History of the American West, 1860-1920: Photographs from the Collection of the Denver Public Library
History
![Where gold was firs [sic] discovered in Colo., near Idaho Spgs. / photo. by L.C. McClure, Denver, [between 1890 and 1910].](images/section_header.jpg)
[Detail] Where gold was firs [sic] discovered [between 1890 and 1910].
The World Wars
When the U.S. Congress declared war on Germany in 1917, troops mobilized across the country. Fort Logan was a major assembly point for soldiers from the western United States embarking for European duty during World War I. Search on Fort Logan for pictures of the Colorado training facility.
Not far from Fort Logan, the Loretto Heights academy was used as a women’s training center during World War I. Although women were not trained for combat, a search on Loretto Heights illustrates the ways in which women were prepared for service, including first aid training and the use of the telegraph and signal flags.
The advent of World War I stimulated the fledgling U.S. aircraft industry. The U.S. selected a British model, called the De Havilland DH-4, for the majority of its World War I airplane production. At its peak, the industry manufactured 12,000 or more airplanes per year, but the U.S. contributed only a small portion of the aircraft used in the war. Most U.S. pilots in Europe flew French models. A search on airplane provides several photographs of World War I aircraft including early French, German, and American planes.
There are also several photographs of Charles A. Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis. In 1927, Lindbergh made the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. This 31-and-a-half-hour trip of more than 3,600 miles made him famous throughout the U.S. and Europe. Lindbergh helped design the plane, which was financed by nine St. Louis businessmen.
- How important was the airplane in World War I? How was it used?
- How did World War I affect the U.S. aircraft industry?
- Why did Lindbergh become a folk hero in both the United States and Europe in the 1920s?
- What role did Lindbergh play in promoting an interest in commercial aviation?
In World War II, Colorado provided an ideal site for training soldiers in mountain and winter warfare. The 14,000 men of the 10th Mountain Division learned mountaineering, skiing, and rock climbing in Colorado’s Eagle Park Valley area. The division fought for five months in the mountains of northern Italy. Search on Italy for hundreds of photographs depicting battle scenes, the devastation of war, the capture of German soldiers, and the weariness of troops advancing over mountainous terrain. Learn more about these specially trained soldiers and their combat in the special presentation, "The 10th Mountain Division."
- When and why were U.S. troops employed in Italy? What was their mission?
- What kinds of responses would you expect 10th Mountain Division soldiers to have had to their experiences in World War II?
- Did the return of these troops to the U.S. after the war have any effect on American life?
