PRESS CONTACT:
Luke Perkins, Manager of Communications and Public Relations
303.866.3670 | luke.perkins@state.co.us

A small community in Pueblo's Eastside, Dog Patch is known for Chicano activism, self-advocacy, and being one of Pueblo’s most tightly-knit neighborhoods. The exhibition will showcase the uniqueness of Dog Patch as seen in the stories of its residents and illuminate the enduring connections they have established with one another by overcoming challenges.

“Dog Patch is a community that seemingly had to fight for every sidewalk and street light,” said Dianne Archuleta, director of El Pueblo History Museum. “Their tenacity in forging a community out of adversity is inspiring and being entrusted to share the history of the neighborhood at the El Pueblo History Museum is an honor and a privilege.” 

Originally known as Eastwood Heights, Dog Patch was home to employees of two of the largest employers in Pueblo: Colorado Fuel & Iron and Pueblo Army Depot. The mill workers and laborers living in the neighborhood often built their own homes with whatever materials were available, including those they could salvage from their employers. Over the last 75 years of its existence, the community had to overcome substantial economic hardships so it could become an important part of the “Home of Heroes.” 

Dog Patch: A Pueblo Community's Legacy is made possible by a multi-year Museum of Memory project started in 2018 that included extensive community engagement sessions which guided the exhibition team’s understanding of the neighborhood. Thanks to the vital community input, the exhibition is able to tackle themes of resilience and preservation, while also highlighting how the neighborhood has changed over the years, as well as the impacts of urban development, displacement, and demographic shifts.

“Dozens of community members have gathered with History Colorado over the years to make sure we get this important snapshot of the vibrancy of Pueblo right,” Archuleta said. “This was truly a community-driven effort to make this a reality. Not only have we created this one-of-a-kind exhibition, but these stories are now part of the official record of Colorado which will be preserved by History Colorado for generations to come.”

Archuleta hopes Dog Patch: A Pueblo Community's Legacy will encourage other communities in Pueblo to work collaboratively with History Colorado through its Museum of Memory Initiative in documenting and preserving their histories.

“Stories like Dog Patch’s are easily lost over the generations since they haven't historically been documented by museums and are often only mentioned in passing, or with negative connotations, by historians and journalists," Archuleta said. “Programs like Museum of Memory aim to remedy this by empowering communities to claim their spot in the official historical record of the Centennial State and become a permanent part of our Colorado story.”

Dog Patch: A Pueblo Community's Legacy opens to the public on May 17 at the El Pueblo History Museum. The El Pueblo History Museum is located at 301 N. Union Avenue and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission for kids 18 and under is free every day.

About Museum of Memory
The Museum of Memory is a public history initiative started by History Colorado in 2017 with the goal of creating opportunities for the communities to decide how to remember their collective past. The Dog Patch Neighborhood Memory Project is one of more than twenty such public history projects History Colorado either has underway or has completed statewide as part of its commitment to assisting communities in documenting and sharing their histories on their terms.

Each of these projects result in a unique community shareback which can take different forms, including exhibitions at History Colorado sites, based on the oral histories, artifacts, and personal accounts collected through these efforts. As with all Museum of Memory projects, the oral histories, photographs, documents, and artifacts gathered through the Dog Patch Neighborhood Memory Project will be included in History Colorado’s collection and be part of Colorado’s permanent historical record.

About El Pueblo History Museum
History Colorado’s El Pueblo History Museum is located at 301 N. Union Avenue in the heart of the city of Pueblo, part of the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk District and the Pueblo Creative Corridor. The museum stands on the site of the original El Pueblo trading post, constructed in 1842. The museum site features beautiful galleries, a gift shop, bookstore, gardens, an active archaeological dig, and a recreation of the 1842 adobe trading post. 

El Pueblo History Museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.ElPuebloHistoryMuseum.org or call 719-583-0453.

Sobre El Pueblo History Museum
El museo de historia El Pueblo es parte de History Colorado y está ubicado en la 301 N. Union Avenue en el corazón de Pueblo, parte del Distrito Histórico Arkansas Riverwalk y el Pueblo Creative Corridor. El museo se encuentra sobre el sitio del puesto comercial llamado El Pueblo, que se construyó originalmente en 1842. En el museo se encuentran bellas galerías de arte, una tienda de regalos y libros, jardines públicos, un sitio arqueológico, y una recreación del puesto comercial de adobe como se veía originalmente en 1842.

El Pueblo History Museum está abierto de lunes a sábado de 10 am a 4 pm. Para ver más información por favor visite www.ElPuebloHistoryMuseum.org o llame al 719-583-0453.

About History Colorado
History Colorado is a division of the Colorado Department of Higher Education and a 501(c)3 non-profit that has served more than 75,000 students and 500,000 people in Colorado each year. It is a 146-year-old institution that operates eleven museums and historic sites, a free public research center, the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation which provides technical assistance, educational opportunities, and other access to archaeology and historic preservation, and the History Colorado State Historical Fund (SHF), which is one of the nation’s largest state funded preservation programs of its kind. More than 70% of SHF grants are allocated in rural areas of the state. Additionally, the offices of the State Archaeologist and the State Historic Preservation Officer are part of History Colorado. 

History Colorado’s mission is to create a better future for Colorado by inspiring wonder in our past. We serve as the state’s memory, preserving and sharing the places, stories, and material culture of Colorado through educational programs, historic preservation grants, collecting, outreach to Colorado communities, the History Colorado Center and Stephen H. Hart Research Center in Denver, and 10 other museums and historic attractions statewide. History Colorado is one of only six Smithsonian Affiliates in Colorado. Visit HistoryColorado.org, or call 303-HISTORY, for more information. #HistoryColorado