About the Colorado Encyclopedia

Welcome to Colorado Encyclopedia.

Colorado Encyclopedia is the leading online reference work on the Centennial State, with more than 1,000 entries* written and edited by scholars, students, professional researchers, community members, and others. Entries cover everything from the state’s ancient history to wildlife, sports, weather, geology, modern culture, current events, and much more. Approximately 25 percent of all entries include versions re-written at 4th, 8th, and 10th-grade reading levels for greater accessibility to K-12 students. Many entries also come with teacher resources, created according to state educational standards to help educators.

Since its inception, the Colorado Encyclopedia has been generously supported by the NEH, Colorado State Historical Fund, major universities, and various local organizations. In 2019, Colorado Encyclopedia received another major grant from the NEH, enabling it to begin its second development phase. This phase coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, which re-affirmed the value of reliable digital resources amid nationwide library, museum, and archive closures. Colorado Encyclopedia continued to forge ahead during this period, adding more than 300 new entries with additional educational resources, including interactive inquiry cards and award-winning History Day essays on Colorado topics for students to read and emulate.

In 2020, Colorado Encyclopedia received another grant from the State Historical Fund for a pilot project to add virtual tours of historical sites to the encyclopedia. Soon, thanks to innovative drone photography and other technology, encyclopedia users can visit these sites to learn about them from all angles.

In addition, the Colorado Encyclopedia is currently in the process of applying for additional funds from the NEH for a third development phase. This phase will merge the Colorado Encyclopedia with History Colorado, the state’s premier historical society, to ensure ongoing support and consistent, robust development in the future.

With the support mentioned above, Colorado Encyclopedia will continue to be the most reliable source of information for all those interested in learning about the Centennial State.

William Wei, PhD
Editor Emeritus
June 16, 2022

* Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the articles on this site do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the State Historical Fund, or CE’s developers and sponsors.

Accessibility Statement

History Colorado is committed to providing equitable access to our services to everyone. We strive to be a place of belonging for all Coloradans and to serve as a platform for community connection. Our teams are focused on delivering amazing services and content to the public each day, and we want to provide access to it for as many members of the public as possible. History Colorado does not discriminate based on disability in its programs, services, activities, and employment practices.

Our ongoing accessibility effort seeks alignment with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 linked here, level A and AA criteria. These guidelines not only help make web content accessible to users with sensory, cognitive, and mobility disabilities but ultimately to all users, regardless of ability.

The History Colorado website is just a part of a meaningful change in making all our services inclusive and accessible. We welcome your feedback on how we can continue to improve accessibility. We know we’re making a positive impact when we can make a personal, Colorado connection, with people of all abilities and link one’s individual story with Colorado’s shared history.

We continue to work on the accessibility of our existing content, and strive to ensure all new content meets WCAG 2.1 guidelines.
We also welcome requests for accommodations to our content. These requests can be made through the avenues listed below.

Please reach out for accommodation support if you encounter any accessibility issues with existing content.

Accommodation requests are processed as quickly as possible. We will make sure to get back to you within 7 days. Timing may vary depending on the nature and complexity of the request. You can reach us through the following channels:

Contact us through our accommodation request form here to request an accommodation or report an issue.
Call us at 303-406-0922 Monday through Friday between 9 AM and 5 PM Mountain Time. The phone line is not monitored at all times, so you can leave a voicemail or use the request form or email channels if your call is not answered.
Send an email to hc_accessibility@state.co.us and include the issue description, a URL if relevant, and contact information.

Our Actions

We have developed an accessibility plan at History Colorado that encompasses all our employees, the public, and our approach to accessibility, remediation, accommodation, and new content incorporation.
We have developed an accommodation process that supports our commitment to ensuring accessibility for all individuals. Our process includes the ability for members of the public as well as internal staff to make requests for remediation of content that is currently inaccessible. Our accommodation process also defines the responsible parties, proper routing of requests to responsible team members and a plan for remediation of inaccessible materials in a defined timeframe. General requests will be responded to within 7 days.
We have posted a prominent notice about how to request accommodations for individuals with disabilities. This includes multiple contact methods for providing feedback or making requests for accessible content. A form for making requests online as well as a toll-free number with text telephone capabilities is available as well as an in person contact method.
Our staff has been trained in both accessibility core competencies as well as specialized processes to support our shared efforts for a more accessible Colorado.
Our team has a commitment to creating accessible content and museum experiences. Any net new content created by our staff will be done so accessibly and meet WCAG 2.1 guidelines.
Our team is committed to working with accessible partners and utilizing accessible tools. We have set accessible standards for both partnership and content intake in accordance with the WCAG 2.1 guidelines. We also have prioritized the use of accessible tools for our work and vet our selections through the state's Office of Information and Technology procurement process. This rigorous process ensures tactical selection of tools and technologies, VPATs, vendor accessibility plans and more.

Additional Colorado Accessibility Resources

Access for the Hearing Impaired: Dial 711 or (800) 659-3656 to reach Relay Colorado. Relay Colorado is a free service that provides full telephone access to people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, or speech-disabled.

Access for the Visually Impaired: Aira is free for up to 30 minutes per session. The State of Colorado is excited to offer a service for blind and low- vision Coloradans through a partnership with Aira, an app that provides live on- demand visual interpreting through human-to-human assistance. Coloradans get free access for up to 30 minutes per session while navigating state locations and digital services, reducing barriers to services, and creating a more welcoming Colorado for all. To learn more about Aira, including frequently asked questions about the service, visit the Governor's Office of Information Technology (OIT) Aira webpage.

Our Team

Editorial Staff


Editor in Chief & State Historian (2019-2020) William Wei, PhD, Professor of History, University of Colorado-Boulder	Managing Editor Dawn Paschal, MA, Senior Associate Dean Collections & Discovery, Colorado State University	Senior Associate Editor Nick Johnson, MA

Associate Editor Scott Spillman, PhD	Education Editor Cynthia K. Stout, PhD, Jefferson County School District (retired)	Virtual Tours Producer Erika Volchan O'Conor Volchan Productions, LLC

Governance Board

William Wei, Director of the Colorado Encyclopedia project
Margaret Coval, Executive Director, Colorado Humanities
Jared Orsi, PhD, Professor of History, Colorado State University
Darrin Pratt, Director, University Press of Colorado

Editorial Advisory Board

Derek Everett, PhD, History Instructor, Colorado State University
Jonathan Rees, PhD, Professor of History, Colorado State University-Pueblo
Kevin Black, MA, former Assistant State Archeologist, History Colorado (retired)
Rebecca Hunt, PhD, Professor of History, University of Colorado-Denver
Stephen Leonard, PhD, Professor of History, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Thomas Noel, PhD, Professor of History and Director of Public History, Preservation & Colorado Studies, University of Colorado-Denver

Indigenous Advisory Board

Yufna Soldier Wolf (Arapaho)
Garrett Briggs (Southern Ute)
Adesbah Foguth (Diné)

Technology Advisory Board

Dawn Paschal, Associate Dean for Research, Digital Library & Data Services, Colorado State University
Regan Harper, Director of Networking and Resource Sharing, Colorado State Library
Helen Baer, Head, Digital Repository Unit, Colorado State University Libraries
Mark Shelstad, Coordinator for Digital and Archives Services, Colorado State University Libraries
Greg Vogl, Identity and Access Management, Division of Information Technology, Colorado State University
Yongli Zhou, Digital Repositories Librarian, Colorado State University Libraries

Media Acquisitions

Emily Bond, Colorado State University
Trista Barker, Colorado State University

University Press of Colorado

Lauren Anderson, copyeditor
Cheryl Carnahan, copyeditor
Laura Furney, Assistant Director & Managing Editor, University Press of Colorado
Tracy Jones, copyeditor
Sonya Manes, copyeditor

Education Advisory Board

Michelle Delgado, Instructional Coach, Aurora Public Schools
Chris Elnicki, MA, Executive Director, Colorado Center for Civic Learning & Engagement
Jason Hanson, MA, Chief Creative Officer, Director of Interpretation and Research, History Colorado
Stephanie Hartman, PhD, Social Studies Content Specialist, Colorado Department of Education
Michelle Pearson, Historic Preservation Education Grants Coordinator, State Historical Fund, History Colorado
JJ Rutherford, MA, Museum Educator, Studio Tectonic
Brooke Tolmachoff, MA, Assistant Principal, McElwain Elementary, Adams 12 Five Star Schools

Content Specialists

Asunta Barone
Andrew Cabrall
Claire Lanier
Michael Conniff
Sean Fallon
Zach Lewis
Dane Vanhoozer

Student Interns

Alex Massimi
Benjamin Goldsmith
Brittney Washington
Eugene Wan
Grace Gann
Laura Schafenacker
Matthew Steven Mungai
Sam Routhier
Thomas Gilbert

Emeritus

Anne Hyde, Community Section Editor
Daniela Rovida, Library Technician, Colorado State University Libraries
Jared Orsi, Ecology Section Editor
Josephine Jones, Managing Editor and Marketing
Leigh Grinstead, Digital Services Consultant, LYRASIS (Technology Advisory Board)
Patricia Limerick, Place Section Editor
Reem Abu-Baker, Editorial Assistant
Thomas G. Andrews, Political Economy Section Editor