Legendary Legends of Fort Collins

From the beginning of our history, Fort Collins has known many colorful individuals, each with his or her own story to tell. Legendary Locals of Fort Collins presents some of these memorable people, a cross-section of characters such as actor Hattie McDaniel and cowboy Frank Miller, who have enriched our past. Some are well known, others less so, but all have left a unique footprint.

Fort Collins began as a small Army outpost and grew into a community of more than 150,000, a city formed and developed by those who have chosen to live there. In this presentation, the audience will encounter hardy pioneers who endured hardships almost unimaginable today and innovators who brought industry, commerce, and a college; generous people, businesses, and institutions who have freely given back to the community in a variety of ways; participants in Fort Collins's thriving cultural life embracing a spectrum of interests and enthusiasms; and ordinary people living everyday lives who have done extraordinary things or had remarkable experiences.

Barbara Fleming is a Fort Collins native who has long been interested in history even though she followed other career paths. She is a graduate of Fort Collins High School and Colorado State University and the daughter of two professors at the college. Now retired, she lives in Old Town (which, when she was growing up, was just town) and writes a weekly column on local history for the Fort Collins Coloradoan. She is the author or co-author of seven books, including a novel, and has a new book coming out, a collection of newspaper columns, next fall.