At Home Colorado (1985) | Cripple Creek, Leadville & Ward | Colorado Mining History

This nearly 40-minute archival television documentary, At Home Colorado, explores the history of three Colorado mining communities: Cripple Creek, Leadville, St Elmo, and Ward. Written and produced by Andrea Joyce and directed by Dick Neal, the program documents Colorado's mining heritage through historic locations, personal recollections, and stories of the communities and people who helped shape the state. The Cripple Creek portion features Francis W. Gunn (1904–1990) my great-grandfather, who was a third generation Colorado Gold Miner, was born, lived in, and died in Cripple Creek Colorado. Gunn grew up surrounded by Colorado's mining history and spent much of his life preserving the stories, experiences, and memories of its mining communities. An avid oral historian, Gunn recorded interviews and recollections of Colorado mining life and compiled his own memoir, My Recollections of Mining Camps & The People In Them (1976–1978). Original Broadcast Information Program: At Home Colorado Station: KMGH-TV, Channel 7, Denver, Colorado Written and produced by: Andrea Joyce Directed by: Dick Neal Featured communities: Cripple Creek, Leadville, St. Elmo, and Ward Estimated broadcast period: 1985 Exact original airdate: Unconfirmed Dating the Recording The estimated June 1985 date is based on an original television advertisement preserved in the recording for the July 1, 1985 issue of People magazine, featuring Cyndi Lauper and The Goonies. Although the commercial provides a strong clue to when the broadcast was recorded, the exact airdate has not yet been independently verified. Some of the Cripple Creek footage also appears in another KMGH-TV program, On the Lookout, suggesting that the station reused historical interview material across productions. About This Archive This recording was preserved in my family's personal collection and is being shared for historical documentation, research, and educational purposes. As a fifth-generation Coloradan and a descendant of Francis W. Gunn, I am working to preserve and share his contributions to documenting Colorado's mining history, along with these archival television recordings. If you have information about At Home Colorado, its original broadcast date, or the people and places featured, please share it in the comments. #ColoradoHistory #CrippleCreek #Leadville #WardColorado #ColoradoMining #MiningHistory #AndreaJoyce #ColoradoArchives @KMGH-TV, Channel 7, Denver, Colorado