Wildflower Seed Packet Postcard from Colorado

A Postcard that is a packet of Red Columbine wildflower seeds from Colorado.

This unused, unique postcard is from 2017.

 

The Moffat Road in Colorado

The Greatest One Day Scenic Trip in the World
THE MOFFAT ROAD

This unused vintage 'real photo' postcard has an AZO stamp box with four triangles which places it between the years of 1904 and 1918.

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Moffat Road History - (This information and more was found HERE.)

David Halliday Moffat, youngest of 9, born 1839 in Washingtonville, NY came to Denver March 18th, 1860. He operated Woolworth and Moffat Dry Goods Store, became Post Master, and was the Adjunct General of the Colorado Territories 1861.

In 1881 he became the president of the First National Bank, and then the President of the Denver Rio Grande Railroad. David Moffat built the narrow gauge "Denver and Pacific Railroad" that ran from Denver to Cheyenne, Wyoming. He owned over 100 gold and silver mines and the railroads that serviced them. He had more wealth than most, valued at 25 million dollars.
In 1904, he started building the "Denver Northwestern & Pacific Railroad" - the highest standard gauge railroad ever built in the United States.

The railroad went from Utah Junction (Denver) over Rollins Pass (11,660 feet above sea level) through the Grand Valley and terminated in Craig, Colorado. Moffat originally planned the railroad to go all the way to Salt Lake City, but when he died and the financing evaporated, the line ended up terminating at Craig.

The "Moffat Road" was intended to put Denver on a transcontinental railroad but that didn't happen until 1928 when the Moffat Tunnel (6.2 miles long - the third longest in the country) was finished. That was 17 years after David Moffat had died.

Seat of Pluto, Red Rocks Park in Colorado

On the Seat of Pluto,
Park of the Red Rocks,
Mt. Morrison, Colorado

The sender writes:
We seen this rock the day we were in the park at Morrison.
Lovingly Alice

This postcard is postmarked in 1909.

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Red Rocks Park is owned and maintained by the city of Denver as part of the Denver Mountain Parks system. The park is known for its very large red sandstone rock formations.

Red Rocks Park was the site of the Start and Finish line of The Amazing Race 9 which aired in the spring of 2006.

USA stamp 1908

Benjamin Franklin

1 cent

The Broadmoor Resort Complex in Colorado Springs

An aerial view of the magnificent Broadmoor Resort Complex in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Builtin 1918, The Broadmoor has retained its original majesty and charm while adding to its complex the facilities which make it unique in the world.

Photo by Don Stotts

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An aerial view of the magnificent Broadmoor Resort Complex in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Builtin 1918, The Broadmoor has retained its original majesty and charm while adding to its complex the facilities which make it unique in the world.

Both of these postcard are postmarked in 2016.

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The Broadmoor is a hotel and resort that is a member of Historic Hotels of America of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Focus on the Family Buildings in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Focus on the Family

Aerial View 

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Focus on the Family

Administration Building Entrance

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Focus on the Family

Welcome Center and Pikes Peak

8605 Explorer Drive

Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80920

1-800-A-Family

All three of these postcards are postmarked in 2016. 

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From their website:

Focus on the Family is a global Christian ministry dedicated to helping families thrive. We provide help and resources for couples to build healthy marriages that reflect God's design, and for parents to raise their children according to morals and values grounded in biblical principles.

No matter who you are, what you're going through or what challenges your family may be facing, we're here to help. With practical resources - like our 1-800 Family Help line (1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459), counseling and websites – we're committed to providing trustworthy, biblical guidance and support.

Silverton, Colorado

Silverton

A breathtaking view of this once prosperous mining town - Silverton, Colorado

Over the years more than $500,000,000 in silver, gold, lead and zinc have been taken from its mines.  On three sides is the beautiful San Juan National Forest - over two million acres of stately aspen, pine and fir trees.

Photo: Jerry Jacka

This 'Curteich' postcard is unused.

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The town of Silverton is now included in a federally designated National Historic Landmark District, (the Silverton Historic District) and has a population of around 630 people.

Happy National Postcard Week! - Denver Postcard Club, Chamberlin Observatory

National Postcard Week
May 6-12, 2013

Chamberlin Observatory

Look to the Stars with the Denver Postcard Club
Denver Colorado

The Historic Chamberlin Observatory began night viewings in 1894 and remains a popular subject for postcard collectors.
See the Denver Postcard Club's Facebook page for club meeting and event details.

Art by Rick Geary

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Chamberlin Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by University of Denver. It is located in Denver, Colorado (USA) in Observatory Park.

It is named for Humphrey B. Chamberlin, a Denver real estate magnate who pledged $50,000 in 1888 to build and equip the facility.

U.S. Mint, Denver, Colorado

U.S. Mint, Denver, Colorado

unused

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When the United States government began minting coins in 1792, the original United States Mint facility in Philadelphia was hard-pressed to produce enough currency for our small country.

As the country grew and the demand for coins increased, it became necessary to expand Mint facilities. This expansion was further fueled by the discovery of gold, first in the Southeast and later in the West, and the need for hard currency which caused people to mint their own gold coins. In the mid-nineteenth century, additional mints were opened in Charlotte, NC; Dahlonega, GA; New Orleans, LA; and San Francisco, CA. In 1870, the Carson City, NV Mint opened, and in 1904 the Denver, CO Office became a mint facility. Today, in order to keep our economy flowing smoothly, the United States Mint maintains facilities in Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point, and a bullion depository in Fort Knox, KY.

The number of coins minted today is astounding. Denver and Philadelphia alone produce 65 million to 80 million coins a day.

Denver, Colorado

Denver, Colorado
"Queen City of the Plains," or "City of Mountains".
Denver holds many well-appointed titles, but is perhaps known best as a first-class urban center, with a worldly mix of cultural attractions, business communities and recreational offerings.

Photo: Scott Rogers

postmarked in 2012 with a USA stamp

Seven Falls South Cheyenne Canyon, Colorado

Seven Falls
South Cheyenne Canon, (Canyon)
Pikes Peak Region, Colorado

unused
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Here is a postcard of the lower three falls ....

Three Lower Falls, Seven Falls, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Seven Falls, South Cheyenne Canon
Here are miles of massive walls of richly colored granite rising from the murmuring stream almost perpendicular to the sky above.  Their bold and rugged pinnacles are split and broken by the never-ending battle with the elements; their lofty domes and towers standing alone and unsupported after centuries of upheaval and commotion, inconceivable to man, end in a magnificent and most impressive climax at the wonderful Seven Falls, where nature outdoes herself in a grand display of mighty cliffs and rushing waters.

unused

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The History of Seven Falls (181 feet):
On December 5, 1872, Nathaniel Colby homesteaded the 160 acres that included the present-day Seven Falls and South Cheyenne Canyon. Nine months later he sold the land to the Colorado Springs Land Company for $1000.
Later owners realized little value from the land until 1882, when James Hull purchased the property for $1300. Mr. Hull was a naturalist who was disturbed to note the scenic beauty of the canyon was being threatened by the felling of trees for their lumber value. Hull had already purchased 160 acres west of Seven Falls for $500 and later secured an additional 80 acres in 1885. With 400 acres including the heart of the cañon, Hull became one of Colorado's earliest environmental protectors.

Hull was also a businessman, and he understood the value of the "ranch" as it was then called. He advertised the property as a scenic resort. He constructed a road through the canyon to the Seven Falls, and built a stairway (with 224 steps) along the side of the Falls so tourists could visit it. He installed a toll gate at the foot of the canyon to collect fees.
Access to the Falls in those days was largely by carriages, burros and saddle horses furnished by a local entrepreneur named Hunter. He paid a kind of concession fee to James Hull and his sons of $500 to take passengers to the Falls for 25 cents each. Business flourished, and Seven Falls became a prominent tourist attraction.

Ivy Baldwin on the High Wire, Colorado

Ivy Baldwin on the High Wire at Eldorado Springs, Colorado
Height of wire 582 feet.  Length 539 feet.  Thickness 7/8 inches.

unused (could be his crossing on July 4, 1906)

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Ivy Baldwin:
He was born Will Ivy in Houston in 1866, and later adopted the name of Ivy Baldwin.  He ran away at age 12 with the visiting circus. It was there that he learned wire-walking as well as balloonist skills.

 At age 14 Ivy made his first crossing over South Boulder Canyon at Eldorado Springs. He made a total of 87 crossings with the last being on his 82nd birthday.

His various stunts took him around the world. He once performed for the Emperor of Japan who had a silk kimono made for Ivy with pictures of him and his wire act embroidered down the front.

He was small in stature, barely weighing 100 pounds and 5'3" in height. When he walked the high wire he used ordinary cloth shoes with resin soles. He balanced himself with a 26-foot pole weighing 10 pounds.

He died in bed in 1953 at age 87 in his son's home in Arvada, Colorado.

Van Briggle Pottery - Colorado Springs, Colorado

World Famous Van Briggle Pottery - Colorado Springs, Colorado

In Colorado Springs, nestled at the very foot of Pike's Peak, in the shadow of snow-crested range and rocky canyon, there is a pottery.  And here each day potters work, drawing their inspiration from the glories of the Rockies; their colorings from the sunset skies, and their gracefulness of design line from the models Nature has set them.

unused

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Established in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1901 by Artus and Anne Van Briggle, the Van Briggle Art Pottery is the oldest continuously operating art pottery in the United States. Artus Van Briggle had a significant impact on the Art Nouveau movement in the United States, and his pottery is foundational to American Art Pottery.

Although they are still in business, the building you see in the postcard above was sold to Colorado College in 1968.  I did a search to see their pottery on sale and found the most expensive one at over 5,000. for a single vase and many more items for over 1,000.

Soundwalk in Denver, Colorado - La Quinta

Greetings From Route LQ (Hotel chain La Quinta)

The Most Unusual Art You'll Ever Hear

Soundwalk
Soundwalk is a unique sound installation in downtown Denver, created by artist Jim Green.  Head down Curtis Street, and you may hear elephants, chickens, or even subway sounds from the grates below (there is no subway in Denver).  The only thing more fun than listening in - is watching the reactions of other passers-by.

Denver, Colorado

Nearest la Quinta: 1 miles

With over 780 Locations, La Quinta Inns & Suites is everywhere you travel.

unused, from 2010

Gost Town, St. Elmo, Colorado

St. Elmo, Colorado

Located in the San Isabel National Forest, St. Elmo is a well preserved window into Colorado's rollicking mining history. The town is flanked by towering peaks and bisected by scenic Chalk Creek.

postmarked in 2008 with a 27 cent 'Star Fruit' stamp

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St. Elmo is a ghost town in Chaffee County, Colorado. Founded in 1880, St. Elmo lies in the heart of the Sawatch Range. Nearly 2,000 people settled in this town when mining for gold and silver became evident. The mining industry started to decline in the early 1920s, and in 1922 the train discontinued service. The community is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as St. Elmo Historic District. It is one of Colorado's most preserved ghost towns.

Y.M.C.A. - Estes Park, Colorado

Y.M.C.A., Estes Park and the Front Range. Open to the public with everying that makes for a good vacation. Open year around.

Color Photo: Ted & Lois Mathews

unused

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From their website:

The YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center is nestled on 860 acres in the heart of Colorado's Rocky Mountains. Located 8,010 ft above sea level, there is plenty to see!

All seasons at our Center bring abundant wildlife right outside your cabin or lodge room. Cool mountain breezes and brilliant sunshine create the perfect environment for refreshing your spirit and enjoying the natural beauty of the outdoors.

some things to do:

Campfires
Craft and Design Center
Henry Dorsey Swimming Pool
Hiking
Fishing
Roller Skating
Basketball & Volleyball
Mini Golf
Tennis
Horseshoe
Fly Fishing
Climbing Wall
Rafting
Horseback Rides
Mountain biking
Challenge Courses
Gameroom
Winter Activities
Library
Museum
Zip Line