This first post is intended to introduce myself, and set the stage for posts to come. In 2008, my partner and I, with our dogs Lucy and Bosley, bought our second home together, and moved into our dream house in La Alma/Lincoln Park. We love our beautiful Victorian gem, and are so excited by the great community we have found here. I have participated on the steering committee that helped plan the DHA redevelopment we are all watching and hoping will help revitalize our once blight filled neighborhood. I also just completed work on my Master’s in Public Administration from CU’s School of Public Affairs, and am looking for a way to contribute something to our community. I have definitely seen a lot of changes in the short time we have lived here, and have high hopes for for our vibrant Transit-Oriented community, that maintains its diverse city culture and artistic energy, while forming a new identity, as one of the most desirable place to live in Denver.
My explorations into our neighborhood history have met with little success until recently. It seems our streets were not filled with the grandest houses, or home to many titans of industry and commerce, but life existed here from Denver’s earliest days. I plan to cover what I have learned of territorial governor A C Hunt’s home and Camp Weld in subsequent posts, as they were the first buildings I have found in our chronology.  I have also discovered a bit of interesting info about our home’s first resident, Walter Wilson, a story I hope to relate in coming posts. And significantly, I expect to explore how the often meek but sometimes mighty Cherry Creek, that divided the settlements of Auraria and Denver, would prove to create both physical and mental barriers to the residents of the west side.

With all due credit to the folks at the Denver Public Library, the online collection of photos and documents has grown and I have found a bit of history that I never saw before, that I think might be interesting to a few readers. I think it is worth noting that the name, La Alma/Lincoln Park, as it is officially recognized by the city, is often simply referred to as one or the other and I will often do the same. I am not trying to make a political stand on this issue, but must acknowledge I would prefer to see a more cohesive identity. The fact is, when I tell most people that I live at 10th and Kalamath, they immediately say something nice about the Baker neighborhood. I think that sharing stories, and uncovering our past is a good first step in bolstering our neighborhood identity, image and pride.
So welcome to Across the Creek, a place to come for a bit of history and happenings from the heart of Lincoln Park, Denver.