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By the turn of 20th century, Newport, Rhode Island had grown from an important east coast maritime center into the “Queen of American Resorts.” Newport was a summer retreat for America’s most wealthy; a place where gilded mansions dotted the coastline, and grandeur and opulence were in great abundance. Newport offered a cool seaside respite…

When Margaret Tobin JJ Brown in 1908 arrived in Leadville in 1886, she hoped to marry a rich man to help take care of her and her parents. Instead she met James Joseph (J.J.) Brown, whose wealth and prospects weren’t much better than her own. Margaret would later recollect, “I loved Jim, but he was…

During the 1890s, Denver was known as the Queen City of the Plains. In hopes of becoming comparable to the likes of Chicago or San Francisco, Denver began to establish itself as both an important thoroughfare and place to live. There was a population boom, and a building boom as well. Thousands were moving to…

While Margaret Brown has become legendary for her progressive ideas regarding a multitude of issues and causes, she had numerous contemporaries who also pushed for change and social progress during their time. In fact, one such prominent social critic, and early feminist, was also a passenger onboard the Titanic in 1912, and as faith would…

Located approximately one hundred miles west of the city of Denver, the town of Leadville is nestled in the Rocky Mountains and sits at 10, 152 feet above sea level. After gold was discovered in 1859 on the banks of Cherry Creek near what is now known as Denver, thousands came to Colorado in hopes…

Courtesy of the Denver Public Library Margaret Brown is well known for her progressive and liberal ideologies regarding a wide array of topics common to her day. Topics ranging from education, women’s suffrage, labor rights, judicial reform, and marriage equality. While serving as a champion for these causes throughout Denver, Colorado, and the world Margaret…

Margaret Tobin was born to John and Johanna Tobin in Hannibal, Missouri, on July 18th, 1867. She was born in the family’s modest cottage where she would live until she was eighteen years old. The four-room cottage was situated on the side of a hill not far from the Mississippi River, and it still stands…

The multifaceted approach to a history education using museum programs help enrich historical diversity in the classroom, an often dull and flat subject matter. By keeping children and community in mind, museum programs can be fun to develop－especially considering how many resources do not require high-level access and are open for public use. Going to libraries and historical archives around Denver has taught me more about how easy it is to access history by simply walking around the neighborhood. One of my favorite ways to experience history is through historical houses and in Denver, many of those houses belonged to women, like the Molly Brown House. I learned about Colorado history from the houses of women like Margaret Brown and I noticed how much of Colorado’s history fails to acknowledge these women as important figures who shaped the state. I…

We’re all generally familiar with the Thanksgiving story. It’s 1621; the Pilgrims and Native Americans are coming around a large table in Plymouth colony after a year of harsh winters and bountiful harvests. Everyone’s holding hands, singing Kumbaya, and saying a collective prayer. Ok, maybe that’s not exactly how it happened (even though that’s how…