Congressman Salazar announces $269,790 in funding to preserve Colorado’s mining heritage

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Congressman John Salazar announced $269,790 in funding for the Bessemer Historical Society.  The funding will go toward the arrangement and description of 800 feet of Colorado Fuel and Iron Company records pertaining to mining operations, along with the preservation of 5,000 maps and the selected digitization of significant collection items.

Congressman Salazar offered the following statement on the project:
 
“This funding will preserve our history and help future generations understand and learn from our past,” said Congressman Salazar. “I’m proud to support this effort and will continue to support efforts that preserve the history and heritage of Pueblo and Colorado as a whole.”
 
Corinne Koehler, President of the Bessemer Historical Society offered the following statement on the funding: 
 
“This grant is so important to the Society, especially at this time, with the tight funding dollars for the amenities of a community. This grant will allow the Bessemer Historical Society to hire archivists and purchase archival material to continue the processing and preserving of the 121 years of CF&I records, maps, photographs and ledgers. The stories yet to be told that are hidden in these papers, film and photos is immense and will provide material for researchers, writers, genealogists  and historians for years”

For information on this grant contact John Thatcher, Bessemer Historical Society Executive Director at (719) 564-9086.