The Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society will host its monthly Sunday Afternoon Lecture, “The Other Side of General William Jackson Palmer” with Jan Mackell, at 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 18, in the Historic Henry County Courthouse.
Palmer (1836-1909) was a military general, railroad tycoon, and founder of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Though a Quaker from Delaware, he fought for the Union Army during the Civil War. After the war, he moved west and became a civil engineer and philanthropist who played an integral part in Colorado’s development. As the founder and owner of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, he helped stimulate economic growth as well as the expansion of transportation in the American West during the late nineteenth century. He is also well known for his philanthropy, which included the founding of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and other institutions for the public benefit. However, not many folks pay attention to this achievement before he got there. Mackell will show Palmer’s “other side” using many stories about him.
For more than fifty years, Mackell has visited ghost towns and other forgotten historic spots all over the American West in search of how pioneers lived and survived during the 1800s. A historian and writer since 1989, she has given dozens of presentations, programs, speeches, appearances, and interviews on radio, television, and in print. Her research, especially in the history of the prostitution industry, encompasses the entire western region of America and continues to expand.
Admission to the lecture is free, made possible by corporate sponsors, Carter Bank & Trust and The Lester Group. The Historic Henry County Courthouse is fully handicapped accessible. The Martinsville-Henry County Heritage Museum will be open following the presentation.
