Palmer Lake Historical Society, Oct. 16 – Ancient days of Garden of the Gods explored

By Marlene Brown

The Palmer Lake Historical Society held its regular membership meeting Oct. 16 at the Palmer Lake Town Hall. The guest speaker was Toni Hamill, author of People of the Garden, Garden of the Gods. Hamill was a teacher at Lewis-Palmer High School in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. She graduated from Colorado Women’s College (CWC) with a BA in Liberal Arts and from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) with a Master of Arts degree in American Studies.

She participated in two archaeological field school projects in the Garden of the Gods, where her thesis subject was developed and researched.

**Above:** Guest speaker author Toni Hamill, People of the Garden, Garden of the Gods.

The Garden of the Gods now belongs to the City of Colorado Springs. It was donated by the Charles Perkins Family in 1909, with the stipulation that it would always be a free public park. This 1,364-acre park has always been home to a variety of people, animals, and plants. During prehistoric times millions of years ago, when the dramatic rock formations were formed, dinosaurs roamed the park. The Ute Indians have been told stories of hunting an elephant with a long nose and big tusks.

There is evidence of seasonal encampments dating back to 1330 B.C. Carbon-dating of some bone and stone tools dates to 250 B.C. The people were hunters and gatherers, and the weather was similar to our weather here in Colorado today. Through oral traditions, the Ute Indians speak of a Garden of the Gods connection and have been told stories. Ethnographic accounts indicate evidence along the Front Range by groups such as Ute, Shoshone, Arapahoe, Comanche, Cheyenne, Apache, and Pawnee.

With people moving into the area in the 1800s, the tribes were pushed into the mountains. Eventually, with the Gold Rush, the settlers came to live in Colorado Springs and surrounding areas, and by 1865 later relocated to reservations.

People of the Garden has many stories about the life of the Native Americans and the early days of Colorado Springs. There are many photos of the buildings and the people who occupied them. Tourists come every year only to be in awe of the rock formations and the natural landscape.

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PLHS meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of the month at 7-8:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) at the Palmer Lake Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent St. Free and open to the public. For more info regarding memberships and future programs, visit palmerdividehistory.org.

Marlene Brown can be reached at marlenebrown@ocn.me.

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