History Colorado Center Unveils Rare Artifacts From Standout Women
By Alan Gionet
DENVER (CBS4) - The History Colorado Center has some rarely seen items coming out of the closet on Tuesday. The museum is offering a view of the outfits worn by some of Colorado's most famous women.
One item in the collection is a dress that belonged to Chipeta, also known as White Singing Bird. She was the wife of Chief Ouray of the Uncompahgre Ute Tribe. Chipeta was an Indian rights advocate long after Chief Ouray's death.
An opera coat worn by Baby Doe Tabor will also be on display. She was one of the most recognizable figures in Colorado's mining boom. Tabor arrived in Colorado in the 1870s and moved to Leadville after divorcing her first husband. That alone caused a stir, and then she married Horace Tabor, who was almost twice her age. The pubic was fascinated with their lives.
A third item coming out today is a dress worn by Colorado's Molly Brown. The two-piece dress is a unique article, and has been a challenge for curators because of its weight due to the bead work. Alongside her dress are remarkable facts about Molly Brown, who, like Baby Doe, lived for a time in Leadville, where she worked in soup kitchens to help mining families.
The exhibit is part of a display called "Who Knew!? Everything Old is New Again." The items have been taken out of storage and readied for display. They will be unveiled at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday morning at History Colorado on Broadway and East 12th Avenue.
Alan Gionet is anchor of the CBS4 Morning News and reports on a wide variety of issues and "Good Question" stories. He started at CBS4 in 1994. Follow Alan on Twitter @AlanGTV.
