We often forget that Denver’s oldest structure is not far from our own backyards. Four Mile Historic Park educates us in a fun and unique way. But a history lesson is only a small percentage of what they have to offer. We had the chance to sit down with them to learn more about this organization as well as their upcoming exhibits and events.
Can you fill us in on the rich history of Four Mile Historic Park and its founders?
Four Mile Historic Park is the home of the oldest standing structure in Denver. Built in 1859 by the Branter brothers on the hunt for gold in the Cherry Creek. It was shortly sold to Mary Cawker who ran the log home as a stagecoach stop on the Cherokee Trail. The Four Mile House was the final stop for travelers on their way to Denver, a spot to rest, use the communal toothbrush, and eat before heading to the big city.
After a season of flooding in 1864, Mary sold the log home to the Booth family who quickly made the land their home. After the completion of the first railroad between Cheyenne and Denver, the stagecoach stop was no longer necessary to run. Levi and Millie Booth then built a Victorian addition to the house and added brick siding all around. The 600 acres surrounding the house were used as a cattle farm.
Millie Booth was an active aparist, having over 80 hives and producing over 2 tons of honey a year at her peak. She was an integral part in the formation of the Colorado Beekeeping Association.
After Levi and Millie’s passing, their estate went to their daughter Grace, and her husband David Working in 1926. In 1969, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, one the first 5 buildings in Denver to earn this recognition of historical significance.
In 1975 the City and County of Denver acquired the Four Mile House and preservation of the historic building began taking place. The non-profit Four Mile Historic Park Inc., was formed to care for the property and to develop the house museum. FMHP opened its doors as a museum and historic park in 1978, and began serving the surrounding community, teaching the history of Denver and Colorado.
Your mission is to educate a diverse community through experiences promoting preservation. What programs do you offer?
FMHP offers a large array of programming throughout the calendar year. Annually, we see over 10,000 students and children through a variety of educational programming including field trips, Wagon Wheels, Traveling Trunks, Way Back Weeks Summer Camp, and monthly themes and crafts that work to teach history in engaging ways. We offer signature events including our Annual Egg Hunt, Independence Celebration, Pumpkin Harvest Festival, Spirits & Spirits, Halloween Haunt, Brunch with Father Christmas and December Delights. Every 4th Friday of the month, we offer a Free General Admission Day sponsored by the SCFD.
We are especially interested in Traveling Trunks. How does this program work?
FMHP is a great resource for educators and students when learning about Colorado’s rich history. Through the pandemic Four Mile looked at the importance of bringing the history of the Park to students and our community both virtually and in-person. The Traveling Trunks program was expanded to address the need for in-class presentations and learning for groups that are unable to make it into the Park in person. Traveling Trunks offers four themed options surrounding the history of Colorado:
Women of Colorado – Reflecting the diverse population of the state, this program explores the achievements and contributions women have made to Colorado history.
Indigenous Cultures of Colorado – Takes students through the import-ant people and events that have shaped the lives of Native Americans living in Colorado and the surrounding areas. Students view artifacts and other important objects from these different cultures.
Daily Life on an 1859 Homestead – What was it like to live on a farm in 1859, the year the Four Mile House was built? Compare the ways of our time to a much different era of washboards, candle-makers, buffalo chips, and much more.
Prairie Schoolhouse – This living history experience takes students back in time to the days of chalk, slates, and a much more disciplined one-room schoolhouse. Work through practical problems, arithmetic, tongue twisters, and more.
Your current exhibit is vivid and expansive. Can you tell us about Bright Nights as well as the artists who put this together?
Bright Nights was created by Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc., the largest Chinese lantern festival producer in North America. These artists, from the Sichuan province of China, create the magnificent light sculptures by hand using welding, silk stretching, and airbrushing. The sculptures created are not only incredibly sized, they are also beautiful pieces of art. Many of the sculptures were made specifically for the Park and feature our history through a covered wagon, bees, and a fully articulated moving horse!
This exhibit offers a unique opportunity to experience these larger-than-life sculptures that illuminate the night as you walk among – even through – radiant displays in an enormous interactive exhibit on the grounds of the Park’s 12-acres. The event runs from July 26th to October 1st. Bright Nights at Four Mile will be open from 7pm – 10pm on Thursdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays, and 7pm-11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
This will be your only opportunity to experience a Tianyu festival in the Rocky Mountain West. The event will feature art by day and magic by night, and with each new year will come a new theme, a new experience and new sculptures to the festival. Come see Four Mile in a new light, illuminate your senses, and create everlasting memories.
What events do you have on the roster for the coming months?
The Park features a lot of exciting events in October including our Annual Pumpkin Harvest Festival, Spirits & Spirits, and Halloween Haunt.
Pumpkin Harvest Festival – Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and smells of Fall at Denver’s original fall festival. Pick out the perfect pumpkin or unique local treasure in the marketplace with more than 40 vendors on site, catch some live music and performances on the Autumn Harvest Community Stage, and dine on seasonal favorites like apple cider donuts for an unforgettable day at Four Mile Historic Park – named the 2022 Best Fall Festival by Colorado Parent Magazine.
Build-your-own scarecrow to take home to protect your garden or explore your inner artisan with fall themed crafts and activities. Compliment your natural beauty with face painting and decorations along the Festival trail. New this year, is a Western-themed scavenger hunt. Guests will pan for gold, pack a wagon, play prairie games, and more! Join us October 14th & Sunday, October 15th from 9am – 5pm!
Spirits & Spirits – features adult libations, delectable provisions, and fantastical amusements for our 21+ guests. Explore the Park after dark and enter the otherworldly realm of Victorian Spiritualism along with local tastings from local spirit vendors as well non-alcoholic offerings.
Victorian Spiritualism is the 19th century movement that maintained that the spirits of the dead possessed both the ability and the desire to communicate with the living. After the carnage of Westward Expansion and the Civil War, Americans sought comfort in the idea of an afterlife that allowed them to contact their loved ones beyond the veil — to make amends, to share secrets, and to seek answers to questions left unasked.
The Metaphysical Marketplace will return this year to offer guests a chance to buy unique crystals and curios. Attendees will also revel in a variety of entertainment on the Sundry Stage – new this year’s to Spirits & Spirits – featuring drag bingo, live music, and mystical performances. Guests can also find their way to aura photography, flash tattoos, tarot reading, and tours of the Four Mile House for a Victorian mourning ceremony. Spirits & Spirits is Saturday, October 21st from 6-10pm.
Halloween Haunt – A Halloween Haunt returns to Four Mile this year for a night of ghostly family fun on October 28th. This enchanting evening features creepy crafts, pumpkin decorating, face painting, crawly critters, and games to fascinate both kids and adults of all ages. Stay tuned for more exciting enhancements to this program. Halloween Haunt is Saturday, Oct 28th from 4:30-8:30pm.
How can the community get involved and support Four Mile?
Membership is a great way to get involved, hear about Four Mile happenings, and support the Park. Family memberships start at just $100 a year and offer benefits like members-only events and discounts on summer camp and signature events. Members also save 20% in our Mercantile. We’re also always looking for volunteers! We have opportunities in all facets of the Park from working with the animals, house tours, blacksmithing, quilting, events, gardening, and more! Don’t know how to do these things? No problem, we’ll teach you!
Visit in person at 4846 E Exposition or fourmilepark.org for more information.