As I’ve mentioned, being creative provides me a sense of purpose, regardless of the medium. For me, curiosity and awe drive my creative explorations. Having a strong sense of purpose not only enriches my own life, I believe it also has the potential to bolster my community as well. It is with this thought in mind that I began “Horsing Around In The Town Of Gold Hill: A Story To Stirrup The Imagination And Spur Creativity.” It is my hope that by drawing attention to the natural beauty of the landscape, with the desire to subtly instill a sense of duty and stewardship in our relationship with it, readers both young and old can continue to respect, appreciate, and be inspired by its natural beauty for many generations to come.
It's important to acknowledge that Gold Hill sits on the traditional territories of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho people. After members of the Aikins party discovered gold here in January 1859, prospectors rushed in, establishing one of Colorado's first permanent mountain mining camps. Among those who witnessed this transformation was Chief Niwot, whose Arapaho people lived along the Front Range. He urged his tribe to coexist peacefully with the white settlers—a legacy of diplomacy he's remembered for today. Tragically, he and approximately 180 others—mostly women, children, and elders—were killed in the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864.
Chief Niwot is also known for what's been called the "Curse of the Boulder Valley," though I think of it more as a prophecy. He reportedly said: "People seeing the beauty of this valley will want to stay, and their staying will be the undoing of the beauty."
Those words haunt me. They're not a curse—they're a warning, a prediction born from watching what happens when we love a place without protecting it.
It's my hope that this quirky, light-hearted children's book plants a different seed: that young readers will see the beauty, cherish it deeply, and choose not to undo it. That they'll grow into the kind of people who understand that loving a place means caring for it—honoring both its natural wonder and the people who were here first.
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