Pioneer Days in Review

Pioneer Days celebrations in Morrison are part of what we might call its modern history– a period from the mid-20th century onward that wasn’t as well documented by the town’s historic researchers. When interest in the town’s history bloomed in the mid-1970s, the 1940s-50s were too recent and still well remembered by residents.

This post is an initial attempt to piece together some of the story of these town celebrations, the first of which took place in 1948. In their heyday, they drew hundreds from a wide area to the tiny town for a day or a weekend reminiscing about those “good ol’ days” past when Morrison was a rough-and-tumble town of the old West. Standard features included a parade, designation of a Pioneer Queen, and, often, a buffalo barbecue. We have sparse info on these events, so we’d love to hear from you if you have stories to share.

At some point, likely after the “revival” of the 1970s, the event was renamed Morrison Day(s), and papier maché dinosaurs even got into the act.

1948: A New Event in Town

According to the Rocky Mountain News, the first celebration, on August 23, 1948, was to honor the living pioneers of the town. Festivities began at 10 a. m. with games and contests and were highlighted by a parade at 6 p. m. Mrs. Maggie Crow, pioneer resident who drove a mail coach from Mt. Morrison to Conifer, led the parade from the Pratt and Rooney Ranch through the town. The program was climaxed by a buffalo barbecue sponsored by the Denver Mountain Parks. Proceeds from the event were planned for use to purchase new fire-fighting equipment for the community.

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July 30, 1949:

More than 2,500 people from more than a dozen states flocked to Morrison for its Second Annual Pioneer Days celebration, the Rocky Mountain News reported. The parade included 200 mounted horsemen and a couple dozen floats and hayracks. The event featured a retelling of the “deadly duel in Morrison,” a story from 70 years earlier.

Mrs. Effie Mae Knoll, 72, was crowned Queen on the basis of her “colorful” pioneer background. Mrs. Knoll’s parents, John and Nancy Groom, came to Colorado in 1875 in a covered wagon and homesteaded in Turkey Creek canyon, where they freighted logs and ties to Morrison with oxen and horse teams. Effie grew up as one of eleven children in the Groom family before marrying James Knoll and raising her own 14 children in Morrison. Click to enlarge photos and show captions.

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July 31, 1954:

The Morrison Boosters Club sponsored the festival this year. Mrs. Molly Pike was the designated Queen of the event and led the parade that opened the festivities. Attendees enjoyed a pie-eating contest, dancing, horseshoe pitching, and a talent show. A highlight of the day was a buffalo barbecue arranged by the Westwood Lions Club. Kids enjoyed a field day organized by the Mountain Valley Recreation Association.

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August 16-17, 1975: Pioneer Days Revived

“Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear…” wrote the Canyon Courier in promoting the revival of Morrison’s Pioneer Days. The weekend-long event owed its return to the Centennial/Bicentennial enthusiasm that gripped the state in the mid-1970s. Clifford Morrison, great grandson of town founder George Morrison, presided, and activities included an art show, a parade, an historical walking tour, and a flag ceremony.

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August 22, 1976:

Lifelong Morrison resident Bertha LaGrow Stickler was Queen of Pioneer Days this year. Mayor Gail Molinaro presided over the event, which featured contributions from Westernaires; Red Rocks Lions Club, parade organizers; and the VFW Color Guard. Click to enlarge photos and show captions.

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July 11, 1981:

The Morrison Chamber of Commerce sponsored this year’s event, which started with an old-fashioned western parade from the west end of town, winding through the main street, up Stone Street to Mount Vernon Avenue to the east side of town, then turning west again on the main street. A “2nd annual” bluegrass fiddle contest and black-powder shooting matches were other activities. The day wrapped up with a country western street dance in the heart of town. “Founded in the 1860s,” the Golden Transcript reported (July 7, 1981), “Mount Morrison is truly an early frontier Colorado town with many of its original buildings still very much in use today.”