THE
E-TIME CAPSULE
1961 to 1970
Name: Tom
Age:
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
Being a Denver native, I remember
growing up in the 1960’s and spending a lot of time downtown.
Downtown was THE place to be on the weekends. On Saturday
mornings, my family would go downtown to shop. The Christmas
season was a very special time. Downtown had a beautiful array of
Christmas lights along and across 16th street. There
was always a long line to look at the animated Christmas display
in the windows of the May D & F store and it was fun to watch
the ice skaters in Zeckendorf Plaza. Then on the way home we would
go to get our lunch treat at McDonalds on California Street in
Five Points. This McDonalds was not busy and had a lot of trees to
park under to keep you cool during warm weather.
What do
you think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
Name: Ted Michals
Age: 48
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
Back in 1963 my family moved from the east side (Altura at the
time) to Lakewood. I remember missing my friends so bad that I
hopped on my bicycle and rode to see them. The weather was 60°
when I left in the morning but was snowing when I came back. Boy,
my mother was mad but I was glad I had made the trek! I also
remember watching the '65 flood on Colfax viaduct on the same
bike.
What do
you think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
Name: Tracy
Age: 39
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
I was born and raised here, this is my home and I hope it
always will be! I remember riding my bike along the Highline
Canal, near Eisenhower Park, swimming lessons at the pool there,
going to the drive-in on Monaco and Evans, taking a picnic dinner
to Elitch's (I miss the old location!!), putting on our pajamas
and getting in the car to drive past Civic Center during the
Christmas Season, going tubing at Indian Hills, trips to Tiny Town
and Estes Park. Picnics at Daniels Park (it seemed it was way, way
out there!), my grandfather's company picnics with IKO'S at
Washington Park, going downtown to have lunch with my Dad who
worked in the Denham Building. I'm sure there are many more that I
can't think of right now. All in all, it was a great place to grow
up!
What do
you think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
I am very optimistic about the future. I believe the people
that live here care very much for this beautiful city and will do
as much as possible to take care of it.
Name: Lou Anne
Age: 44
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
Living in Colo. Spgs., we would come up on a Saturday
afternoon. Passing the restaurant with the windmill, H. Brinkers,
we knew we were almost into Denver. We would eat dinner at the
Drumstick, the chicken gravy was the best! Then we would head up
Colo. Blvd. to the Cooper Theater and see How the West was Won,
It's a Mad,Mad,Mad World or whatever was playing at the time.
What do
you think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
Name: Lorraine
Age: 48
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
I was 10-years-old in 1961. I had just got my first pair of
contacts. My Dad worked for Public Service Co. and he was proud of
the "new" Public Service building downtown. We went to
the cafeteria at the top. It was one of the tallest buildings in
Denver, you could see a long way. Suddenly I looked at the bottom
of my chocolate milk carton and my contact lens slipped. That put
an end to our leisurely visit because we had to go back to the eye
doctor's real fast.
What do
you think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
Hopefully there will be better transportation.
Name: Margaret
Age: 34
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
I remember going downtown and seeing all the holiday displays
in the store windows, with moving people and villages, and how
magical it all was
What do
you think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
I hope people get back to trying to help each other and being
nicer. I think we are losing our work ethic and our caring about
others, if it continues, Denver will be just like any other city
by the year 2010.
Name: Mark Crowley
Age: 42
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
Landmarks and certain events come to mind: Channel 9's news
banner on the building at 6th Ave. and Broadway,
Clubhouse at Wellshire fire, the Tunnel under 1st Ave. between
Sears and Denver Dry, Bears Stadium - what a way to watch a ball
game! Channel 7's (KLZ) little studio and Fred and Fae. What a
great time!
What do
you think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
Denver only gets more wonderful as the years go by. I think
Denver will be the Telecom giant of the USA and as the Internet
grows, Denver will also become the center of the e-commerce world.
I also am sure that we will have at least two more world sports
championships to our credit - The Rockies and The Nuggets.
Name: Mary M.
Age: 47
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
I
loved the musical productions put on during the summer at Cheesman
Park. I remember The
Sound of Music was so popular I ended up watching from a tree!
Cheeseman had great climbing trees and still does! There use to be
Easter sunrise services at the park that were great.
Downtown
was fun all year round, but it really dressed up for Christmas.
We would stand in line to see the animated Characters in
the windows of the May. Lots
of color, not just white lights dressed across 16th St.
Woolworth's was truly a landmark including the legless man on a
cart selling pencils out front.
Larimer Street was being cleaned up for what is now Larimer
Square. Lots of people thought it would never last.
There was a building downtown that the top of which would
change color. The Museum of Natural History was free and a
wonderful place to escape to.
What do
you think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
Things will be
a lot more crowded and there will be a lot more festivals and
fewer free things to do in Denver.
Name: Claudia
Age: 46
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
We lived just a few blocks from City Park.
From my open bedroom window on a hot summer's night, we could hear
the soprano singing with the band at the concerts. We could also
hear the peacocks wailing their mournful "help" sound
deep into the night. We played kickball in the streets with all of
the neighborhood kids.
It was small town America at its best!
Don't forget the paddle boats on City Park Lake and City Park ice
skating at night in the winter.
What do
you think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
More crowded,
but still a great city. HOME!
Name: Valerie
Age: 37
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
As a Denver native, I remember spending
summers swimming at White Sands, a big lake which used to be in
Glendale just off of Cherry Creek Drive; going to movies at the
Valley Drive-In (Monaco & Evans), then to concerts at the
Rainbow Music Hall, which was later built on that same site. I
remember "cruising" up and down 16th Street downtown on
Saturday nights with friends, before it became pedestrian-only,
then we would go to Celebrity Lanes (on Colorado Blvd in Glendale)
for bowling and arcade games.
What do
you think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
More
of a wish...I hope Denver's historical neighborhoods are able to
retain or return to more of a "close-knit community
setting" with small independently owned shops and
restaurants, all within walking distance. The big franchises and
chains can continue to build in the suburbs and downtown. But
whatever happens, Denver will always be THE MILE HIGH CITY, and
with the Rocky Mountains as one of the most beautiful backdrops in
America, it's a great place to live!
Name: Cindy
Age: 42
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
My fondest memory was when my family came to
Denver, from the mountains, to do our Christmas shopping. Every
year we'd see the Christmas display windows at the Denver Dry
Goods and May D&F stores. My Parents would go to Woolworth's
to get our toys and stocking stuffers then we'd go to the Top of
the Rockies restaurant, in the Security Life building, and have
lunch.
What do
you think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
Denver
will be home to high tech industries, and because of its night
life and entertainment centers, it will be very pricey to live
here.
Name: K. Earl Martin, AIA
Age: 49
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
REFLECTION -- August 1969 - Driving from Des
Moines, Iowa, to Denver to study Engineering Drafting at Western
Technical College. From 60 miles East of Denver, my mother and I
caught our first sight of the mountains. We proceeded into Denver
driving on a clear path, flanked to the north and south by brewing
thunderstorms. The rays of sun seemed to beam out a welcome to
Colorful Colorado.
What do
you think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
INSPIRED -- August 2010 - Views
of the splendorous mountains from more than 60 miles east of
Denver through clean air. Complete intermodal connectivity to
planned residential satellite communities. High-speed personal
mass transit, linking historic/developing radian cities and
recreational links to our state's commercial centrum - Denver.
Lodo accommodations for integration of streeters and homeless.
REALITY -- August 2010 - View of Denver or the mountains rarely
sighted from anywhere on the front range. Pollution index raising
and continually exceeding Federal Regulations. Automobiles - more
of continued yearly cosmetic upgrades wrapping the source of the
pollution; uncontrolled transportation density due to mandated
CDOT 'non-futuristic' minded design approach. Cost of living
higher: transportation (tolls), housing, food, medical. Lower
public tolerance. Higher/meaningless crime. Recreation - increased
service problems based on transporation/access/pollution.
Denver perceived - ostrasized as the reason(s) for the
problems. Game riots at newest facilities - Coors, Pepsi and
'whatever' named football stadium. More streeters and homeless
homicides.
The view is bright and dim,
revealing from within.
Denver used to be with cows,
The future open to our vows.
We cannot bank on our chagrin,
A city, ours, within.
Name: Mary Fox
Age: 49
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
I was teaching at Park Lane Elementary
school in Aurora which was just east of Stapleton Airport. We
stood on the playground watching the first jet planes land at
Stapleton. I suppose we were among the first to discover how noisy
they were and how they disrupted our classes. Many years later,
DIA was built, in part to combat this noise. I was born in
Wisconsin, have lived in Denver since 1957 and plan to die here,
but not in the near future, I hope.
What do you
think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
Much like today, but even more
crowded and still discussing urban sprawl, which is much easier
than doing something about it.
Name: Joyce
Age: 46
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
One summer memory of the early '60s in
Denver was when the boys in my neighborhood (Sloan's Lake) would
ride their Schwinns to the Lakewood home of Sonny Liston, the
prize fighter. They held him in great awe.
What do you
think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
Name: Mark
Age: 42
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
There was one winter around 1962, when all
of our relatives went to ice skate on the north lake in Washington
Park. We took some movies and you can see the boathouse in the
background. Also, going to see the "Battle of the Bulge"
at the old Denver Theater on 16th Street with my Dad.
What do you
think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
Name: Mike V.
Age: 47
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
Voting at our house. My mother was into
politics, and on my birthday, November 3, our house would be full
of people voting. The day before, this big truck would pull up and
these men would bring in the voting machines. Not much of a
birthday. Also Rockybuilt hamburgers. (This was when Mcdonald's
was only in a few places.) And the building of I-70. Swansea
School was next to the new highway. During lunch, we would go jump
into this big big hole while the workers were at lunch. What a
time I had when I was young.
What do you
think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
Too many people. More pollution.
Name: Mary Graves
Age: 54
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
VI too remember the downtown Denver of the
'50s, but my fondest memory is cruising 16th Street with friends
in the early '60s. It was the happening place for teenagers during
this era.
What do you
think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
Name: Larry
Age: 36
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
I was born here in 1964, and I have many
memories of Denver in the '60s. I grew up one block from
Washington Park, and have just recently moved back into my family
home and I love it! My favorite memories are going downtown to see
the window displays at Christmas time, getting a season-pass
button for $5 for the Denver Bears and going to ballgames with my
father, and ice skating on the north lake at Washington Park.
What do you
think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
I really do not know. Everything seems to be
getting more and more crowded these days, and it seems like it
will only get worse by 2010. My wife and I are just starting a
family, and it would be interesting to see what their favorite
memories of 2010 will be. The world always seems different through
the eyes of a child.
Name: Dennis
Wennerstrom
Age: 54
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
In 1970, buying a two-bedroom, 1,200-sq.-ft.
home, one block off of 17th Avenue Parkway for $18,500!
What do you
think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
Buying a two-bedroom, 1,200-sq.-ft. home,
one block off of 17th Avenue Parkway for $1,850,000!
Name: Phil Miller
Age: 43
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
Watching the fireworks on July 4th that were
being shot off at the old DU Stadium. Listening to the
Broncos game on the radio, while ten blocks away at DU's stadium,
the Broncos were playing the Minnesota Vikings.
Ice-skating at the North Lake, (Smith) and
warming up in the boathouse. It was a local neighborhood legend
that the north lake was bottomless, which made the skating seem a
little more risky. Ironically, 16 years later, I spent a lot of
time "dive-search training" in that same lake with the
Denver Fire Department Underwater Rescue Team. Funny...my dive
gauge never read more than 12 feet. However, with the underwater
visibility being zero, I never quite stopped believing in the
other neighborhood legend that there was a 30-ft fish that stayed
way down deep. Riding our bikes the five miles to the
brand-new Cinderella City shopping mall.
My mom filling empty milk jugs with water
just in case the flood of 1965 contaminated the water supply
system in Washington Park. She was from a small town on the
western slope called Crawford. Water supplies were a little
different there. Listening to the air-raid sirens and my
parents storing up lots of canned food, during the Cuban Missile
Crisis. I wasn't even sure what a missile was, but all the adults
seemed to be real worried.
Sneaking off to Glendale to buy
firecrackers.
What do you
think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
Name: Nancy Knerl and
Mary Maulis
Age:
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
When the Beatles were popular, we longed to
see them at Red Rocks Park. The admission was $7, but it was too
steep a price to pay. Instead, we listened to their songs on our
transistor radios.
We went to a parochial school in Denver in
the 1960s where Father Charles Woodrich was assistant pastor. He
was compassionate to the poor. He often set out day-old bread and
rolls in a box on a chair at the back door to the rectory, for
anyone who wanted to eat. He knew people in Washington and was
able to persuade them to provide funds for hot lunches for the
kids at school, because he took photographs of everyone. He could
also be fiery and abrasive, but in general, if you had a need, he
would unobtrusively help. He told us that when you give money as
alms to someone "don't ask - what are you going to do with
it?" He said we are meant to provide for our brother in need.
On November 22, 1963, President John F.
Kennedy was shot. I was at lunch break on the playground in 7th
grade. We couldn't believe what we were hearing and assumed it was
a wound from which he would recover. But we knew it was serious
when the student body was called to church and Father Woodrich was
saying prayers for him at the altar. When he was informed that
Kennedy had died, he prostrated himself on the floor in tears. We
children were hastily ushered out by the sisters to spare Father
Woodrich embarrassment. We were given a few days off from school
to watch the news on television, and for the first time in my
life, I saw tears in the eyes of my parents as we watched the
funeral events.
Before forced busing in Denver, we always
attended racially integrated schools wherever we were. In high
school, on the day Martin Luther King was shot and killed, the
nuns locked the inner gates of the school and we were informed
that we could choose to go home, if we wanted. So I decided to get
my sisters, who were in grade school nearby, and go to Grandma's
house a few blocks away, since my mom didn't drive and couldn't
pick us up. The nuns feared that there would be rioting and
wouldn't let me go until I was given an escort, one of my fellow
students who was black. He bravely walked me to the other school
without any incident. Actually, no racial riots occurred in Denver
that day or any other day during those times, because of the
leadership of people like Father Woodrich, the mayor, and the
black people of the city whose leaders mediated peace.
What do you
think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
Name: Teresa
Age: 46
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
Saturday
mornings going to City Park with my 4 brothers and sisters with my
dad, and playing on the canons, feeding bread to the ducks,
walking through the roses, and going to the zoo on sunny days, and
the museum on cold days. It was all free. Nowadays,
where could a family go and just be together to enjoy such
activities.
What do
you think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
My
grandparents were born here (1894) and my father was born here
(1913), they built the city and raised their families.
Now, I'm here and I can't afford to live here.
I'm afraid it will all be like Cherry Creek is now - people
who can and are willing to pay $800,000+ for a condominium for 2,
driving their SUV's through the rest of the remaining
single-family neighborhoods at 50 mph.
Zooming past where we used to play football, and frisbee,
and let our dog run chasing the football. Being sure to meet their
friends for cappucinos and lattes.
They
all claim that "the density is creating a sense of
community", but I'm from the old Cherry Creek neighborhood,
and there already was a wonderful community.
How pompous do they get?
I'm
afraid for Denver, but I definitely want to stay here. But I may
have no choice but to leave. Denver, I feel powerless to protect
you from losing yourself to people who feel they need to change
you into something they believe is "better."
It's
hard to hear new people complain about Denver - Go back to where
you came if it was so great.
Name: terry
Age:
What is your fondest
memory of Denver between 1961 and 1970?
When I came back to Denver in 1964 it was still a
pleasant place to visit. Cruising was not the problem it is now - at least then
we had a healthy respect for one another. God help us if we got caught drinking
and driving. Our parents made Buster Snider look like Santa Claus.
What do
you think Denver will be like in the year 2010?
Too many people and not enough room.
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