Colfax Avenue Historical Society

Colfax Avenue, the Longest, Wickedest Main Street in America, has a colorful and vibrant history that must be preserved. This site is a gift to the people of Colorado and the World for historical archival purposes. All content can be found through the links in the right hand column or use the search feature in the top left. If you use any content, please credit colfaxavenue.org.

Thanks for visiting!

History of the Lion's Lair

The Playboy Lounge (photo courtesy Save the Signs)

The CBGB's of Denver, the Lion's Lair at 2022 E. Colfax Avenue, has a storied history. Upon further research through old Denver phone books and public records, this timeline emerged:

1926: Jno B Jr. Nellegar Autos (earliest available record)
1927-1928: Capital Motor Co.
1929: Capitol Motor Co.
1930: Vacant
1931: De Berry Garment Co.
1933: GF Johnson Women's Wear
1934: Alvin T. Johnson Women’s Wear
1935-1936: Chas Gibboney took over the building as a restaurateur; later operated by Frank Banta (business name unknown)
1937-1938: The Salad Bowl (restaurant)
1939: The Skol Inn
1940-1955: Aladdin Tavern
1956-1962: Playboy Lounge
1963-1967: The Playroom
1968-1971: Aladdin Lounge
1972-1973: Lyon’s Lair, after the new owner John Lyons.
1974: The Lion’s Lair

In the interest of historical accuracy, please send any additions or corrections to thecolfaxmuseum@gmail.com.

Christmas Capitol of the World

City and County Building in Denver, Colorado

Denver is known to have one of the very first outdoor Christmas light displays because of Denver electrician David Sturgeon. In 1914, his son was too sick to celebrate Christmas with his family by their decorated tree but his father still wanted his son to be able to feel the holiday cheer! He dipped light bulbs in red and green paint, strung them with electrical wire, and placed them on a tree in his front yard in full view through his son’s window. Soon other Denver citizens began putting up outdoor holiday decorations like Sturgeon’s strand of lights.

 

By the 1920s many Denver homes glowed merry and bright with the spirit of Christmas, and the city proclaimed itself the “Christmas Capitol of the World.” In 1938, the city government began lighting up the City and County Building with Christmas lights, a tradition that continues to this day.

Sidewalk Talk

Photos by Karl Christian Krumpholz

Colfax is talking back.

Top Star Motel Sign Restoration

Photo by Jonny Barber

Always good to see classic neon being restored...this time it's the Top Star Motel sign at 10890 E. Colfax Avenue in Aurora.

Lazy-C Motor Lodge

  

Lazy-C Motor Lodge, East Colfax, 1970s (photo courtesy of the National Archives at Denver)

Cafe York

  

Axum Ethiopian Cuisine on Colfax Ave. used to be Cafe York which was one of the premier listening rooms in America in the 1970's. Jimmy Buffett played his 1st shows in Denver here.

Jesse Owens visits Emerson Street East Restaurant on Colfax

This 1972 Original Photo by DENVER POST PHOTOGRAPHER BARRY STAVER shows Jesse Owens, winner of 4 gold medals in 1936 at the Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany, finding his photo amid the collection of all-star athletes gracing the walls of the Emerson Street East Restaurant at 900 East Colfax Avenue operated by William Parella.  Owens visited sports-oriented dining spa during Denver, Colorado visit promoting "Great Olympic Moments," limited edition silver medals offered until September 10 on public sale by Coca-Coca Bottling Company to raise funds to help send America's 1972 Olympic athletes to Munich.

History Colorado

The person who took the initiative in founding the State Historical Society of Colorado was William D. Todd. He was taken as a small boy to live in Washington D.C., and at the age of eleven was appointed a page in the House of Representatives. Later he became a clerk for Schuyler Colfax and then served as his private secretary while Colfax was Speaker of the House and later Vice President.

 

Todd first came to Colorado with the Colfax Party on a vacation trip in 1868. He returned in 1873 and settled here, first practicing law and then going into banking. In 1878, he was elected into the lower House of Colorado legislature. On January 23, 1879, Mr. Todd introduced "House Bill No. 134, a bill for an act to encourage the formation and establishment of a State historical and natural history society", which achieved final passage on February 6th.

 

Today the society he founded is known as History Colorado.

Quixote's True Blue Cafe

  

Back when Quixote's used to be on East Colfax Avenue in the Riviera Motel Bar. It originally opened in 1996, the year following the death of Jerry Garcia.

Marlon D. Green

 

The Stapleton neighborhood recently changed its name to Central Park because of Stapleton's ties to the Ku Klux Klan. Good. But they really missed out on a great opportunity as, ironically, the very first African American pilot ever hired by a commercial passenger airline, Marlon D. Green, began flying passenger planes out of Stapleton International Airport for Continental Airlines in 1965. He fought a six-year court battle that opened the industry to minority-race aviators and was promoted to captain in 1966.

 

They could have called it Marlon's Green (or something to that effect). The area was originally called Rattlesnake Hollow. Go figure.

Don Cheadle at East High School

  

Don Cheadle: the East High School years. Yes, Mr. Cheadle was once an East High Angel.....here he is singing with Neil Bridge’s Citywide Jazz Combo. That’s Neil to the side conducting.

Populus coming to West Colfax Avenue

 

This is what's planned for the old Denver Hospitality Center site at 225 W Colfax. I'm still not happy that the old building is being demolished, but I really like this new one (at least from what I can tell by the rendering). - Colfax Jack

Urban Villages, a Denver-based real estate firm that focuses on long-term value creation, in partnership with world-renowned architecture practice Studio Gang, revealed the design of a new 145,000-gross-square-foot, 13-story mixed-use building – known as “Populus” – located at 14th Street and Colfax Avenue, immediately adjacent to Civic Center Park.

Here's what it's replacing:

13th Amendment

  

On this day (Dec. 6th) 155 years ago, our country founded on ideals of freedom and universal equality finally ended the legal institution of slavery when Congress ratified the 13th Amendment. Colfax Avenue namesake Schuyler Colfax was the Speaker of the House at the time, and considered it the pinnacle of his political career.

Scramble Campbell

Once upon a time, The Colfax Museum played host to Scramble Campbell.

Colfax and Broadway, 1925

Courtesy the Denver Public Library, Western History Collection

 Colfax and Broadway, 1925.

China Place Restaurant

 

Do you remember China Place restaurant? This photo was taken of the restaurant in the 1970s. Located at near the Aurora Fox Theater on East Colfax Avenue, China Place operated out of a prefabricated building that was built in the 1940s and originally served as a diner.

Tap Inn

Tap Inn, 4888 West Colfax Avenue, Denver, 1980s (photo by Reed Weimer)

This bar is now known as The Viking and the sign is still there, although it's been painted over. The vintage Arby's building next door is still there as well, although it's now a used car lot.

Eugene Field House

  

Did you know that Margaret Brown was one of Denver's early preservationists? In 1927 she worked to preserve the home of Denver poet, Eugene Field, from its threatened location near the Denver Mint on Colfax Avenue to Washington Park. The home served as a library branch for 40 years. Today it is used by the park, and a nearby statue of Wynken, Blynken and Nod commemorates one of Field's most famous poems.

Molly Brown House Museum

Margaret and J.J. Brown moved into this house in 1894.

Just a block and a half off Colfax Avenue lies the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown House Museum at 1340 Pennsylvania Street.

Historic Denver was founded as part of an effort to purchase the Molly Brown House and save it from the wrecking ball that had felled so many of its neighbors in Capitol Hill. The owner at the time, Art Leisinring, put out the alert that he needed to sell the structure, and Denver history lovers and preservationists worked together to save the decrepit mansion. The museum devoted to telling the story of Margaret Brown, Denver philanthropist and suffragist, has been open to the public since March 1971, and has welcomed well over two million people.

Capitol Grounds, 1908

An old-school McDonald's, Colfax and Kingston.

Speedee

An old-school McDonald's, Colfax and Kingston.

1960 Hillman Super Minx at Farmer Joe Cars

 

So much car...so little cost. The 1960 Hillman Super Minx at Farmer Joe Cars, 7575 East Colfax.

Bastien's Nailed It

  

History is being made every day on Colfax. 

Blue Bell Cafe

  

Blue Bell Cafe, U.S. 40 - Aurora, Colorado

Satire Lounge Sign

Photo by John Margolies

The Satire Lounge sports a classic neon sign which hearkens back to the Highway 40 era of Colfax Avenue.

Richie's Restaurant

 

Big Al's Gashouse

 

Big Al's does it again! Featuring live entertainment with The Escorts at 8975 E. Colfax Avenue.

West Colfax Traffic Jam, 1979

Photo by John Prieto

 

New Yorker Lounge Sign Has A New Home

The old neon sign from the New Yorker Lounge, once at 2213 E. Colfax Avenue and York Street, has a new home at 17th and Newton St. in Denver.

Solf Building, 1976

Photo by Ira Gay Sealy

The Solf Building at 2644 W. Colfax Avenue, photographed in 1976.  Originally built in 1896, today it's the Original Brooklyn's.

Grammy Award winner Clark Hagan

 

Creating a museum like this requires support from the community. Thankfully, there are Colfax diehards everywhere!

 

Clark Hagan won a Grammy Award for his work with the King of Nashville, the Country Gentleman himself: Chet Atkins. Chet used to live in Lakewood, CO, and recorded his very first demo at the newly opened Rockley Music on West Colfax in 1946. 

 

Thank you for your generosity and support of our museum, Clark!

John Elliott, R.I.P.

  

Rest in Power, John Elliott. He was a great friend of the music scene and had been fighting cancer with all his might, but in the end lost the battle to COVID. Keep fighting in his name, and wear your masks!

Happy Veterans Day

William Colfax

Happy Veterans Day and thank you to all the heroes who have served our country! Speaking of veterans, Colfax Avenue namesake Schuyler Colfax's grandfather William was the Captain of General George Washington's personal guard. He fought in every major battle of the Revolutionary War and lived to tell the tale. He was even present at Yorktown when Gen. Corwallis surrendered, ending the war.

The Sound Track

The Sound Track, located at Colfax and Gaylord St., was a short lived club, but hosted some legendary music while it lasted! King Crimson & Energy played there in 1972.

Mini Golf

Colfax Avenue and Race St.

Colfax Avenue and Garfield St.

 

There were apparently two mini golf courses along #Colfax circa 1930.

U2 at McNichols Arena, 1987

 

On this date in 1987, U2 played Denver's now-demolished McNichols Arena, just a stone's throw from Colfax Avenue. Seven of the 22 songs in the Rattle and Hum film were recorded that evening in stunning black & white.

 

Aristocrat Motor Hotel

  

Don't see too many aristocrats on West Colfax these days, with the exception of this very cool old sign...

Copper Kitchen

 

Grant and Colfax - Election Campaign 1868

"Get Out and Vote!" - Grant and Colfax, 1868.

The Pines Motel Neon Sign

Photo by John Margolies

G. Brown

 

It takes a community to get a museum like this off the ground. We are so thankful for everyone who has shown their support for The Colfax Museum! Lifelong music journalist and historian G. Brown is one such person, shown here wearing one of our retro Sid King T-shirts. 

 

He is still very active today with his Colorado Music Experience website and blog. Thanks, G!