Golden History Museum & Park: The Changing Face Of Golden

Press release from the Golden History Museum & Park:

Mark Dodge

Sep 23, 2021

The changing face of Golden

David McCullough said, History is a spacious realm encompassing the full sweep of human experiences, and I agree. At the core it’s all about change. The seasons, relationships, people, places and things. Embracing it, resisting it, and understanding it. Change is a constant in our personal lives and in the communities we call home.

This is a simple idea and may sound obvious. We all know it, yet many of us resist. We find something we like and then we don’t want it to change. And for good reason. A the museum I regularly hear folks comment about the rapid pace of change occurring, whether perceived as good or bad. One of my jobs is to watch, listen, record and ultimately collect evidence of this change. As a result, you might say that the past lives at the museum, since we’re gathering up the old things that all the change leaves behind.

Here are a few observations over the past year. What do you think I’m missing?

What do you do to cope with change – take a deep breath, relax and release. Community is about shared interests and ultimately it’s about us, the people. Everyone who calls it home, whether you’re a native or new local. Take it from a student of history, change is nothing new and it’s not necessarily bad.

We sell a book in the museum gift shop titled, “The Changing Face of Golden”, published in 2004. Things were changing then too. Find ways to help shape and embrace it. I’d love to hear how you’re coping, and what the museum can do.  

Mark Dodge, Curator

This press release was produced by the Golden History Museum & Park. The views expressed are the author's own.