Magazine Feature / People

Alumnus explores South Broadway in historical book series

Since establishing the University Park campus in the 1880s, DU has been an influential force in the surrounding community.

The Spirits of South Broadway (New Social Publications, 2008), by Phil Goodstein (MA ’75), explores the University’s pioneering role in South Denver and the history of the South Broadway corridor from Cherry Creek to Englewood, Colo. It details the role of streetcars and the industrial district once dominated by Gates Rubber.

The Spirits of South Broadway is the first volume in Goodstein’s three-part history of South Denver. The complete history will include The Haunts of Washington Park and The Ghosts of University Park, Platte Park, and Beyond.

A Denver native, Goodstein has written more than 10 history books on various Denver neighborhoods and topics. His most popular volumes include The Seamy Side of Denver (New Social Publications, 1993) andThe Ghosts of Denver: Capitol Hill (Life Publications, 1996).

In each of his books, Goodstein seeks to demonstrate the connections between the past, present and future.

“We don’t arrive in a vacuum,” Goodstein says. “We find ourselves in an existing situation. By understanding these forces and how they have developed, we can then learn to shape our future.”

Goodstein says that anyone familiar with South Denver will find its history quite haunting.

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