— by Mary Lou Egan

For over a hundred years the corner at 45th and Washington Street in the Globeville neighborhood has been the place to go for an inexpensive meal and a visit with friends. Today the site is home to a McDonalds restaurant; in 1908, it was home to the Western Slavonic Lodge.

Slavs began arriving in Globeville in the 1880s seeking jobs in the Grant and Globe Smelters. Work in the smelters was hard and dangerous with men risking death or disability from extreme heat, toxic fumes and dust from heavy metals. To provide financial security for themselves and their families, the Slavs formed Zapadna Slovanska Zveza (Western Slavonic Association), an independent, fraternal society that offered sick and death benefits for its members.

The organization also helped preserve the language, culture and heritage of the mother country, Slovenia. Here, the newcomer felt comfortable and welcome, speaking his native language, enjoying familiar ethnic dishes and socializing with others from the old country. There was also information about jobs, places to stay and where to meet other single people from home. Newcomers were also introduced to American customs, music, dress and slang, and helped with the process of Americanization. There were branches of this organization wherever there were communities of Slavs—Leadville, Salida, Canon City, Crested Butte, Aspen and Pueblo.

Slavs gradually assimilated into American culture, moved up the economic ladder and away from the Globeville neighborhood. The Western Slavonic is now Western Fraternal Life and still offers annuities, insurance products and fraternal activities to members at its location at 11265 Decatur Street in Westminster. The lodge sold the land to McDonalds in 1988.

— by Barbara Masoner

In 1943, Eleanor Roosevelt took the bold initiative to plant a vegetable garden on the White House’s South Lawn. She called it a Victory Garden. Due to severe food shortages in Europe, Eleanor knew home gardens were imperative to feeding millions of American troops overseas and preventing shortages at home. During World War II over 20 million Americans answered Eleanor’s call to action, producing approximately 40% of our country’s produce. School groups and scout groups cleaned up vacant lots and planted community gardens. Factory workers transformed empty lots adjacent to their work places into vegetable gardens that were tended during work breaks. Americans were involved because they wanted to support the troops while saving some money at home.

The City of Denver quickly responded by establishing a Victory Garden Office. On March 28, 1943, just months after Eleanor Roosevelt’s call to action, Mayor Stapleton dedicated Denver’s first Victory Garden. Stapleton said, “The City of Denver believes this is the most important community project that we have ever undertaken.” The community garden was located at East Eighth and Elizabeth, now Congress Park. Denver Urban Gardens continues this tradition by providing technical support to community groups, institutions and individuals throughout Denver.

Denver’s slogan was a “Victory Garden on Every Lot.” Denverites did their part by planting 41,500 gardens that first season and by 1944 over 50,000 Victory Gardens were spread across the City. Denver’s Victory Gardens were valued that first growing season at $578,125. To help Denverites start up a backyard plot, the City of Denver devised a “Model Victory Garden.” A list of vegetables that did best in our climate was provided as well as soil preparation and planting instructions. Colorado State College (now CSU) provided the “technical advice necessary to insure success.” CSU Extension Offices continue to provide valuable information on gardening in our unique climate.

A new Victory Garden movement is sweeping the country and our state. Michael Pollan, a journalist for the New York Times and Professor at UC Berkeley, is leading the charge. His article, Dear Mr. Next President… Food, Food, Food, discusses how vegetable gardens are eloquent solutions to: public health, the local economy, global warming, and education. In response to this article and at many groups’ bequests, Michelle Obama planted a vegetable garden on the White House’s South Lawn in March.

Colorado communities are a part of this energetic movement. Leading the effort is Grow Local Colorado. Grow Local is a new project being developed by community leaders, gardeners, locavores, farmers and businesses to help more people grow more food locally. Partners in this effort include representatives from Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Public Library, Denver Urban Gardens and representatives from the City and County of Denver. Their website is a resource hub for information, expertise and partnership in establishing your own food garden in your home, business, or public space. Grow Local’s goal is to establish 2009 gardens in the Metro Denver area by May 30, 2009. Their site also connects people wanting to grow food with unused space, resources and expertise.

Be a part of this exciting movement. Start a new vegetable garden or help a neighbor with theirs. In a few months you’ll reap the benefits of your labor.

B50 Note: Barbara Masoner is happy that earth day is here and the snow is gone so she can get busy in her own garden. For more local gardening information, she encourages you to visit Grow Local Colorado. If you are interested in the history of urban gardening in the United States, visit Sprouts in the Sidewalk.

It says thusly:

This memorial is the property of the State of Colorado
—
Commemorating the route of the
Platte River Trail
Principal route of Colorado Pioneers
Trail of Major S.H. Long in 1820
Trappers’ trail of 1830s and 1840s
The 1858-9 route of goldseekers with
pick and pan. Homeseekers in covered
wagons, bullwhackers with ox teams,
stagecoaches with treasure and mail
The path that became an empire.
—
Erected by
The State Historical Society of Colorado
from
The Mrs. J.N. Hall Foundation
and by
State Civil Service Employees of Colorado
1932

B50 Note: This historical marker is located at 5200 Brighton Boulevard, at the intersection of Brighton and York.

— by Tracy Weil, weilworks.com

In 1988 I graduated from Fort Lewis College in Durango and headed to Denver to try and find a job in the “big city.” Not really ready to start working a regular day job, I happened across an artful place called City Spirit Cafe. I dropped in and fell in love with the vibrant pink walls and playful tile mosaics covering the entire restaurant. I asked if they were hiring wait staff and sure enough they were. This is where I met owners Mickey and Susan.

The cafe was the brain child of local developer Mickey Zeppelin and artist Susan Wick. They opened the award winning cafe & bookstore in 1985 in the up and coming area called LoDo. They also enlisted Michael Fagen to help put together the fabulous Art & Architecture bookstore in the basement of this new venture. City Spirit Cafe served health conscious fare as well as sinful desserts. After 9pm the cafe was the place to be, regularly hosting live musicians like Johnny Long, Lionel Young, Eagle Park Slim & Sympathy F as well as live local djs like DJ Knee.

As an artist I fit right in. This is where I got my start with my first exhibition in the Art Annex next door to the cafe. I waited tables for about 3 years, then started bartending and managing the restaurant. I also booked bands and moved into handling special events and PR for the thriving cafe.

As a community meeting place, City Spirit always hosted interesting things to bring people together; from talks, to seminars, to poetry readings to fashion shows there was always something going on.

Fashionhomemade

One of the most memorable fashion events was “Fashionhomemade,” the 5th annual show and one of the more wilder fashion extravaganzas. The fashion shows were always interesting and this small cafe drew over 1000 people this particular evening.

We took over Blake Street and the back alley, setting up tables for service and a runway right down the middle of the cafe. Le Menu consisted of fresh salads, Brie and roasted garlic, artichokes & the signature salsa and blue corn chips. Other tasty fare included; seafood lasagna & mussels, along with the deluxe tamale plate, Paella and Asian Lo Mein.

Another signature item was the famous and potent City Spirit La La. This “pre-cosmo” was a must have while sitting at the bar, limit of 4. I’ve included the recipe below for those nostalgics that would like to recreate it.

The fashion show started around 9:30pm and included lots of local designer talent including handmade knits and redo clothing by Susan Wick, vintage clothes from Soul Flower & designs made of astro-turf by Alicia Nowicki, Carol Mier sculptural fashions, uncommon & eclectic work by Mona Lucero, and S&M Housewife & tupperwear kink by now NYC designers Uzi (Jose Duran & David Ball). Other designers included Claire Inwood, Heidi Peterson, Shelly Schoeneshoefer, Cleo Ortize Couture, Colorado Institute of Art Students, Cydney Griggs, Chitahka Nsombie, Nur D’afrique, Gayla Coleman, Saohm Hattier & Jerry Whitehead. After the show patrons were invited downstairs to browse and buy all the creative wears in the show and the event ended with dancing at 11pm with music by dj Afro-dytee.

The café was also a great place to meet famous musicians all looking for a heathly place to eat on the road. Over my 10 years at the café I met or crossed paths with Beck, Allison Morissette, Boy George, Lauryn Hill, Digable Planets,The Fugees, Tool, Lenny Kravitz and The Brand New Heavys. The Smashing Pumpkins even made a special unplugged appearance one night after their concert in town.

What a place! City Spirit will always have a special place in my heart; here I learned what community was all about. We’d love to hear your memories of the café please post below.

City Spirit Café La La: Sold for $4 (limit 4)
1 ½ oz. Absolut Vodka
3 oz. Knudsen’s Cranberry Juice
Splash of Cointreau
Splash of Rose’s Lime Juice or fresh lime juice
Serve chilled in a martini glass with a Twist of Lemon

City Spirit was located at 1434 Blake Street. All the tile-work was torn out but remnants of the space, including parts of the bar, can still be seen at Taxi in RiNo.

—by Rich Moore

This photo was taken outside of the Mt. St. Vincent home at 41st & Lowell, on the day the Pope came to visit in August of ’93. The girls were selling Kool-Aid, and a Secret Service agent came by and bought some. She was obviously Secret Service; who else wears long pants and a dark blazer when it’s 90+ outside? She was real sweet to the girls. Other agents were on the rooftop of the home.

I’m guessing there were over 1000 people gathered. We were on Lowell at 42nd, others were on the street along 41st. At one point, all the crowd along Lowell roared with delight as a man in white came out through a side door. Turns out the guy was a kitchen worker emptying a trash bin. He was pleased with the warm reception and waved back.

The Pope did come out the door at some point along 41st, but we never saw him.

B50 Note: Mount St. Vincent’s Children’s Home (originally the Saint Vincent’s Orphan Asylum) was established by Bishop J.P. Machebeuf and the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth in 1882. Located at 4159 Lowell, it was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1902. The historical photo was taken by L.C. McClure, circa 1905. Courtesy of the Denver Public Library Western History Collection, photoswest.org.