Biographies…In State Documents?

Believe it or not, CoSPL’s collection contains a variety of biographies. We have many “real” published books, including those published by the University Press of Colorado and the Colorado Historical Society, and many of these are biographies. Do a keyword search in our catalog for biographies on important Colorado historical figures such as Hiram Bennet, Saco R. DeBoer, William Hamill, A.E. Humphreys & sons, William Henry Jackson, John Otto, Charles Christopher Parry, Thomas M. Patterson, Josephine Roche, John Shafroth, Horace Tabor, Henry M. Teller, Dr. James J. Waring, Edward Wynkoop, and more. There are also several memoirs of ordinary Coloradans, such as On Colfax Avenue, a Victorian Childhood. Additionally, the collection includes some collective biographies such as the University Press book Colorado Profiles, and one of our more unique titles, Presidents and Speakers of the Colorado General Assembly 1876-1980. Published by the Colorado Legislative Council, this publication includes a short bio and photograph of each President of the Senate and Speaker of the House from the state’s beginnings. This is a valuable resource because while some of these politicians ascended to more well-known political positions, others remained in relative obscurity and otherwise may be difficult to find information on. Another collective biography is the online resource Colorado Governors, produced by the Colorado State Archives with short bios on each Colorado state and territorial governor.