Better access for CC sightseers

By Penny Parker

There’s a whole lot of movin’, shakin’ and submarine celebratin’ in Central City starting this month.

The Gilpin Historical Society recently opened a new satellite museum inside Washington Hall after Central City moved its police department back into City Hall from Washington Hall.

The historical society leased the Washington Hall space with the proviso that the society would staff the space seven days a week with someone trained by the Central City Opera so he or she can give tours of the Teller House and the Opera House.

The historical society has also moved some of its “Western justice” pieces – think handcuffs, shackles and handguns – to Wash Hall since it used to be the jail, according to Central City Mayor Ron Engels.

“So now, tourists no longer have to press their noses to the Teller House windows trying to get a peek at The (famous) Face on the Barroom Floor,” Engels said. “They just need to know to go across the street, find the guide, and get a tour.”

If you don’t know the story, The Face on the Barroom Floor is an unsigned painting of a “chestnut-haired enchantress” on the floor of the Face Bar in the Teller House.

The painting is credited to Denver artist Herndon Davis, who was inspired by Hugh Antoine D’Arcy’s poem “The Face Upon the Floor,” according to the Central City Opera. The subject of the painting is believed to be Davis’ wife, Edna Juanita (Nita).

In other Gilpin Historical Society news, its new exhibit, the legendary lost submarine The Nautilus, surfaces at 11 a.m. May 28.

The sub sank promptly after immersion into Dory Lakes above Central City many years ago, but it will be celebrated in a style that even Capt. Nemo would enjoy. The free festivities start on Main Street in Central City with a pre-1960 antique truck show, beer garden and entertainment.

Free shuttles will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. whisking folks up to the museum, which sits high above the Richest Square Mile on Earth.

The museum, home to the submarine, opens for the season with a reception following the unveiling. Charlie Coleman, owner of the 1929 Coleman truck that actually pulled the stricken vessel from the icy waters, will be on hand to give rides and help tell the tale of that fateful trip.

The Nautilus submarine was built in 1898 by Central City adventurer Rufus Owens, who launched it in nearby Missouri Lake where it instantly sank, according to various reports.

Owens, who survived the sinking, apparently abandoned his Central City home a few months after the incident. Admission to the museum is required to view the Nautilus exhibit.

Green team. Employees from Ameristar Casino Resort Spa Black Hawk observed Earth Day this year by cleaning the yards of Gilpin County senior citizens recently.

Throughout the year, the Ameristar green team does its part to recycle and reuse by donating leftover food from the buffet (which is changed hourly) to the Food Bank of the Rockies’ Denver’s Table Program, which helps feed the hungry.

So far this year, Ameristar has donated 7,979 pounds of food to the Food Bank.

- Penny Parker is a columnist for The Denver Post. She’s always on the prowl for tidbits and tips from Colorado’s gaming communities. Call her at 303-619-5209 or e-mail pparker@denverpost.com.