A Joy Day: Sundays in Denver, circa 1901

A crowd of people gather around the pavilion and line the shores of City Park Lake (Ferril Lake) in City Park, Denver, Colorado. Men and women are on the balcony of the pavilion. A rowboat and a bandstand are in the lake.

Water front of Pavilion City Park Denver. Image courtesy of History Colorado.

[between 1896 and 1900?]

Reminiscences of a Blissful Sunday in Denver, circa 1901

Pearl Stevens Andrews (1896-1988) grew up in Denver’s Highland neighborhood during the early 1900s. The daughter of Ora and Daniel Stevens (a vegetable dealer), Pearl was one of three children along with older brother Charles and younger sister Florence. The family resided in a home at 3277 Meade Street.

View of 32nd (thirty-second) Avenue in Denver, Colorado; shows brick commercial buildings, streetcar railway tracks, intersection of Mead Street, horse-drawn wagon, an automobile, and signs: "Long Distance Telephone," "Millinery," "Denver Bible Institute," "Tin Shop and Hardware," "Grocery," "Highland Theater," "5-cent," "Bakery," and sandwich board: "Spuds and Homemade Cakes."

32nd Avenue at Meade Street, Denver

[1910-1930?]

Pearl recalls her memories of taffy candymaking, the Barnum & Bailey Circus parade, and a trip to Golden (via pet pony) in a series of nine written reminiscences (M1069), available for research in DPL’s Western History and Genealogy Department.

Below is a sample from “A Joy Day,” which details a blissful Sunday in the Stevens household around 1901.

View of the city market, probably on the west bank of Cherry Creek between Champa and California Streets in Denver, Colorado. Shows vegetable stalls, wagons with produce, and customers. A pile of watermelons lies beneath a shed; customers and a policeman stand around a shattered watermelon.

Denver vegetable market

[1882-1900?]

How is it possible to pack all the slices of joy and excitement into one Sunday? Sundays were special for my brother (nine years old), my sister (now three years old), and myself, an extra lively girl of five. Special day. Papa was home all day.

Weekdays were long for him, leaving before daylight to be at the City Market before the farmers arrived with their fresh produce. His stall brought small profit, but Mama knew how to stretch every dollar.

Harry Rhoads sits reading the comics with his daughter Mary Elizabeth (Mitzi), Denver, Colorado.

Harry and daughter "Mitzi"

[1920-1923?]

Back to the slices of Joy Day. Not a wasted moment. It was early when we three youngsters came down the stairs then pell-mell into our parents’ big bed, interrupting our father’s well-deserved sleep. Funnies are always funnier when he reads them. Good imitations of Foxy Grandpa, Happy Hooligan, Buster Brown, the mischievous Katzenjammer Kids (who always got spanked), Mutt and Jeff. There were laughs and giggles unlimited.

A streetcar conductor and a streetcar operator pose near and in Denver City Tramway Company car number 68 on Lawrence Street between 16th (Sixteenth) and 17th (Seventeenth) Streets in downtown Denver, Colorado. The destination sign on the streetcar reads: "Leyden." Signs on nearby buildings read: "Strikers," "Engravers & Lithographers," "Printers & Blank Book Binders," "The Golden Eagle," "Colorado Tent and Awning Co.," and "Furniture."

Larimer Street Denver, Colorado

1906

...The biggest, best slice of joy began about four o’clock. We walked to 32nd Avenue and boarded the street car. The fare was a nickel for adults transferring to the City Park Line in the downtown Loop.

A group portrait of women and girls as they picnic outdoors possibly in City Park, Denver, Colorado. A few girls hold U. S. flags. Other groups of people have picnics nearby.

Recreation picnic. Image courtesy of History Colorado.

[between 1904 and 1915?]

We kids and Papa headed for the swings; all sizes, a basket type for my little sister. The picnic basket was on a table in the shade. We were hungry for sandwiches of good homemade bread and ham, pickles, cookies and an apple.

Silhouetted trees frame a view of the Electric Fountain in City Park Lake (Ferril) in Denver, Colorado. Streams of water extend high into the air and electric lights illuminate the spray.

Electric Fountain, City Park

[1908-1920?]

When we heard the band tuning up, we cleared the table and hurried toward the lake. The big attraction was the electric fountain. We were early enough to get a good seat. What lovely colors reflected on to the lake.

What a Joy Day!

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