Southwest Corner of Goss and 20th Streets--George Morrison

George Morrison, featured in the second photo with his violin, was born in Fayette, Missouri in 1891. In 1900, at the young age of nine, he and his older brother Lee made their way to Boulder. The two boys lived here and there in the vicinity of the Little Rectangle for a few years. They wanted to try to make a living on their musical talents—talent inherited from their musical parents--playing guitars and homemade stringed instruments—such as George’s corncob fiddle--for the mining communities in the Boulder foothills. They performed as the Morrison Brothers String Band.

Although George loved performing many kinds of music, he always considered himself a classical violinist. He took lessons and performed wherever he could, whether it was in Boulder or Denver, including at recitals, churches, parties, Masonic Lodges and many private social clubs in Denver.

Being in Denver often, he met and married his wife, Willa Mae, who came from a prominent Denver family. They lived in Boulder for a short time, but moved to Denver as most of George’s paying work was in the Denver area.

The photo of George was taken when he considered himself a serious violinist. In 1912, the Denver Statesman newspaper said of him: “Mr. Morrison is a young musician of promise. He has developed into an acceptable major number on a high-class program. His career is just beginning, judging from the wonderful strides he has made in just a few years.”

By 1913, George was placing ads in the newspaper for violin students at his studio on Tejon Street. He withdrew from Emmet Webster's orchestra to create his own orchestra, and was prepared to offer first-class music for all occasions. By 1914, he was in the newspaper several times a week, playing classical music at various venues around the Denver area. Denverite Hattie McDaniel, later famous for her Oscar-winning performance as Mammy in “Gone With the Wind,” sang with his orchestra.

George experienced racial discrimination that same year when performing at Elitch’s Amusement Park. His orchestra was released from its contract with the park because the Black musicians could not be part of the Union. However, they still performed at many other venues in the Denver area, and eventually had a loyal following.

George died in 1974 at the age of 83, buried in the Olinger Cemetery in Thornton.

Although George did not live on Goss Street, many of his relatives did, grandmother, uncles, aunts, grandmother, cousins. Take a look at the family dinner in the third photo above. George is on left. He recalls the Little Rectangle being a bustling place crowded with Black residents and some whites with increasingly some Latinx citizens as well. Also be sure to notice the little backlot houses—sometimes called “backhouses”—built to house family members and other Black citizens who could not find willing sellers to Black citizens elsewhere in the city. Addresses for the backhouses are 1915 ½ and 1935 ½. Look between the houses from the sidewalk.

Directions to Stop 8: Cross Goss Street to the north side of the street.