Date of Award
Summer 8-24-2024
Document Type
Masters Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. in Anthropology
Organizational Unit
College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Anthropology
First Advisor
Bonnie Clark
Second Advisor
Nicole Herzog
Third Advisor
J. Michael Daniels
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Keywords
Garden of the Gods Park, Edwin “Fatty” Rice, Fatty’s Place, Archaeology
Abstract
In the Garden of the Gods Park, east of Gateway Rocks, Edwin “Fatty” Rice owned and operated a business that sold curios and offered amenities to visiting tourists. Fatty’s Place was the only establishment of its kind to exist on the grounds of the park. However, not much recognition has been given to Rice’s contribution to tourism in the Garden. This thesis uses archaeological exploration, especially ground-penetrating radar, framed by place theory to shed light on Rice’s involvement in the advent of tourism within the park. By providing three narratives, Rice’s place as imagined, as remembered, and as built, the cultural influence left by Fatty’s place is explored. The initial narrative depicts the establishment as it was imagined by Rice himself. The second account shares how people remember Fatty’s place. Finally, the third narrative details the shop’s layout by incorporating historic plat diagrams, archival imagery, excavations, and GPR analysis to rebuild Rice’s compound.
Copyright Date
8-2024
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Aaron Anthony Acosta
Provenance
Received from Author
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
84 pgs
File Size
7.0 MB
Recommended Citation
Acosta, Aaron Anthony, "An Archaeological Exploration of Fatty's Place and Its Contribution to Early Tourism in the Garden of the Gods" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2473.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2473
