Pikes Peak Historical Society announces their March Chautauqua featuring Scott Adams who will examine the lives, especially the war and post-war experiences, of five Civil War veterans who moved to the Florissant area after the Civil War. The presentation will be March 16 at Lake George Charter School.
Adams grew up in Colorado after moving to Longmont from Nebraska as a child. He attended the US Air Force Academy earning a Civil Engineering degree and a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1979. He, and his wife, Pam, spent 26 years in the Air Force, most of it as an A-10 pilot, which gave him the opportunity to travel across the country and the world. The Adams’ raised three boys in the process and have been blessed with 9 grandchildren and 4 bonus grandkids.
Before retiring, they bought a home in Florissant and moved there in 2005. Adams retired, as a Colonel and his wife, Pam began teaching at Colorado Springs Christian School’s Woodland Park campus. Since retiring, Adams has been a ski patroller, taught middle school science and math at the same CSCS campus, where also he coached wrestling, soccer and track.
The Adams’ joined PPHS in 2006 as docents and in 2007, joined the board. Mrs. Adams left the board when the school asked her to be the principal. Scott has been on the board since and became the Vice President in 2017.
Donna and Knute Knudten, long time PPHS members, started doing presentations at the cemetery and Adams took it over in 2022. The Knudten’s did most of the research and the presentations began around 2017. Ralph and Doris Palmer picked up the project for a couple of years until they moved. Adams offered to give it a try and has added some research and corrected a few things that I and other historians noticed. “But it is essentially the work that Donna and Knute started,” he said.
Adams began his interest in the Civil War while living in Virginia. He rode his bike around many Civil War battlefield areas near their home on the Hampton Roads peninsula. He began reading Civil War books, beginning with the historical fiction: “Stonewall.” At the Air War College, in Montgomery, Alabama he had the opportunity to tour southern battlefields. On a sports competition trip to the Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA, one day was reserved to tour and walk the Gettysburg battlefield with their historians.
“There we walked Cemetery Ridge where Chamberlain ordered his famous bayonet charge and the sobering field of Pickett’s charge. It was moving,” he exclaimed.
He has read Michael and Jeff Sharra’s series: “God’s and Generals,” “Killer Angels,” and “The Last Full Measure;” and “The Traveler’s Gift” by Andy Andrews. “Though I am nothing like an expert, it’s been a hobby ever since. I read a few Civil War books (from both sides) every year,” Adams said.
Adams explained his presentation will “move” through the Florissant Pioneer Cemetery past the graves of three of the veterans and family members of the other two. “In the indoor setting with PowerPoint and a projector, we’ll look at historical aspects of the battles the veterans fought and where they lived that we usually don’t get to see while walking around the cemetery”, he explained.
Florissant soldiers of the Civil War will be presented at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, March 16 at Lake George Charter School, 38874 US Hwy 24, Lake George, CO. The school is located only four minutes from Florissant, on the south side of Highway 24 just two tenths’ miles west of the Ferrell Propane lot. The Chautauqua’s are presented to the public free of charge as a public service of the Pikes Peak Historical Society. No reservation is required. For more information call 719-748-8259 or 719-748-3861.