Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.
Colorado Experience Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
13 Episodes 2013 - 2013
Episode 1
Lincoln Hills
Thu, Feb 21, 2013
During the time of racial segregation, Lincoln Hills, the only all African-American resort west of the Mississippi River, provided a shelter from the storm.
Episode 2
Justina Ford, M.D.
Thu, Feb 28, 2013
Born with two strikes against her, Dr. Justina Ford overcame barriers of race and gender to become the first African-American woman to practice medicine in Colorado. Growing up in Illinois, Justina Ford was inspired to become a doctor while accompanying her mother, a nurse, on her neighborhood rounds. She attended Hering Medical College, and, along with her husband, the Rev. Dr. John Elijah Ford, moved to Denver in 1902. Due to her race and gender, she was initially denied a medical license in Colorado, and refused entrance into major medical societies. Dr. Ford worked out of a private office in Denver's Five-Points neighborhood and treated mainly minorities who were not allowed in Denver hospitals at the time. Over the course of her career, she delivered over 7,000 babies. In 1950, just two years before her death, she was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of fame. Colorado Experience traces the life and legacy of one of the state's most inspiring medical pioneers.
Episode 3
Keota
Thu, Mar 21, 2013
Colorado Experience explores the boom and bust of a homestead community on the Eastern Plains of Colorado. Founded in 1880 as a homestead by Mary and Eva Beardsley, the town of Keota became a major stop on the Old Prairie Dog Express. The railroad brought with it a wave of new settlers, mostly from Scandinavian countries, eager to harvest the land and establish a new life for themselves in the harsh climate. Although never reaching a population of over 150 people, the town served a farming community of 1250 homesteads. Keota thrived during the First World War, as demand for wheat to feed American troops soared. Today, Keota is mostly abandoned, but lives on through the memories of its original residents and their descendants.
Episode 4
Amache
Thu, Mar 28, 2013
In the wake of the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941, roughly 110,000 Japanese-Americans were relocated to internment camps across the United States as part of Executive Order 9066. Colorado Governor Ralph Carr, going against popular anti-Japanese sentiment, fought to bring a camp to Colorado, where he felt its internees would be safe from harm. In August 1942, the Granada Relocation Center, more commonly known as Amache, received its first "evacuees," mostly arriving by train from the California Coast. At its peak, Amache held 7,567 internees---making it the tenth largest city in Colorado. Colorado Experience brings you the story of Amache through the eyes of those who lived it, offering a seldom-seen chapter in America's wartime history.
Episode 5
Spencer & Julie Penrose
Thu, Apr 4, 2013
Born into a wealthy Philadelphia family, Spencer Penrose came West in the late 1880s and made a fortune in gold and silver mining, establishing himself as one of Colorado's most prominent businessmen and entrepreneurs. A confirmed bachelor for much of his life, Spencer married Julie Villiers Lewis in 1906 and together the couple made their mark on Colorado through landmarks such as the Broadmoor Hotel and the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun. From exotic animals to opposing prohibition, nothing was too extraordinary for the entrepreneur dubbed a master "promoter" and his sophisticated wife. Through El Pomar Foundation, their philanthropic legacy continues to shape Colorado today. Delve into the affluent life of Colorado Springs' pioneering couple.
Episode 6
Pueblo Border Wars
Sat, Apr 13, 2013
Explore the turbulent history of Pueblo, Colorado's once-industrial capital. Pueblo's sovereignty had long been disputed; Native American tribes, Mexicans and the US all claimed its land. Fort Pueblo suffered a devastating raid by the Ute Indians in 1854, causing its inhabitants to abandon the town. The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 brought new settlers and Pueblo became a major economic center for Colorado, until a flood in 1921 destroyed a third of the town's businesses. While the town thrived for years on the success of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, the decline in the steel market in the 1970's led to the company's bankruptcy, but not before bringing immigrants from around the world to settle there. Known as the "home of the heroes," a reference to the city's four Congressional Medal of Honor Winners, Pueblo's residents today are proud of their town's past and optimistic about its future. Colorado Experience covers the history of the people and events that shaped this beautiful and historic city.
Episode 7
Ludlow Massacre
Thu, Apr 18, 2013
One of the most significant events in the struggle for labor laws in America played out in Las Animas County in the Spring of 1914. With the control of much of Colorado's coal mines in the hands of just a few companies, miners grew increasingly intolerant of low wages and dangerous working conditions. Despite efforts to suppress union activity, the United Mine Workers of America called a strike in September of 1913. Over the next few months, tensions escalated as the striking miners ransacked several mines. The dispute ultimately culminated in a violent clash on April 20, 1914. Despite this tragic outcome, the event sparked national outrage and led the way for workers' rights in America.
Episode 8
The Boettchers
Thu, May 2, 2013
In 1869, a young Charles Boettcher came to America from Germany to make his fortune. Along with his brother, he set up a hardware store in Wyoming, and then in Colorado, providing much needed hardware to miners. With a pioneering spirit and an entrepreneurial drive, Charles became a leading businessman in Colorado, establishing The Great Western Sugar Company, Ideal Cement, and The Denver Tramway Company, before passing the business off to his son, Claude. Today, their philanthropic spirit lives on through The Boettcher Foundation. Discover the rags-to-riches tale of one of Colorado's most pioneering families, both in business and philanthropy.
Episode 9
Colorado Constitution
Thu, May 9, 2013
Sometimes referred to as the "People's Constitution," the Colorado Constitution was ratified in 1876, earning it the nickname The Centennial State". Since then, the Constitution has never been rewritten, but has been amended over 152 times. This fact has established the Colorado Constitution as one of the most easily amended state constitutions in the country. From its early days as a tri-lingual document written in English, Spanish and German, to the controversial TABOR legislation and Amendment 64, Colorado's top lawyers and historians unravel the unintended consequences to the state's constitution in Colorado Experience.
Episode 10
Fly Girl
Thu, May 16, 2013
Colorado Experience profiles Grand Junction resident, Annabelle Craft Moss. During World War II, while most male Air Force pilots left for combat missions abroad, the Women Air Force Service Pilot program was formed for domestic missions. Growing up with a passion for flight and a deep sense of patriotism, Annabelle jumped at the opportunity to serve her country. But flying an A-16 Trainer was only the beginning. Annabelle went on to lead an active life, working with the Red Cross in Puerto Rico, establishing a travel agency with her husband and playing a dynamic role in Grand Junction's community. In 2010, along with her fellow WASPs, Annabelle was decorated with the Congressional Gold Medal for service during the war. Meet this truly inspirational figure in Colorado Experience.
Episode 11
Colorado Philanthropy
Thu, May 23, 2013
Since its inception, Colorado has been a leader in philanthropy and social giving. Colorado Experience looks at how Coloradans have come together to help one another throughout its history. From the foundations created in the early 1900s - such as United Way and the Denver Foundation - to the hospital and corporate foundations of the 20th Century, discover the institutions that give to Colorado.
Episode 12
Bent's Fort
Thu, May 30, 2013
During the height of the Fur Trade, Bent's Fort established itself as one of the most important trading posts in the West - an area which remained largely unexplored by the then-young-and-growing United States. Located along the Arkansas River, Bent's Fort lay only a few yards from what was then Mexico. As the only major permanent settlement along the Sante Fe Trail, it served as a hub of commercial and cultural exchange for Cheyenne and Arapahoe Plains Indians and American trappers, and a stopping point for the US Army, explorers and settlers. Bent's Fort's prominence was short-lived, however; a cholera epidemic devastated the Indian population and caused the founder William Bent to abandon the fort in 1849. Salvaging what they could and burning the remainder, Bent's New Fort was built in 1852 in Big Timbers. Colorado Experience takes you to the original site of Bent's Old Fort, now a National Historic Landmark, where state historians recreate what it was like to visit this "castle on the plains."
Episode 13
The Original Coloradans
Sun, Jun 23, 2013
Colorado Experience takes you through the history of the state's original inhabitants: the Utes. Historians trace their origins from pre-colonial days and early interactions with American trappers and explorers through the escalating friction with new settlers and gold seekers, to their ultimate expulsion to reservations. The first Ute reservations were established in the 1860's, and today the question of land rights remains a topic of dispute for the Ute nation. Discover how the Utes' legacy continues to impact Colorado today.