Wednesday, February 28, 2018

A Cage in Search of a Bird

by Tom Fesing

The CBS television series “Route 66” was filmed in Denver on June 30, 1963. In the episode “A Cage In Search Of A Bird” Tod and Linc are in Denver, Colorado and become involved in the story of a gangster that helped commit the Great Mint Robbery on December 17, 1922. A robbery of $200,000 in five-dollar bills from the Federal Reserve Bank being stored at the Denver Mint. The robber, never caught is now an old man. 
In the episode there are great 1963 shots of Denver, Colfax Avenue, Historic US Route 40, 16th Street, Capitol Hill Neighborhood and the following:
1. El Rancho Restaurant on US 40.
2. The Tepees on US 40.
3. Rooftop view of 17th Ave from the Cosmopolitan Hotel across from the Brown Palace Hotel.
4. Colorado National Bank Interior.
5. Old Denver Bus Station.
6. Pioneer Sculpture on Colfax Avenue.
7. The Denver Mint on Colfax.
8. Gotham Hotel (now apts) at Grant and 12th.
9. Stapleton Airfield terminal and control tower.
10. Downtown strip club.
11. The Gold Nugget Tap Room & Elite Liquors at Larimer and 16th.
12. Paramount Theater at 16th & California.
13. May D&F & Putt-Putt golf on 16th Street.
14. Scotch & Sirloin Restaurant at the Gotham Hotel on Grant and 12th Avenue.
15. Square dancing at City Park pavilion.
16. Rocky Mountain News on Colfax.
17. Tabor Theater.
18. JC Penny’s on 16th.
You can watch the episode here, although mislabeled, it is "A Cage In Search Of A Bird."

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Wolf's Restaurant & Lounge

Love this shirt from the Aurora History Museum Collection...Wolf's Restaurant & Lounge, at 15691 E. Colfax Avenue. Still there today!

Monday, February 26, 2018

Dale's Blarney Castle

Another coupon I wish I could still use, but expired in the early 1980's...

Sunday, February 25, 2018

Saturday, February 24, 2018

Johnny Cash Birthday Bash at the Owl Saloon

Join us Saturday, February 24, 2018, for a celebration of Johnny Cash's Birthday at The Owl Saloon at 5026 E. Colfax Avenue in Denver. The Man in Blackhawk (Jonny Barber) will re-create the Live at Folsom Prison album in its' entirety, which came out 50 years ago this year! Show starts at 9:00pm.

Friday, February 23, 2018

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Home of Schuyler Colfax

Home of Schuyler Colfax, Vice President of the U.S., under Ulysses Grant, at corner of Market St. (now Colfax Ave.) and Taylor St. in South Bend, Indiana. Demolished.

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Stanley Aviation

Robert Stanley and his crew at Stanley Aviation, not too far from East Colfax!

Robert Stanley and his team developed an encapsulated seat ejection system suitable for the B-58 Hustler which flew at high speed (Mach 2) and altitude (70,000 ft). An interesting side note is that Stanley borrowed bears from the Denver Zoo for testing the ejection capsules. 

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

West Colfax Farm Dairy

Old bottle from the West Colfax Farm Dairy, once at 5536 West Colfax Avenue in Lakewood, CO.

Monday, February 19, 2018

Hanna's Super Shell

Hanna's Super Shell, 9445 E. Colfax at Clinton St.

Photo by Tom Fesing
 Hanna's Today.

Saturday, February 17, 2018

Smiley's Dry Cleaners

Man, I wish I could still use this coupon! Sure miss the World's Largest Laundromat...

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Sunday, February 11, 2018

The Yucca - A Bit of Old Mexico




Here are three images from The Yucca, taken before 1947. Left to right those pictured are: Frank D. A. Clark, Frances Steele, James C (Torchy) Steele, Joseph C. Steele, and Margaret C. Clark. All in the photo are deceased. Joe Steele was my dad. Frances was his first wife, and Torchy, their son. (courtesy Larry Steele)

Saturday, February 10, 2018

Streets of London Pub

Streets of London is Colfax Avenue's neighborhood Punk Rock Bar, located at 1501 E. Colfax Avenue in Denver.

Friday, February 9, 2018

Shoebox Emissions


Shoebox Emissions once at 8810 W. Colfax with a reminder of which emission sticker was coming due. The old Angels Diner sign can be seen in the background. The diner is now the Grifols Plasma Center. (JL McGuire photo)

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Chicken Box

Photo courtesy the Aurora History Museum
This photo is of the Chicken Box at 10305 E. Colfax Avenue in Aurora. There was also a location at 7785 W. Colfax Avenue in Lakewood.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Monday, February 5, 2018

Blue Onion Bar

The Blue Onion Bar located at 8615 East Colfax opened in 1947. Photo courtesy John Fuchs.

Sunday, February 4, 2018

Nissim Catan's Turkish Bazaar

This is a picture of Nissim Catan's store in NYC, just before he moved to Denver in 1906. Charley's great-grandfather is Nissim Catan and he's on the left. I'm not sure who the guy with the killer hat and mustache is on the right.

In 1906, he opened at store at 536 West Colfax Avenue in Denver. (sent in by Charley Clinkenbeard)


Saturday, February 3, 2018

Jerry's Nite Club


What’s the best way to beat the winter blues? How about dining and dancing at a new club in Aurora? This is an advertisement for the grand opening of Jerry’s Nite Club from the January 22, 1937 edition of the “Aurora Democrat” newspaper. Located at 9758 E. Colfax Ave in the former Hollywood Theater building, the owner decided to dress up the existing Jerry’s Café with some new décor and entertainment and invited the whole community out to see the updates. Come find out more about Jerry’s and other early Aurora restaurants in the exhibit, “US 40 and the American Road Trip,” now on display at the Aurora History Museum!

Friday, February 2, 2018

Dutch Mill Cottage Court

In 1926, Col. Arthur Hart recognized the need for additional housing near Fitzsimons Army Hospital and built Hart’s Park Cottage Camp (later known as the Dutch Mill Cottage Court) near the intersection of Colfax Avenue and Peoria Street. The 1930s saw an increase in traffic along US 40 and a boom in the local cottage camps on Colfax Avenue, so Col. Hart added a neon-lit windmill to draw tourists. This is a postcard of the Dutch Mill, which was used as the motel office, a grocery and a barber shop throughout the years. 

Come learn more about the history of the motels, restaurants and gas stations that lined Colfax Avenue at the Aurora History Museum’s latest exhibit, “US 40 and the American Road Trip.”