Colfax: The Longest, Wickedest Street in America

Experience the history and lore of the most famous, certainly most infamous, and dearly beloved streets in America--Colorado's own Colfax Avenue. Colfax Avenue. The mere name conjures images of neon, motels, 24-hour diners, skyscrapers, whiskey bottles, cigarette butts, people from every walk of life, all of it culminating in the upward undulation of the Rocky Mountains. It's a road like no other, distilled into its purest form. Along the sidewalks of Colfax, the city hangs in balance between the desolation of the high plains to the east and the rugged mountains rising to the west. The street reflects the two sides of the promise of Colorado since the Gold Rush of 1859: There's the shameless promotion, the con, the stopover, the promise of wealth and riches. There's also the sense of community, where everybody has a chance, where people come to forget their past and find their future. Walk down Colfax through time from its humble beginnings as Native Americans and pioneers travel across the plains to the mountains, through the gold and silver booms and busts, the rise and fall of the streetcar, its descent into squalor in the mid-twentieth century, to its revival today. Divided into seven sections and chock full of photographs and side stories, this book celebrates the history, facts, and legends of the people and places that have made Colfax what it is today.

Jonny Barber is a performing artist, musician, actor, and author from Denver, Colorado. Musically, he is best-known for his rockabilly group Jonny Barber & The Rhythm Razors, and for his Elvis act performing as the Velvet Elvis. He earned the distinction as a Renaissance Man, not only as a Rock and Roller, but also as curator of The Colfax Museum, dedicated to the history of Schuyler Colfax and Colfax Avenue. Doug Hammerschmidt is an American ex-pat who has lived on a little Scandinavian island for the past 20 years. He enjoys old cars and dark beer, and once fronted a punk band called the Minstrels of Pain Con Queso.