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Legendary Mayor Still Helping to Shape Denver
Contributed by: Kristi Mohrbacher on 2/28/2008

Mayor Robert Walter Speer was a bold man inspired by vision. He was a man of determination.

"If he didn't get it done one way, he'd get it done another," says professor of history and Colorado studies Tom Noel.

With 10,000 illegal votes contributing to his election in 1904, Speer knew his ties with the darker side of Denver would be just as important as his relationships with Denver's elite in pursuing his dream for the city.

Exactly 100 years after Speer brought the Democratic National Convention to Denver for the first time, the city is gearing up to host its second Convention.

Neighborhoods are being restored and local government is focusing on programs to beautify the city. Eco-friendly transportation is
being improved to handle the thousands of people the Convention will bring. With each change, Denver moves one step closer to becoming the city Speer envisioned. It is still his basic principles that guide the transformation.

Speer left his hometown of Cassville, Pa., in 1878 to escape the effects of tuberculosis in the dry, sunny Colorado climate. Healed of this deadly disease, Speer dedicated himself to the city of Denver for giving him a new lease on life.

Speer gained experience through roles as secretary of the Lookout Mountain Development Co., founder of his realty firm, R.W. Speer & Company, president of the Denver's Manufacturers Bureau, city clerk, postmaster, president of the Fire and Police Board, and president of the Denver Board of Public Works, among others. In each role, his dedication to civic Denver was
apparent and he built relationships that proved vital in future ventures.

After visiting the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, Speer returned to Denver in pursuit of his vision. Most leaders saw Denver as a dusty, dreary town overrun with the homeless and the hopeless but Noel says "Speer envisioned a 'Paris on the Platte.'" Speer's "City Beautiful"
philosophy became the foundation for every change he inspired.

Beginning the first of his two mayoral terms in 1904, Speer dedicated himself to city beautification plans. He is credited with adding 300 miles of paved streets lined with red sandstone and granite curbs, decorative street lamps, storm and sanitary sewers. He mandated an 11-story height ordinance and billboard ban to preserve the view of the Rockies. He hired
teams of city workers to clean streets each night and placed trashcans on curbs.

Speer's influence goes beyond aesthetic improvements. He completed a municipal bathhouse for Denver's less fortunate. He encouraged residents to experience culture by offering free concerts and shows in the first municipal theater in America, the Municipal Auditorium located at 14th and Curtis.

In Speer's push for lush parks and increased greenery, he created space where people could congregate, enjoy each other's company and have their spirits lifted as they, too, felt Denver's potential to be a great city.

Denver City Councilwoman and former aide to Mayor Federico Pena Susan Barnes-Gelt, says Speer believed "if the city is a beautiful, healthy place, then the citizens will be healthy."

Lastly, Speer is recognized for his foresight to encourage the development of Denver Mountain Parks in the surrounding Rocky Mountains. He recognized the importance of preserving the mountains for the future tourism industry long before formal National Parks would be recognized.

The most notable aspect of Speer's contributions is his presence in shaping Denver today. More than 100 years after his first term as mayor, Speer's City Beautiful philosophy is still the cornerstone for Denver government, city planning and individual developments.

Past and current mayors are compared to Speer throughout their terms. In this way, his work encourages mayors to implement programs that beautify the city thus improving the welfare of residents. Mayor Wellington Webb is credited with doubling park space during his term, just as Speer focused on acquiring park space.

According to Barnes-Gelt, Pena beautified the city through enhanced connections when he removed the viaducts that separated downtown from the north and west neighborhoods nearby. Mayor John Hickenlooper has made it his goal to plant one million trees in metro Denver, just as Speer did.

In the city planning realm, Noel said he believes that Speer's ideals are exemplified by the recent landmark status given to boulevards and parkways that lead to large neighborhood parks. The landmark status prevents streets such as Speer Boulevard from being widened.

As the city experiences a development boom downtown in anticipation of the upcoming Convention, Civic Center has become a controversial issue. Although there is support and opposition for the relocation of the Colorado History Museum, both sides agree: Civic Center must remain a welcoming place for the public to meet and for governmental bodies to carry out their work, just as Speer wished.

Influential Denver developer Mickey Zeppelin of Zeppelin Development says that Speer's "bold nature" and "ability to breathe life into pockets of Denver" inspire his work today. Credited with energizing Lower Downtown in the mid-'80s and bringing life back to the area, Zeppelin says that Speer's dedication to incorporate the cultural richness of an area with the physical plan is evident in buildings and re-designed Denver neighborhoods today.

Denver still retains the original backbone Speer created. His boulevards are lined with sidewalks shaded by big, beautiful trees. His parks are oases in the city overflowing with families on the weekends. Restored landmark buildings tell the story of a city rich with history and theatre-goers pack auditoriums nightly to experience diverse cultures.

As the city prepares for the Convention, the former mayor's presence is stronger than ever. Early last year, Speer's Municipal Auditorium was remodeled back to its original splendor and it is in this building, Speer's most remarkable landmark, that his bold brilliance can be felt the most.


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Kristi Mohrbacher

Denver , CO

Kristi Mohrbacher has posted 4 stories and 0 comments since joining on 10/10/2007. Kristi Mohrbacher 's average story rating is 5.
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