Globeville, Elyria, Swansea and RiNo get a newspaper!

During the late 19th and early 20th century, several small newspapers kept the citizens of the independent towns of Globeville, Elyria, and Swansea informed. During 1891 - 1892, The Rocky Mountain and Globeville Chronicle was published weekly, as well as the Elyria Journal and Globeville News from an office at 1749 Champa Street. C. H. Pierce produced a newspaper called the Elyria Post in 1899, and Halsey M. Rhoads published the Globeville Chronicle in 1900. It would be fascinating to read any of these publications but no copies seem to exist.

During the 1970s, a monthly publication, El Vecino, served the Globeville, Elyria, Swansea, Highlands, Jefferson Park, Westside and Sunnyside neighborhoods. Currently, La Voz and El Semanario offer bi-lingual reporting of the greater metropolitan area. Since then, these neighborhoods have not had a publication that reports on issues relevant to their communities. Until now.

For the past two years, David Sabados has published The Denver North Star, a monthly newspaper that serves the Denver neighborhoods west of I-25 and north of Colfax. The nearby neighborhoods of Globeville, Elyria, Swansea and RiNo now have a similar publication in the G. E. S. Gazette. Each month, the Gazette will be spotlighting businesses and organizations, as well as reporting on city council meetings and schools. There will be information on codes and zoning changes and development. And there will be stories about concerts, events, festivals and shows in this vibrant area. The Gazette is published in both English and Spanish, so grab a copy and discover new places in your neighborhood.

This free publication is available at:
Bomaretos Market, 5500 Washington,
Tattered Cover, 2526 E Colfax,
Tattered Cover, Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop,
Valdez-Perry Library, 4690 Vine Street,
Broadway Rec Center, 5090 Broadway,
Johnson Rec Center, 4809 Race Street,
Swansea Rec Center, 2650 E. 49th Avenue,
and Tighe Brothers Distillery, 4200 Milwaukee.
 

Also available online at:
G.E.S. Gazette

The inaugural issue of the G.E.S. Gazette

Día de los Muertos

Elaborate altars (ofrendas) are a part of the multi-day Día de los Muertos holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and parts of Latin America. The observance draws on the Christian tradition of honoring saints on November 1, All Saints Day. November 2, All Souls Day is set aside to remember anyone who has died. Rather than being a time of sadness, it's a time of celebration and connection. The shrines are a joyous tribute to loved ones, and contain mementos to help souls return home to visit for one day a year.

Some items that can be found in the ofrendas include:

Photos of family members, friends or special people who have passed. Snapshots of happy family gatherings and triumphs, or of the person enjoying a favorite team or vacation.

Flowers of the Dead, (flor de muerto). Marigolds are intended to attract souls to the altar. Used since ancient times for medicinal purposes, marigold's fragrance and bright orange color bring joy and peace.

Perforated Paper, (papel picado). Intricately-cut tissue paper allows souls to travel through and visit. The delicate nature of the paper is symbolic of the fragility of life.

Bread of the Dead, (pan de muerto). The bread is soft, sweet and tasty and sometimes baked into distinct shapes. Also on the altar are foods that the person liked when they were alive. A bottle of water is placed on the altar because the person will be thirsty when they arrive.

Salt to purify souls. Candles to light the way. Levels. Three levels are common, symbolizing heaven, earth and hell. 

Ofrenda at Sacred Heart Church in Denver

Annie Bolden, December 8, 1934 - September 27, 2021

Annie Bolden wasn't born in Globeville, nor did she live in the neighborhood, but she influenced all who knew her at Globeville's Broadway (formerly Stapleton) Recreation Center. Born and raised in Waco, Texas in 1934, Bolden attended schools there and completed her college education at Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, earning a B.S. degree in Physical Education. She was an accomplished and competitive athlete, playing semi-pro fast-pitch softball as a pitcher for over 20 years.

After college, she moved to Denver for better opportunities and to join her older sister Mae Kyle. 

Bolden got her first position with Denver Parks and Recreation at the Glenarm Center in Denver's Five Points and Curtis Park Neighborhoods, creating outreach and recreation programs. She was then named a supervisor at the St. Charles Recreation Center, a heavily Hispanic area where Bolden was well liked and respected. When Joe Cianco, head of the Parks and Recreation department abruptly transferred her to Globeville's Stapleton Center, Bolden was flummoxed. "You'll do fine" Cianco said. And she did.

Many of the people who used the center were from the nearby Stapleton Public Housing Projects and were a very diverse group. Bolden could relate to them all. Shannon Kanan remembers, "Any child, any parent, any need, she was an advocate for each one. She was fearless.

She didn't get along with everyone and she didn't bite her tongue. She was a leader at the center and in the community. 

 

Bolden created volleyball, softball, basketball and cheerleading classes, but also food programs, educational assistance, summer and full-time jobs, adult activities and outings. Roberta Mollock Sanders smiles as she describes them. "During the War on Poverty, on Fridays, we had these bus trips. We would go to Idaho Springs, to Estes Park, Chautauqua, and Tiny Town. It was fun."

Bolden retired in 2000 and was living in Houston, Texas at the time of her passing.

Balloons were released at the Broadway Recreation Center on Sunday, October 10th and family, friends and all those who were fortunate to know her celebrated her. A movement has been started to replace the nondescript name "Broadway Center" with that of the "Annie Bolden Recreation Center" to honor a woman who had such an impact on the Globeville Community.

John Zapien remembers Annie Bolden

Shannon Kanan urges folks to write their memories
on the website

Debbie Powell hopes to gather some momentum to name 
the center in honor of Annie Bolden

Annie Bolden Obituary
https://www.troybsmith.com/obituary/annie-bolden

Another COVID Casualty

The Orthodox Food Festival and Old Globeville Days scheduled for Saturday, September 11th at Holy Transfiguration of Christ Orthodox Cathedral at 349 E. 47th Avenue has been cancelled for this year. Citing Covid considerations, the parish decided that caution was in order. Mark the third weekend in July 2022 - the festival's food, entertainment, and tours of the historic cathedral are worth waiting for.

https://www.facebook.com/orthodoxfoodfestival

“Holy Rosary Homecoming”

There won't be a football game, cheerleaders, a band, floats or royalty. There will be coffee, donuts, pastry and perhaps Potica. And pictures - everyone should bring pictures. (start now, looking through those scrapbooks and notebooks)

Did you attend Holy Rosary Church? Or the school? Were your parents or grandparents married at Holy Rosary? Do you remember the sisters, priests or lay teachers who taught you? Did you learn to play the piano from Sister Mary Magdalene? Are you a member of one of those families with eight or nine children who were connected to Holy Rosary? Or to those large numbers of cousins who called the parish home? Are you a current parishioner? Did your children attend religious education at Holy Rosary? Did you enjoy the many pancake breakfasts and the stories?

Picnic about 1934 Holy Rosary Choir

Right now, the plan is to hold some social get togethers several times a year in the school cafeteria - sometime during Lent would be good since no weddings or quinceañeras take place then. And bring your scrapbooks, notebooks, photos, and jokes. Bring your cousins, too. You might find out some family history!

Information will be forthcoming on the parish website 

http://holyrosarydenver.com

and our facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/HolyRosaryChurchDenver

Church Festivals Return to Globeville

Oh how we missed these gems last year! There are two extraordinary ethnic parish festivals in Globeville within blocks of each other.

On Sunday, August 29th, Holy Rosary Parish at 4688 Pearl Street will host its bazaar from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. Check out amazing tacos, hot dogs, hamburgers, pulled pork sandwiches, flautas, enchiladas, churros, sodas, ice cream, snacks and desserts. There will be games for the kids, face painting, the Wick School Irish Dancers, Matachines Dancers, a DJ, musical performances, raffles and prizes.
FREE admission! Affordable, family-friendly fun. Tours of the historic church will begin at 1:00 pm in English and 3:00 pm in Spanish.

https://www.facebook.com/HolyRosaryChurchDenver

Get in touch with your inner Slav at the granddaddy of church festivals: the Orthodox Food Festival and Old Globeville Days held at Holy Transfiguration of Christ Orthodox Cathedral at 349 E. 47th Avenue. Mark Saturday, September 11th on your calendar. From 11:00 am until 7:30 pm there will be an extravaganza of ethnic food, drinks and desserts from Greece, Romania, Russia, Eritrea, Mexico, Serbia, Italy, and the Ukraine. Musical and dance performances. Crafts, art, iconography, books and games for the children will keep everyone entertained. Take a tour of the exquisite 120-year-old Cathedral. One day only - don't miss it.

https://www.facebook.com/orthodoxfoodfestival

Lest We Forget

Memorial Day in 2021 will be commemorated with wreath, flower and flag ceremonies at cemeteries in Denver and across Colorado. Car parades, picnics, concerts, fireworks and activities for veterans are also planned. 

The Globeville Veteran's Club, which was organized in 1947, didn't want a parade or even recognition for their recent service, but to honor and commemorate those from Globeville who had died serving their country. In their meetings, it was suggested that a memorial honoring veterans be erected in Argo Park and the idea grew from there. The club's 200 members, former servicemen of both World War I and II, spoke to neighbors, businesses, fraternal organizations and churches to raise funds for the project. The 12-foot-high granite monument was dedicated in Argo Park on August 25, 1948, with Denver Mayor Quigg Newton, Governor Henry Knous, Councilman Ernest Marranzino and Congressman John Carroll in attendance. The Denver Post reported, "It is believed to be the first monument dedicated to the dead of the last war." 1.

The memorial was inscribed with the names of two men killed in World War I, twelve men lost in World War II and one Korean War casualty. The monument is located in a quiet spot in the shade, a perfect place for visitors to pause and honor the men from Globeville who sacrificed their lives for their country.

Veteran's Memorial Dedicated August 25, 1948

Ku Klux Klan and Globeville

The first Ku Klux Klan was founded in 1866 in Pulaski, Tennessee by former Confederate Army veterans with the goal of preventing African Americans from using their rights as citizens and voters. Acts of violence, lynchings and the passage of Jim Crow laws also disenfranchised blacks. This original version of the Klan was most active in the South.

Inspired by the film, “the Birth of a Nation,” William Joseph Simmons of Georgia called for the resurrection of the Klan in 1915. This new organization was more inclusive in its hatred than its predecessor, targeting not only blacks, but also Catholics, Jews, immigrants, minorities and organized labor. 

In predominantly Protestant Colorado, the Klan developed a new recruiting message that focused on the “nation’s Protestant ideals” and Americanism. Against the backdrop of prohibition, bootlegging, rampant crime, loose morals, and “free love,” the Klan also stood for law and order and a restoration of “Old-Time Religion.”

Catholics were denounced as followers of the Pope, who controlled a secret Catholic government. There were conspiracy theories about Jews, money and power. Eastern European and Russian immigrants were portrayed as dangerous, possibly anarchists, and unlikely to become loyal citizens. 

The Klan organized community events, including picnics, concerts and auto races, in order to be seen as similar to benevolent groups like the Elks Lodges. 

Globeville’s population included two of the Klan’s targets: immigrants and Catholics. The resurgence of the Klan occurred at the same time as the “Red Scare” following the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. 

While no fiery crosses were seen in Globeville, the community was aware of the power of the organization. Leopold Korsick and his fellow workers at the Globe Smelter were advised to walk in a group to and from their shift. Many people “Americanized” their names (Starsinovich became Star), and prominently displayed American flags on their porches, or in the windows of their businesses.

Globeville survived this version of the Ku Klux Klan, but the group has resurfaced several times and portrays itself as defending American ideals.

Leopold and Teresa Korsic in Globeville

The Spelling Bee

Before television and the 24-hour barrage of news, sports and entertainment, there was the National Spelling Bee. And it was a really big deal. 

Inaugurated in 1925 by Kentucky’s Louisville Courier-Journal the National Spelling Bee was a way to generate “general interest among pupils in a dull subject.” The first national champion was 11-year-old Frank Neuhauser of Louisville, who correctly spelled “gladiolus” to claim a prize of $500, a lot of money for an 11-year-old. The idea caught on with parents and teachers, and with students who could excel at something other than sports.

By the time the Great Depression arrived, the competition gained new appeal (cash prizes have a tendency to do that). In 1938, Denver would boast its first national winner. 

All Colorado students would take the same 100-word written test, and, in anticipation, teachers, parents and students perused lists of words and rehearsed for months. (There was an additional, unspoken rivalry between Catholic and public schools). The 82 pupils with the highest scores would represent their districts in an oral contest on Friday, April 29th, at the Denver City Auditorium. The sessions were broadcast on KLZ radio.

Students from outside of Denver stayed at the Brown Palace Hotel. Contestants were given a tour of Denver by the Denver Cab Company and treated to a luncheon at the Hoft-Schroeder Cafeteria. Honoring the spellers at the bee were Colorado governor, Elias Ammons, and Denver mayor, Benjamin Stapleton. Prize money was $100 for 1st place, $50 for second place and $25 for 3rd place. 

Loretta Jackson of Holy Rosary School represented the Globeville neighborhood, but it was Loretta Quinn of Presentation Catholic School in Denver who became the first Colorado champion. By correctly spelling “equanimity” and “occasion,” she and her family were sent to Washington, D. C., to represent Colorado and the Rocky Mountain News at the National Spelling Bee. Before WWII, the awards at the national competition were: $500 first prize, $300 second prize, $100 third prize.

The Denver Catholic Register proudly proclaimed “Denver Cinderella Discovered in Spelling Contest,” and reported that Loretta was an “outstanding pupil,” the oldest of eight children, and that her father had died three years before. A Denver department store gave her a complete outfit for her eastern trip and several businesses offered cash prizes as well. (The Register included her home address in the article). Although Loretta Quinn did not win the national competition, she and her mother enjoyed the trip and the experience. 

For years, the national finals were broadcast live on NBC and are now televised on ESPN. The National Spelling Bee is still a really big deal.

Denver Catholic Register, May 5th, 1938

Gene Amole, columnist for the late Rocky Mountain News, advised, 
“Always sit next to a Catholic girl in the newsroom,
because they know how to spell.”

 

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