Preserving the History of Douglas, Wyoming for Future Generations...

Last Updated:  July 15, 2005

Projects and Events for 2006

We are always looking for input from the citizens of Douglas in regards to projects and events.  If you have an idea, please contact an one of our members!

• Historic Plaques for Businesses on the Walking Tour booklet - We are currently working on two projects for the Historic Preservation Commission.  One, we are hoping to buy historic plaques that coincide with the Downtown Walking Tour brochure for the many historic businesses that are still operating in our great town today!

• Scanning in Photos of Douglas Bars -  The second project is trying to find and preserve historic photos of the many bars that once filled the downtown area.  At one time, we've heard that as many as thirteen bars were operating in the early days of Douglas!  If you or anyone you know has an old photograph, we'd love to get a copy of it for our website.  And, if you recognize a family member, friend or could tell us any information on any of our pictures, we'd love the help!  Send us an email and we'll post your picture and your comments about any of our current photos.  Please help us preserve Douglas's past for future generations!

• Online Photo Collection - One of our newest project will be a digital one.  We are going to begin scanning and collecting photographs from the different businesses around Douglas, Wyoming when it first began.  We will start with Railroad and Ranching photos and also include Great Saloons of Douglas, Wyoming!  Look for it in August of 2005 on this website.

• Odd Fellows/POW Murals - Inside the I.O.O.F. building on Riverbend is a wall covered in elaborate murals painted by Italian soldiers who were being held as prisoners of war.  It is a little known fact of Douglas history that a large POW camp existed within the city limits housing not only Italian soldiers, but German soldiers as well.  Many of these POW's were put to work at local businesses and ranches, but some artistically inclined Italians decided to use their time to paint huge murals depicting their own often idealistic (and fanciful) impressions of life in the West.  The quality of the art varies greatly, but no one can argue that these men had a strong desire to show their appreciation for the kindness they found in the citizens of Douglas, and express the better part of themselves at a difficult time in their lives.  Sadly, the I.O.O.F. building is rapidly deteriorating and the City, Odd Fellows, The Rotary, the DHPC, and other philanthropic organizations are looking into ways they can work together to save the murals from destruction.  The goal is for one day to make it possible for the public to view this amazing historical resource.  Hopefully we will have some good news to report about this situation soon.

2004 and Earlier

• Walking Tour Brochures - The DHPC has put together several excellent brochures that allow visitors and residents alike a chance to be their own tour guide and learn more about the history of some of the important features of Douglas.  There is a walking tour of the historic downtown area with lots of notes regarding each spotlighted business and their history; a walking tour of important residences within the city's historic district with valuable background information for each home; and a brochure that gives a very good understanding of the history behind the Douglas Park Cemetery and includes sections on many of the most influential individuals and families.  Each brochure contains maps of the areas covered and other information that should prove useful to tourists and history buffs alike.  These items can be found at City Hall, the Douglas Chamber of Commerce, and the Wyoming Pioneer Memorial Museum.  For railroad enthusiasts, there is now a very well researched booklet available about the Douglas Railroad Interpretive Center and the fascinating relics of Douglas' railroad history that are on display.

• An Afternoon of Silent Films (July 2004) - To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Mesa Theatre building, the DHPC organized a special event which brought to the screen three silent films that have not been seen in Douglas for over 83 years:  "The Kid" (1921) with Charlie Chaplin; "Never Weaken" (1921) with Harold Lloyd"; and "The Penalty" (1920) with Lon Chaney.  To add to the entertainment, the 4-person Mont Alto Theatre Orchestra came up from Boulder, Colorado to provide live accompaniment for the silent films.  The projectionist, David Shepard of Film Preservation Associates, was flown in from California specially for the event.  Mr. Shepard also provided the two feature films.  The building that is now home to the Mesa Theatre was built in 1914 by Douglas entrepreneur George W. Metcalf who personally went to Denver to consult with movie theatre architects and construction professionals about his ambitious plans.  It was specially designed to be a state-of-the-art movie theatre with all the latest innovations in seating and ventilation available at the time.  The theatre opened its doors for the first time on December 15, 1914 as The Princess Theatre.  After a long serious of changes in ownership, The Princess name was dropped in 1936 and replaced with The Mesa.  This new name was selected through a contest given by The Douglas Enterprise newspaper.  Though there have been quite a few changes to the marquee, lobby, and seating, The Mesa still manages to retain enough of its original charm to be considered one of the best vintage single screen theatres in Wyoming.