Robert W. Speer
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Robert Walter Speer (1855–14 May 1918) was elected the mayor of Denver, Colorado three times. He served two four-year terms in office from 1904 to 1912. He died from pneumonia in 1918 while halfway through a third term in office that had started in 1916.
In 1855, Speer was born in Mount Union, Pennsylvania. He married Kate Thrush, his childhood sweetheart, in 1882.[1]
As an adherent of the City Beautiful movement, Speer initiated several projects that added new landmarks, updated existing facilities, or improved the city's landscape including:
- City Auditorium, site of the 1908 Democratic National Convention
- The Civic Center
- Denver Mountain Parks
- The Denver Zoo expansion from 1906 to 1918.
- Denver Museum of Nature and Science
- The paving and graveling of many of the city's remaining dirt streets
- An urban forestry program that eventually distributed 110,000 free shade trees to city residents[2][3]
Speer was the first mayor of Denver to die while serving in office. Speer Boulevard in Denver is named in his honor.[4]
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Goodstein, Phil (1995). Denver Streets: Names, Numbers, Locations, Logic, 2nd Revised Edition, Denver, CO: New Social Publications. ISBN 0-9622169-3-3.
- Johnson, Charles A. (1969). Denver's Mayor Speer. Denver, CO: Green Mountain Press.
- Noel, Thomas Jacob (1997). Mile High City: An Illustrated History of Denver. Denver, CO: A. B. Hirschfeld Press. ISBN 1-886483-10-8.
- "Robert W. Speer, Mayor of Denver, Is Dead: Cathedral Bells Toll as Flags are Placed at Half Mast in Memory", Rocky Mountain News, Wednesday, 15 May 1918, pp. 1, 3.
- Eaton, Raymond A.. "Speer was Man of Great Vision; Had Many Ideas for Better City", Rocky Mountain News, Wednesday, 15 May 1918, p. 3.
- "Speer Always Worked For a City Beautiful; Plans Had Just Begun", Rocky Mountain News, Wednesday, 15 May 1918, p. 3.
- "Some Things Denver Owes to Speer", Rocky Mountain News, Wednesday, 15 May 1918, p. 3.
[edit] External links
Robert W. Speer at Find A Grave
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