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Welcome to Springs and Things, the podcast where two close friends spill the tea on all things Colorado Springs! From culture and community to hidden gems and neighborhood lore, we’ve got it covered. Join us as we sip our coffee (or maybe something stronger) and dive into the stories and secrets that make this city so unique. Whether you're a local or just passing through, our fun, light-hearted, and always entertaining take on the quirks, hot topics, and insider tips will keep you coming back for more. Discover what’s really happening in the Springs—beyond the mountains and parks!
If you think you know the story of Colorado Springs, think again. This might be one of the most fascinating episodes of Springs and Things we have ever done. Today,
Sarah Woods:we're
Carly Ries:sitting down with Sarah Woods, vice president of collections for El Pomar Foundation, and she is an absolute vault of Colorado Springs history. We're talking about a monkey bite at the Broadmoor, train loads of liquor stashed before prohibition, and a car that plummeted off Pikes Peak, and you guys, that is just barely scratching the surface. When I talk about Spencer at the beginning of the episodes, I'm talking about the one and only Spencer Penrose. Sarah takes us deep into the Albemarle archives to separate myth from truth, and trust me, the truth is just as wild as the legends. So if you love Colorado Springs lore, local history, and stories you've never heard before, this is your episode.
Carly Ries:And this episode is brought to you by Vanguard Aesthetics. Summer finally feels like it's here, so don't forget that sunscreen.
Lauren Ferrara:Hey, everyone. I'm Carly. And I'm Lauren.
Carly Ries:We're two Colorado Springs locals who love uncovering everything that makes the city special.
Lauren Ferrara:If you're the kind of person who wants to know where to go, what's happening, and the stories behind it all, then you're in the right place. Welcome to Springs and Things, your insider's path to hidden gems, local flavor, and unexpected moments that make The Springs one of a kind.
Carly Ries:From secret spots and can't miss events
Lauren Ferrara:to arts, eats, and those you've gotta hear about at Local Stories.
Carly Ries:We've got you covered.
Lauren Ferrara:So grab your coffee, settle in, and get ready to fall a little more in love
Carly Ries:with Colorado Springs. Let's dive in to Springs and Things. I'm so excited to be here today. Was telling you this offline, but this is the kind of information not only we love, but our listeners really love as well. So I cannot wait to dive into this interview.
Carly Ries:I know we're gonna get into some really fun topics. So thank you so much for coming on the show.
Sarah Woods:Yeah. Thanks for having me. I'm excited to chat with you.
Carly Ries:So kinda what kicked all of this off, honestly, is you are currently celebrating the hundredth anniversary of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Like, what? You guys, that is insane. And there's gonna be a special exhibit, but the origin story is incredible, at least from what I hear the origin story is. So you can tell me if, yeah, currently, that's spot on or where do you get your information from.
Carly Ries:Spencer's exotic animal collection allegedly got moved off the Broadmoor Golf Course because of a monkey bite incident. So we'll have to go into that, But some accounts say it was actually to make way for a golf tournament. So as someone who works with the archival records, can you settle that debate? What's true, what's not?
Sarah Woods:Yeah. I love this question because both things are sort of true. So Spencer Penrose did have a collection of exotic animals that he kept at the Broadmoor. And they were kept along the edge of the golf course. And they were there so that all of the guests at the hotel could see all of these animals and interact with them from a safe distance.
Sarah Woods:The story about the monkey biting the child is 100% true. So there was a monkey at the Broadmoor that bit a child. That child's family sued the Broadmoor, and they did end up getting a settlement because of that incident. But what's not true is that that's not the incident that prompted the animals to be moved to Cheyenne Mountain. Okay.
Sarah Woods:So in 1926, The Broadmoor had been given this great opportunity to host the nineteen twenty seven Trans Mississippi Golf Tournament. The Broadmoor, of course, has always had world class golf courses, and so it was a really great opportunity for them to host this really prestigious tournament. But the board of directors certainly was concerned about having this tournament while there were all of these exotic animals lining the golf course. Because certainly if you've been to a golf tournament, you have to be really quiet, right? We were spectating from the sides.
Sarah Woods:So having wild animals in cages was certainly not ideal. But those animals that he moved to Cheyenne Mountain weren't actually the first animals that he moved. There were already animals there at the time. So in 1912, he created Turkey Creek Ranch. It was a ranch that he had that he operated just south of Colorado Springs.
Sarah Woods:He had all kinds of hoof stock at that property. And he had some other exotic animals, like a bear, a black bear that he had. But in 1925, he built the highway, that leads from the base of Cheyenne Mountain to the summit. And he had also built a lodge at the top. And the reason that he did this was because he recognized that auto tourism was this burgeoning industry.
Sarah Woods:And he certainly recognized how beautiful the Pikes Peak region is. And he wanted to highway so that people could drive and see the sites. But one of the early things that he did was he created pens along the side of the highway to move some of his livestock up there. And the idea was that tourists that were motoring up to the summit of Cheyenne Mountain along the way would get to see, you know, species native to the Rocky Mountains. So he had already had some animal pens up there.
Sarah Woods:And this golf tournament is what really preempted, like, him moving the rest of his exotic animal collection, and that's the origin of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
Carly Ries:I'm very quickly thinking that he is actually the most interesting man in the world. Like, the one in the commercials needs to be replaced by this guy.
Sarah Woods:Yeah, no doubt.
Carly Ries:It's funny because when we did our US Senior Open interview last year, the Bears were a big concern as they are anytime a big tournament comes, but maybe it's just a nod to history. I love that. And it's our way of going back in the past. Okay. So let's talk about the Heritage Gallery at the museum.
Carly Ries:It features never before seen photographs, film footage, and personal artifacts of Spencer and Julie Penrose. I met Julie also the most interesting woman in the world. When you were going through the El Palmar archives, to build that gallery, was there a single item, document, anything that stopped you in your tracks and changed how you understood them?
Sarah Woods:I love this question because if you were to ask me this question next week, I'd probably have a different answer. I mean, like, it's like sort of choosing your favorite child. I mean, there's so many records or artifacts that really speak to me. But I think I'll share a couple of things. Because I would say in terms of the artifacts or the archival records that we have on display, there isn't currently one that sort of changes the way that I know or understand the Penroses.
Sarah Woods:But there are records in our archives that certainly have done that over time. A few years ago, let's see, in 2021, the museum was celebrating its eightieth anniversary. And so we were creating all new exhibits in the Heritage Gallery to tell the full story of Spencer and Julie Penrose. And as we were preparing for that exhibit and doing research, there is this wonderful happy accident where a box was found in our foundation office building that had been tucked away for a very long time. And when we opened the box, it was filled with crumpled up newspaper from like the 1940s, 1950s.
Sarah Woods:And as we started taking the newspaper out, we started seeing what was inside of the box. And it was filled with clothing items that belonged to the Penroses. There was a whole collection of hats. There was this really wonderful rain slicker that we believe Spencer Penrose would have worn when he was riding horseback, you know, perhaps in the rain. But the thing that was really exciting is we recognized all of the hats from these iconic historic photographs that we have of Spencer and Julie Penrose.
Sarah Woods:So we were able to work with a textile conservator actually from the Denver Art Museum to clean up and restore these items so that we could safely exhibit them. And so now in that space, we've got the hats that they wore and the photographs of them wearing those hats. So it's just this wonderful connection of something so personal and so iconic and something that we've never been able to share with the public before. So those are some of the things that get us really excited. But there's also an archival record that we have on display.
Sarah Woods:And it's Spencer Penrose's thesis when he was a student at Harvard. And he's responding to this question that is asking what most influences national development. Is it stock? Is it climate? Or is it great men?
Sarah Woods:And he concludes his essay by writing, One great man opens and prepares the way for many others. Thus, the influence of great men is continually multiplied and increased. And this is just like a really poignant thought to have, I think, as a 21 year old student at Harvard. But it's quote that we as an organization come back to often. Because through our grant making, through our community leadership programs, we're constantly looking for that multiplier effect.
Sarah Woods:Like, where can we have the most good that is going to increase? And that's really the vision of Spencer Penrose. And when you look at everything he's created, whether it's the highway to the summit of Pikes Peak, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, you can see that multiplying effect in action. You can see how someone like Spencer Penrose or Julie Penrose really sort of opened the door for so many others generations later to continue really excellent work. Sarah, do you
Carly Ries:feel like the modern day Indiana Jones?
Sarah Woods:I mean, there's there's like a meme that every archivist, like, that's how they see themselves. So yeah, I mean, little bit.
Carly Ries:Okay. Yeah. You don't look the part right now, but you certainly talk the part. And I'm like, when you said, Oh, we just found a box that I've been tucked away for years. In my mind, like, you're crawling underground where there were rats and you know what I mean?
Carly Ries:Just one of those flashbacks. That is just so cool. Okay. So again with Penrose. I want to talk about Penrose a lot today because there's just so much that people don't know, some of the people do, but he's just so fascinating.
Carly Ries:And so he famously stockpiled trainloads of liquor before the prohibition. He kept a bloodshot glass eye for mornings after big nights that is now currently in the Broadmoor Lobby in one of the cases. And he once punched a man at Count Portales' country club on his first evening here in The Springs. But the museum presents his legacy with admiration. So how do you balance these stories with everything you just talked about?
Sarah Woods:Yeah, this is a great question because I think what you're pointing to is a multifaceted and complex individual who obviously was visionary and achieved so much in his lifetime. I mean, just looking around Colorado Springs, you see his fingerprint everywhere. And so I think it's important to understand that with a figure like that, of course, over time, all kinds of stories and lore and myth is going to emerge, right? And there's all these stories that the community loves to tell around Spencer Penrose. I actually had not heard the story about him punching somebody at California.
Sarah Woods:I don't
Carly Ries:know where I heard that.
Sarah Woods:So that one's new to me. But, you know, I'm not from Colorado Springs originally. I moved here eight years ago. And when I arrived here, I started hearing all these fantastic stories about Spencer Penrose. And I think what's important for me as an archivist, as a researcher, is going to the primary source records to the extent that I can to see that firsthand correspondence, to see firsthand the business records, to understand for myself where the thread of truth lies in all of these stories.
Sarah Woods:And the reason that the museum presents him with admiration is because there's a part of our organization culturally, since its inception in 1937 when Spencer Penrose was chair and then Julie was chair for, you know, seventeen years after. But, you know, I think when you look at organizations like El Pomar Foundation, the Broadmoor, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, culturally, organizations do revere Spencer and Julie Penrose because of their vision, because of their leadership, because of the standard of excellence that they set across these organizations. So I think we all do admire them. And that comes across in the way that we talk about them and present them and steward their legacy. So that's part of the reason that that's present in the museum.
Sarah Woods:But the other is that telling well researched stories that are backed by evidence is really important, not just for us, but for any museum or cultural institution. So we try to stay away from sort of telling or highlighting some of those fantastic stories if we can't corroborate them through research. But we also recognize that those stories exist for a reason, right? Like people in the community are telling those stories because there is some kernel of truth. Just as an example, you know, it's said that after Spencer Penrose died, Julie Penrose was just completely devastated.
Sarah Woods:And anytime she was in public, she was always wearing black. And if somebody mentioned his name, her tears or her eyes would feel fill with tears. And and maybe that's true. I mean, I've seen lots of photographs of her in the nineteen fifties where she is wearing black, but not in all of them. But that points to something true.
Sarah Woods:Right? That she was devastated by the loss of somebody who was really significant to her. So these stories, they hold a really important place. And when visitors come to the museum, whether they're locals or tourists visiting from out of town, they'll often say things like, tell us that one story about Spencer Penrose riding his horse into the lobby of the antlers or, you know, whatever the story might be. And so we do.
Sarah Woods:We tell them those stories, but then we follow it up and tell them, this is what we know to be true. So it's often about saying, Here's what we know. Here's what we don't know. But we really try to avoid speculation.
Carly Ries:Well, so let's talk about Julie for a second. Opened the museum as the El Pomar Carriage Museum originally. So what was it about carriages specifically that mattered so much to her? And of the, what, like, 30 carriages that you have in the collection, spanning from the eighteen forties to the nineteen tens, is there one with a really cool backstory?
Sarah Woods:Yeah. So Julie Penrose did create the original El Palmar Carriage Museum in 1941. And the whole purpose was to exhibit a collection of carriages. And the reason for that was that, you know, Spencer Penrose was born in 1865, which was the year the Civil War ended. Julie Penrose was born in 1870.
Sarah Woods:So if you think about how people were getting around at the time, carriages, coaches, wagons, I mean, that was sort of the primary mode of transportation. Julie
Carly Ries:is
Sarah Woods:from Detroit, you know, obviously a really important city within the automotive industry. But automobiles weren't really common on American streets until like the 1910s. And when automobiles were common, the Penrose's were investing in them. They had their own automobiles. They both really loved to drive them.
Sarah Woods:But they didn't want that tradition of coaching to get left behind. So Julie Penrose created the museum to sort of keep that at the forefront of people's minds. But, you know, we're talking about like lore and myth. There is some actually around the inception of the museum. And I can actually give you an example of an archival record that changed our understanding of the origin of the museum.
Sarah Woods:So when the museum was opened, Julie exhibited carriages that her and Spencer had owned personally. And when I first came to Colorado Springs, one of the stories I was told was that after Spencer died and Julie Penrose was living at their El Pomar home, which we know today as Penrose House Conference Center, she wanted to downsize. The house was too big. She was going to move into the penthouse suite at the Broadmoor. And she had identified the Sisters of Charity as the new owner of her home because they were going to operate a retreat center for women in the house.
Sarah Woods:And the story I've been told was that the reason she created the museum was that she needed to empty the carriage house at Penrose House, all of the carriages, so that she could give the house to the sisters. But when we were doing research to understand more about the origins of the museum, we actually found a newspaper clipping from the 1920s that was documenting all of the changes that were coming to the Broadmoor. Because when the Penrose's opened it in 1918, it wasn't finished. It was just beginning. They were constantly improving and expanding the resort.
Sarah Woods:But this article was detailing all of these changes coming to the Broadmoor in the 1920s. And it specifically mentioned that Spencer Penrose had purchased carriages from his friend Chester Alan Arthur II to create a display of carriages at the Broadmoor. And so that sort of challenged our understanding of what the original purpose or intention was of the museum. So it seems that, as with a lot of things, Spencer Penrose had an idea. Maybe it came to fruition.
Sarah Woods:Maybe there was a carriage display at the Broadmoor in the 1920s. I don't know with any certainty. But what we do know is that decades later, Penrose did realize the vision fully by creating the El Palmore Carriage Museum. And she brought in those Chester Alan Arthur carriages, the Penrose carriages, then some additional carriages that she had acquired. But in terms of interesting backstories with the carriages, I mean, there's there are some stories that have come with some of them that were acquired.
Sarah Woods:I mean, we have a stagecoach in the museum. And the story is that it was involved in a robbery. And if you look close enough, you can see bullet holes in the leather. I will tell you, I don't
Carly Ries:see any I was like, can you actually?
Sarah Woods:I don't actually see any bullet holes in the leather. I mean, it's you know, those stories, right, that we were talking about perpetuate. But I think what's really fascinating about all of the carriages is that they each have a unique purpose or function. And when you visit the museum and you're learning about them and reading about them and imagining for yourself what it's like to ride in one of those, I mean, they all are just incredibly unique. There's not really, you know, carriages that are alike in the collection.
Carly Ries:Let's give a quick shout out to our amazing sponsors. So if you've been following the show, you know that Lauren and I have been on a bit of a skincare journey together. And we have to give a big shout out to our friends at Vanguard Aesthetics for making that happen. I just had my second IPL treatment and full transparency, everyone's results are going to be different, but mine have been really noticeable. Like people are asking what I'm doing noticeable.
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Carly Ries:That's just $10 a class, which is unheard of. Their link is in our show notes as well. And you guys, Lauren's company, Why Wait Stories, creates legacy films and brand films that capture the stories that matter most, whether that's your family's history, a milestone in your life, or the story behind your business. The whole idea is simple. Do not wait.
Carly Ries:The best time to preserve these moments and these voices is right now. If you have been thinking about it, just go to whitewaitstories.com and start the conversation. Trust me, future you will be so glad you did. Well, let's go a step up in terms of speed from the carriages and talk about the Pikes Peak Highway, which Spencer built as a rival, correct me if I'm wrong, to the Cog Railway. Is that right?
Sarah Woods:Yes. So he was actually he had tried to purchase the COG and was unsuccessful. And then decided that he would build a highway to the summit. I mean, of it was to find his own route to get to the summit of Pikes Peak. And it certainly was in competition.
Sarah Woods:But I don't think the competition was the full motivation for Okay. Creating that
Carly Ries:Okay. Thank you for clarifying. But he then invented the race to go up it to generate publicity. And were there, like, six hundred six hundred and fifty news outlets that covered the first hill climb in 1916?
Sarah Woods:I have read that. I mean, I I can't confirm if that number is accurate. But I mean, does point to just the extent to which he was promoting the highway in the race.
Carly Ries:Remind him, like, do you get six fifty media outlets at that time? Like, internet didn't exist. I mean, what were these media outlets? But he was essentially a master of what we now call experiential marketing. Are there any artifacts or stories in the museum that revealed just how deliberate his promotional instincts were?
Sarah Woods:Yeah. I mean, I think the history of the race itself is that story that tells you just how far he went to promote the highway, to promote the region, and to promote the race. So the inaugural year was 1916. It actually took place over three days in August. And he had gotten some of the top automotive manufacturers to come and compete.
Sarah Woods:He got really well renowned race car drivers at the time to come and compete as well. And to your point about the six fifty news outlets, I mean, stories about this race appeared in probably every newspaper in every community across the country. I mean, it was really a major effort. But what's important to know is that, you know, the inaugural race was held in 1916 and then World War I happened. And so during those war years, the Pikes Peak Hill Climb was not happening.
Sarah Woods:And so after World War I ended and he wanted to reinstate the race, he had to start all over again in terms of building up the recognition and the notoriety of the event. And when you look at the events today, I mean, it is well regarded. It is, it has this incredible prestige and notoriety all over the world. It's not just a local event. It's something that people, you know, in every country, are following and are hoping to compete in.
Sarah Woods:And all of the major manufacturers that, compete, you know, they get bragging rights. You know? So in Pike Speaks terms, anybody that makes it to the summit is a champion. The person to do it the fastest is the king of the mountain. But the thing is, you know, you have the opportunity to say, you know, our shocks, our radiator, our tires, whatever it is, you know, made it to the summit of Pikes Peak.
Sarah Woods:So it wasn't just about promotion of this region, but it was really promotion of a whole industry as well. And the other thing that's remarkable to know about the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is that it is the second oldest automotive race in the country, second only to the Indianapolis five hundred.
Carly Ries:That is wild. And that's, I mean, just for perspective, I mean, everybody knows Indianapolis, even if you're not into racing or anything, you've heard of that. So to put in context to that is incredible. But we're talking kind of like a lot of this in context of the origin story. But back in 2012, a car plummeted off the mountain during the 2012 race.
Carly Ries:So that's recent history. And there is in the Pigsby Hillclimb experience at the museum, it's displayed in the position it landed alongside the actual race footage. How do you approach telling a story like that in a museum setting where the drama's real, but the driver and navigator are totally fine and they walked away?
Sarah Woods:Yeah. So the exhibit that you are talking about is one that we sort of affectionately refer to as the crash pit. And it is probably the most exciting exhibit for folks in the museum. I mean, people gravitate towards it. And it can be polarizing too.
Sarah Woods:Some people are drawn in and they want to see the car. They want to see the footage. Other people take one look at the footage in the car and they get a little squeamish and they have to turn away because it is really harrowing. But to tell a story like that first, we probably wouldn't have that car in the museum if the drivers had not been able to walk away, right? So that's really important to understand.
Sarah Woods:But there's a lot of storytelling that can happen around this crashed car. First and foremost, it's the story of safety on Pikes Peak. So every car that competes has to go through safety inspection. And when this car went through safety inspection for the twenty twelve race, the race director told the team, your car does not pass safety inspection standards. We need you to reinforce your roll cage.
Sarah Woods:So they did everything they needed to do. They went back through safety inspection. They passed. And then when you see the footage of this car barreling down the side of Pikes Peak, you understand that reinforcing that roll cage is probably what saved their lives. And when you see the car stop barreling down the side of the mountain, I mean, the driver and the navigator who were in the car immediately climbed out.
Sarah Woods:I mean, they didn't have to get pulled out. They were literally able to climb out and stand next to the car, which is incredible. But there's, you know, some speculation around how did this accident happen. Because when you see the onboard footage, you see the car approaching the turn, and there's 156 turns on this race course. It just the car just drives right off the edge, and you're wondering, well, how did this happen?
Sarah Woods:And there's speculation that, you know, perhaps they thought they were in a different turn. They didn't actually have it memorized. Right? We all know if you've been to the summit of Pikes Peak what it feels like to be in thin air. Competitors haven't always used oxygen in this race.
Sarah Woods:So there is speculation that perhaps the driver momentarily lost consciousness because of the decrease in oxygen as they were ascending the mountain. So it's also another opportunity to talk about the physical demands, the psychological demands of this harrowing event. The navigator actually returned to competition on Pikes Peak, but the driver himself never returned.
Carly Ries:Well, and just a second ago, you mentioned King of the Mountain. And Michel Mouton set the overall course record Pikes Peak in 1985, and to this day, remains the only woman to earn the title King of the Mountain or Queen of did you change it to Queen of the Mountain, or is it still King of the Mountain?
Sarah Woods:No, it is King of the Mountain, and she herself wants to be referred to as King of the Mountain. Good for
Carly Ries:yeah. Yes. But you recently added a full size banner honoring her. So how do you think about representing women's contributions in motorsport history that's been overwhelmingly male?
Sarah Woods:Yeah. So I mean, women have been competing in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb for a really long time, for decades. But we certainly know how important representation is. And so it's important to us to be able to highlight, you know, women who have not just competed in the event, but who contribute to it. I mean, if you look at their recent history, the current CEO, Melissa Eikoff, you know, she's a woman.
Sarah Woods:The previous CEO, also a woman. There's women on permanent staff for the hill climb, you know, race officials, volunteers, spectators. You know, women are a part of this event through and through. But certainly one of the most iconic women to ever be involved with the Pikes Peak Hill Climb is Michelle Mouton. She came here from France in the 1980s, racing, you know, rally cars.
Sarah Woods:And in 1985, she set that overall course record, only woman to do it. And she was actually here in Colorado Springs last year on what was the fortieth anniversary of that historic record setting win. And she came back and there was also a record, number of women who were competing in the event last year. And I had the opportunity to meet Michelle. I got to see a panel discussion that she did with the other female competitors.
Sarah Woods:And there was a whole conversation right around representation and how important that is. So it's certainly a privilege for us to be able to not only tell Michelle's story, but to also recognize and highlight the other women who compete in the event.
Carly Ries:Wow, yeah, so fascinating. Okay, I just have one more hill climb question, but I do want to wrap it back around to Spencer Penrose again, because he actually converted his personal 1918 Pierce Arrow into a race car and nicknamed it the Broadmoor Special, and it competed in the hill climb eight times. He's the man who built the highway, created the race, and entered his own car. So what does that tell you about who he was as a person?
Sarah Woods:I think it points to the fact that he was a man who was all in, You know? I mean, and it's not just with the hill climb and the highway, but any of the enterprises that he created or was involved in. He was all in. He was fully committed. You know, he made his fortune mining gold in Cripple Creek, Colorado and copper in Utah.
Sarah Woods:And a lot of his friends and business associates from those ventures were often investing in his enterprises. And so a lot of them invested in the construction of the highway to the summit of Pikes Peak. But as you can imagine, with a project like that, each mile became increasingly more expensive, increasingly more difficult. And at some point, the investors were this is we've gone as far as we can go. We can't continue to help finance this project.
Sarah Woods:And he said, that's fine. I'll finance the rest of it myself. And so he's just somebody who always made it happen. He always saw it through. It doesn't mean that every venture was always successful.
Sarah Woods:But he was all in.
Carly Ries:He again, most fascinating man in the world. Well, and and Julie actually actually outlived Spencer by seventeen years and then carried out the foundation's work until her death in 1956. They're both interred together at the Will Rogers Shrine Of The Sun, which I don't think a lot of people know that. And I want to ask you in a second just why they called it Will Rogers Shrine. But what do you want visitors to take away about the relationship between these two people and basically the city that they built?
Sarah Woods:I think what's important to know about Spencer and Julie Penrose, I mean, a lot of people will refer to them as a power couple. And certainly they are. I mean, they're an iconic duo when we think about Colorado Springs history in the Pikes Peak region. But I think it's just important to understand that they were both visionaries. I think he was more of the entrepreneur, and she was more of the philanthropist.
Sarah Woods:And together, they just had this incredible way to recognize opportunity, to recognize need, and to figure out how to fill those voids, and how to promote this region, and how to bring people here, and how to support the people who lived here. But they're really fascinating and complex people. And I think what's amazing if you have the opportunity to visit Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun where they are both interred, The views up there are incredible and you get this bird's eye view looking down at the Broadmoor property. You can see Penrose House, but you can see certainly Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. But you you have the opportunity to look down at all of these things that they created that are not just still around but flourishing.
Carly Ries:So Penrose's name is all over the city. Why is it not up there? Why is it called the Will Rogers Shrine In The Sun?
Sarah Woods:That's a great question. So in 1934, Spencer Penrose started construction on what was then known as the Shrine Of The Sun. And the reason it was called the Shrine Of The Sun was because this sort of perch that it's on, on the side of Cheyenne Mountain, it captures the sunlight, as it's rising. And so he was looking at the end of his life. He knew that he was dying.
Sarah Woods:He was essentially creating a cemetery for him, for Julie, and for two of their closest friends. And that was the whole purpose of this monument that he was building. There's some lore that suggests he was going to name it after himself. And Julie said, no, you can't do that. I haven't seen that in writing.
Sarah Woods:It's a good story.
Carly Ries:It's just like a married couple.
Sarah Woods:Yeah, you know? But at the time, Will Rogers was probably the most famous American. I mean, he was an aviator. He was an entertainer. He was a writer.
Sarah Woods:He was just prolific. And he tragically died in 1935 in a plane crash. And the entire country actually went into mourning. There's a statistic that says, the only other time so many mourners came out in The United States was when Abraham Lincoln died. So that's just sort of, you know, giving you a sense of the impact that Will Rogers had culturally in America.
Sarah Woods:And when he died, there were hospitals, schools, businesses all over the country that were renaming things in honor of Will Rogers. Even Route 66 for a period of time was known as, you know, the Will Rogers Route sixty six. And so the Penrose's, like a lot of people around the country, decided to dedicate this memorial in honor of Will Rogers. There's also speculation that Spencer Penrose did this because he was a master promoter. And if you put Will Rogers' name on this monument, I bet a lot of people are going to come and see it.
Sarah Woods:But that's the reason that it's called the Will Rogers Shrine Of The Sun. And at that property, we do our best to not only tell the story of the property and the Penrose, but also to tell the story of Will Rogers so that people today understand why he was such a prolific and important figure.
Carly Ries:Well, the Penrose, as I said, their names all over the city, but they also they contributed. Wasn't Penrose Hospital originally called Glockner Hospital? I mean, just tell me more about what they did kind of philanthropically around town.
Sarah Woods:Yeah. Glockner is a great example. Spencer Penrose had throat cancer. He knew that he was dying and certainly being a man of privilege was able to seek out the best medical care. And he worked with radiologists in Paris, France.
Sarah Woods:And those individuals ended up moving to Chicago. And so he was going to Chicago for a period of time. But he recognized that this great access that he had, to medical care didn't exist in Colorado Springs, not to this extent. So he actually created the Penrose Cancer Center at what was then Glockner Hospital and brought his oncologist from Paris and Chicago to Colorado Springs. It was actually a project he wasn't able to see realized because he did end up dying.
Sarah Woods:But Julie Penrose and also El Pomar Foundation contributed significantly to that project to make sure that it came to life. And there's also another statistic that at some point in time, one third of all practicing radiologists in The United States had been trained at the Penrose Cancer Center at Glockner Hospital. And then later in the 1950s, Julie made what was then considered to be one of the single largest philanthropic contributions, in the state of Colorado, to Glockner Hospital so that it could expand and improve its facilities. At that point, they renamed it Penrose Hospital in honor of the Penrose's.
Carly Ries:It's just incredible, all the things that they've touched. I mean, the Broadmoor, Pikes Peak Highway, Hill Climb, Fine Arts Center, Rodeo, the zoo, hospital, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. I mean, this city is just their footprint is everywhere. Well, so for the museum itself, it sits right next to the Broadmoor, and it is such a gem in this city. It's free.
Carly Ries:It has world class collections. What is your vision for making it an even bigger part of the Springs cultural identity?
Sarah Woods:Yeah. You know, the thing that I hear all the time about Penrose Heritage Museum is that it's a hidden gem. And I think any sort of cultural attraction that is regarded as a hidden gem just wants to be a gem, right? We don't want to be hidden. But, you know, El Palmar Foundation, at its core, is a grant making organization.
Sarah Woods:We distribute grant dollars to nonprofits across the state. And it's really important to us that rather than position ourselves front and center, that we're really putting the nonprofits in the spotlight because they're the ones that are doing the truly difficult and exceptional work in our communities. So we just don't promote ourselves and we don't promote our properties the way that other institutions might. One of the things that makes Penrose Heritage Museum unique is that we're attached to a private foundation. So we're not actually seeking grant dollars from other institutions like, you know, most museums are in order to keep the lights on or to create exhibits or offer community programming.
Sarah Woods:So that's part of the reason why we're not self promoting our properties to a great extent. But the museum has so much to offer. The fact that admission is free, The Broadmoor allows us to validate for the parking garage so our visitors don't have to pay to park at the Broadmoor. There's also a bus stop right across the street for any visitors who use public transportation and want to come visit. Mean, it's truly an accessible property if you know that it's there.
Sarah Woods:But we've really been trying to create new and engaging exhibits that connect people to place through the story of the Penrose's. We've also been putting a big focus on accessibility so that, all visitors who come to the museum can explore it and experience it in a way that, you know, matters to them. But we've also, in the last, five years, we've created a new community event called Family Exploration Day. And this really started as an open house when we were celebrating the eightieth anniversary in our new exhibits in the Heritage Gallery. We've continued it ever since.
Sarah Woods:And it's an opportunity for families to come to the museum on a Saturday. It's always the first Saturday in June, to have experiences in the museum that connect them to the Penrose legacy, but also the local history here, in Colorado Springs. So anything that we offer through the museum is a community resource, and, we just want families to be able to come to the museum and experience that.
Carly Ries:Well, Sarah, speaking of our community, we have to wrap up with this question because we ask all of our guests this question. And I want to know, you know so much about Colorado Springs and its history. For bringing it to modern day, what is your pick of the week for The Springs?
Sarah Woods:Yeah. My pick of the week is the United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum. So that museum tells the full story, right, of the Olympic and Paralympic movements, Team USA. And certainly, those stories are so inspiring. And it's something that I think every visitor can engage with.
Sarah Woods:And the museum is so experiential. Like you can have the opportunity to race against, you know, an athlete, but to also hear and see their stories. And they've actually got some new exhibits right now. So that's my pick of the week. I love it.
Carly Ries:Okay. So I also have a pick of the week this week, and that is the Pikes Peak Library District Summer Adventure Program twenty twenty six. It is kicking off on June 1. It goes June 1 to July 31 and if you read, create, and explore for thirty days you could win some seriously cool prizes. Any age can play so sign up now at ppld.orgbackslashsummer or walk into any library on June 1, any location, to get started.
Carly Ries:It is so fun. This program is so cool and just stay tuned because we'll be digging into this a lot more over the next month. So again, June 1, ppld.org/summer and go check it out. Well, Sarah, not only am I impressed with all of the information you shared today, but just I want listeners to know since they can't see you, you did not read from anything. All of that information is in your head, which is just mind blowing to me.
Carly Ries:You're a wealth of knowledge. You can tell how much you love this history. And I cannot wait for visitors to come see. Where can they learn more about the museum and El Palmar?
Sarah Woods:Yeah, the easiest thing to do is to Google Penrose Heritage Museum. But if you visit elpamar.org, you can read about all of our historic properties, which are Penrose Heritage Museum, Will Rogers Shrine Of The Sun and Penrose House. And that's the best place to find information about our hours and community programs that we have coming up.
Carly Ries:Awesome. Well, thank you so, so much for coming on the show today.
Sarah Woods:Thank And
Carly Ries:listeners, thank you so much for tuning in. As always, leave that five star review. Share this episode with a friend who loves history and lore in Colorado Springs, And subscribe on Apple and Spotify, and we will see you next week on Springs and Things.