Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Fort Collins
Happy birthday to you
FC150. Sounds like a lower division college course doesn’t it? FC-150, History of Fort Collins from 1864 to present. Close, but this “course” doesn’t cost any money and won’t earn you college credit. What it will do is help you celebrate the wonderful town we live in. FC150, also known as Fort Collins 150: A Sesquicentennial Celebration is put on by numerous city organizations to celebrate Fort Collins’ 150th birthday.
In 1864, a devastating flood forced the community of Camp Collins to relocate to present day Old Town and the settlement was named Fort Collins. The military post was abandoned in 1867, but the residents stayed behind starting what would become the community we know and love today.
FC150 Events at Your Library
During the month of October, we’ll be hosting a variety of events that celebrate the history Fort Collins and the West.
October 2: Join Buffalo Bill himself for the Buffalo Bill Experience: a presentation on our western heritage. Learn about the man, the myth, and the legend from William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody who was an American soldier, bison hunter and showman.
October 11: Watch Mel Gibson star in the film Maverick, a comedic western about a gun slinging con man who develops a tricky scheme to make a killing at a major poker tournament.
October 17: Award-winning Western music singer, Bill Barwick, should not be missed! Winner of the Wrangler award, for “Outstanding Traditional Western Music album” from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum as well as the Western Music Association’s “Male Performer of the Year” award, and the Will Rogers Cowboy award for “Male Vocalist of the Year” from the Academy of Western Artists, Bill Barwick is one of America’s most respected Western music entertainers.
October 18: Writer and naturalist Mary Taylor Young presents her most recent book, Rocky Mountain National Park: The First 100 Years, which is the Park’s centennial history. Mary has been writing about the landscape and heritage of Colorado and the American West for more than 25 years!
October 24: History Comes Alive with Elizabeth Hickock Robbins “Auntie” Stone. This nurturing and strong willed woman was responsible for bringing culture and permanence to the town in its beginnings and was responsible for many “firsts” including the first grist mill and the first brick kiln. She instilled in Fort Collins the beginnings of many social norms and a humanitarianism that remains with our community today.
Want more? Visit our events webpage to see all of the great October events we have in store just for you!
We hope to see you out celebrating our beloved town’s birthday this fall!