.

Historic restoration in progress; watching #50 take a turn
around the yard was a great experience.
Image: Jen Baldwin, 2014

The Depot Museum was great, but the real action was outside in the Railyard. Their collection is quite massive, and includes several steam engines, a rotary snowplow, and some unusual work horses made out of pickup trucks. The Cornelius W. Hauck Restoration Roundhouse Facility was quite interesting for the adults in the group, and we watched for several minutes as a crew of men worked on a smaller engine, I think diesel. We were happily surprised later in the day to watch as they moved the engine out of the roundhouse for the first time and took a little tour of the yard. The energy was palatable, and it was quite obvious it had been a while since the last time it ran under its own power.


So what does all of this have to do with genealogy? As great as it was, I could go on and on about this museum, and I have multiple photos I could share. One of the real highlights for me occurred when I was waiting for admission to be paid, and was wondering through the stacks of rail history books they sell in the gift shop. On a nearby table, there was a basket marked "free," so I took a chance. Inside, I found one copy of the April 1899 "The Colorado Road, Colorado and Southern Ry" schedule, map and time table. It's a reproduction, of course, printed in 1978, but the information is invaluable to someone like me. Since so much of my research is focused on Summit County, finding the timetable for the Denver to Breckenridge and Leadville route was incredibly exciting. And then I realized there was maps inside!

Are you still trying to figure out what the big deal is? Let me provide an example. I find little bits and pieces in the local newspaper all the time, "Mr. Westerman traveled to Denver today to discuss his mining operations and other business." "Mrs. Hamilton ventured with a party of three other ladies for a day of shopping in Leadville this week." You see these mentions all the time in the society and "local happenings" columns in the newspapers. Now I can tell you, in 1899, it would have taken Mr. Westerman seven hours to get from Breckenridge to Denver on the railroad. SEVEN. It would have taken Mrs. Hamilton just over three to get to Leadville, with 12 stops in between the two towns and two significant mountain passes. (These are real life examples, by the way.)


Learning that Mr. Westerman traveled to Denver for business is one thing, realizing that he would have been gone at least three days - two days for travel and one for actual business doings - is quite another. The detail of a personal timeline for these individuals just upped to the level of minute.


This past week, I've been toying with making Breckenridge a true One Place Study for me; and if I can gain the support of the local historical organization, it may happen sooner than I originally planned. An in-depth study of the community, its people and this particular time frame would benefit greatly from a timetable such as this, and the information you can find in it. Far beyond just a schedule, this is an incredible piece to have in my arsenal.


And to think, all I had to do was peek in a basket on the free table.

"The Colorado Road" map from the Colorado & Southern Ry.
Image: Jen Baldwin, 2014

Timetable for the Denver to Breckenridge and Leadville Route, and return.
Colorado & Southern Railway, reproduction 1978.
Image: Jen Baldwin, 2014

(1) Colorado Railroad Museum brochure

Using the National Register of Historic Places Database

Genealogical research can lead you in so many different directions, and investigating the origins of a specific site or building can really make an impact in the stories you are trying to tell. The United States is lucky to have an amazing resource in the National Register of Historic Places, and researcher’s in all disciplines can utilize the database made available to us via the National Park Service website.

Using this tool can prove to be incredibly exciting, especially for those researching a general area or community that has been put on the list. In work done relating to the Town of Breckenridge, Colorado, I was able to find the original (scanned) application that was submitted, dated 1980; all 38 pages of it! The document included a typed list of contributing buildings, and a color coded map of the town indicating “Historic”, “Contributing” and “Intrusion” properties that factored in to the decision.

The Frisco Schoolhouse, now a
Museum. Main Street, Frisco, CO. 

Certainly individual properties are listed as well, and are more frequent than the “districts”. This includes site such as the Frisco Schoolhouse, which is now a museum on Main Street of Frisco, Colorado. The picture seen here was available on the site to be downloaded, (the material is considered public domain according to the site "Disclaimer") and dates from 1983.  I was also able to learn that the addition in the back of the building was put on in the 1950s, and that’s also when the double door was added to the main entrance. The diamond shaped window in the upper eaves appears to be original (ca. 1909).

Records relating to individual residences include written descriptions and in several cases, a floor plan of the building. There is also a required “Significance” summary that generally gives a historical background of the building, and why it is being pursued as a addition to the list.


Not every site has the application and images online yet, but many do. This is a site you will want to add to your bookmarks list and go back to recheck on a regular basis. For advanced viewing, printing or downloading the documents,  you will need the DjVu Plugin. There is a link at the bottom of the screen when you open the files.

Screenshot of the NPS Focus site, allowing you to see the original application records. This example is from a residence in Salida, Colorado. 

Maps, Manufacturing and Museums, Oh My!

In my mind, researching your family and their stories means more than just understanding individual life. It also means understanding the general history, economics, diversity and other unique features of a community. And that is why I believe every serious Colorado researcher needs to own a copy of the Historical Atlas of Colorado, by Thomas J. Noel, Paul F. Mahoney and Richard E. Stevens (University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma. 1994). It should be a part of your genealogical library.

The text covers everything from boundaries through land grants and territorial purchases, to specialized museums and tourist attractions, and has proven invaluable more than once in my personal and professional research.

For those looking for their “lost” ancestor who came to Colorado as part of the 1859 gold rush, this is a must have resource. The map and descriptions of “Lost Mines and Buried Treasures” will give many a new lease on “dead ends” from newspaper clippings and other records. They also continue to ignite your curiosity, referring to the “Cement Creek Caves,” where “…stolen loot was found in 1883.” From the map, these are not too far west of my current home, and it’s a tempting summer adventure in the making!

The “Transportation” section includes commentary on mountain passes, fur traders, major stagecoach lines and pioneer railroads. Some of these routes have not been modernized today, and the only way to truly experience them is the same way that our ancestors did: on foot or on donkey. Imagine climbing over 14,000 foot mountains with provisions, a change of clothes or two, and hopefully a pick or shovel. In winter.

Planning a research trip to Colorado? Use the “Denver Metro Museums and Historic Accommodations” section to make it as memorable as possible, and learn as much as possible.

If you have any interest at all in the history and development of the State of Colorado, you should put this text on your list. If nothing else, inter-library loan this so you can see the amazing collection of maps within its pages.

Oh, yes. One last thing. 

This post is officially number 200 for my blog! Most of that occurred in 2012, and I thank all of you for reading, commenting, making suggestions and following along on my genealogical journey this year. Have a very wonderful holiday and may we all have an incredible 2013, filled with kind acts, laughter and love. 

Summit History: William W. Boyd, Breckenridge Blacksmith

The life of Mr. Boyd was well documented in the Breckenridge, Colorado area in the late 1800’s. Today, you can still see a collection of his work on display at the Welcome Center Museum on Main St.

William “Billy” Boyd, born in May of 1865 in Butler County, Pennsylvania, ended up in Colorado by 1887, operating a blacksmith and farrier business on the corner of Main Street and Carter Avenue. In March of 1904, he sold his business and tools to his assistant, Arlington Fincher. During the years he spent in Summit County, he married Irene Clancy of Dillon, resided in the Lower Blue River Valley, served as fire chief of the Breckenridge Independent Fire Hose Department in 1899 and was Mayor for the Town of Breckenridge from 1902-1903. He also had his hands in mining, as a partner with the Germania Claim in 1901, among others, which produced gold and silver.

In 1915, Billy and Irene moved to Golden, Colorado, where they had their only child, Lauretta Ruth, who was born December 14, 1917. He continued to have business relationships with those in Summit County he left behind, though the family stayed in Jefferson County. In December 1937, he and partner A.G. Hoopes had an interest in the Orthodox Mine, for lead, near the Wellington in French Gulch.

Although well known during his lifetime, the treasure that remains today is the fantastic collection of intricate silver plated horseshoes William Boyd created as a blacksmith. In fact, his skill was so remarkable, that he qualified as a whitesmith, “a level of excellence attained by few in his chosen field.”* Artistic in nature, the set is a remarkable example of a detailed and exact art form. The display currently features 101 horseshoes of varying sizes and function, including some made to travel through ice and snow. It was donated to the Summit Historical Society as part of the estate of Lauretta Boyd.

William Boyd is buried in the Crown Hill Cemetery in Jefferson County, Colorado, alongside both his wife and his daughter.

*whitesmith: a person who works with white or light colored metals such as tin and pewter. (Wikipedia.)

*SHS Voices, date unknown, Page 2.