Colorado Then and Now Photographs

Colorado Then and Now Photographs Come explore the history of Colorado by “traveling through time” via my Then and Now photographs. I was inspired to do this by the work of John Fielder.
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Please, no political comments, left or right.

Going back to Elizabeth Colorado. This is 392 Main st. The photos were taken in the 1930s and 2024. This historic buildi...
09/06/2026

Going back to Elizabeth Colorado. This is 392 Main st. The photos were taken in the 1930s and 2024.

This historic building located at 392 Main Street in Elizabeth, Colorado (famously known as the home of The Carriage Shoppes) was originally constructed in the 1880s and has served as a vital cornerstone of the local community for well over a century. The structure was originally erected as a blacksmith shop and livery stable. Historic municipal records indicate it was known early on as the Ahl and Weiss Blacksmith Shop and Garage.

As the frontier town grew, the building shifted from industrial use to a civic lifeline. “The building was constructed in 1882 and was used as a blacksmith shop and garage until 1903 when it then served as a Town Hall, entertainment center, and gathering place.” During the devastating regional floods of 1935, the building served as a critical emergency relief station for displaced community members.

The original photo shows the Ahl and Weiss Garage. During the dawn of the automotive era, the building’s operators converted the original 1880s blacksmith shop into an early auto repair shop and garage. It was one of the first places in Elbert County where early motorists could get replacement parts, mechanical work, and fuel.

Today, the sprawling 5,000-square-foot property has been meticulously preserved and serves as a major commercial anchor for the Elizabeth Main Street Program. The Carriage Shoppes opened in 2005, this major retail anchor hosts over 20 local artisans and antique vendors across a multi-room, two-story layout.

The Carriage Shoppes Tea Room: Tucked directly inside the historic building, this boutique dining spot is a local favorite, hosting annual community gatherings like the Strolling Tea. Because of its prominence, the building's back lots are part of a coordinated town site plan with the Town of Elizabeth to develop a historic downtown parking facility and pedestrian connections to neighboring Running Creek Park.

Original photo provided courtesy Town of Elizabeth, Colorado

Colorado Then and Now Photographs History Colorado Denver Public Library The Nest at The 1897 House in Elizabeth, CO

This is the 12th and final installment (at least for a while) of my series on Automobiles in Colorado. This photo was ta...
09/05/2026

This is the 12th and final installment (at least for a while) of my series on Automobiles in Colorado. This photo was taken at the intersection of 15th and Miner Street in Idaho Springs. The original photograph was taken in 1911 and my photo was taken in 2016.

It was a typical custom for automobile manufacturers to market their products by having cross-country drives to prove it's durability. That's what's happening here. The banner on the side says this truck left New York City on July 8th and arrived in San Francisco on August 24th. This journey is documented as one of the earliest successful transcontinental trips by a motor truck under its own power. The truck could handle a 3-ton load. The other Banner boasts that is is the first shipment of freight from Denver Idaho Springs using an Auto truck.

The property on the corner of the center section is a historic Victorian era commercial building built in 1886. It is mostly associated with banks and finance. It is historically known as the Turner Building. However the original tenants after it was constructed in 1886 was the Roberts Brothers grocery store on the first floor. The Roberts Brothers also ran a store in Silver Plume. Today the first floor space is occupied by a thrift recycle shop and a Mountain Gems jewelry store.

The original photo is provided courtesy Denver Public Library Digital Collection

Colorado Then and Now Photographs History Colorado Historic Denver

Number 11 in my Automobiles of Colorado series. This is the home at 3029 Perry Street in Denver the photos were taken in...
09/05/2026

Number 11 in my Automobiles of Colorado series. This is the home at 3029 Perry Street in Denver the photos were taken in 1905 and 2015. The car you see is a 1905 Studebaker electric. (I have had several people during the series correct me and tell me that I had the wrong car listed in my comments and that may be the case here but my research came out that this is a Studebaker electric).

The House,
The residential property at 3029 Perry Street is a single-family home primarily built in 1905. Located in the historic, high-demand neighborhood of West Highland (zip code 80212), this home reflects the classic architectural transitions of early 20th-century Denver.

The property is a two-level structure built with a structural brick exterior, a highly popular building material in Denver following the city's early fires and subsequent brick-only ordinances. Public records describe its architectural style as a blend of Bungalow and Victorian influences—a common hybrid in the West Highland area, where late-Victorian cottages gradually gave way to the ubiquitous Denver Square and Craftsman bungalows.

Perry Street sits in the heart of Denver's north-side expansion. Around the time this home was erected in 1905, the area was rapidly growing due to its streetcar access, drawing residents who wanted a quieter lifestyle away from downtown while remaining connected to the urban core. The surrounding block consists heavily of homes built in the same era, such as 3025 Perry Street (built in 1900) and 3039 Perry Street (built in 1893).

The Car,
The 1905 Studebaker Electric car represents a fascinating era when one of the world's largest horse-drawn wagon manufacturers successfully transitioned into the automotive industry. Built by the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company in South Bend, Indiana, these early battery-powered vehicles were clean, quiet, and highly popular among wealthy urban residents.

Before launching their own line of automobiles, Studebaker began experimenting with horseless vehicles in 1897. Studebaker formally launched its own Studebaker Electric in 1902. The cars were strongly backed by high-profile pioneers; famously, Thomas Edison helped design early battery prototypes and purchased the second electric car Studebaker ever built, driving it for over two decades.

By 1905, Studebaker's electric vehicles had evolved into multiple distinct horse-drawn-style body configurations. The most prominent 1905 variations belonged to the Model 24 generation. They were marketed under styles matching traditional carriages.

The Stanhope was a lightweight, open two-passenger carriage. It was sold as a small runabout. The Victoria & Surrey were larger passenger configurations, including a four-passenger model introduced around this time to accommodate families. Studebaker also utilized its electric chassis to construct heavy-duty urban delivery vehicles and multi-passenger buses.

Studebaker's primary core strength was custom body craftsmanship rather than mechanical engine manufacturing, they outsourced the electric powertrains. The 1905 cars utilized an electric motor built by Westinghouse, powered by large lead-acid batteries.

Compared to modern vehicles, the capabilities of a 1905 Studebaker Electric were strictly optimized for localized, paved city streets. A hand tiller, rather than a steering wheel, was used for steering the car. The transmission was a chain-drive system equipped with four forward speeds. A modest cruising velocity ranging between 3 to 13 mph. It could run approximately 40 miles on a single charge, making them ideal for running short errands or doctor house calls.

The original photo was given to me by a woman who lived just to the left of this group of homes she was one of the earliest followers of my page. My memory, being what it is, doesn't allow me to remember her name. So if you're out there let us know who you are and I apologize.

Colorado Then and Now Photographs History Colorado Denver Public Library Historic Denver

Here is number 10 in my series of automobiles in Colorado. This one is also from Lookout Mountain. It is called The Lari...
09/04/2026

Here is number 10 in my series of automobiles in Colorado. This one is also from Lookout Mountain. It is called The Lariat Spring House. There is a parking area called Windy Saddle about three or four miles up from Golden where you can look to the west and see Clear Creek and look to the East and see Golden. Just South of Windy Saddle there are three tight switchbacks. The Lariat Spring House was located on the 3rd Switchback.

The Lariat Spring House, officially known as the Combined Shelter & Pump House, was located along the historic Lariat Loop Drive on Lookout Mountain near Golden. Built as part of the pioneering Denver Mountain Parks system, it served as an essential oasis for early travelers scaling the steep foothills.

The Lariat Trail opened in 1913, designed by legendary landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. and S**o R. DeBoer to scale Lookout Mountain using engineered hairpin turns. To support the massive influx of early motorists, the City of Denver added various support structures. This Spring House was constructed in 1916.

The Spring House served several purposes for early travelers. Driving up the 4.6-mile climb's steep 6% grade frequently overheated early automobile engines. The natural spring served as a place to take a rest and put some water in the radiator.

The property featured two distinct rock buildings connected by an arched rock wall. It included an shelter area with an arched window, a built-in stone bench, and a shingled roof. A water pump stood out front to draw from the cool mountain spring.

The spot is overgrown with trees and bushes now, but I remember the first time I drove up Lookout Mountain with my family seeing that and wondering what in the world it was. It didn't seem to be there for any specific purpose. It wasn't until I started doing these pictures that I found out more about it.

Original photo provided courtesy Denver Public Library Digital Collection

Colorado Then and Now Photographs History Colorado Historic Denver Golden History Museum & Park Denver Mountain Parks Foundation Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave

#9 in my Automobiles in Colorado series. This is right below the summit of lookout Mountain. Buffalo Bill's grave would...
09/03/2026

#9 in my Automobiles in Colorado series. This is right below the summit of lookout Mountain. Buffalo Bill's grave would be directly behind this. The original photo was taken in 1916. My photo was taken in 2016. According to the research that I could come up with, the car that you see in the middle of the original picture is a 1914 Marmon model 48. It was a seven passenger touring car. Although the parent company, based out of Indianapolis, was much older, they started producing cars in 1902 they went out of business in 1933.

This photo also shows the top of the Lookout Mountain Park Funicular. The Lookout Mountain Park Funicular was a historic cable railway that operated from Golden to the summit of Lookout Mountain from 1912 to 1916. Built by Rees Vidler and opened in July 1912, the route was initially surveyed by students from the Colorado School of Mines. It featured a 2,740-foot incline with a steep 67 percent grade, using a three-rail system where the cars shared a middle passing rail. The railway went bankrupt in 1916 and foreclosed by 1919 after automobiles and newly built mountain roads made the funicular obsolete.

Today, only a narrow scar or cut remains visible on the slope of Lookout Mountain just below the radio antennas. If you head up Lookout Mountain road from Golden you'll pass through a residential area and then two historic stone columns and then a sharp you turn to the right. Just South of that u-turn is where the lower station of the funicular was located and it's barely visible but you can still see the cut that was made to put the rails down. According to Jefferson County Archives, “The funicular railway was a 2,740-foot incline with a 67 percent grade. Ultimately, funiculars were rendered obsolete by the construction of roads.”

Original Photo provided courtesy Denver Public Library Digital Collection

History Colorado Historic Denver Colorado Then and Now Photographs Golden History Museum & Park Jefferson County CO Historical Commission Jefferson County Colorado Government Jefferson County Sheriff's Office

#8 in my Automobiles in Colorado series. This is 16th Street looking Northwest across Cleveland. The photos were taken ...
09/01/2026

#8 in my Automobiles in Colorado series. This is 16th Street looking Northwest across Cleveland. The photos were taken in 1933 and 2026. From what I've been able to gather the car that you see is a 1925 Ford model T coupe. The dome that you see in the original photograph is not the capital it is the former Arapahoe County Courthouse, which was at the intersection of 16th Street and Court place. This is now where the downtown Denver Sheraton hotel is located.

The reason you see the flooding in the original photo is because this was taken just after August 3 1933. That was the date of the catastrophic Castlewood Canyon Dam failure.

The Castlewood Canyon Dam was built in 1890 across a stretch of Cherry Creek just south of Franktown. Almost immediately there were concerns about its stability there was frequent leaking through the dam. It was made of stone and masonry and was intended to supply irrigation water for local farms.

On August 3rd 1933 those concerns came to fruition. There was a cloudburst the night before, south of that location which dropped roughly six to nine inches of rain in a matter of hours. At approximately 1:30 in the morning. The dam began to crumble and soon failed completely sending a wall of water approximately 15 ft high down Cherry Creek towards Denver.

The caretaker of the dam, Hugh Paine, saw that the structure was failing and he raced 10 miles downstream to a phone and called the Denver authorities. It is estimated that this action saved countless lives, although ultimately two lives were lost.

By the morning, the water had reached Denver. It submerged the lower downtown area and the water backed up as far as the state capital which is what you see in this photograph. The flood took out six Bridges twisted railroad tracks and by the time it hit the South Platte River it was a sea of mud burying railroad tracks and anything in its way.

Ultimately it led to the construction of Cherry Creek reservoir to save Denver from any further flood damage of that magnitude. The spot of the failure is now a state park called the Castlewood Canyon State Park. You can park and hike down and see what is left of that dam.

I remember my father telling me that his father brought him down to Downing Street on the hill on the South side of Cherry Creek near the Denver Country Club. He could remember the massive amount of water rushing down the Cherry Creek waterway.

Original photo provided courtesy Denver Public Library Digital Collection

Colorado Then and Now Photographs History Colorado Historic Denver

Installment #7 in my Automobiles In Colorado series. This is the Eastern side of Berthoud pass looking South. The photo...
09/01/2026

Installment #7 in my Automobiles In Colorado series. This is the Eastern side of Berthoud pass looking South. The photos were taken in 1926 and 2019. The car pictured in the original photograph is probably 1920 Oldsmobile touring car.

Berthoud Pass is an 11,307-foot mountain pass in Central Colorado that crosses the Continental Divide. Named after surveyor Edward L. Berthoud, who mapped it in 1861, the pass evolved from a rugged wagon trail into Colorado's first paved road across the Divide. Berthoud Blazed a mountain trail in the spring of 1861 while hired by the Overland company to survey a direct route from Denver to Salt Lake City. Jim Bridger, the legendary mountain man and scout, accompanied Berthoud on the initial 1861 expedition.

Though deemed too steep for a railroad route, the path was cleared for wagons. The Georgetown, Middle Park, and White River Wagon Road Company officially finished a toll road over the pass in 1874, which quickly transitioned into a major regional stagecoach route. The Summit House was constructed in 1876 as a high-altitude tollgate and stage stop. It was eventually replaced by the Berthoud Pass Inn, an auto-tourism hub that operated until a 1939 lightning strike required it to be taken down. As vehicles replaced horse-drawn transportation, the pass became a central link in Colorado's highway network. The original dirt wagon trail was heavily modified throughout the early 20th century. When paving finished in 1938, it marked the very first paved highway built over the Continental Divide in Colorado and was designated as part of highway 40.

Modern travelers navigate a standard 3-lane highway known for steep switchbacks and extreme winter conditions. The pass remains actively managed by road crews to mitigate regular risks from snowstorms, rockslides, and avalanches.

On a personal note my family has owned a cabin in Grand Lake since 1971 and I have traveled this pass thousands of times. I know that it's something that some people travel over with some trepidation, but I actually enjoy driving this road.

Original photo provided courtesy Denver Public Library Digital Collection

Colorado Then and Now Photographs History Colorado Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office Clear Creek County, Colorado Grand County Historical Association Grand County Colorado Grand County Sheriff's Office - Colorado

Here's number seven in my series of automobiles in Colorado. These two photos were taken in front of the Civic Center bu...
08/31/2026

Here's number seven in my series of automobiles in Colorado. These two photos were taken in front of the Civic Center building in Denver and it shows a bus from the Rio Grande Motorway. The photos were taken in 1937 by Otto Perry and in 2015 by yours truly.

The bus is a 1935 White Motor Company model 54-A streamlined bus. It was custom-built to provide long-distance highway coach service alongside existing rail routes.

The lettering along the side indicates it ran cross-country routes, servicing cities including Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Grand Junction, Pueblo, Denver, Omaha, Kansas City, Chicago, and New York.

Rio Grande Motorways was a division of the Denver and Rio Grande Western railway. It was put in the service in the early 1930s to handle the freight and passenger service due to the declining use of the railway. It operated in one form or another until May of 1982 when competition forced it to close.

Original photo provided courtesy Denver Public Library Digital Collection

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