Old World Traditions - Handwork

Lace curtains hang in the window and house plants rest on a decorative runner. There is a hand-made doily on the back of Carl Gerhardt’s chair, while Louisa Gerhardt knits lacy pieces together to make something larger - a shawl? a throw?

Louisa and Carl Gerhardt enjoying an evening at home. 

Photo used with permission from Lauren Summers

 

Embroidered pillow case

Lace making, embroidery, tatting, knitting and quilting were comforting reminders of artistry of the old country. The traditions and stories were passed from mother to daughter. These crafts were also a way to embellish the utilitarian parts of their lives. Simple pillow covers, tablecloths, table runners, doilies, blankets and quilts were an outlet for personal expression. And there was the old world idea of making good use of one’s time - no idle hands in Globeville.

Riverside Cemetery

1876. The United States would celebrate its first centennial, Colorado would achieve statehood and Denver would begin to evolve from a rough mining camp to a respectable city. The stability was an incentive for business and families to put down roots and create permanent institutions: churches, schools and cemeteries. 1876 was a fitting year for the founding of Riverside Cemetery.
Globeville would evolve as well, from an area populated with prospectors and homesteaders to an industrial hub with smelters, railroads and meat packing plants, incorporating as a town in July, 1891. Many of Globeville's early settlers are buried at nearby Riverside Cemetery, in the company of mayors, Colorado governors, moguls, madams and military veterans. You can visit the well known and the humble at this historic and park-like burial ground. 
Riverside Cemetery will celebrate its 135th anniversary this Saturday, October 1, from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm with free history displays, vintage baseball and historic tours. For information, see 
http://fairmountheritagefoundation.org

Top photo by Mary Lou Egan: office, chapel and crematorium
Bottom photo by Mary Lou Egan: chapel

201 East 45th Avenue

The building at 201 East 45th Avenue dates from 1882 and has been a grocery for most of its life. Lydia Heck remembers hearing that the structure was one of the company stores of the big Globe Smelter Company. The building was purchased by her father, Carl Gerhardt, in 1922 and operated as a one-stop shopping venue with everything from canned goods, freshly-made ethnic sausage, cleaning supplies, material for sewing, to toys and penny candy. Larry Summers remembers, "Grandpa would be near the door on the right, where they had a long counter like they had in dry goods stores, to measure yard goods. He would sit on a stool near the door, and, when people came in and out, he would visit with them and “dun” them for payment on their account. Right in the middle of the store was a post with a couple of phones on it, pads hanging on nails and clerks taking orders. Groceries would be gathered in a collapsible box and clerks would go all around and deliver the goods in company trucks." Carl Gerhardt sold the store in 1945, just as supermarkets were moving into the area and residents were moving to newer homes in the suburbs.

Today, the location seems to be a private residence.

Photo at top, Globe Mercantile about 1915. Andy Jackson is the middle fellow in the white apron. Photo used with written permission from June Jackson Egan

Middle photo, Gerhardt Mercantile in 1932. Photo used with written permission from Larry Summers.

Bottom photo taken in 2009 by Mary Lou Egan.