Patrice Lablanc, Gilpin County. Monday, May 6, 2019, brought members and guests to Ameristar Casino in Black Hawk, CO, to celebrate 50 years of the Gilpin Historical Society an event which included a full course meal and presentation tracing the rich history of the society. 

Board president for the last five years, Deb Wray, welcomed the crowd and told them of upcoming plans for the society into the future which include:

The next Cemetery Crawl will take place on September 7 at Fairmont Cemetery in Denver where many of the prominent historical figures are buried. The Creepy Crawl and Paranormal nights in October are always a hit. 

The Stroehle House, located in Black Hawk, is being renovated with a new roof, furnace, gas lines and paint. Plans for more events in the Stroehle House along with possible soda or pumpkin parties and historical teas are in the works as the building becomes more accessible. 

Other plans include relocating the History Museum, currently located on E. First High Street, to Main St. to attract more tourists. The Historical Society would like to partner with other organizations and entities to promote and create a flavor to the region with its rich history. 

One of the more successful adventures for the past 11 years has been the shootout events of the “Wild Bunch”. This group reenacts western shootouts in front of the Belvidere Theater every Saturday on the hour during the summer from 12-4 p.m. This was the brain child of Mike Keeler who wanted to bring entertainment to Main St. in Central City. The city originally sponsored the events, but the Historical Society took over in recent years.

The current group consists of Mike Keeler (Big Bad Mike), Tom Mathews (Undertaker), Chuck Roberts (Marshall), Kristy Tynerson (Bad and Dead Lady) Chuck Fullen (Bad Guy), and Jonas Schrock (Deputy). Some of the former members have passed away. The Wild Bunch gang is an all-volunteer group and any proceeds go directly to the Gilpin Historical Society. The group has branched out and does shootout events at Buffalo Bill Days in Golden, Pancake Breakfast in Nevadaville and they will represent Central City in a Gunslinger Show in Wichita, KS, in September. The shows last about 5 minutes and are loosely scripted with a lot of improvisation. The merchants on Main St. has been very supportive of the Wild Bunch and there has been increased tourism as the gang has developed a following. 

The Executive Director of the museum, Dr. David Forsyth, gave a power point presentation of Historical Society over the last 50 years and titled it Fanny on the Ceiling with a graphic from the Glory Hole Saloon that Emmy Wilson posed for. 

David gave accounts of past members and presidents of the Historical Society and some of the highlights over the past five decades. Emmy Wilson started the organization in 1958 but passed away in 1963 and the organization shut down. In 1959, postmaster Max Robb reformed the society and collected all the previous postal records. In 1970 the Gilpin School Board leased their old schoolhouse to the Historical Society for $25 a year and the society started collecting artifacts and antiques for exhibits.

Some eccentric exhibits over the years have included bicycles, victorian underwear, airbag collections, a submarine, license plates and the schoolroom from Russel Gulch. Past events through the Historical Society included dances with box lunches, antique sales, quilting classes, marching at the St. Patty’s Day parade in Denver and fundraiser dinners at the Teller House. The Historical Society operates the main 5000 sq. foot museum along with the Thomas House, Washington Hall and the Couer D’Alene Mine tours. The current board is excited about the next 50 years and the impact it will have in Gilpin County. 

(Originally published in the May 16, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)