Tag Archive for: History Colorado

Winning Spirit

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We can’t resist bragging just a little more about the award-winning Alfred Borah Journals digitization project, a joint effort by the Eagle County Historical Society and Eagle Valley Library District. The project won the 2021 Josephine Miles award from History Colorado (the State Historical Society) which recognizes exceptional history projects in Colorado.

This week History Colorado posted an article titled “Winning Spirit” on their website which describes last year’s award winners. The home page features a photo of the ECHS’s Trail Gulch History Hike, offered in conjunction with the Eagle County Open Space Department and Eagle Valley Land Trust. Take a look!

https://www.historycolorado.org/story/2022/02/18/winning-spirit

Brush Creek history hike, July 2020

 

2021 Josephine Miles Award

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 Borah Journals Project Wins State History Award

The Eagle County Historical Society and the Eagle Valley Library District are being honored by History Colorado for a several-year project involving digitization of the Alfred Borah Journals. The project is the winner of the 2021 Josephine Miles award, which honors outstanding projects that further understanding of Colorado history in exemplary and unique ways.

Borah was a homesteader on Brush Creek in 1882 who kept a meticulous daily journal detailing everything about his life. The journals have been photographed, transcribed, and are accessible on-line at via the eaglecountyhistoricalsociety.com or evld.org websites https://evld.marmot.org/Archive/evld%3A11904/Exhibit.

Borah hunting camp circa 1890

The journals are significant in that Borah documents the details of pioneer life ranging from details as mundane as the price of 10 pounds of flour in 1885 to reports of mining accidents and murders. Borah’s writing also reveals the challenges pioneers faced whether it be dealing with a middle-of-the-night lice infestation, daunting weather conditions, crude medical care, the joy of a Friday night dance at the schoolhouse, and the heartbreak of a young wife’s death. The digitization of the journals makes this information easily available to the public with a few clicks of the computer mouse.

“This was a complicated project that involved multiple agencies, persistence, and some fortuitous timing,” noted ECHS President Kathy Heicher, “The journals offer a look into county history for current residents and also will serves as a valuable information source for future researchers.”

For more information go to:

https://www.vaildaily.com/news/history-colorado-to-award-locals-for-work-in-preserving-alfred-borah-photos-and-journals-from-1882-to-1917/

 

HISTORY TAKE-OUT: UTE STEM PROGRAM

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History Take-Out: Ute STEM program

We are now practicing social distancing in an effort to slow the impact of the coronavirus. However, before that became an issue, we were able to test our new “hands on” educational program which focuses on Colorado’s Ute history.

Created by historians at History Colorado, this program utilizes STEM skills (science, technology, engineering and math) to teach students about the Utes. The kids used their STEM skills to build teepees, evaluate “basket”  water holders, identify plants, create beading designs, construct a moccasin, and calculate horseback travel times.

Our first outing with the program was in early February at Vail Mountain School. A half-dozen Historical Society volunteers, along with VMS teachers and experts from History Colorado, spent an entire school day sharing the program with a total of 156 students, grades kindergarten through fifth. We loved their enthusiasm and gained some valuable experience in presenting the Ute STEM program. We look forward to a return to the time when we can take this program to more Eagle County schools.

 

Meanwhile, we urge those who are homeschooling these days to take a look at History Colorado’s wonderful digital learning programs. https://www.historycolorado.org/digital-learning

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