Springs lawyer pays tribute to Cheyenne Mountain, then and now
Myths, legends, literature, lore and love of the watery world of finned creatures
Meditations on dementia, dying, growth and change
The Swans of Harlem, accomplished classical dancers, come to light
Author Dave Showalter takes an epic journey along the Colorado River, examining its perils and promise
Anthology explores the quest for acceptance by Black women, gender nonconforming and nonbinary people in nature
Author Shelley Read on Go As a River’s international success and the power of home
Born in Ohio but a resident of Colorado Springs since 1955, Beverly has watched the city grow. Achieving a BA from what was then Colorado State College with later graduate work at CC and University of Birmingham, England, she began a 16-year teaching career, 10 years freelancing and full-time volunteering, before spending 26 years with the Pikes Peak Library District. Author of the teachers' guide, History of the Pikes Peak Region, she is still surrounded by books and serves as a board member with the Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District.
Once one of the largest cattle ranches in southern Colorado, Beckwith Ranch rises to its former glory in the concisely and neatly written, The Beckwith Dynasty: A Ranching Empire in Colorado’s Wet Mountain Valley by Courtney Miller. The author explores the history of a successful shipbuilding family who traveled west in 1869, and would eventually create through hard work, luck and a handful of shenanigans, an incredibly successful agricultural operation. Miller guides the reader through the origins of the ranch with stories of true cowboys and the Old West.
Beginning with a meager 160 acres, the family created a vast holding of land and livestock that would eventually become a thriving and majestic showplace of 8,800 acres with a very distinctive mansion of white clapboard and red roof. The fortunes of the Beckwith empire grew even more with the discovery of gold and silver in the nearby mountains. The mansion continued to expand as well, becoming a rambling complex with all the latest Victorian fineries accumulated from travels afar. Sophisticated and worldly travelers were entertained with unparalleled grandeur in the hinterlands of Colorado’s Wet Mountains.
As with any great western story about perseverance and triumph, the tale of the downfall of the family and the mansion is equally fascinating. Death, disease and estranged family relations all contributed to the passing of the heyday of the grand place.
Located on Hwy 69 near Westcliffe, Colorado, the site and venue is now listed on National Register of Historic Places. The obvious sincere and deep appreciation the author has for the ranch shines through in his writing. He packs a lot of Wet Mountain Valley history in this small volume with fine research and striking details. This book is a nice resource for any Colorado history buff. — Jeffery Payne
