Historical Presentations
I've presented a variety of historical programs over the years for groups such as Pueblo Community College-Fremont Campus, Colorado Prison Museum, Fremont County Historical Society, Custer County Historical Society, Old Colorado City Historical Society, Penrose Community Library, John C. Fremont Library, Florence Pioneer Museum, schools, Pueblo Heritage Commission, and to other groups, under my previous name - Sherry Johns.
All my presentations are in PowerPoint, although I don't have a PowerPoint projector myself. Typically the group I'm speaking to provides the projector and screen. I also bring display boards and my books to sell.
My programs last about 60 - 75 minutes and have plenty of time for Q & A.
The programs are perfect for small groups as well as groups of over one hundred people.
I can travel to Pueblo, Fremont, or El Paso counties.
Please contact me if you would like to schedule a program or to use any of my programs as a fundraiser for your non-profit.
Pricing is different for a non-profit organization.
Listed below are my historical presentations.
They're all unique, fun and informative.
Historical Presentations
THE LIFE AND ART OF
GEORGIA O'KEEFFE
I've loved the art of Georgia O'Keeffe for years and recently I began to study her life, her wisdom and zest for living,
Georgia O’Keeffe was the premier American female artist of the 20th century. She painted abstracts, flowers, skyscrapers, bones, and landscapes, from New York to New Mexico to Hawaii.
Her personal life was as colorful as her art, full of mystique, travel, scandal and simplicity.
As contemporary women, we can learn much from Georgia’s life.
Forgotten Female Felons
I developed this program when I was asked to speak at the Colorado Museum of Prisons in Canon City, in conjunction with the Smithsonian Exhibit "BETWEEN FENCES."
As I read and scanned the original logbook pages in the archives of the museum, I became convinced that these woman needed their stories to be told.
Each logbook page contains valuable information about each Female Felon; her crime, length of prison stay, family, notes with any infractions while in prison, and most importantly, a tiny photo of each woman, which brings them to life.
As I gently scanned the brittle pages I felt a spiritual connection to these often misunderstood women.
My program focuses on a few of these women, whose ages varied from 16 - 56 and their crimes were just as varied.
Images used with permission from the
Museum of Colorado Prisons.
Forgotten Female Felons Quilt
I made this wall hanging quilt to honor 25 of the women who were incarcerated in the early Territorial Prison in Canon City, Colorado. My intent was to include their photos on the quilt, from the log sheets I had scanned,
Well, that didn't happen as they let me know loud and clear that all they wanted on the quilt was their names and prison numbers. I tell the rest of the story in my program and in my new book, of the same name, out in 2022.
The quilt travels with me when I present this program and has hung in the Colorado Museum of Prisons.
Ladies of the Evening
Why do I talk about these "fallen women?" Because they deserve to have their dignity restored in some measure and because they are a largely overlooked part of our collective past
These women's stories have not yet all been told. Their stories are just as real and important as the cowboy stories, the soldier stories and the explorer stories - that's why I tell about the prostitutes.
I also talk about historical prostitution from the Bible, ancient civilizations, and up to the Gold Rush and the settling of the West
This program is for mature audiences.
Women of the Mormon Battalion in Pueblo
For less than a year, 1846-47, the Mormon Battalion and the 'Mississippi Saints' built Mormontown on the banks of the Arkansas River, near present-day Pueblo, Colorado.
They made homes, planted gardens, held dances and preached the gospel.
While much has been written about the Mormon Battalion, little is known about the women who accompanied them. I researched these hardy women who signed on with the Army as laundresses and found their fortitude and courage astounding.
My program weaves a fascinating account of the women of the Mormon Battalion and also details the 1997 Mormon Battalion Sesquicentennial Celebration in Pueblo.
The Colorful Tale of Buckskin Joe
I spent most of the summer of 2010 exploring the streets and buildings of Buckskin Joe, Western Town, which was a historical and educational tourist attraction in Fremont County, Colorado, near the Royal Gorge.
I asked the owner, Greg Tabiteau (now the previous owner) if I could photo-document EVERYTHING at Buckskin Joe. He enthusiastically said YES!
Richard Lane, photographer, and Vern Roberts, retired art teacher and native American potter, explored with me. We spent hours taking photos of every building and its contents, talking with employees and visitors, and scanning hundreds of documents on the walls of numerous buildings.
Many western movies were also made at Buckskin Joe and we photo-documented memorabilia and posters in the Movie and the Museum Buildings.
My historical program goes back in time to Buckskin Joe in the Alma / Fairplay area of Park County, where Joe Higginbotham, the original "Buckskin Joe" was a miner there.
Almost a century later some of the buildings were moved to Fremont County along with other historical buildings from throughout the region, to become "BUCKSKIN JOE" the western town near Royal Gorge.
This program is a fun look at a beloved landmark in Fremont County for decades.
Pioneer Women of Fremont County
Enjoy a historical glimpse of the female half of Fremont County, Colorado, from rowdy to respectful, winsome to wild, and suffragette to sinner. I've included numerous never-seen-before photos of local historical women in this program, from Canon City, Florence, the Coal towns, Penrose and more.
I tell of their lives, families and accomplishments and what they contributed to Fremont County.
Pioneer Women of
Beaver Creek
"Pioneer Women of Beaver Creek" is all about women from my neck of the woods, the Beaver Creek area east of Penrose. Although I am not related to any of them, I feel they are my "sisters" as I've learned about their lives and families.
I wrote this book in 2008 and it has sold over a 1000 copies. In 2019, I gave the copyright to the Penrose Community Library and they now publish it, while I still give the presentation.
My program details the lives of 25 women who lived and died on Beaver Creek, along with photos of these courageous women, their families and their tombstones. It parallels my book of the same name (see "My Books") I also bring the "Pioneer Women of Beaver Creek" Quilt that has hung in several exhibits.
