LINCOLN HILLS' LEGENDARY LODGE by Pam North It is a very special gem of African-American history. Built into a rocky hillside and completely surrounded by the thick forest of pines, the structure is of a type of architecture known as "rustic stick and shingle", with a foundation and north wall of river rock and native granite rubble. Located near South Boulder Creek in north Gilpin County, between Pinecliffe and Rollinsville, it was easily accessible by railroad and automobile, which contributed toward its evolution in becoming the remarkably popular destination point originally named Winks Panorama, but known more commonly as simply Winks Lodge. For those unfamiliar with its history, Winks Lodge was an integral part of Lincoln Hills, a resort community that was originated in 1922 solely for black people, one of only four in the entire United States, and the only one west of the Mississippi. Lincoln Hills was developed to address the recreational needs for people-of-color at a time when they were not allowed to obtain lodging or enjoy the amenities of Colorado's public parks. Lincoln Hills became a place of refuge from harsh times and racial oppression. Obrey Wendell "Winks" Hamlet, an entrepreneurial woodcutter and builder (with additional coal and moving businesses) from the Denver Five Points area, was one of the early inhabitants, residing in a small cabin just down the road from the location where he eventually built the lodge. Winks was ambitious and ingenious. and he envisioned a social hub for the community. He began construction on the lodge in 1925, completing it in 1928. The first floor was designed primarily for storage; the second floor, with a corner entrance at the top of a short stairway, functioned as the main social and eating areas, partially wrapped around by a generous enclosed porch constructed of hand-hewn beams and posts. The third floor was allocated to the single bathroom and six bedrooms. The resourceful Winks, ever a scrounger, recycled cast-off materials from Denver demolitions, even innovatively using newspaper printing plates for the dining room wainscoting. When the Depression hit in 1929, many of the owners of Lincoln Hills lots could no longer afford to keep up the payments, and Winks began buying up the lots at tax sales, adding to his land. He eventually had 21 cabins to lease, in addition to the six upstairs bedrooms in his lodge. He had the only indoor shower in the area (at 25 cents a shower). His barbecue and the chicken dinners, cooked over a barbeque pit made from a salvaged old dishwasher and served by his long-time cook, Brownie, were famous. Winks would sound a loud gong to announce mealtimes. The 1930s and 1940s saw a burgeoning black middle class who sought entertainment and recreation, and Winks Lodge provided these amenities to huge throngs of customers. Black celebrity entertainers and musicians playing in Denver's Five Points clubs found their way to the tavern nearby (which Winks also owned) and stayed at the lodge; Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Lena Horne were some who visited; an original autographed photo of Lena Horne attests to her visits. Local and national intellectual leaders regarded Winks Lodge as a haven, as did Harlem Renaissance writers such as Zora Neale Hurston and others, who gave private readings in the summers. The lodge had a natural spring that was the watering hole for the teams of horses pulling the stagecoaches that ran from Tolland to Nederland. Winks, respected by many of the local white citizenry, also became the local game warden and sheriff, and general land steward for Roosevelt National Forest. Winks initially ran the lodge with his first wife, Naomi (who later died of tuberculosis), and afterward with his second wife, Melba. Etched names in concrete on the grounds of the lodge bear witness to both pairings. Winks was known to be a generous man who loved people and welcomed them warmly. He operated the business until his death in 1965, and while Melba continued to try to run the lodge for a while thereafter, unfortunately its time was up. Changing times had brought access for black people to metropolitan establishments, and business was dwindling. Melba sold the lodge to Bertha Callaway, who applied for and received listing in 1980 for the lodge on the National Register of Historic Places. A succession of renters, with little regard for historic importance, wrought their own havoc on the building, abusing it until it fell into major decline. It the had the good fortune of landing in the hands of Rob and Martha Tomerlin, a Texas couple who brought it salvation and a new lease on life. The Tomerlins almost began to think that they had bitten off more than they could chew in 1985 when they accidentally discovered, fell in love with and purchased the Lincoln Hills property. The wrap-around, second-story enclosed porch was sagging; trash had engulfed the basement and had accumulated several feet high at the front of the house; an abandoned car full of kitty litter, along with some assorted derelict appliances, decorated the front yard. After purchase by the Tomerlins, the building continued to present even more difficulties to be solved. Problems with the electrical wiring, plumbing and septic system were also discovered in due course, much to couple's dismay, and all were expensive to fix. Texan grit, bolstered by an occasional bottle of wine, won out over time, however. The Tomerlins, determined in their labor of love, finally managed to whip their project into shape, creating a peaceful sanctuary in which to spend their summers. Initially Rob, whose career had encompassed years of being a high school teacher, football coach and principal, had wanted to have a place where troubled city teens could come to spend some time in the mountains. The reality of the high cost of liability insurance soon put an end to that dream, however, and ultimately they had to resign themselves to simply having the lodge as a part-time residence for themseves. Their interest in the history of the lodge and its surrounding locale, and its importance as a part of black culture, inspired them to research its past, and to restore the lodge as faithfully as possible. The result was admirable. Several of the original pieces of furniture (some of it repaired after being found broken and scattered on a nearby hillside) were returned to the lodge, and the additional furniture and decor therein echoed the period when Winks Lodge was in its prime. One interesting experience involved an old chair that the Tomerlins had purchased at a Nederland rummage sale. As they left with their bargain, they encountered a passing woman who recognized the chair as one that had belonged to her grandmother. Promising to check her attic for a matching footstool, she took their telephone number and said she'd be in touch. Two years later she called; the chair and footstool were reunited, and thereafter were placed near the rugged stone fireplace in the living room. Other thrift shop and flea market treasures found their way into the Tomerlins' home, each lending an ambience of the past. Their instincts obviously were good and their choices suitable, as they were often amused when a visitor from the old days thought he recognized one of their pieces as something that was there when Winks was around. The rustic living room chandelier was just such a piece. Found in Texas and transported to the lodge, it elicited more than one comment of "I remember that!" A fresoe painting of horses by Mickey DuBois (then around 17 years old), now a well-known black artist whose works are displayed in Estes Park, was a highlight on the wall at the stair landing. Time had taken its toll on it, and cracks permeated its surface, but the Tomerlins displayed it with plans of its eventual restoration. Photographs of Wendell "Winks" Hamlet prominently lined the stairwell, providing glimpses of the man who was the legend behind Winks Lodge. The lodge's rough-hewn log frame, native rock fireplace, tin ceilings and plank floors reflected the work and care that this couple bestowed upon it during their period of ownership. Enter the James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club (JPBMC). This non-profit group, founded in 1933 and named in honor of the bi-racial.African- American mountain man/frontiersman/explorer, is dedicated to providing outdoor experiential programs to diverse youth and families, and educating the public about the history and contributions of people-of-color in the West. The Beckwourth Mountain Club obtained an acquisition grant from the Colorado Historical Society to purchase Winks Lodge in April, 2006, and ownership of the property passed from the Tomerlins to the JPBMC. Its Winks Lodge Advisory Board is carefully documenting the building's history and determining how best to continue with its restoration and preservation, and making it accessible for public use while not compromising the historical integrity of the lodge. The JPBMC is actively fundraising for both this conversion and the continuing historical restoration. Building upon what the Tomerlins began, the JPBMC hopes to add many more historically acccurate touches, such as period quilts for the beds, the characteristic tablecloths that once were in evidence in the dining room, additional appropriate furnishings, vintage photographs, and even a huge stuffed fish similar to the one that once hung over the fireplace mantel. Once the interior is fully restored, the JPBMC will make the Lodge available to the public for a variety of programs: conferences and workshops on various topics (local history, nature preservation, etc.), outdoor activities, leadership retreats, reunions and special events. Recognized for its significance as a private; commercial and entrepreneurial endeavor, as well as its significance in the larger social arena of discrimination and segregation, Winks Lodge is a remarkable individual triumph over racial oppression and segregation, and has great significance to the history of both African-Americans and the West. Many of the structures that reflect this area's history unfortunately have disappeared; luckily this local gem.has not likewise passed into oblivion, and through the JPBMC's stewardship hopefully it will recapture even more of its own unique identity.