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Resourceful, Redoubtable Abner Sprague
Celebrate the sesquicentennial of Estes Park's first settlers with a program at the Estes Park Museum on Friday, October 16 at 7:00 p.m. entitled, "The Resourceful and Redoubtable Abner Sprague." Local librarian and performer Kurtis Kelly's first-person reenactment will capture the spirited stories of a pioneer who witnessed change and was a catalyst for it. The presentation will last approximately 45 minutes, leaving time for a brief discussion about Mr. Sprague's life and contributions to Estes Park. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. This program, sponsored by the Estes Park Public Library and the Estes Park Museum, is free and open to the public. Abner Sprague was a young man when he and his father filed homestead claims in Moraine Park in 1875. By the time of his death in 1943, he had built tourist lodges in Moraine Park and Glacier Basin; explored the early trails and routes to the Continental Divide; surveyed for the railroads and for the early roads to Estes Park; designed town plans for Estes Park, Loveland and Fort Collins as Larimer County Surveyor; operated a stagecoach line; and written dozens of essays documenting the early history of Estes Park. Kelly has been performing in historic reenactments for over ten years. In addition to Sprague, he has performed as the legendary F. O. Stanley and land baron Lord Dunraven. "Hearing history from a first-person perspective allows it to come alive," Kelly says. "Through storytelling and personal anecdotes, we feel a familiar connection to these individuals that makes us appreciate them with renewed interest and new insights." Kelly is a staff librarian at the Estes Park Public Library. Since 2002, Kelly has worked with the Stanley Museum of Estes Park. He has led hundreds of people in the popular "Ghost Stories of the Stanley Hotel" talks and tours. He has shared ghostly lore in interviews with many regional newspapers and radio stations and in a one-time segment on National Public Radio.
Estes Park Museum http://www.estesnet.com/museum/events.html DatesExplore!
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