Briggsdale in Weld County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Cornish Grade School
1914-1948
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2018
1. Cornish Grade School Marker
Adjacent to this site stood the, two-room school where on, July 10, 11, & 12, 1934, the first Stone Age Fair was held. In 1935, over 10,000 people from 41 states attended; President F. D. Roosevelt sent a congratulatory telegram; Will Rogers sent $10 to help defray expenses! Fairs were held at Cornish yearly until 1940, when the event was moved to Loveland, Colorado, where it still continues each September.
Originators of the fair were Frieda & George Bowman, school teachers; Irene & Oscar Shirk; Doris & Bill Robbins; Ira Harris; Albert E. Spall; and 30 school students.
Famous speakers at the Cornish fairs included Colorado Governor E. C. Johnson; C. C. Coffin & Roy Coffin, discoverers of the Lindenmeier Folsom site; and internationally known archaeologists Dr. E. Renaud, Dr. J. D. Figgins, Earl H. Morris, Dr. Marie Wormington, and Dr. Frank H. H. Roberts, Jr.
Erected 1997 by The Loveland Arch Soc., Exxon Corp., Volunteer Involvement Fund.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Education • Science & Medicine. A significant historical date for this entry is July 10, 1934.
Location. 40° 31.396′ N, 104° 24.8′ W. Marker is in Briggsdale, Colorado, in Weld County. Marker
this page online
Also see . . . The Stone Age Fair has a long and distinguished history. Loveland Archeological Society website entry:
On July 10-14, 1934, thirty school children and their adult sponsors held the first Stone Age Fair in a two-room school in Cornish, Colorado. It was a unique event whose purpose was to provide free educational exhibits of Stone Age artifacts. The event proved incredibly successful, and the second year attendance exploded to an estimated 10,000 visitors. There were more than 100 exhibitors, and telegrams of support poured in from across the country. In 1939, it became apparent that the event had become too great a burden, both physically and financially, for the town of Cornish. Permission was given to move the Fair, and on August 14-18, 1940, the first Loveland Stone Age Fair was held. The Stone Age Fair is sponsored by the Loveland Archaeological Society, Inc. The club and its members strive to continue the tradition of the original Stone Age Fair as a free educational event, and to also promote responsible collecting of artifacts. (Submitted on July 9, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2018
2. Cornish Grade School Marker (wide view; looking northwest along Colorado Highway 392)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2018
3. View of Cornish Grade School site (looking east from marker)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 8, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 367 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on July 8, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2, 3. submitted on July 9, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
