From the Archives: Denver's 16th Street a century ago

By Shaughnessy Speirs Wed., Oct. 3 2012 at 2:24 PM

busy afternoon sixteenth street copy.jpg

Although 16th Street hasn't always been a pedestrian mall, for at least the last hundred years of the city's history it has been a Denver destination, a favorite for parade routes and other special events as well as a focal point for much of this city's day-to-day business. These pictures, printed in the publication Denver Municipal Facts, demonstrate 16th Street's evolution over the last century, and the past and present hustle and bustle that has made the busy public promenade the place it is today.

Denver Municipal Facts was a free publication that debuted in 1909; Mayor Robert Speer's administration devised it as a response to several newspaper exposes, according to the Auraria Library Special Collections Department. Published by the City of Denver, it discussed a number of subjects related to the city, including developments, events, news and places of interest; photographs accompanied the stories. The publication went through several iterations before the last issue was printed in 1931.

These pictures come from issues printed during the first run of the newsletter, between 1909 and 1912, and draw back the curtain to show what Denver was like over a hundred years ago.