24th Annual International Conference of the Anza Society

September 12-15, 2019

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Conference registration is live!

And WOW…do we have some exciting plans for our 2019 Conference to be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado – home to America’s Mountain, Pikes Peak. We’ve put together a diverse variety of topics which focus on Anza and the Southwest Borderlands to make for a most educational and memorable event.

While the Full conference fee is very affordable at $185, you can purchase the Saturday Daytime option to include a full day of engaging historical presentations and lunch for only $30!

On Thursday afternoon at 4 (until 6 pm), we’ll roll out the carpet with a Reception and Registration at the hotel. We’ll preview our brand new “Anza A to Z” PowerPoint (a continuing work in progress) to be created based on existing historical content along with images, voices and video from some of our past events. Contributions from members are welcome. If you have digital material you would like to share, please contact us.

Friday, it’s Bus Tour time…and perhaps the fall colors will favor us! We’ll head up the historic Ute Pass with stops to include historical sites and museums in Florissant and Cripple Creek. After lunch and other sites, we’ll head down the hill back to the hotel. Our dinner banquet at the historic Patty Jewett Clubhouse will feature our first presentation of the conference by Dr. Rick Henricks, New Mexico State Historian.

Saturday, back at the hotel, be prepared for a full day (8:30 – 4:30) of engaging historical presentations. Something new this year…we will feature TWO Panel sessions. In the morning, don’t miss the “Descendants of Anza Panel” (if you are a descendant and would like to participate, please contact us.) In the afternoon, following our presentation on Zeb Pike, some of the historians behind the establishment of various historic trails will take part in our “Trails Panel”. These panels will be a real treat!

Our 2019 theme is on the Segesser hide paintings.  If you are not familiar with these, search the internet for a little background before the meeting.

Anza’s father led Father Segesser and two other Jesuits to their respective missions in the 1730s, when he was presidio commander at Fronteras.  Somehow the Anza family acquired the paintings, and eventually Father Segesser obtained them and sent them to his brother in Switzerland in 1758 (our Anza was 22 years old at the time; his father had been killed by Apaches eighteen years earlier).  After centuries in castles in Switzerland, New Mexico acquired the paintings about 1987, and currently they are being restored.

State historian Dr. Rick Hendricks will talk about the paintings at our Friday banquet.  Dr. Joe Myers on Saturday morning will set the stage for the 1720 expedition that is depicted on one of the hides, in his talk about the Spaniards in Colorado before Anza.  Next, Jeff Hengesbaugh from New Mexico will discuss new findings about the paintings. Jeff during his extended session, will talk about some of the incredible Anza period artifacts he has on display.

The Saturday evening dinner banquet will feature Dr. John L. Kessell, Professor Emeritus UNM who will present on Bernardo de Miera. These are just some of the presentations. Please see the Schedule for more details.

Sunday at 9 am, we’ll wrap up the conference with our annual board meeting. Please attend, if you feel that you can make a contribution to our society!

Please request an EVITE invitation if you have not received one. EVITE will provide all conference documents allowing you to RSVP, easily download forms, secure credit card payment link, as well as website links. Please RSVP via this online invitation.

Discounted Hotel Conference Rates are available! Don’t miss out as only a limited room block is held until August 29 at these special prices for our event! Room Rate (for up to 4 persons per room) to include Breakfast Buffet is $120.00 per night + tax and applies for 3 days prior and after conference, though can be upgraded and extended. So why not bring your family along and stay for an extended vacation?

To Reserve with Special Rate: Hotel Eleganté Conference & Event Center

…or call (719) 576-5900 and use group reservation code: ANZA SOCIETY (2402392)