Listening to Auraria's Past

Cameron Blevins, Michelle Comstock, Rachel Gross, Krista Marks, and Indira Saha

“Listening to Auraria’s Past” is an audio walking tour of Denver’s Auraria neighborhood, which was displaced by the city of Denver in the 1970s to build the Auraria Higher Education Center. For more information, see the project's website at: aurariahistory.org.

Season 1

  1. Stop 1: Welcome to the Westside

    Episode 1

    Stop 1: Welcome to the Westside

    1015 9th Street marks the starting point of the walking tour. This stop, narrated by Displaced Aurarian and Auraria Historical Advocacy Council leader Sheila Perez-Kindle and CU Denver Professor Rachel Gross, serves as a gateway into understanding the Westside neighborhood's history of community, displacement, and activism. Find stop location on: Google Maps or Apple MapsEpisode Webpage--- Credits: Written by Cameron Blevins, Michelle Comstock, and Rachel Gross, with editorial oversight by Sheila Perez-Kindle, Virginia Castro, and Frances Torres. Produced and edited by Krista Marks and Indira Saha. Music by Tony Garcia and Daniel Valdez. Cover art by Bella Briganti. Oral histories courtesy of the History Colorado Center's Museum of Memory project on Auraria. Created in partnership with the Auraria Historical Advocacy Council. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from the University of Colorado Denver.

    3 min
  2. Stop 2: Growing Up in Auraria

    Episode 2

    Stop 2: Growing Up in Auraria

    1027 9th Street was once filled with the voices of children, shared meals, and the rhythms of working-class life. This stop features Gloria Gallegos, who recounts growing up here with her single mother and siblings after arriving from New Mexico in the late 1950s, finding family in the neighbors who surrounded them. Find stop location on: Google Maps or Apple MapsEpisode Webpage--- Credits: Written by Cameron Blevins, Michelle Comstock, and Rachel Gross, with editorial oversight by Sheila Perez-Kindle, Virginia Castro, and Frances Torres. Produced and edited by Krista Marks and Indira Saha. Music by Tony Garcia and Daniel Valdez. Cover art by Bella Briganti. Oral histories courtesy of the History Colorado Center's Museum of Memory project on Auraria. Created in partnership with the Auraria Historical Advocacy Council. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from the University of Colorado Denver.

    3 min
  3. Stop 3: The Torres Family Porch

    Episode 3

    Stop 3: The Torres Family Porch

    1033 9th Street — the Torres family home — has long been a place where stories are shared and kept alive. This stop features Dennis Lobato, a second-generation Displaced Aurarian descendant, who draws on his memories of time spent at Grandma Torres's home. Find stop location on: Google Maps or Apple MapsEpisode Webpage--- Credits: Written by Cameron Blevins, Michelle Comstock, and Rachel Gross, with editorial oversight by Sheila Perez-Kindle, Virginia Castro, and Frances Torres. Produced and edited by Krista Marks and Indira Saha. Music by Tony Garcia and Daniel Valdez. Cover art by Bella Briganti. Oral histories courtesy of the History Colorado Center's Museum of Memory project on Auraria. Created in partnership with the Auraria Historical Advocacy Council. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from the University of Colorado Denver.

    3 min
  4. Stop 4: Local Business

    Episode 4

    Stop 4: Local Business

    906 Curtis Street, now Los Molinos Restaurant, was once a neighborhood grocery that stood alongside other thriving small businesses, such as a bakery and barbershop. Some of these shops were owned by Westsiders and provided residents with accessible goods, an early credit system, and jobs. Find stop location on: Google Maps or Apple MapsEpisode Webpage--- Credits: Written by Cameron Blevins, Michelle Comstock, and Rachel Gross, with editorial oversight by Sheila Perez-Kindle, Virginia Castro, and Frances Torres. Produced and edited by Krista Marks and Indira Saha. Music by Tony Garcia and Daniel Valdez. Cover art by Bella Briganti. Oral histories courtesy of the History Colorado Center's Museum of Memory project on Auraria. Created in partnership with the Auraria Historical Advocacy Council. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from the University of Colorado Denver.

    4 min
  5. Stop 5: Play in Industrial and Residential Spaces

    Episode 5

    Stop 5: Play in Industrial and Residential Spaces

    The large building on 9th Street used to be a pickle factory, representing the overlap between Auraria's industrial and residential worlds, where children played freely among factories and alleyways. It features memories from Frances Torres and Gloria Gallegos of growing up in the Westside's mixed environment of homes, businesses, and open space. Find stop location on: Google Maps or Apple MapsEpisode Webpage--- Credits: Written by Cameron Blevins, Michelle Comstock, and Rachel Gross, with editorial oversight by Sheila Perez-Kindle, Virginia Castro, and Frances Torres. Produced and edited by Krista Marks and Indira Saha. Music by Tony Garcia and Daniel Valdez. Cover art by Bella Briganti. Oral histories courtesy of the History Colorado Center's Museum of Memory project on Auraria. Created in partnership with the Auraria Historical Advocacy Council. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from the University of Colorado Denver.

    4 min
  6. Stop 6: Community Gathering

    Episode 6

    Stop 6: Community Gathering

    St. Cajetan's Church was the cultural and spiritual center of the Westside neighborhood — a gathering place for worship, celebrations, education, and community life. This stop draws on memories from displaced residents James Mark Tafoya and Frances Torres and displaced descendant Katelyn Puga. Their stories bring St. Cajetan's back to life as a site for music, marriage, and communion. Find stop location on: Google Maps or Apple MapsEpisode Webpage--- Credits: Written by Cameron Blevins, Michelle Comstock, and Rachel Gross, with editorial oversight by Sheila Perez-Kindle, Virginia Castro, and Frances Torres. Produced and edited by Krista Marks and Indira Saha. Music by Tony Garcia and Daniel Valdez. Cover art by Bella Briganti. Oral histories courtesy of the History Colorado Center's Museum of Memory project on Auraria. Created in partnership with the Auraria Historical Advocacy Council. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from the University of Colorado Denver.

    5 min
  7. Stop 7: Urban Renewal Takes Aim at the Westside

    Episode 7

    Stop 7: Urban Renewal Takes Aim at the Westside

    The parking lot alongside 9th Street Plaza was once a dense block of buildings, businesses, and homes. To help listeners understand how all of this ended up paved over into a concrete parking lot, this tour stop draws on a long history of discrimination in city zoning and urban renewal policies and practices. Find stop location on: Google Maps or Apple MapsEpisode Webpage--- Credits: Written by Cameron Blevins, Michelle Comstock, and Rachel Gross, with editorial oversight by Sheila Perez-Kindle, Virginia Castro, and Frances Torres. Produced and edited by Krista Marks and Indira Saha. Music by Tony Garcia and Daniel Valdez. Cover art by Bella Briganti. Oral histories courtesy of the History Colorado Center's Museum of Memory project on Auraria. Created in partnership with the Auraria Historical Advocacy Council. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from the University of Colorado Denver.

    6 min
  8. Stop 8: The Trauma of Displacement

    Episode 8

    Stop 8: The Trauma of Displacement

    This stop along the edge of Ninth Street Historic Park highlights the lack of monuments and memorial sites commemorating the displacement and features the harsh memories of moving day from Displaced Aurarians Tony Garcia, Rita Gomez Delgado, Frances Torres, and Sheila Perez-Kindle. Find stop location on: Google Maps or Apple MapsEpisode Webpage--- Credits: Written by Cameron Blevins, Michelle Comstock, and Rachel Gross, with editorial oversight by Sheila Perez-Kindle, Virginia Castro, and Frances Torres. Produced and edited by Krista Marks and Indira Saha. Music by Tony Garcia and Daniel Valdez. Cover art by Bella Briganti. Oral histories courtesy of the History Colorado Center's Museum of Memory project on Auraria. Created in partnership with the Auraria Historical Advocacy Council. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from the University of Colorado Denver.

    5 min
  9. Stop 9: The Histories That Get Remembered

    Episode 9

    Stop 9: The Histories That Get Remembered

    This stop at the entrance to Ninth Street Historic Park focuses on historical preservation efforts during the 1970s and explains why and how these old houses are still here. Find stop location on: Google Maps or Apple MapsEpisode Webpage--- Credits: Written by Cameron Blevins, Michelle Comstock, and Rachel Gross, with editorial oversight by Sheila Perez-Kindle, Virginia Castro, and Frances Torres. Produced and edited by Krista Marks and Indira Saha. Music by Tony Garcia and Daniel Valdez. Cover art by Bella Briganti. Oral histories courtesy of the History Colorado Center's Museum of Memory project on Auraria. Created in partnership with the Auraria Historical Advocacy Council. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from the University of Colorado Denver.

    3 min
  10. Stop 10: Redress and Renovation

    Episode 10

    Stop 10: Redress and Renovation

    1050 9th Street — also called the Centennial House — has been a pivotal site for memorializing both the displacement and the ongoing struggles to access and expand the promised Displaced Aurarian Scholarship. This stop emphasizes the value of education for Displaced Aurarians and their descendants. Find stop location on: Google Maps or Apple MapsEpisode Webpage--- Credits: Written by Cameron Blevins, Michelle Comstock, and Rachel Gross, with editorial oversight by Sheila Perez-Kindle, Virginia Castro, and Frances Torres. Produced and edited by Krista Marks and Indira Saha. Music by Tony Garcia and Daniel Valdez. Cover art by Bella Briganti. Oral histories courtesy of the History Colorado Center's Museum of Memory project on Auraria. Created in partnership with the Auraria Historical Advocacy Council. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from the University of Colorado Denver.

    4 min
  11. Stop 11: Resilience

    Episode 11

    Stop 11: Resilience

    "Displaced But Not Erased" — the mural located at 951 9th Street and the tour's final stop — was designed with the community's input to commemorate the neighborhood that once stood there. This stop, which features displaced Aurarian Sheila Perez-Kindle, closes the tour by asking listeners to remember this community and share its stories. Find stop location on: Google Maps or Apple MapsEpisode Webpage--- Credits: Written by Cameron Blevins, Michelle Comstock, and Rachel Gross, with editorial oversight by Sheila Perez-Kindle, Virginia Castro, and Frances Torres. Produced and edited by Krista Marks and Indira Saha. Music by Tony Garcia and Daniel Valdez. Cover art by Bella Briganti. Oral histories courtesy of the History Colorado Center's Museum of Memory project on Auraria. Created in partnership with the Auraria Historical Advocacy Council. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from the University of Colorado Denver.

    4 min
  12. The Full Tour

    Episode 12

    The Full Tour

    Listen the full audio tour "Listening to Auraria's Past." This combines all eleven tour stops into a single, uninterrupted listening experience. Full Tour Webpage --- Credits: Written by Cameron Blevins, Michelle Comstock, and Rachel Gross, with editorial oversight by Sheila Perez-Kindle, Virginia Castro, and Frances Torres. Produced and edited by Krista Marks and Indira Saha. Music by Tony Garcia and Daniel Valdez. Cover art by Bella Briganti. Oral histories courtesy of the History Colorado Center's Museum of Memory project on Auraria. Created in partnership with the Auraria Historical Advocacy Council. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from the University of Colorado Denver.

    42 min
  • 12 Episodes

About

“Listening to Auraria’s Past” is an audio walking tour of Denver’s Auraria neighborhood, which was displaced by the city of Denver in the 1970s to build the Auraria Higher Education Center. For more information, see the project's website at: aurariahistory.org.

Information

  • Creator
    Cameron Blevins, Michelle Comstock, Rachel Gross, Krista Marks, and Indira Saha
  • Episodes
    12
  • Seasons
    1
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Listening to Auraria's Past