Review by Ed Quillen
Colorado History – April 1998 – Colorado Central Magazine
I Never Knew That About Colorado – A Quaint Volume of Forgotten Lore
by Abbott Fay
published in 1997 by Western Reflections, Inc.
ISBN 1-890437-17-4
NEVER HAVING LIVED ANYWHERE ELSE, I can’t speak with knowledge about other states, but Colorado must certainly be a leader in compilations of off-beat aspects of its history. And now there’s a new collection from Abbott Fay, a retired history professor at Western State College in Gunnison.
This book consists of about 120 short essays — most are less than a page and none extends past two pages — and it is organized by topic, ranging from the Anasazi to graveyards.
Fay explains some things you might have heard about, such as Adolf Hitler’s 12,000-acre ranch in Cheyenne County, Colorado, and introduces some tales I’ve never seen before, like the state law in 1953 which forbade white automobiles, lest they be confused with state patrol cars. And he notes some of the ironies of history, such as how radioactivity used to be considered healthy and was prominently featured in the advertising for various hot springs.
Fay’s writing is lively and to-the-point, making this an ideal volume for bathroom reading or for keeping in your glovebox or purse for those times when you’re stuck waiting somewhere. Here’s a sample:
America’s First Junior High School
At the beginning of the twentieth century, most public education was divided into eight years of elementary school and four years of secondary school. However, one problem with the system was that too few students went on to high school after completing the eighth grade.
A remarkable Leadville superintendent of schools, Edward C. Elliot, decided in those days that if students could have an earlier taste of secondary education, they might stay in school through high school. He established what has been recognized as the first junior high school, composed of the seventh and eight grades.
However, he soon realized that this new school arrangement was no better than the earlier one in retaining students. As a result, he decided that high school should begin in the eighth grade.
Until 1954, Leadville had the unique arrangement which embraced a seven-five plan, with seven years of elementary and five years of high school. Eighth graders were known as “sub-freshmen.”
Incidentally, this innovative educator went on to become president of Purdue University.
Fay’s lore extends across the state, including the oft-neglected High Plains, and our part of the world gets its fair share of attention.
However, I Never Knew That About Colorado should be considered entertainment, not a reference. Although it’s generally accurate, there are some minor problems.
For instance, the author of the state song, “Where the Columbines Grow,” is A.J. Fynn, not Flynn. The cop in a small town, or a type of federal officer, is a “marshal,” not a “marshall” as in the book. By most accounts, the Utes drove a stake through Nathan Meek er’s mouth, not his heart, at the White River Massacre.
If only our small presses would hire editors. Even so, this book is fun to read, well organized and indexed, and quite informative with new stuff even for the hard-core Colorado buff. But don’t use it as a reference.
–Ed Quillen