As my 365 Days photo project comes to a close, I've been reflecting on what I DIDN'T manage to photograph and share. At the top of this list is a blooming Boulderado double daylily. Ruth Schultz, who cultivated the Boulderado Double Daylily, generously gave us some bulbs that we planted on Spruce Street. Last summer, they sprouted and grew but didn't mature before winter arrived. I had hoped to be able to share a photo of them blooming, and I haven't given up on that hope, but it will come to late for the 365 Days of Boulderado Photos.
Showing posts with label Memories of the Boulderado. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Memories of the Boulderado. Show all posts
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Day 363 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Boulderado Double Daylily
As my 365 Days photo project comes to a close, I've been reflecting on what I DIDN'T manage to photograph and share. At the top of this list is a blooming Boulderado double daylily. Ruth Schultz, who cultivated the Boulderado Double Daylily, generously gave us some bulbs that we planted on Spruce Street. Last summer, they sprouted and grew but didn't mature before winter arrived. I had hoped to be able to share a photo of them blooming, and I haven't given up on that hope, but it will come to late for the 365 Days of Boulderado Photos.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Romantic Boulderado Stories
It being Valentine's Day and all, I thought I'd take the opportunity to share some of the most romantic Boulderado stories we've collected so far. As part of our Centennial Celebration, we have been collecting favorite memories of former employees, guests, and locals who have a special place in their heart for the Hotel Boulderado. Please enjoy these romantic Boulderado stories!
- "First Wedding Ceremony" is a diary excerpt that shares the story of our first wedding ceremony on record, dating back to May 1911.
- "A Big Challenge" recounts a challenging courtship with a happy ending.
- "Fruit Salad" starts with a bizarre dream and ends with a wedding.
- "My Wedding Gift" is a sweet recollection of a bride on her wedding day at the Boulderado.
- "The $17,000 Question" features a relationship -- and missing money!
- "Romance on the Mezz" tells the story of love found on our Mezzanine.
- "She said that I needed to sit down" is a story with a startling announcement.
- "Lobby Love" shares a story of love that began right in our lobby.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Louis Winterberger
The Howards sold the Hotel Boulderado in 1967 to Court Plaza Inc, a group of local investors in Boulder. Louis Winterberger was a partner in the group, and he took over the day-to-day task of managing the hotel. Like the Howards, Winterberger wished to keep the hotel rooms period in nature.
In an attempt to keep the hotel full, Winterberger allowed more permanent residents to stay at the Boulderado. Most of them were elderly folks whose spouses had already passed away. One such resident was Walter Lawry, who marched such a familiar trail from the Boulderado to his favorite restaurant that the alley he walked down would later be renamed "Lawry Lane" in his honor. According to Legend of a Landmark, "Senility was a trait of . . . Winterberger's guests. 'A woman came to the front desk one day and asked if we had any rooms,' he said. 'I showed her her own room and she said it was delightful, and that she'd take it.'"
The same year that Court Plaza Inc. took over the Boulderado, Boulder residents finally voted to repeal the prohibition the city had been under since the 30s. For the first time, full-strength wine, beer, and liquor could be legally served within the city limits. Winterberger turned an unused space in the basement into Catacombs Bar and Restaurant, which opened in 1969 to thirsty patrons. He also added an entrance to the bar from 13th Street, paving the way for the hotel entrances to be switched in the future. (The hotel's main entrance since its 1909 opening was located on Spruce Street. But with the crumbling stone portico and Catacombs traffic, the entrance was eventually moved to 13th Street.)
When Court Plaza Inc. sold the Boulderado in 1976, Louis Winterberger shared his thoughts. "Naturally we have mixed emotions about selling the hotel. Our Christmas carol sing in the decorated lobby at Christmas time soon became a family tradition and we have pleasant memories of the lovely weddings, the Philharmonic Balls, and many other social events which have taken place in the lobby. We know the new owners feel as we do about the historic preservation of the hotel, and we are pleased they will be continuing our efforts."
Gwen, Winterberger's wife, shared her memories of running the hotel with her husband in our Memories of the Boulderado. Click here to read her story.
In an attempt to keep the hotel full, Winterberger allowed more permanent residents to stay at the Boulderado. Most of them were elderly folks whose spouses had already passed away. One such resident was Walter Lawry, who marched such a familiar trail from the Boulderado to his favorite restaurant that the alley he walked down would later be renamed "Lawry Lane" in his honor. According to Legend of a Landmark, "Senility was a trait of . . . Winterberger's guests. 'A woman came to the front desk one day and asked if we had any rooms,' he said. 'I showed her her own room and she said it was delightful, and that she'd take it.'"
The same year that Court Plaza Inc. took over the Boulderado, Boulder residents finally voted to repeal the prohibition the city had been under since the 30s. For the first time, full-strength wine, beer, and liquor could be legally served within the city limits. Winterberger turned an unused space in the basement into Catacombs Bar and Restaurant, which opened in 1969 to thirsty patrons. He also added an entrance to the bar from 13th Street, paving the way for the hotel entrances to be switched in the future. (The hotel's main entrance since its 1909 opening was located on Spruce Street. But with the crumbling stone portico and Catacombs traffic, the entrance was eventually moved to 13th Street.)
When Court Plaza Inc. sold the Boulderado in 1976, Louis Winterberger shared his thoughts. "Naturally we have mixed emotions about selling the hotel. Our Christmas carol sing in the decorated lobby at Christmas time soon became a family tradition and we have pleasant memories of the lovely weddings, the Philharmonic Balls, and many other social events which have taken place in the lobby. We know the new owners feel as we do about the historic preservation of the hotel, and we are pleased they will be continuing our efforts."
Gwen, Winterberger's wife, shared her memories of running the hotel with her husband in our Memories of the Boulderado. Click here to read her story.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
December Winner ~ Tell Us Your Boulderado Story
One of the components of the Boulderado's 100 year anniversary is the Tell Us Your Boulderado Story campaign, which is a collection of memories and narratives from the last century about the Hotel Boulderado. Our goal is to collect 100 stories which will be compiled into a coffee table book. The Boulderado selects a monthly favorite, and December's winner is Glenn Donharl. Enjoy his story, "Well, it's a radio."
"We spent our first night in Boulder at the Boulderado.
Nearly 40 years ago, during the first week of January 1973, Margaret and I moved to Boulder. Our apartment was not ready the first night, so we booked a room at the Boulderado. While definitely not the 'new' Boulderado, the experience was distinctly Boulder of the 1970s. The hotel restaurant then was Chinese.
We stayed in a corner room facing Spruce and 13th Street.
It was a bitter cold, windy, snowy night. Remember, this is when Colorado still had significant winters. The wind whistled through the bricks, serenading the room with an icy banshee-like quality. The wind blew hard all that night. Heat came randomly, clanging loudly through the accordianed iron heater.
As sparse as the room was, it did have a TV. Not knowing Boulder, we decided to stay in, because of the weather, and watch TV. Given the ambiance of the Boulderado at that time, we should not have been surprised when the TV had no picture but did have sound. We called the front desk. A disembodied voice (in a prescient imitation of Carlton, the doorman on the Rhoda TV show the following year) said, 'Well, it's a radio.'
We got up in the morning, shook off the cold, listened to the 'radio' and moved into the future with Boulder and with a distinct memory of the 'old' Boulderado.
The rest is history."
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Ed and June Howard
Boulder has long been known as a hippie haven, and no decade conjures up the hippie in the mind's eye more than the 1960s. It was a tough time by then for the Hotel Boulderado. A guest left a note summing up the stay: "Toilet got stuck in night, had a hard time stopping it. Towel rak fell down when I hung up towel. Lamp switch out of order, won't always turn off. Shades too small and don't keep out streetlights. Pillows like rocks. I scarcely slept, all things taken together."
It took a brave spirit to take on a hotel in the condition the Boulderado was in, and that spirit was embodied by Ed and June Howard. The Howards had been friends with the Hutsons for years and agreed to lease the Boulderado from Winnie Hutson beginning in June of 1961. The Howards worked hard to keep the hotel running -- Ed represented management, maintenance, and also worked as a desk clerk, while June also worked behind the desk, connected incoming and outgoing phone calls, and worked briefly in the dining room.
Ed and June cultivated a family atmosphere in the lobby. When the Boulderado first opened in 1909, an orchestra played to entertain guests. The lobby orchestra was replaced by a Victrola, then a radio, and then during the 1960s, a television that guests could gather round and watch. The Howards encouraged the community to come in during the holidays for sing-a-longs. Many of the hotel's guests at the time were permanent residents, mostly elderly folks who could no longer live on their own.
Not everyone in Boulder thought the Boulderado was worth holding on to. City administrators declared it to be a fire hazard because of the cherrywood staircase that stretched from the basement up to the fifth floor and wished to tear the hotel down to make more room for parking downtown. They gave the Howards two options: either encase the entire staircase in sheet rock, or install a sprinkler system throughout the hotel. Ed effectively saved the Hotel Boulderado by deciding to install the sprinklers.
In 1967, just six years after taking over, the Howards had had enough and passed the ownership and management of the Boulderado over to Louis Winterberger, whom we will meet in a future blog post. If you are interested in reading more about the Howards and the Boulderado in the 1960s, check out Ed's oral history or June's Boulderado story.
It took a brave spirit to take on a hotel in the condition the Boulderado was in, and that spirit was embodied by Ed and June Howard. The Howards had been friends with the Hutsons for years and agreed to lease the Boulderado from Winnie Hutson beginning in June of 1961. The Howards worked hard to keep the hotel running -- Ed represented management, maintenance, and also worked as a desk clerk, while June also worked behind the desk, connected incoming and outgoing phone calls, and worked briefly in the dining room.
Ed and June cultivated a family atmosphere in the lobby. When the Boulderado first opened in 1909, an orchestra played to entertain guests. The lobby orchestra was replaced by a Victrola, then a radio, and then during the 1960s, a television that guests could gather round and watch. The Howards encouraged the community to come in during the holidays for sing-a-longs. Many of the hotel's guests at the time were permanent residents, mostly elderly folks who could no longer live on their own.
Not everyone in Boulder thought the Boulderado was worth holding on to. City administrators declared it to be a fire hazard because of the cherrywood staircase that stretched from the basement up to the fifth floor and wished to tear the hotel down to make more room for parking downtown. They gave the Howards two options: either encase the entire staircase in sheet rock, or install a sprinkler system throughout the hotel. Ed effectively saved the Hotel Boulderado by deciding to install the sprinklers.
In 1967, just six years after taking over, the Howards had had enough and passed the ownership and management of the Boulderado over to Louis Winterberger, whom we will meet in a future blog post. If you are interested in reading more about the Howards and the Boulderado in the 1960s, check out Ed's oral history or June's Boulderado story.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
November Winner ~ Tell Us Your Boulderado Story
One of the components of the Boulderado's 100 year anniversary is the Tell Us Your Boulderado Story campaign, which is a collection of memories and narratives from the last century about the Hotel Boulderado. Our goal is to collect 100 stories which will be compiled into a coffee table book. The Boulderado selects a monthly favorite, and November's winner is Laurie Thornton. Enjoy her story, "My Wedding Gift.""Like many other couples, my husband Ernie and I were married on the staircase of the Hotel Boulderado. We had a lovely wedding and reception, but one of the things I remember most about that day was receiving my wedding gift from Ernie. I had recently graduated from veterinary school at CSU and have a very creative husband, so my gift arrived in the most unique way.
The entire wedding party stayed at the Boulderado the night before the wedding. I had told Ernie 'no seeing the bride the day of the wedding,' so I was sure that the knock at my room door the morning of our wedding was not him. I was startled to hear knock, knock, knock, followed by oink, oink, oink! I opened the door to find this adorable little battery-powered pig whacking into the door with her nose and oinking. Looking closer, I discovered she was wearing my wedding gift -- pearl earrings to wear at the ceremony!
We just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. We still have the pig, the earrings, the memories of our wonderful day, and each other."
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
July Winner ~ Tell Us Your Boulderado Story
One of the components of the Boulderado's 100 year anniversary is the Tell Us Your Boulderado Story campaign, which is a collection of memories and narratives from the last century about the Hotel Boulderado. Our goal is to collect 100 stories which will be compiled into a coffee table book. The Boulderado selects a monthly favorite, and July's winner is David Grimm. Enjoy his story, "Affection for the Boulderado."
"For those who remember, there was a bar at the Boulderado called Le Bar. It was a tiny room tucked in behind the main desk. You had to know it was there to find it. At best there was room for five people at the bar and maybe five small tables in the room. For its matchbox size it was nonetheless the favorite watering hole for a number of us downtown types. We might have shown up occasionally at the Walrus or Catacombs or Potter's, but Le Bar was home on most days. Back then there were no tourists to contend with and decor was not a concern.
In 1972 when I started frequenting Le Bar the Boulderado was past its prime -- way past. The hotel was hovering between renovation and demolition and it seemed the wrecking ball had the odds over renewal. At the time my group, two errant radio writers and a late-night disc-jockey (myself), were drinking gin and tonic and Le Bar had a healthy supply of Bombay of which we made ample use each afternoon beginning at five o'clock.
One of the regulars during the summer months was a quiet man who always sat at the bar. He was thin and sad and routinely dressed in a 1950s vintage black suit and black tie. He seldom spoke except to the bartender and then only to order another. He was William S. Burroughs. He was occasionally joined by a younger, boisterous, shaggy, ill-kept man. Then Burroughs would leave his lethargy behind and become animated in conversation. The shaggy man was Allen Ginsberg.
I had no acquaintance with the works of the 'Beat' poets and so had no reason for either alarm or adulation. The two were simply patrons of Le Bar.
One night a television set was brought in by request so that we could watch a Muhammad Ali boxing match. I can't recall whom Ali was fighting but it was of great interest at the time. As the match progressed round by round it became clear that Burroughs and Ginsberg were as big of Ali supporters as the rest of our little group, lending their voices to the alternating cheers and boos.
One night, encouraged by the affectionate attention of a stunning blonde, I went to the front desk to seek a room. In those days there were plenty of rooms available and no reservation was required. It was my good luck to receive a large, airy corner room with private bath on the fourth floor facing front. The cost was two dollars. Three days later when the blonde left for Santa Monica, I kept the room. I had an apartment just two or three blocks away on Arapahoe, but I kept the room at the Boulderado. In the end I kept it for over nine months. It was nice to have a restaurant and bar just downstairs. I always had lodging for visitors and the company of Mr. Lowry in the lobby.
For me the Boulderado has always been my home away from home. Over the years I have often taken a room for the weekend simply to spend time with my old friend and breathe in the Boulderado air.
At some time during the early 1980s while working for KGNU radio, I had the opportunity to host a daily morning talk show at the hotel. It was called "Breakfast at the Boulderado." We filled the airwaves every weekday morning from a booth in what was then the Fleur de Lis restaurant. My co-host, Tom Swope, and I ate breakfast on the air and interviewed governors, senators, mayors, actors, musicians, parolees, and panhandlers. In fact we interviewed anyone who would sit down at the table. One of my favorites was Joni Mitchell, who stopped because she simply wanted a cup of coffee and was willing to sing a cappella to get it. The hotel's venerable general manager, Sid Anderson, was a regular guest keeping the public informed of Boulderado events and making weekly sports predictions. After more than 20 years in the media, I am still asked why we ever quit doing "Breakfast at the Boulderado." The simple answer is that I got married and my wife preferred me at the breakfast table at home. Not so much for my charm as for my cooking skills.
My affection for the Boulderado remains undimmed and untarnished. Many of my fondest memories of Boulder have occurred under its roof. It has always provided for me the perfect setting for public meetings and private occasions. Decisions which have shaped our community have been made there, and both of my daughters had their first 'restaurant' dinners at the hotel.
Today I had a glass of champagne outside at the Corner Bar and listened to the downtown church bells celebrate Boulder's 150th anniversary. The only place to be."
"For those who remember, there was a bar at the Boulderado called Le Bar. It was a tiny room tucked in behind the main desk. You had to know it was there to find it. At best there was room for five people at the bar and maybe five small tables in the room. For its matchbox size it was nonetheless the favorite watering hole for a number of us downtown types. We might have shown up occasionally at the Walrus or Catacombs or Potter's, but Le Bar was home on most days. Back then there were no tourists to contend with and decor was not a concern.
In 1972 when I started frequenting Le Bar the Boulderado was past its prime -- way past. The hotel was hovering between renovation and demolition and it seemed the wrecking ball had the odds over renewal. At the time my group, two errant radio writers and a late-night disc-jockey (myself), were drinking gin and tonic and Le Bar had a healthy supply of Bombay of which we made ample use each afternoon beginning at five o'clock.
One of the regulars during the summer months was a quiet man who always sat at the bar. He was thin and sad and routinely dressed in a 1950s vintage black suit and black tie. He seldom spoke except to the bartender and then only to order another. He was William S. Burroughs. He was occasionally joined by a younger, boisterous, shaggy, ill-kept man. Then Burroughs would leave his lethargy behind and become animated in conversation. The shaggy man was Allen Ginsberg.
I had no acquaintance with the works of the 'Beat' poets and so had no reason for either alarm or adulation. The two were simply patrons of Le Bar.
One night a television set was brought in by request so that we could watch a Muhammad Ali boxing match. I can't recall whom Ali was fighting but it was of great interest at the time. As the match progressed round by round it became clear that Burroughs and Ginsberg were as big of Ali supporters as the rest of our little group, lending their voices to the alternating cheers and boos.
One night, encouraged by the affectionate attention of a stunning blonde, I went to the front desk to seek a room. In those days there were plenty of rooms available and no reservation was required. It was my good luck to receive a large, airy corner room with private bath on the fourth floor facing front. The cost was two dollars. Three days later when the blonde left for Santa Monica, I kept the room. I had an apartment just two or three blocks away on Arapahoe, but I kept the room at the Boulderado. In the end I kept it for over nine months. It was nice to have a restaurant and bar just downstairs. I always had lodging for visitors and the company of Mr. Lowry in the lobby.
For me the Boulderado has always been my home away from home. Over the years I have often taken a room for the weekend simply to spend time with my old friend and breathe in the Boulderado air.
At some time during the early 1980s while working for KGNU radio, I had the opportunity to host a daily morning talk show at the hotel. It was called "Breakfast at the Boulderado." We filled the airwaves every weekday morning from a booth in what was then the Fleur de Lis restaurant. My co-host, Tom Swope, and I ate breakfast on the air and interviewed governors, senators, mayors, actors, musicians, parolees, and panhandlers. In fact we interviewed anyone who would sit down at the table. One of my favorites was Joni Mitchell, who stopped because she simply wanted a cup of coffee and was willing to sing a cappella to get it. The hotel's venerable general manager, Sid Anderson, was a regular guest keeping the public informed of Boulderado events and making weekly sports predictions. After more than 20 years in the media, I am still asked why we ever quit doing "Breakfast at the Boulderado." The simple answer is that I got married and my wife preferred me at the breakfast table at home. Not so much for my charm as for my cooking skills.
My affection for the Boulderado remains undimmed and untarnished. Many of my fondest memories of Boulder have occurred under its roof. It has always provided for me the perfect setting for public meetings and private occasions. Decisions which have shaped our community have been made there, and both of my daughters had their first 'restaurant' dinners at the hotel.
Today I had a glass of champagne outside at the Corner Bar and listened to the downtown church bells celebrate Boulder's 150th anniversary. The only place to be."
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
June Winner ~ Tell Us Your Boulderado Story
One of the components of the Boulderado's 100 year anniversary is the Tell Us Your Boulderado Story campagn, which is a collection of memories and narratives from the last century about the Hotel Boulderado. Our goal is to collect 100 stories which will be compiled into a coffee table book. The Boulderado selects a monthly favorite, and June's winner are Chuck Gower and Cheryl DiPanfilo. Enjoy their story, "The 17,000 Question."
"Our story begins in August of 1980. I came out here from Newburyport, Massachusettes to visit my sister who was living in Gunbarrel and climb Long's Peak with her friends. No on truly believed a flatlander could make this climb. My now husband, Chuck, was a neighbor of one of the people going on the hike. We were all over there on her deck planning the last details. He was out in his yard skipping rope and had an enormous garden. He offered us some vegetables and we accepted and so the tale begins.
We invited him to come over to my sister's house for a swim and as the day progressed we invited him to accompany us on our climb. He had been up Long's several times before and could perhaps be of help. He and I linked up as hiking partners, the most experienced with the flatlander. We made it to the top and in the eighteen hours that we spent together we fell in love. Over the next few weeks we courted at a feverish pitch. One morning while we were still in bed he called his stockbroker. His broker advised him to sell his gold penny stock, a very hot commodity at the time and to come and get his $17,000 profit. At this stage of the courtship he was always trying to impress me. So we went to Denver and instead of picking up a check, the sensible thing to do, he insisted the bank give us cash. He had me put it in my purse for safe keeping and we proceeded to celebrate all over town. We came back to Boulder with the cash still tucked away in my purse and went to the Boulderado for an evening of blues and dancing on the Mezzanine. The bar was getting ready to close when he surprised my with a room key, room 419. We spent the night and in the morning as he prepared to leave for work, I noticed that I didn't have my purse or the $17,000.
We instantly became frantic and Chuck began to think that instead of me being a dream come true, I was the nightmare from hell. We scoured every corner of the room. No luck. We went to the front desk and inquired if anyone had turned in a purse. No luck. They said there was a remote chance that they locked it in the bar upstairs for sake-keeping but we would not be able to check until late that morning. Chuck left for work, sheet pale. This was a lot of money at the time. I waited anxiously in what is now Q's over coffee with my girlfriend. Chuck returned and we went to the bar. We asked, they searched, and we waited. Alas, the purse was found and returned to us. In our minds we were sure the money would be gone. We opened the purse and shrieked with joy. All the money, all $17,000 was still in the purse untouched. We went back to Denver that day to spend some of the lucky money on jewelry. We were engaged the next month and we have been married 28 years as of June 13th. We still have the jewelry we bought and the rest of the $17,000. To this day we often come and stay in room 419 for special occasions. Top that Boulderado story!"
"Our story begins in August of 1980. I came out here from Newburyport, Massachusettes to visit my sister who was living in Gunbarrel and climb Long's Peak with her friends. No on truly believed a flatlander could make this climb. My now husband, Chuck, was a neighbor of one of the people going on the hike. We were all over there on her deck planning the last details. He was out in his yard skipping rope and had an enormous garden. He offered us some vegetables and we accepted and so the tale begins.
We invited him to come over to my sister's house for a swim and as the day progressed we invited him to accompany us on our climb. He had been up Long's several times before and could perhaps be of help. He and I linked up as hiking partners, the most experienced with the flatlander. We made it to the top and in the eighteen hours that we spent together we fell in love. Over the next few weeks we courted at a feverish pitch. One morning while we were still in bed he called his stockbroker. His broker advised him to sell his gold penny stock, a very hot commodity at the time and to come and get his $17,000 profit. At this stage of the courtship he was always trying to impress me. So we went to Denver and instead of picking up a check, the sensible thing to do, he insisted the bank give us cash. He had me put it in my purse for safe keeping and we proceeded to celebrate all over town. We came back to Boulder with the cash still tucked away in my purse and went to the Boulderado for an evening of blues and dancing on the Mezzanine. The bar was getting ready to close when he surprised my with a room key, room 419. We spent the night and in the morning as he prepared to leave for work, I noticed that I didn't have my purse or the $17,000.
We instantly became frantic and Chuck began to think that instead of me being a dream come true, I was the nightmare from hell. We scoured every corner of the room. No luck. We went to the front desk and inquired if anyone had turned in a purse. No luck. They said there was a remote chance that they locked it in the bar upstairs for sake-keeping but we would not be able to check until late that morning. Chuck left for work, sheet pale. This was a lot of money at the time. I waited anxiously in what is now Q's over coffee with my girlfriend. Chuck returned and we went to the bar. We asked, they searched, and we waited. Alas, the purse was found and returned to us. In our minds we were sure the money would be gone. We opened the purse and shrieked with joy. All the money, all $17,000 was still in the purse untouched. We went back to Denver that day to spend some of the lucky money on jewelry. We were engaged the next month and we have been married 28 years as of June 13th. We still have the jewelry we bought and the rest of the $17,000. To this day we often come and stay in room 419 for special occasions. Top that Boulderado story!"
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Luncheon with Boulderado Memories
Last week, Beverly Silva and I had lunch with three gentlemen callers -- Terence and Denis Keleher, and Tom Harrold (pictured below from right to left). Each of them have a special connection to the Hotel Boulderado.
Denis and Terence's grandparents were Leila and Lee, and they were married at the Boulderado on May 17th, 1911. Terence and Denis submitted the story of this wedding ceremony, the earliest ceremony to be performed at the Boulderado on record, to our Tell Us Your Boulderado Story campaign. (Read the whole story.)
Lee and Leila Keleher (above) the year before they were married.
Terence brought with him the original plate that was used to make the Kelehers wedding invitation, as well as a photocopy of the invitation.
Denis has been coming to the Boulderado for years, and would often stop in at one of the restaurants or at the Mezzanine Lounge, when it operated as a hip jazz lounge in the 1980s. Denis brought with him several matchbooks from the different establishments as they changed ownership over the years.
Tom was recruited by CU's basketball team in 1951. When he came to Boulder from Muncie, Indiana to investigate the campus, he stayed at the Boulderado. Tom was so talented he was named "Mr. Basketball," and as a member of the starting lineup, helped the team to many victories. When Tom's team held their 50th reunion, it took place right here on the Boulderado's Mezzanine, completing the circle of Tom's involvement with basketball and the Boulderado.
Beverly and I both enjoyed all the stories, pictures, and memorabilia that these kind gentlemen brought with them. It's precisely this kind of hotel history that we are striving to preserve in the Memories of the Boulderado collection.
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