History Comes Alive at the Animas Museum in Durango

The Animas Museum, which is the best source for local history related to Southwest Colorado, is in the middle of a project to photograph and digitize information about their impressive collections.  I've been lucky to be a part of it. This project will make it possible to research almost any topic represented by the items in the Museum's Collections. Click on this  link to their website, Animas Museum Collections  to learn about this great project.

Vacant, Not Blighted. Heritage Matters in Detroit

Check out this great video from the Michigan Historic Preservation Network. What a heartfelt plea to Detroit to think hard about their history.  I particularly liked the man who talked about restoring a porch in 25 degrees temperatures and knowing his work would be around for another 100 years. Here's the link. http://vimeo.com/96926735

At Home in the Past is now The Historical Consultant

I've changed the name of my blog to match the website address for my business. My old website at www.thehistoricalconsultant.com will be discontinued in 2015, and online traffic will be directed to this blog.  Check out upcoming posts on this blog for more information about my business, Cultural Resource Planning, and our great projects!


I'm still working in Durango, Colorado, as a historical consultant and doing fascinating projects in history, architecture, historical archaeology, research and historic building surveys. Right now I'm conducting a new historic building survey in Cortez, Colorado. This project is the third phase of a multi-year project to document and record the historic buildings in the interesting little town in southwest Colorado. As the gateway community to Mesa Verde National Park, Cortez offers a small rural community lifestyle and a really fascinating history of water development against a backdrop of Ancestral Puebloan, Ute and Navajo cultures.


In Durango I'm working with the Animas Museum to document the histories of the objects in their collections. This project highlights some of Durango's important historic families whose contributions to the Museum range from antique saddles, to Ute beadwork to historic farm implements. The Museum has received a Museums for America grant from the Institute of Museums and Library Services.

Agritourism in Colorado

Colorado agritourism welcomes locals and visitors to connect with their heritage through its agriculture. The Colorado State University Extension Office reported in 2006 that more than 13 million visitors spent $2.2 billion in such agritourism activities as farm visits, farmer's markets and winery tours, rodeos or stock shows and horseback riding.


You can enjoy some of our agricultural heritage on March 13-15 in Cortez at the Four States Agricultural Exposition. Now in its 32nd year, this event is held at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds. Some of my favorite events are the antique tractor show and tractor pull, and the stock dog exhibitions. This year I may take in a session on pack mules and packing techniques from veteran Federal Government packer, Glenn Ryan, or maybe the forum on wildfires and fire management.


If you are in the Four Corners, come by Cortez and check it out.