Old Town History Center Wrap Up

Dave Hughes, the Treasurer of the Old Colorado City Historical Society and the person responsible for the revitalization of the old town, printed last month's expenses and income in September's monthly West Word newsletter.
"We got a windfall from the Art and Print Show Sales in our Center of Jack Ekstrom's work that dates back to 1976, when Old Colorado City first emerged as a visually historic part of town. He sold $1,872 worth on the evening of August 7th, and generously offered us 60% of that, or $1,123. He also drafted up, free, several of our advertising posters for Founders Day and the Cemetery Crawl."
There are five pictures left from the 13 in the show, and those will be put up for sale in the Silent Auction at the OCCHS Membership Dinner, Oct. 1 at the Ghost Town Wild West Museum.
You ought to be pretty familiar with those pictures by now:

1. An Act of God, oil, 20" x 28". Showing the effects of the lightning blast in 1995 that sent Sacred Heart Church's east steeple into the middle of Colorado Ave. We remember that strike, it was like an explosion. This picture, painted in October several months later, shows a Latino family Quinceanera celebration.

2. Mattress Factory, pen and watercolor, 12" x 14". The old firehouse, where Old Town Bed and Breakfast is now, just before the fire that ended it. The gentleman in the picture was a long-term resident of Norton's Home, across the street, who many people saw everyday striding in his distinguished gait.

3. Mrs. Morrison and General Palmer, pen and ink, 18" x 24" matted. In 1917 General Palmer, the founder of Colorado Springs, was riding from his home in Glen Eyrie to the Antlers Hotel when Mrs. Morrison came running out of her burning home at 2217 W. Colorado Ave., which is still there. She'd set her laundry on fire through using naptha. The general took her to the Antlers with him and provided her with a room until her home was repaired.

4. Pikes Peak from Bancroft Park, oil, 24" x 36". That's Michael Garman's truck. When I tried selling this to Michael, he exclaimed, "Why in *!!* would I want to buy that? The gentleman in the painting isn't Michael, but a familiar neighborhood figure at that time walking his dog.

5. Sacred Heart Church, oil, 18" x 24". This classic view was made from the end of our alley not long after we moved here, when beehive incinerator ovens were still in use.

I had put two other of my older renderings in the art show too, but those are not going to be auctioned.

Cliff House, pen and ink, 24" x 36"

Barker House, pen and ink, 20" x 28"

These are both buildings in Manitou Springs just to the west of us. When people asked me why I put them in my Old Colorado City show I replied, "Those are what I really like doing. I've always regretted that Old Colorado City doesn't have buildings like those."