Saguache museum presents Karen Ballentine

SAGUACHE — Karen Ballentine of 19th-Century News will be presenting a free program on Sunday, July 9th, at 1:30 p.m., and will be doing a book signing. Karen has written books about Alamosa, the San Luis Valley, and is currently working on a book about Spook City, which was near Saguache.

Karen would really appreciate any information about Spook City.  

Karen has been an avid reader since childhood and has been particularly drawn to stories of everyday people found in 19th century newspapers. She started reading the stories on microfilm in the 1990’s, and reads them online today.  

Why does Karen read newspaper stories from over 100 years ago? Here are a few reasons:

  • It’s just plain fun and a welcome escape from current news.
  • You can read about history as it was actually happening.
  • You will learn what everyday life was like in the 19th century and will gain an appreciation for modern conveniences like indoor toilets, paved roads, etc.
  • You can shock your children by showing them that life existed before television, cell phones, and the internet.
  • You will “meet” amazing people who did amazing things.
  • You will be entertained by stories that are funny, sad, interesting, informative, scary, unbelievable, and sometimes horrible. Some of these stories went viral and were published in newspapers all across the country.
  • You will learn that even though times have changed quite a lot, people have not.
    Refreshments will be served. Donations are always appreciated.