Garden of the Gods Trading Post - Manitou Springs, Colorado
Posted by: 
brwhiz
N 38° 51.852 W 104° 53.557
13S E 509316 N 4301712
This Historical Marker is mounted on the front of the Garden of the Gods Trading Post located at 324 Beckers Lane in Manitou Springs, Colorado.
Waymark Code: WMGHJK
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 03/08/2013
Views: 9
Garden of the Gods Trading Post
The Garden of the Gods Trading Company began in the early 1900s when teenager Charles E Strausenback began selling his carved gypsum figures at Garden of the Gods' east gateway in front of Fatty Rice's beer hall.
In 1924, Strausback began building "an Indian Pueblo curio museum" so tourists not traveling further southwest would have a chance to study Pueblo structures. In this case, the museum was a private business, much like today's gift shops. Pueblo Indians were employed to dance and make baskets and pottery; Navajo Indians wove blankets and created silver jewelry. Native Americans plied their trades at the Trading Post through the mid-1950s.
In 1979, T.A.T. Enterprises, Inc. bought the Trading Post and began a series of additions, leaving the main structure much as it was in earlier days. Painting and photographs by Strausbeck, historic photos, and memorabilia recalling the property's history can be seen throughout the building. Wrought iron fixtures, designed and created by Strausback, remain on the entry doors and around the fireplace.
This plaque installed in 2004 by the Manitou Springs Historic Preservation Commission with the assistance of the Colorado Historical Society's State Historical Fund.