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Among the many Colorado rituals I've missed is the annual Trivial Bowl, now underway at CU. Since you're probably not competing there, either, we'll hold our own -- the Hardcore Colorado Trivia Contest.
The rules are simple. Do your best with the questions, and send the answers to me at P.O. Box 548, Salida 81201, postmarked on or before April 15 (an easy deadline to remember). I am the sole judge and my decision is final. Anyone is eligible to enter. The winner (the earliest postmark with all correct answers, or failing that, the entry with the most correct answers) will receive favorable mention and, should he or she visit Salida, some libations, which I will attempt to charge to the Post.
1. This summer, the remains of the victims of an 1874
cannibal attack near Lake City will be exhumed in an effort
to discover what really happened with the tools of modern
forensic pathology. The man convicted, justly or unjustly,
of cannibalism is the infamous Packer, of course.
Historians argue as to whether his first name was
Alfred
or Alferd.
Why?
2. In its salad days, Colorado held several of the more notorious tenderloins of the West. These were generally known by the names of the streets they fronted. When reformers came along, the houses of ill repute were closed, and often the opprobrious street names were changed. Here are the current names of several streets: Market Street in Denver, Sackett Avenue in Salida, Second Street in Leadville. What were their original names?
3. This is real trivia. Name an official duty of the lieutenant governor, other than checking the governor's health and being in charge whenever the governor is out of state.
4. When you ride the California Zephyr from Denver to Grand Junction, you're on D&RGW tracks. How much of that trackage was actually constructed by the D&RGW or its immediate corporate ancestor, the D&RG?
5. There is a saying that no streams flow into
Colorado.
It isn't so -- come up with at least
three.
6. What is the highest pass in Colorado, and how did it get its name?
7. Like railroads and passes, counties provide a rich
store of trivia. Until Denver became a city and
county
in 1902, it was the seat of Arapahoe County (but
note how Arapaho
National Forest is spelled);
Alamosa is the newest county, established in 1913; Las
Animas is the biggest county, although the city of Las
Animas is not in it, just as Garfield is not in Garfied
County and Kiowa is not in Kiowa County, etc. One Colorado
county has been abolished. What was its name, and where was
it?
8. The Colorado Mountain Club's official list of 14,000-foot peaks contains one summit that shouldn't be there, because it's too close to another peak and the intervening drop is insufficient. What mountain is it?
9. Colorado may hold some kind of record among states for having the most governors during a 24-hour period. How many were there and when did it happen?
10. On April 20 of this year, Colorado will not celebrate the 75th anniversary of one infamous massacre, nor has any official celebration been announced for Nov. 29, 1989, the 125th anniversary of another slaughter by the state militia. What are the two historic events not being commemorated in 1989?
Unless some major complication intervenes (I get fired, or some controversy raises my ire and requires immediate comment), the answers and winner will be announced on April 30.
And my deepest sympathies go to anyone who can answer these questions off the top of his head. If there is any knowledge more useless than the trivia now being bandied in Boulder, it's this stuff.
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