In a lecture based on her book Uniting Mountain and Plain, Dr. Kathleen Brosnan recounts an important chapter in the transformation of the United States from a nation of traditional agricultural communities to a modern, urban industrial society.

Standing at the intersection of the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains, Denver shaped the regional economy that grew out of the discovery of gold in 1858.  As Denver grew, Colorado Springs developed economic niches to complement the metropolis.  Challenging the idea that front-range entrepreneurs acted as conduits for outside dollars, Dr. Brosnan explores the sources of their capital and how they invested it across the region, showing how they remained independent of the outside economy for more than forty years.  Market values influenced the region, but farmers, miners, state officials and others created regulatory schemes and other quasi-legal systems to advance the interests of local communities vis-à-vis larger corporate interests.

Kathleen A. Brosnan is an associate professor of history and the associate director of the Center for Public History. In addition to a Ph.D. in history from the University of Chicago, she holds a J.D. from the University of Illinois and a courtesy appointment with the UH Law Center.

The Museum is located in the beautifully restored 1903 El Paso County Courthouse at 215 South Tejon Street. This program is free and open to the public but reservations are encouraged. Call 385-5990 to reserve a seat.

This lecture is being co-sponsored by The Friends of the Museum and Pikes Peak Posse of the Westerners