AURORA MUSEUM FOUNDATION

The story of Aurora, Colorado

January 2006

January 2006 Newsletter of the Aurora Museum Foundation

DATE IS SUNDAY, MARCH 5:
Annual Meeting and Elvis Presley, Too

There is a special treat in store for members of the Aurora Museum Foundation who attend the foundation's annual meeting on Sunday, March 5 at the Aurora History Museum. Foundation members will be guests for a performance by Elvis Presley Tribute Artist Dennis
Thornberry of Divide immediately following the brief annual meeting. The Museum Foundation's annual meeting is scheduled to start 1:30 p. m. Dennis Thornberry's Elvis Presley tribute begins at 2 p. m. Thornberry has been working as a radio disc jockey since 1990. He has an associates degree in radio broadcasting but enjoys the one-on-one of working with a live crowd.

In his nightclub experience, he has worked with crowds in excess of 3,500 people.  He has worked sound and lights and emceed shows for many national country artists including Waylon Jennings, Charlie Daniels, Toby Keith, Jerry Lee Lewis and Lonestar.  Dennis Thornberry has an extensive knowledge of every type of music from the big bands of the 1930's and 1940's to today's Rock 'n' Roll hits, Country, Disco, Hip Hop and Techno. If it has a name he can play it.

Billing himself as an Elvis tribute artist, Thornberry is more than Just an Elvis Presley impersonator. He pays tribute to the King of Rock 'n' Roll with every performance. He calls his show Memories of the King And promises that his audience will feel they are watching the real thing or at the very least will recall some of their fond memories of the King.

The Aurora History Museum opens its Rock 'n' Roll: The Day They Came to Town exhibit on Tuesday, Feb. 28 and it closes May 28. Rock 'n' Roll raced like a wave over American culture beginning in the 1950s and continues to provide an ocean of creative energy today. Those who visit the museum's exhibit will relive the concerts of Rock's most famous acts as the wave broke over Colorado. The exhibit will include Chuck Berry's and Bo Diddley's guitars, Janis Joplin's ostrich-feather boa, a remnant from a KISS guitar and the Inactivists Theremin, the oldest electronic instrument.

The Aurora Museum Foundation's annual meeting will be brief. Members will be asked elect five
members to the board of directors along with officers for the next year. The nominating committee composed of Carol Drollinger, Sue Miller and Hal Dunning recommend that Sandy Sweeeney, Sue Miller and Bob Eide be re-elected directors and that Stu Pyper and Ruth Schmunk be elected as new members of the board.

The nominating Committee proposes that Bob Eide be re-elected president of the Foundation, that Hal Dunning be elected vice-president, that Carol Drollinger be re-elected secretary and that Jay Bobick be renamed treasurer.

A MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GORDON DAVIS:

History Museum Sees Many Changes

Many changes have and are taking place at the Aurora History Museum. As we move into the new year we are excited about the opportunities ahead. The Aurora Museum Foundation board and the museum staff have contributed to our past success of record-breaking attendance in 2005 (an increase of 39 per cent) and I want to thank the staff and our board for their hard work and continued support of our programs.

Personnel moves are changing the "face" of the museum as we adapt to the needs of our diverse audiences. The consolidation of the Aurora History Museum, Historic Sites and Historic Preservation responsibilities and the changes in personnel and budget this year require that the museum reorganize areas and more efficiently assign personnel to meet the current challenges. We have cut back on some education programming and also outreach exhibit locations in order to focus our limited resources on exhibits at the museum and at a few other locations that have the highest visibility, such as at the Town Center at Aurora (formerly Aurora Mall) where we have two exhibit cases containing the museum's collections.

Arlin Tawzer, former facility manager/front desk receptionist at the Museum has accepted a position as facility manager of the Colorado History Museum. Arlin worked at our museum since 2000 and we wish him great success in his new role.

We welcome Ken Clinton to the museum as our new facility manager. Ken lives just east of Aurora in Elbert county. He recently moved to Colorado with his family from Middleborough, Mass. where for many years he served as director of fime arts for the public schools. He was in charge of music, visual arts, dance and theater education.

Beverly Little, former museum education assistant and volunteer coordinator, has accepted the position of educator at the Forney Museum of Transportation in Denver. Her duties include organizing tours, creating new educational programs and developing a volunteer organization..

Cheryl Waite, former museum exhibit assistant, has moved on to teach history full time at the Community College of Aurora. Kelly Goelz, former museum collection assistant, ended her contract in December to pursue other interests.

Kim White, former historic preservation assistant, has accepted a contract position with Lakewood's Heritage Center. Kim continues to help us a few hours each week until the historic preservation position is filled. We'll miss all of these hard-working staff members but wish them success in their new careers.

The Aurora History Museum is currently interviewing for a museum assistant position to support both educational programs and exhibit research/installation and is seeking a historic preservation assistant to assist with research, management, maintenance and preservation of historic properties and to provide staff support for the Historic Preservation Commission.

The Aurora History Museum is planning great programs and exhibits in 2006 and we hope you will have the opportunity to participate in all of the programs and view all of the exhibits.

Thank you again for your continued support of Aurora's museum. 
Gordon Davis, executive director

Antique Appraisal Fairs Are April 29, September 23

The Aurora Museum Foundation will hold two more Antique Appraisal Fairs this year on Saturday, April 29 and Saturday, September 23. Both will be held in the community room at the Aurora History Museum starting at 9 a. m. and continuing until 3 p. m.

Professional antique appraisers will be on hand to offer appraisals of antiques at a charge of $5 for each item. There is a limit of five items for each appraisal participant. Once again museum foundation members will be available to help visitors with furniture or large items.

Those wishing to participate in the April 29 Antique Appraisal Fair may call (303) 739-6705 to scheduled an appointment for their appraisal. Calls should be made no sooner than one month before the appraisal fair or not later than the day before the event. While appointments are desirable, walk-ins are welcome.

The money raised by the Aurora Museum Foundation through its Antique Appraisal Fairs is used to support and expand programs of the Aurora History Museum.

Museum Attendance is Up 39 Per Cent in 2005

Thanks in large part to a blockbuster Dinosaur Eggs and Babies exhibit last spring, the Aurora History Museum's attendance increased by 39.5 per cent in 2005. The attendance total for 2005 ofl7,702 exceeded 2005's attendance of 12,694 by 5,008 visitors. The 2005 attendance was the highest recorded by the Aurora History Museum in its 26-year history.

The History Museum's popular Harley Davidson VROOM! exhibit which opened on November 15 closes on Sunday, February 12 and will be replaced on February 28 with Rock 'n' Roll; The Day They Came to Town. The exhibit saluting rock music should prove popular with the "baby boomers" who grew up in the 1950's and 60's. The exhibit will feature artifacts from the rock era including guitars once owned by Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, the famous ostrich-feather boa worn by Janis Joplin, and a remnant of a KISS guitar. There will be many others. The Rock Un" Roll exhibit at the History Museum will close on May 28. Currently the fIrst annual Aurora City Employees Art Show is on display in the community gallery at the museum and it will be in place until March 26. An exhibit of Maps and Aerial Photos will open on March 31 and will continue through June II, to be followed by On the Backs of Soldiers on June 13.

Foundation Receives $4,000 Gift for Historical Marker

The Aurora Museum Foundation has accepted a $4,000 gift from the Karl J. Windler and Ardyce E. Windler Charitable Lead Trust that will eventually be used to erect a historical marker on the Windler Centennial Farm in Adams county.The farm property is in the early stages of being developed as an extension of the Green Valley Ranch neighborhood. It is located between Picadilly Road and E-470 about 48th avenue.The original 80 acres that comprise the Windler Homestead was purchased by Henry and Anna Catharina Dreyer Windler in 1883.

When the property is developed in the next three or four years it is anticipated there will be a park where a monument will be placed commemorating the Windler Homestead as one of Adams

county's earliest surviving family farms. It was declared a Colorado Centennial Farm in 1986.
The marker will also commemorate the one-time existence of the narrow gauge Colorado Eastern Railroad that operated from 1886 until 1915 just north of the Windler Homestead. The 16.3-mile-long railroad was built to haul coal from a mine at Scranton to a smelter located on Sand Creek in Denver. In addition to the coal mine at Scranton the railroad served the long-gone communities of Ebert, Berlin and Independence.

A trail led from the windler Homestead to the rail line near present-day 56th avenue and the Windler family could flag the train to stop to pick up produce to be hauled to and sold in Denver.The Windler Homestead property has been annexed into Aurora. There are a number of farm buildings remaining on the property but the farm home was destroyed by fIre.

NEWS BRIEFS: Aurora's city council has approved designating a section of the pioneer
Smoky Hill Trail that is parallel to Smoky Hill road as Aurora's 22nd historic landmark. The Aurora Preservation Commission plans to erect a commemorative marker along Smoky Hill road south of the Southlands shopping center at a future date. . . . John Fielder, whose book Colorado 1870-2000 was the state's all-time best-seller, will present an illustrated lecture on his sequel, Colorado 1870-2000 II, Tuesday, March 21 at 7 p. m. at St. Mark's Lutheran church in Aurora. The event, which is free, is sponsored by the Aurora Historical Society.

Several of Fielder's recent books will be on sale before and after the lecture and he will be available to sign them. . . . The Boulder History Museum has met its goal to build its endowment to $410,000 in 2005. Members raised $230,000 in contributions and received a matching gift of $180,000 from the LMC Community Foundation. The museum has a goal of building its endowment fund to $800,000 by the year 2009.

Museum Honors Three More History Makers

Two individuals who played major roles in helping preserve Aurora's history and the Aurora Historical Society were presented History Makers awards on November 20 by the Aurora History Museum. The awards were presented by Mary Ellen Schoonover, the museum's education curator, at a meeting attended by families and friends of the recipients.

Bob Akerley, a member of the original Aurora Aurora Historical Commission, was honored for his half century of service to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science both as a volunteer and an employee. He did much of the work of identifying the historic significance of the prehistoric burial site found in Aurora's Horseshoe Park and as an Aurora History Museum volunteer led field trips about plains Indians, plains ecology and the early emigranttrails that led to the Colorado gold fields.   (Pictured is Bob Ackerley, Ruth Fountain, and Annabelle Dunning)

Annabelle Dunning helped establish the Aurora Historical Society in 1975 and served as its president for its first five years.    She continues to serve as its secretary today. She also served on the Historical Commission and has recorded several oral history interviews which are in the museum's archives.
 
The Aurora Historical Society was a major player in the establishment of the Aurora History Museum in 1979 and its members were instrumental in saving the museum from city budget cuts in 2005. In 1990 the society influenced the city to buy one of the original Donald Fletcher houses built in 1991. Members helped renovate the house for Aurora's centennial celebration in 1891 and operate the home today as the Centennial House museum. The society's award was accepted by President Ruth Fountain.

The History Makers awards were established in 2004 by the Aurora History Museum and the first recipients were former United States Senator Bill Armstrong who owned and operated radio station KEZW from 1959 until 1986, the late Mary Bell, who with her husband, Olen, published the Aurora Advocate, and Ellen Steele who chaired the original Aurora Historical Commission.

Museum's Brown Bag Lectures Continue in 2006

The Aurora History Museum's Brown Bag and White Linen lecture series continues in 2006 with a variety of interesting topics. The Wednesday noon programs are held in the museum's community room and participants are to bring their own sack lunch. There is a $3.00 admission fee.
The schedule through May:

Wednesday, Feb. 15: Lewis and Clark: Trade and the Northwest Passage. This expedition opened trade with the Indians and forever closed the dream of a Northwest Passage to the Orient. The lecture by Stuart Wier includes replica and original artifacts and maps like those used by the Corps of Discovery expedition.

Wednesday, March 15: Road Traveled by Immigrants. How do immigrants to Aurora find the American Dream? Hear Dr. Delio Tamayo, Aurora veterinarian, speak about the challenged that immigrants face on the road to success. Dr. Tamayo came to the United States from his native Columbia in 1970 and has been successful in both his chosen profession and in his role as a leader of his community.

Wednesday, April 19: Hats Off to Kate. Kate Tauer has donned many hats in her endeavors both public and private. Share her passion for community and family as she recounts her story from suburban housewife to first lady of Aurora.

Wednesday, May 17: From Frijoles to Foundations. La Cueva Mexican Restaurant owner- Norma Nunez shares 20 years of involvement with cuisine, Colfax and community service. Hear one of Aurora's leading citizens talk about enterprise, elbow grease and contributions to the next generation.