%1 http://coloradoencyclopedia.org/ en Mary Hauck Elitch Long http://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/mary-hauck-elitch-long <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--encyclopedia-article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Mary Hauck Elitch Long</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--encyclopedia-article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/user/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" about="/users/yongli" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">yongli</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/user/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--encyclopedia-article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2021-06-18T14:53:46-06:00" title="Friday, June 18, 2021 - 14:53" class="datetime">Fri, 06/18/2021 - 14:53</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'addtoany_standard' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * addtoany-standard--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * addtoany-standard--node.html.twig x addtoany-standard.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'modules/contrib/addtoany/templates/addtoany-standard.html.twig' --> <span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="http://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/mary-hauck-elitch-long" data-a2a-title="Mary Hauck Elitch Long"><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=http%3A%2F%2Fcoloradoencyclopedia.org%2Farticle%2Fmary-hauck-elitch-long&amp;title=Mary%20Hauck%20Elitch%20Long"></a><a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a></span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'modules/contrib/addtoany/templates/addtoany-standard.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item" id="id-body"><p>Mary Hauck Elitch Long (1856–1936) was the first woman in the world to own and operate a zoo, located at <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/elitch-gardens"><strong>Elitch Gardens</strong></a> in <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/denver"><strong>Denver</strong></a>. She and her husband, <strong>John Elitch, Jr.</strong>, opened the attraction in 1890, and after his death in 1891, Mary continued on as a pioneering businesswoman and entrepreneur. At a time when women held relatively little power in business and politics, Long defied the odds by catapulting herself to success as the “First Lady of Fun” and famed “Lady of the Gardens,” which she ran until 1916.</p> <h2>Early Life</h2> <p>Mary Hauck was born on May 10, 1856, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Frederick and Augustina Hauck. Her family soon moved to California, where her father owned and operated a farm. At the age of sixteen, she fell in love with twenty-two-year-old John Elitch, Jr., and the couple eloped. After their marriage, they moved from San Jose to San Francisco, where they opened a restaurant in a theater building. During their time there, the couple made many valuable connections in the theater industry.</p> <p>In 1880 the Elitches decided to relocate to Colorado. Initially they moved to <strong>Durango</strong> and opened another restaurant. Two years later, the couple moved to Denver, where John Elitch and his father opened a restaurant together. The Elitch Restaurant and Oyster House was a success and was eventually relocated and renamed Elitch’s Palace and Dining Rooms.</p> <h2>Elitch’s Zoological Gardens</h2> <p>Soon after their move to Denver, Mary and John Elitch decided to open a zoo. At the time, none existed west of Chicago. They also hoped for a space where they could grow vegetables to supply their restaurant. They began their search for land and discovered Chilcott Farm in the northwest Denver area known as the <strong>Highlands</strong>. The farm included a lake, an apple orchard, countless trees, and a farmhouse that had once operated as a country school. In 1888 the Elitches bought the property, renamed it Elitch’s Farm, and began the process of establishing their zoo. Their initial layouts for the property included a theater and animal houses. They began acquiring exotic animals from close friend and circus leader P.&nbsp;T. Barnum as well as his rival, Adam Forepaugh. Through Forepaugh they bought monkeys, lions, camels, and cockatoos, among other animals.</p> <p>The couple’s dream was realized on May 1, 1890, when Elitch’s Zoological Gardens opened its doors to much excitement and fanfare. The gardens were so successful after the first season that John Elitch decided to expand his interests and invest in a touring performance group. In March 1891, the group was touring the Pacific Coast when Elitch fell ill and died. Although devastated by the loss of her husband, Mary Elitch was determined to propel the business to new heights of success.</p> <h2>Mary Elitch, Owner and Operator</h2> <p>After John Elitch passed away, funding for the gardens became tight because his investment in the touring group was lost. In 1891 Mary sold a controlling interest in Elitch Gardens to a group of investors, which became known as the Elitch Gardens Amusement Company. She remained as manager of the zoo. The <a href="http://www.coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/panic-1893"><strong>Panic of 1893</strong></a> deeply affected many residents and businesses in Colorado, including Elitch Gardens. Attendance dropped, and the park was forced to close early for the season. Many banks closed their doors, too, and the Elitch Gardens Amusement Company went into receivership. In 1894 Elitch was able to regain control of the business when she purchased the controlling stock back from the syndicate in a sheriff’s sale. She thus became the first woman in the world to own and operate a zoo. Back in full control, she continued to expand the gardens and add exotic animals, including kangaroos.</p> <p>Elitch was also one of the first women in the United States to own a theater. The theater and summer stock program at Elitch Gardens were huge successes. Elitch brought in famous names and newcomers alike, including Sarah Bernhardt and Douglas Fairbanks. She had a great love for children (though she didn’t have any of her own) and made every Tuesday at the gardens Children’s Day, when children could come even without their parents and be looked after by Elitch herself.</p> <p>In 1900 Elitch married her business manager, Thomas D. Long. They continued to manage the gardens together. In 1904 they added the park’s first ride. Over the next decade, they continued to add more features, including a merry-go-round and a train.</p> <h2>Society</h2> <p>Mary Elitch Long was active in Denver society from the time she and her first husband settled in the Mile High City. She was involved in many local clubs and organizations. In addition to her love of the theater, she had a great interest in art and painting. She was also a dedicated associate member of the <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/denver-woman%E2%80%99s-press-club"><strong>Denver Woman’s Press Club</strong></a>. She hosted many club events, and to this day a large portrait of Long hangs on the north wall of the group’s clubhouse. In her spare time, Long wrote two children’s books.</p> <h2>Decline</h2> <p>The amusement park industry started to face stiff competition in the early twentieth century. With the increasing popularity of movie theaters and automobiles, Denverites had the option of choosing from a variety of entertainment venues. Revenue began to drop at Elitch Gardens, and in 1915 the park declared bankruptcy. Long’s personal life was not faring any better than her beloved park. By that time, she and her second husband had separated.</p> <p>In 1916 the park was sold at auction to Oscar L. Malo. Two months later, Malo sold the property to John Mulvihill with the stipulation that Long could remain in her cottage on the property. She continued to live at the gardens until 1932, when her health grew poor and she moved in with her sister-in-law, Jeanette Arnold.</p> <h2>Legacy</h2> <p>Mary Hauck Elitch Long died on July 16, 1936, after suffering a heart attack. She is buried with John Elitch, Jr., in <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/fairmount-cemetery"><strong>Fairmount Cemetery</strong></a>. She is remembered as a pioneering Colorado entrepreneur who made a name for herself in an industry where women had previously had no place. She was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Colorado Business Hall of Fame in 1998. Her legacy continues to this day through the operation of the Elitch Gardens amusement park, which moved from Highlands to downtown Denver in 1995, as well as the restoration of the historic Elitch Theatre on the site of the original gardens.&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-author.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-author.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-above" id="id-field-author"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-author">Author</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-author"><a href="/author/carr-shelby" hreflang="und">Carr, Shelby</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-keyword--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-keyword.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-keyword.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-keyword field--type-entity-reference field--label-above" id="id-field-keyword"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-keyword">Keywords</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/mary-elitch" hreflang="en">mary elitch</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/john-elitch" hreflang="en">john elitch</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/elitch-gardens" hreflang="en">Elitch Gardens</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links--inline.html.twig * links--node.html.twig * links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/navigation/links--inline.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/navigation/links--inline.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-references-html--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-references-html.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-references-html.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-references-html field--type-text-long field--label-above" id="id-field-references-html"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-references-html">References</div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-references-html"><p>“The Daily News,” <em>Rocky Mountain News, </em>March 12, 1891.</p> <p>Debra B. Faulkner, <em>Mary Elitch Long: First Lady of Fun</em> (Palmer Lake, CO: Filter Press, 2008).</p> <p>“Elitch Theatre,” National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (1978).</p> <p>“<a href="https://dwpconline.org/about/house-and-garden/">House and Garden</a>,” Denver Woman’s Press Club, n.d.</p> <p>Rosemary Elaine Lewis, “<a href="http://digital.auraria.edu/AA00002441/00001/1j">The Elitch Gardens Theatre, 1891–2008 America’s High Plains Summer Playhouse</a>” (master’s thesis, University of Colorado–Denver, 2009).</p> <p>Mary Elitch Long, “Early Denver Days Described in Mrs. Elitch Long’s Memoirs,” <em>The </em><em>Denver Post, </em>May 31, 1914.</p> <p>“Mrs. John Elitch Jr. Becomes Mrs. T. D. Long,” <em>Rocky Mountain News, </em>November 22, 1900.</p> <p>“Noted Founder of Elitch’s Is Seriously Ill: Heart Attack Suffered by Mary E. Long at Relative’s Home,” <em>The </em><em>Denver Post, </em>July 16, 1936.</p> <p>“State News,” <em>Silver Cliff Rustler, </em>December 19, 1889.</p> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-additional-information-htm--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-additional-information-htm.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-additional-information-htm.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-additional-information-htm field--type-text-long field--label-above" id="id-field-additional-information-htm"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-additional-information-htm">Additional Information</div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-additional-information-htm"><p>Betty Lynne Hull, <em>Denver’s Elitch Gardens: Spinning a Century of Dreams</em> (Boulder, CO: Johnson Books, 2003).</p> <p>Mary Elitch, <em>Experiences of the Only Woman in the World Who Owns and Manages a Zoo </em>(Denver: n.p., 1898).</p> <p>Theodore A. Borrillo<em>, Denver’s Historic Elitch Theater: A Nostalgic Journey (A History of Its Times)</em> (self-published, 2012).</p> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> Fri, 18 Jun 2021 20:53:46 +0000 yongli 3569 at http://coloradoencyclopedia.org Elitch Gardens http://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/elitch-gardens <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--encyclopedia-article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Elitch Gardens</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: x field--node--field-article-image--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-image.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-article-image.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--field-article-image--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div id="carouselEncyclopediaArticle" class="carousel slide" data-bs-ride="true"> <div class="carousel-inner"> <div class="carousel-item active"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * node--3234--article-detail-image.html.twig * node--3234.html.twig x node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig * node--image.html.twig * node--article-detail-image.html.twig * node.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/content/node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-encyclopedia-image--image.html.twig * field--node--field-encyclopedia-image.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--field-encyclopedia-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-encyclopedia-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <a href="/image/elitchs-gardens-entrance-c-1909"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_style' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image.html.twig' --> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/Elitch-Gardens-Media-1_0.jpg?itok=gXZrBN7r" width="900" height="729" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-wide" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-style.html.twig' --> </a> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="carousel-caption d-none d-md-block"> <h5><a href="/image/elitchs-gardens-entrance-c-1909" rel="bookmark"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--image.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Elitch&#039;s Gardens Entrance, c. 1909</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> </a></h5> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--image.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--body.html.twig x field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--text-with-summary.html.twig' --> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Visitors and a park employee stand at the entrance to Denver's Elitch Gardens amusement park in 1909 or 1910. Established in 1890 by John and Mary Elitch, the amusement park is still a popular seasonal attraction today.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--text-with-summary.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/content/node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--field-article-image--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--encyclopedia-article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/user/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" about="/users/yongli" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">yongli</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/user/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--encyclopedia-article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2019-08-20T14:40:36-06:00" title="Tuesday, August 20, 2019 - 14:40" class="datetime">Tue, 08/20/2019 - 14:40</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'addtoany_standard' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * addtoany-standard--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * addtoany-standard--node.html.twig x addtoany-standard.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'modules/contrib/addtoany/templates/addtoany-standard.html.twig' --> <span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="http://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/elitch-gardens" data-a2a-title="Elitch Gardens"><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=http%3A%2F%2Fcoloradoencyclopedia.org%2Farticle%2Felitch-gardens&amp;title=Elitch%20Gardens"></a><a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a></span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'modules/contrib/addtoany/templates/addtoany-standard.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item" id="id-body"><p>Elitch Gardens is an amusement park in <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/denver"><strong>Denver</strong></a> that opened in 1890 as a zoological garden and amusement park with a renowned summer stock theater. <strong>John Elitch</strong> and his wife, <strong>Mary</strong>, founded Elitch Gardens on land that was formerly Chilcott Farm in northwest Denver. When Elitch Gardens opened, it became the first zoo west of Chicago.</p> <h2>Early Years</h2> <p>Elitch Gardens boasted captive bears and other exotic animals, as well as a summer stock theater that entertained crowds of up to 6,000 on its busiest days. Elitch Gardens is also credited with pioneering the concept of amusement park rides designed specifically for children operated in a section of the park known as “KiddieLand.”</p> <p>Following John Elitch’s death in 1891, Mary Elitch sold her controlling shares of the Elitch Garden stock to investors who founded the Elitch Gardens Amusement Company. The conglomerate retained control of Elitch Gardens until the widow Elitch married the head of the company, Thomas Long, in 1902 to become Mary Elitch Long.</p> <p>In addition to its zoological gardens and amusement park rides, Elitch Gardens became famous for the Elitch Gardens Theatre, a summer stock theater where actors such as Douglas Fairbanks and <strong>Helen Bonfils</strong> made their debuts. For more than sixty years, the Elitch Gardens Theatre employed actors and stagehands, paying cast members as much as $500 weekly.</p> <p>During a brief decline in the Elitch Theatre’s profitability, park owner John Mulvihill erected the Trocadero Ballroom, a partially enclosed outdoor dance floor that hosted weekly formal dances. Elitch Gardens was known for its strict prohibitions on alcohol consumption, and dancers who failed to maintain proper form and attire were promptly ejected from the Trocadero. Famous performers such as Benny Goodman provided live music that was broadcast to thirty surrounding states on the KOA radio program “An Evening at the Troc.”</p> <h2>Relocation</h2> <p>Facing steep competition from a burgeoning Denver theater scene, Elitch Gardens management announced their intentions to sell the northwest Denver parkland in 1986. Six alternative park sites were investigated, including land in rural <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/douglas-county"><strong>Douglas</strong></a> and <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/arapaho-county"><strong>Arapahoe</strong></a> Counties, but ultimately they selected the former site of the National Radium Institute Factory, near downtown Denver.</p> <p>The downtown Denver location was a designated <strong>superfund site</strong>, and 100,000 tons of radioactive soil had to be removed before the amusement park would be allowed to relocate. Fifteen original Elitch Gardens amusement rides were relocated to the new site. The former Elitch Gardens Theatre and the carousel pavilion have been restored and are listed on the National Register of Historic places.</p> <h2>Today</h2> <p>When Elitch Gardens reopened in 1994, it became the first and only theme park with boundaries inside a major metropolitan area. In 1998 Six Flags Theme Parks acquired Elitch Gardens, operating it until 2007 when the company sold it to CNL Properties. In 2015 Revesco Properties, with partners Second City Real Estate and <strong>Kroenke Sports Entertainment</strong>, acquired Elitch Gardens for $140 million. Despite multiple changes of ownership at its downtown Denver location, Elitch Gardens continues to operate as a popular seasonal destination.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-author.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-author.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-above" id="id-field-author"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-author">Author</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-author"><a href="/author/west-evan" hreflang="und">West, Evan</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-keyword--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-keyword.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-keyword.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-keyword field--type-entity-reference field--label-above" id="id-field-keyword"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-keyword">Keywords</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/elitch-gardens" hreflang="en">Elitch Gardens</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/john-elitch" hreflang="en">john elitch</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/mary-elitch" hreflang="en">mary elitch</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/helen-bonfils" hreflang="en">Helen Bonfils</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/kroenke-sports-entertainment" hreflang="en">kroenke sports entertainment</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links--inline.html.twig * links--node.html.twig * links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/navigation/links--inline.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/navigation/links--inline.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-references-html--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-references-html.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-references-html.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-references-html field--type-text-long field--label-above" id="id-field-references-html"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-references-html">References</div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-references-html"><p>Theodore A. Borillo, <em>Denver’s Historic Elitch Theatre: A Nostalgic Journey (A History of Its Times) </em>(Self-published, 2012).</p> <p><em>Colorado Exchange Journal</em> 2, no. 39 (October 1889).</p> <p>Jackie Campbell, “Elitch Theatre Lives—For Now,” <em>Rocky Mountain News</em>, May 1, 1986.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Caroline Lawrence Dier, <em>The Lady of the Gardens: Mary Elitch Long </em>(Hollywood, CA: Hollycrofters, 1932).</p> <p>John Eby, <em>Elitch Gardens Historical Museum: 104 Years in the Making, 1890–1994.</em></p> <p>“Elitch Gardens Redevelopment / Interdisciplinary Design Studio 700.” Denver, University of Colorado Denver College of Design and Planning, 1986.</p> <p>“Elitch Theatre,” National Register of Historic Places nomination form, February 6, 1978.</p> <p>Steve Fisher, “<a href="https://www.du.edu/magazine">Elitch’s Trocadero Ballroom Was a Place Where Memories Were Made</a>,” <em>University of Denver Magazine</em>, March 20, 2014.</p> <p>Jeffery Stanton, “<a href="http://lostamusementparks.napha.org/articles/colorado/elitchgardens.html">Elitch Gardens (1890–1994)</a>,” <em>National Amusement Park Historical Association</em>, October 3, 2011.</p> <p>Historic Elitch Theatre Foundation, “<a href="https://historicelitchtheatre.org">Theatre Future</a>,” 2014.</p> <p>Edwin Lewis Levy, “Elitch’s Gardens, Denver Colorado: A History of the Oldest Summer Theatre in the United States (1890–1941),” PhD dissertation, Columbia University, 1960.</p> <p>Rosemary Elaine Lewis,<em> The Elitch Gardens Theatre, 1891–2008: America’s High Plains Summer Playhouse</em>, master’s thesis, University of Colorado–Denver, 2009.</p> <p>Mary Elizabeth Hauck Elitch Long, <em>Experiences of the Only Woman in the World Who Owns and Manages a Zoo </em>(Denver: 1898).</p> <p>Pamela Nowak, “<a href="https://pamelanowak.com/wp/?p=360">The Trocadero Ballroom</a>,” (blog post) May 22, 2015.</p> <p>Jeff Otte, “Radium and Roller Coasters: A Brief, Dirty History of Elitch Gardens,” <em>Westword </em>(Denver, CO), June 6, 2013.</p> <p>Burl Rolett, “<a href="https://businessden.com/2015/06/11/buyers-pay-140m-for-ticket-to-elitch-gardens/">Buyers Pay $140M for Ticket to Elitch Gardens</a>,” <em>BusinessDen</em>, June 11, 2015.</p> <p>Tierra Smith, “Elitch Gardens Stays Open Regardless of Fierce Denver Weather,” <em>The Denver Post, </em>June 12, 2015.</p> <p>Eva Hodges Watt, <em>Papa’s Girl: The Fascinating World of Helen Bonfils</em> (Lake City, CO: Western Reflections, 2007).</p> <p>“Whitfield Connor, Theatrical Producer and Ex-Actor, 71,” <em>New York Times</em>, July 19, 1988.</p> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-additional-information-htm--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-additional-information-htm.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-additional-information-htm.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-additional-information-htm field--type-text-long field--label-above" id="id-field-additional-information-htm"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-additional-information-htm">Additional Information</div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-additional-information-htm"><p><a href="https://elitchgardens.com/">Elitch Gardens</a></p> <p><a href="https://elitchgardens.com/plan-a-visit/park-history/">Elitch Gardens Timeline</a></p> <p><a href="https://historicelitchtheatre.org/">Elitch Gardens Theatre Foundation</a></p> <p>Betty Lynn Hull, <em>Denver’s Elitch Gardens: Spinning a Century of Dreams </em>(Boulder: Johnson Books, 2003).</p> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> Tue, 20 Aug 2019 20:40:36 +0000 yongli 3068 at http://coloradoencyclopedia.org