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Winifred Scott Stratton…why Colorado Springs loves him
Winfred Scott Stratton
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With Christmas fast approaching I was thinking about one of the city’s richest people who gave his wealth to the entire city, kind of like Colorado Springs’ own Santa Claus. What a man he was…his name? Winifred Scott Stratton and no one could have foreseen what he would mean to us when he showed up.
Winfield Scott Stratton arrived in Colorado Springs in 1872 and began working as a carpenter, a trade he learned in his father’s shipyards while a child. In 1874, after a brief encounter with silver mining Stratton decided to work as a carpenter during the winter months (some of these are still visible today, check out Grace Episcopal Church or Helen Hunt Jackson’s home now located in The Pioneer Museum ) and he prospected for gold and silver in the summers.
He spent the next 17 years searching for gold and silver in the mountains of Colorado. He even took some mineralogy and other classes at Colorado College and School of Mines. He was quite social at the time and even married, Read the rest of this entry »
The Young Years of Colorado Springs
1870’s in Colorado Springs
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For other information on the General check out these articles:
- The Founder of Colorado Springs, William Jackson Palmer
- The Young Years of Colorado Springs
- Tea and crumpets in Colorado Springs
- The End of an Era in Colorado Springs
In October, 1871 Queen Palmer arrived in Colorado Springs at was to be her new home. What she found was a dusty wilderness and her new home (Glen Eyrie) was not yet finished. She never adapted very well, but she did try. She preferred indoor activities and dancing while the rest of the women that were there enjoyed hiking and
roughing it. She noticed that there was no school in the little town and decided to start one. In November of that year she started a day school for the children in the area. She lasted five weeks and realized that she wasn’t cut out to handle the everyday problems. After the Christmas break, she hired a schoolteacher at her own expense to continue the tiny school. In March of 1872, Queen Palmer would leave the area and never live there again, though she did make visits. There is even a school today named after her. She died in 1894 at age 44 in England. Her body would eventually be buried in Evergreen cemetery.
1872 also marked the first hotel in Colorado Springs. Yes, it was called the Colorado Springs Hotel and built by Read the rest of this entry »
