Press Release: Golden’s Musical Memories Exhibit Tells Stories of Local Musicians

Golden’s Musical Memories Exhibit Tells Stories of Local Musicians

GOLDEN, Colo. May 25, 2011 – An amazing experience awaits visitors to Golden History Museums, with a large collection of stories unique to Colorado’s musical history at the opening of “Turn It Up: Golden’s Musical Memories.” Come see the entertaining and informative exhibit from 6–8 p.m. on Friday, June 3 at the Golden History Center, 923 10th St. in Golden.

The personal stories of local musicians, as well as the tales behind some unusual instruments, will be told at this first-of-its-kind musical exhibit. The event is free and open to the public.

Sponsored in part by Dan’s Piano Service of Arvada, which donated much of the painstaking work to restore several instruments in the City of Golden’s collection, “Turn It Up” is an exhibit unlike any other in the museums’ history.

Combining many music types with the latest interactive video technology, the “Music-Maker Lounge” features local performers playing at various Golden venues, along with original interviews from musicians and longtime residents. 

From a pastor playing Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D minor” on the custom-built pipe organ at the local church to the local bluegrass sensation Adam Kinghorn of Head for the Hills, the videos will cover a diverse range of subjects. Another favorite will be listening to local rancher Lena Baughman reminisce on attending monthly square dances in Golden Gate Canyon and hearing her mom, Kitty Jully, play piano while everyone danced to “Dive for the Oyster, Dive for the Clam, Dive for the Hole in the Old Tin Can.”

Additionally, four different historic pianos will be on view, including a J.M. Pelton square grand piano dating back to the 1860s which was purchased by Colorado’s Second Territorial Governor John Evans. The exhibit also includes an orange-velvet-covered Regal upright piano that was displayed at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and a second square grand that is uniquely turned on end against the wall. Each piano on view, plus a melodeon, rare field organ, fiddle, and cornet, has a unique connection to a Golden resident.

J.M. Pelton square grand piano before restoration.

An exclusive preview concert using the historic instruments, along with a special in-depth preview of the exhibit will be held on Thursday, June 2. Tickets are limited and start at $30 ($25 for GHM members), including hors d’oeuvres and beverages. Call 303-278-3557 for ticket information.  “Turn It Up” will run through 2011 and is open during regular business hours.

A Real One of a Kind



Nancy Mason and Chuck Howes discuss
 the piano’s unique qualities.

 Upright pianos became popular in America during the late 1800s. We, however, have a real one-of-a-kind, and not just because it's covered in orange velvet.

Last December Michael and Nancy Mason, of Golden donated this beauty to the museum. Like all of our artifacts, this one has a story behind it too. Long before it came to the museum it was exhibited at the World Columbian Exposition of 1893.


Coincidentally, Adolf Coors was showing his beers at the same Exposition alongside the products of over two dozen other breweries. Coors won an award for “brilliancy, flavor, chemical analysis and commercial flavor.” He was also the only winner west of the Mississippi.


Anyhow, after seeing the piano at the Columbia Exhibition, a man named Clinton O. Heath purchased the piano as a gift for the woman he loved and intended to marry, a Miss Mattie Williamson. It was shipped to Ft. Morgan, CO, where Clint and Mattie lived on spacious property they called “the farm.” They later moved to Denver and lived in the Congress Park district until Clint’s death.


The Masons are aware of only one other similar piano, but it was a rose color. Oddly, it was found in a bar in Woodland Park, Colorado. Its condition was very poor because someone tried to wash it.


Specifically, our piano is a Regal #1908 with a patent date of August 20, 1889 made by the New England Piano Company of Boston. The donation also includes a piano stool of dark wood claw feet grasping glass balls.


The piano was regularly played in the Heath home until Mattie's death in 1964 when it was moved to the home of her daughter, Camille Heath Conine. She lived only a few blocks away from her mother on Garfield Street in Congress Park. The house at 720 Garfield was one of the first houses to be built in the block. Upon Camille's death in 1994, the piano was moved to her grandson Michael's home in Golden. And now, it’s the newest item in the Golden History Museums’s growing collection.


See our newest addition with your very own eyes in Turn it Up: Golden’s Musical Memories, opening June 3rd at the Golden History Center.

Tickling the Ivories

Today marked the first day in a long series of work sessions which will involve several unique musical instruments in the City of Golden collection. Dan Holstein, of Dan’s Piano Service in Arvada, began removing all the wires, hammers, and other internal workings from our J.M. Pelton square grand piano. The wires will be sent to a specialty fabricator in Illinois where each one will be meticulously recreated to fit our instrument. Similarly, other piano parts will be rebuilt over the coming months to bring the square grand to its former musical glory. (When Dan tickled the ivories this morning before beginning to dismantle the 1200-pounder, it didn’t sound like a showroom piece.)

Dan’s Piano Service is the lead sponsor for the upcoming music exhibit, slated to open on June 3, 2011 at the Golden History Center. Dan Holstein, a 16-year veteran of the piano-repair business, started working as an auto mechanic before growing to appreciate the fine inner workings of player pianos, pump organs and similar instruments.

In future weeks we’ll continue to watch Dan’s progress on the J.M. Pelton, as well as one of our player pianos, a pump organ, and a melodeon. Enjoy the following pictorial overview of today's work.

Dan holds the damper assembly.

The bass strings have been removed.

The old tuning pins after removal.

Dan removes the action from the square grand.

Dan holds the hammer, shank, and flange assembly.



Hammer, shank, and flange assemblies after removal.



A beautiful day to move a piano or two

Three big guys from Keyboard Carriers arrived at 1:30 on Thursday to prep our J. M. Pelton square grand piano for a move from the Astor House Museum to the Golden History Center. Dating from 1860-1880, this 1600-pound mass of cherry and gumwood was one of the first major donations to the Astor House Museum in 1972, where it has remained ever since.  

Back when Mr. and Mrs. Keith Simmons from Littleton donated the piano, Mrs. Simmons recalled that Colorado Territorial Governor John Evans bought the instrument around 1859 for his youngest daughter. She died later at age 15. The piano was later sold, only to reside in Central City until 1910, when it was purchased by Mrs. Simmon’s family.

This was back before Golden had a train, so the story goes that he had the piano shipped to Cheyenne by train, and then transported by wagon to Golden. Fortunately, the four piano legs are removable, allowing the cabinet to fit snugly into a wagon. Come full circle back to today–this is basically what we did. The legs were removed and it was carted this time in a truck by professional movers.

Padding the piano at the Astor House Museum.

Removing one of the legs at the Astor House Museum.

Putting legs back on at the Golden History Center.

This is only the beginning of this story. The piano is about to undergo a complete restoration of all of its musical components. It will have new strings, hammers, and more, thanks to the generous support of several longtime museum supporters. All of the work will be completed under the talented eye of Dan Holstein, owner of Dan’s Piano Service, who will sponsor our upcoming music exhibit showcasing the Pelton grand. When the exhibit is done, you might even get a chance to hear it make beautiful music. This yet-to-be-named exhibit will open June 3, 2011.  Stay tuned, because next week Dan will be working in the Golden History Center’s gallery when he plans to began removing the strings.