Place names, or toponyms, mark and define our landscapes. In Boulder, city park names reflect the history of the city and its peoples. Moreover, they present a certain image of the city and its values.

In looking at the history of these places and who or what they are named after, we can learn more about the park and the cities they are in. The histories of places like Barker, Eben G. Fine, Fitzgerald, and Martin Parks reveal the histories of some of Boulder’s earliest settlers and leaders, and asks all of us, what is in a name?

Presented by Kim Jackson. Jackson is a PhD candidate in history at the University Colorado, Boulder. She is studying 20th century American environmental history. She has been involved with the Boulder Parks Naming Project since its inception.