UPCOMING SEPTEMBER EVENT – Thursday, September 21, 2023 “Trip to Antarctica”

Come see John Spidell present his “Trip to the Antarctica” with the National Geographic expeditions. FREE and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 and program starts at 7:00. Stay for refreshments after program for socializing. Will be presented at the Palmer Lake Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent Street, Palmer Lake, CO. Bring a friend or two and enjoy a wonderful evening learning about Antarctica. John has sponsored our “Father’s Day Ice Cream Social” for several years now. We value John’s interest in history and his support over the years.

UPCOMING OCTOBER EVENT – Thursday, October 19, 2023

Come join the Palmer Lake Historical Society as we meet Amy Burch, Palmer Lake resident and co-author of The Glen Eyrie Story. Amy will speak on the history of the Glen Eyrie and Palmer Lake’s namesake General William Jackson Palmer.

Venture beyond the gates of Glen Eyrie to explore the history of a castle and magnificent landscape nestled in the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Experience more than one hundred and fifty years of romance, adversity, adventure, ingenuity, and faith in The Glen Eyrie Story.

From 1871 to 1909, Glen Eyrie was home General William Jackson Palmer, railroad magnate and founder of Colorado Springs. Today, Glen Eyrie serves as the conference and retreat ministry of The Navigators, continuing Palmer’s legacy of service and hospitality. Amy’s book features more than 130 photographs, drawings, blueprints and archival manuscripts, The Glen Eyrie Story is an exploration of the past and a look at the present of this beautiful estate nestled in the mountains of Colorado.

Doors open at 6:30 PM, program starts at 7:00 PM. Light refreshments will be served after the program. FREE & open to the public. Books will be on sale.

In case of inclement weather, we follow District 38 weather alerts. We want everyone to be safe.

UPCOMING NOVEMBER EVENT – Thursday, November 15, 2023

Come join the Palmer Lake Historical Society as we meet Jim Sawatzki who will present his new “Life and Times of General William Jackson Palmer” video.

Doors open at 6:30 PM, program starts at 7:00 PM. Light refreshments will be served after the program. FREE & open to the public. Videos will be on sale.

UPCOMING DECEMBER EVENT – Sunday, December 17, 2023

Yule Log ceremony will be held at the Palmer Lake Town Hall. Ring in the Christmas season with this community celebration.

UPCOMING JANUARY EVENT – Thursday, January 23, 2024

Come join the Palmer Lake Historical Society as we celebrate the new year with our Annual Potluck and Membership Meeting.

Doors open at 6:00 PM, program starts at 6:30 PM. We supply the ham and rolls, please bring a dish to share. FREE and open to the public. This is a fun evening where we recap the year’s successful events, talk about plans for the future and enjoy delicious food and conversation.

About the Palmer Lake Historical Society

Mission: The mission of the Palmer Lake Historical Society (PLHS) is to preserve, protect, promote, and provide access to historical data, artifacts and other items of significance relating to the Palmer Divide area and make resources available to the public primarily through the Lucretia Vaile Museum and annual programming.

Goals: The primary goals and objectives of the Palmer Lake Historical Society are to assemble, preserve, display (as feasible), and interpret historical objects and printed material pertaining to the Palmer Divide area that includes Palmer Lake, Monument, School District 38, the United States Air Force Academy, and as far east as Table Rock.

Please consider joining the Palmer Lake Historical Society. Various levels of participation available including family and senior memberships. All ages welcome. Newcomers to the area are welcome!

In case of inclement weather, we follow District 38 weather alerts. We want everyone to be safe.

The Background of the Palmer Lake Historical Society

In 1956, a group of residents recommended that a manuscript detailing the founding of Monument, Palmer Lake and the surrounding Palmer Divide region be published. To accomplish this, they also recommended that a historical society be formed to continue the preservation of the area’s history. 

At the Lucretia Vaile Museum in Palmer Lake, CO you will find exhibits showcasing the Palmer Divide history. The Palmer Lake Historical Society is a 501 C3 educational non-profit organization. All staff and board members are volunteers serving the community, sharing history and stories of the past.

Palmer Lake a Historical Narrative by Marion S. Sabin

This edition is truly the Best Book About the Remarkable History of the Town of Palmer Lake.

This 148 page book tells the story of the Town of Palmer Lake, Colorado, from before its beginning until about 1989 which was the centennial of the incorporation of the Town. Sabin did extensive research, and her work is well documented with cross-references. The history of Palmer Lake closely parallels the early development of the Denver & Rio Grande and Santa Fe Railroads. The rise and fall of railroad passenger service and the new automobile changed the town in many ways.

The book is extensively illustrated with over seventy-five new or re-scanned photographs and illustrations. The person index now covers all chapters in the book. Where known, facts that were in error have been researched and corrected.

Pine Crest: From Columbine Park to a Methodist Camp, 1897-1973

The Palmer Lake Historical Society presents Occasional Paper No. 5 Pine Crest: From Columbine Park to a Methodist Camp, 1897-1973, written by Daniel W. Edwards and published August 2020. 

This 52-page, spiral-bound publication is illustrated throughout with black and white photographs and draws extensively on the historical materials held in the archives of the Iliff School of  Theology in Denver. The essay traces the history of the park from its development in 1897 as a small recreational site, through its development and later sale to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and ends with the Methodist church’s sale of the property in 1973.