I'm totally baffled by the bird.

The bird.

I don't know.

I'm a little baffled.

We're at the History Colorado Center, where I'm going deep into our archival vault, selecting ten artifacts from History Colorado's collection of more than 15 million items.

- Look at those toes.

- Square toes.

But there's a trick down here, too.

Today, we're challenging two contestants to see if they can draw the connections between these pieces of Colorado history.

Welcome to The Vault.

Today we are playing with John Jennison and Doria Cladis, welcome.

- Thank you.

- Thank you.

John, I understand you are a Navy veteran who recently moved to Colorado.

What brought you here?

Moved here in 2022 after I finished college, and then Ive been working in Denver ever since.

And Doria, you've been here a little bit longer.

- A little bit.

- And you were a teacher.

I am, I still teach, I teach music.

I've always worked with kids.

Wonderful.

And how do you two know each other?

- Next door neighbors.

- Next door neighbors, I love it All right, well, let's see what's in The Vault today.

In front of you are ten artifacts, and I want you to find the connections between them.

The artifacts on the table can be arranged into three sets, with the three items in each set all connected by a common theme.

One of the items in front of you is a decoy that doesn't belong with any set, so choose carefully.

Because we are nice here at The Vault, I will give you one hint when you need it.

Once you've had a chance to look them over, you will have 90 seconds to arrange them on our game board.

Sound good?

- No pressure.

- No pressure, okay.

First item here.

I know what this is.

- You know what this is?

- A Purple Heart.

But can you tell what war its from?

- I couldn't tell you.

- No, I couldnt either.

And then this sticks out to me.

- Do you know what that is?

- Well ... It says ‘paid for by EPO, Colorado.

- EPO... - So I think thats ‘No on 2.

I think there was like in the 90s, a vote to restrict gay marriage in the state.

Yeah, thats what I was thinking.

Thats what I was thinking.

This is pretty much why I moved out to Colorado.

Oh, really?

Because of John Deutschendorf.

- Deep cut there.

- Yes.

He was just made magic with his music.

Yeah, I know the Rocky Mountain High album a little bit.

I think it's really the only album that I've fully listened to of John Denver, and I do like John Denver.

Oh, I love him.

He was also known for his political activism, and he was an advocate for voting ‘No on 2, if I recall.

- Oh, okay.

- Yeah.

- So, taxidermy.

- Yeah.

Any idea what kind of bird that might be?

I want to say a bunting, but I don't know.

I wonder if it's our state bird or if it's the history of taxidermy.

I know that there's a lot of that in Colorado.

Okay, I get running shoes here.

It looks like a shoe that you might run a marathon in, I think.

I just know that, you know, speaking with people, when I say I'm from Colorado, they say, oh, everyone's healthy out there.

Everyone jogs and runs.

So maybe it's part of the image that we have.

Yeah.

Or maybe they were manufactured here, I don't know.

And then there's shoe polish.

- It says New York, Indianapolis - Okay.

I don't know how that would be relevant to Colorado.

Okay, this is my childhood.

I did square dancing.

- Really?

- Yes.

Do you have a book like this?

I did not have a book, but definitely had dresses - that looked like that.

- Okay.

But looking at the men's clothes, I would say that's 1930s or 1940s.

- These are mountain boots.

- They might... Would they be ski boots, old ski boots?

I don't know, look at those toes.

Yeah, they're very square toes.

I feel like that wouldn't be a good boot for skiing in, but I, I don't know I feel like it's more hiking, - wouldnt you think?

- Yeah, I dont know.

- And this, oh my gosh.

- Stained glass.

Looks like it's from the 70s.

Also, it's, well, it's the art.

It's two women, and we've — I think we've hit on ‘No on 2.

I think this is supposed to represent - a lesbian couple.

- Maybe, yes.

If you think it's from the 70s, I think that kind of art would make sense in the 70s with kind of the feminine movement.

So, connections.

Now this, I ... I'm reminded of like, World War Two movies.

And I think that's kind of the vision that I see.

I kind of see a nurse during the war or during the 1940s time.

That's what I see.

- Yeah, the Red Cross.

- Yeah.

So here we have maybe a war, but theres a trick down here, too.

Should we ask about one of them?

Is there something youd like a hint on?

- Can we get a hint?

- Yes.

Yes, of course.

Which is the one that's baffling you the most?

Lets know about the bird, please.

The bird.

Okay.

To hear one of these singing on the eastern plains of Colorado is about as Colorado an experience as you can get.

- I think it's a bunting.

- A bunting.

- I think.

- Okay.

Are you guys ready to share your connections?

- Yes.

- I think so.

All right, come on over to the game board.

I'm going to put 90 seconds on the clock, starting now.

- Doria, I've got two, two ideas - Good.

I'm thinking one idea is a gay rights idea.

We have a lesbian couple, we have ‘No on 2, and I think John Denver ties into that.

That's one idea.

Do you have any ideas?

- I think that's a wonderful idea.

- Okay.

And then I have an idea.

So let's do that one first.

And then here.

And then John Denver.

And we're going to say human rights, gay rights?

- Gay rights.

- Gay rights, okay.

- So... - What's your idea?

- My idea is hobbies.

- Okay.

So I'm thinking the square dancing, the hiking and the jogging.

- Okay.

Good idea.

- But what do you think?

I think, yeah.

Also, I think one category - could be shoes.

- 30 seconds, guys.

30 seconds.

We have shoes, shoes, and shoe polish.

Oh, but you can't use shoe polish on ... okay.

- Okay, let's do another one.

- Lets go.

- Then we have a nurse, Purple Heart ... - Yes.

Maybe the ... maybe the — - Youve gotta hurry!

[Inaudible] - I'm going to put hobbies.

- Yeah.

Last one is Colorado World War two.

- Oh, Colorado World War two.

- There you go.

- Alright.

Pencils down.

- Okay.

Just made it.

Great job.

John, tell me about your first set.

I feel fairly confident about the first set.

I feel like I've learned about ‘No on 2 because thats I think the amendment to the Constitution in the state of Colorado in the 1990s, and it made gay marriage illegal in the state, if I remember right.

And then at first I had no idea what stained glass had to do, but I think the focus of the glass, it's two women, and I just feel like that has to be a gay couple.

And then the little bit I know about John Denver is that he was an advocate for people to vote ‘No on 2.

Okay.

So, gay rights.

Doria, tell me about your second set.

Well, I just saw those big boots, and I know from my husband's family, they were up hiking in the mountains turn of the century, last century.

So that kind of gave me a feeling of what Colorado means to a lot of people.

And then running shoes.

I live by Wash Park and, you know, for 40 years there have been people out there jogging.

And then, I don't know, the square dancing was just kind of a sentimental thing for me.

I didn't do it here, but it must have been like a Western hobby, I think.

So that's why I came up with hobbies.

All right.

And John, tell us about this third set here.

Yeah, the first two I thought was a clear connection, the Purple Heart and the nurse uniform.

To me, that just it reminds me of shows, movies, and museum exhibits about history of World War Two.

The bird ... I couldnt, I couldn't figure out what else would fit in this category.

- We kind of regret the bird.

- We regret the bird.

Okay.

Well, that leaves, what, as the decoy, Doria?

Well, the Shinola.

I couldn't see how that would fit unless you're going to put it with the boots.

I was stumped by that one.

Okay, well, are you ready to see how you did?

- Yes.

- Alright, let's reveal the correct sets.

- Oh, and shoes.

- Woah.

They all make sense, don't they?

You have good curatorial instincts, both of you.

You picked out a lot of what was on the table, it was just putting it together that was a little bit challenging.

That first set, you were right.

That ‘No on 2 was a campaign against amendment two, an amendment to the Colorado Constitution that prohibited protections for LGBTQ Coloradans in city and towns, anti-discrimination laws that was actually overturned by the US Supreme Court in 1996.

That stained glass hung in the ‘Woman to Woman Book Center on Colfax, here in Denver.

It was a hub for people who were interested in the feminist movement as well as lesbian couples.

And then those blue shoes, those are running shoes, but they are particular running shoes.

They belong to Governor Jared Polis.

They were what he wore as he campaigned to become the nation's first openly gay governor in 2018 — - up to his inaugural ball.

- Isnt that fascinating?

So, pieces of LGBTQ history here in Colorado.

The second set, state symbols, you were right.

It is a lark bunting, - and that is our state bird.

- It is, okay.

It was declared the state bird in 1931.

It can be found out on the plains from May to September.

It's a seasonal visitor to Colorado, but it is in fact our state symbol.

I love that.

John Denver, while he was very active in politics in the 60s and 70s, ‘Rocky Mountain High actually became our second state song in 2007.

The original state song is one called ‘Where the Columbines Grow from 1915, it is not one you hear very often anymore, and a class of fourth graders in Fort Collins actually launched a campaign to add ‘Rocky Mountain High as the state song.

The legislature agreed.

And then square dancing is our state dance.

Is it?

Oh, my.

Yes.

It was adopted in 1991.

That book there, though, is from the mid 50s.

And then this third category here, you were on the right track, John, World War Two.

The Purple Heart is, of course, a medal awarded to soldiers who are wounded or killed as a result of enemy action.

It was established by George Washington in the Revolutionary War and is still handed out today.

That one was given to a man named Billy Murray in the Italian Campaign in World War Two.

He was a member of the 10th Mountain Division, and that is where those boots come from.

Those were special mountaineering boots that you could climb and ski with that were developed specifically for the 10th Mountain Division as they trained up near Leadville at Camp Hale.

The Red Cross nurses uniform.

John, you were right.

That is exactly what you would have seen if you were soldier recovering in a hospital.

So you were you were very close.

And then the shoe polish, shoe polish is something that we see spanning just about everything.

- Yes.

- Shiny shoes, good looking shoe are important across time.

And so the shoe polish canister was your decoy today.

Yeah.

How do you feel?

How do you feel about this?

I learned so much.

Yeah.

Really fascinating, I really like seeing the artifacts.

And it's funny that John Denver came up because I just was doing some reading about John Denver just like last week.

So really surprised to see that one.

It's the universe telling you you should listen to more John Denver.

Colorado's history is full of surprising connections, and as we turn 150 this year, it's more important than ever that museums like ours are preserving and protecting artifacts like these.

That way, we can continue making connections for the next 150 years.

Thank you for joining us in The Vault today.

We hope to see you again soon.

To learn more about these objects and some other cool artifacts, Visit RMPBS.org/thevault, or go visit your local history museum.