Hughes to receive Colorado historic award

       Dave Hughes, a Westside leader and historian for more than 30 years, will be presented with Colorado Preservation Inc.'s State Honor Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation May 21.
       The granting will be at the Dana Crawford Awards Dinner in Denver, which the Old Colorado City Historical Society (OCCHS) describes in its publication, West Word, as “Colorado's largest statewide preservation awards assembly, honoring individuals and organizations which have made a significant contribution toward preserving Colorado's built history.”
       Hughes, who will be 81 May 18, helped found the volunteer OCCHS and still serves as its treasurer. Most recently, he has been spearheading a project to place a granite monument about Colorado City in Bancroft Park - next to the historic cabin that he took a lead role in restoring.
       According to Hughes, he first got involved with the Westside while leading the city's Bicentennial celebration in 1976. Initially employed by the merchants' organization, which was seeking a historically focused redevelopment of then-rundown Old Colorado City, he went on to start his own telecommunication business in Old Town and continued to help guide redevelopment efforts. Asked to comment on his honor, the retired Army colonel said, “Well, its nice that Denver gave some recognition to what has been going on for 30 years in Southern Colorado.”

Westside Pioneer article