Today, on the front lawn of founder William Jackson Palmer’s former home, Mayor John Suthers shared details about the celebration and encouraged everyone in the community to find a way to get involved in the fun.
At the event, El Pomar Foundation announced a $600,000 donation toward the Downtown Historic Parks, which have recently-approved master plans. The plans received incredible involvement from residents citywide over the last two years. The Parks department will seek additional sources of revenue via grants and other donations to build out the new elements identified in the plan.
As the one year countdown to our 150th birthday begins, we have some fun, historical, and meaningful ways for our community to celebrate our city's rich and vibrant history:
- We are aiming to have our community plant 18,071 trees across the city to commemorate the vision of Colorado Springs' founder General Palmer, pictured below, who planted thousands of trees when he first arrived. Track your tree!
- We are having a "Beards and Bonnets" challenge to see who can grow the best beard and make the best bonnet! Events details will be announced at a later date.
- The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum is paying tribute to Gen. Palmer with a new exhibit showcasing recently unearthed artifacts from his Glen Eyrie home, pictured below. Find out more about the exhibits.
- A local photographer is creating Then & Now photos, as he replicates historical photos from the Pioneers Museum archives. See some early examples
- An official reading list all about our history has been released to help you learn all about Colorado Springs! See the list.
You can watch the full one year out celebration on the Mayor’s Facebook page.