Palace of Ice

By Afton Rorvik

An enormous castle of ice was built during the winter of 1895 in Leadville, Colorado. It was a difficult time for the mining town after the silver crash, and the desperate citizens came up with the idea of an 'ice palace' to boost tourism and the economy.

Construction began in November of 1895, and the result delighted everyone, particularly young people - until the spring thaw of 1896. 

Afton Rorvik tells this remarkable story for young readers in Palace of Ice.

In High Country Poems, Filter Press is pleased to bring back into print a collection of poems by Colorado poet and author Inez Hunt.

Inez Hunt was a historian, short story writer, and non-fiction author, but the heart and mind of this extraordinary woman was in her poetry. She wrote hundreds of poems from short comic verse to poignant reflections of ranch life. Her poetry resonates with those who live in the shadow of the Rockies and in spirit with those she described in Mountain Cemetery

         ... the men who lived by code,
         Compelled to play each card exactly as it fell -
         The unafraid - the strong - the uninsured,
         Who died bequeathing to us all
         Dim trails that lead forever to a western sun.