Denver’s first public high school began in a leaky one-room log cabin with thirteen students. By 1875 it officially became East Denver High School. Its founding marked the start of a statewide movement toward free, publicly funded secondary education. Five years later As Denver’s student population swelled, a new building was constructed on Stout Street. A local girl’s face carved into the façade — a tribute to youth and learning — inspired East’s mascot, the angel.
East settled into its current home 100 years ago on the City Park Esplanade. The building, with its soaring clock tower, is now a Denver Historic Landmark. The original school bell and brick remnants of the first “angel” sit on the south lawn. From those humble beginnings came distinguished graduates: Don Cheadle, Judy Collins, Philip Bailey, and astronaut Jack Swigert —proof that East Angels have always flown high.
About Colorado Postcards
Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado.
