COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — At one of Colorado Springs’ most historic homes, history is taking on new meaning for one museum manager.
Amy Miller says she has had a passion for history, guiding tours and preserving artifacts at the McAllister House Museum.
“This is where the McAllisters would have welcomed their guests into the parlor…” Miller explained during a recent tour.
But recently, her work has become more personal. As she dove deeper into Colorado Springs’ history, she uncovered connections to her own family’s story that prompted a journey into ancestry that’s reshaping how she sees the city and herself.
“Some of the things we do here are interpretation. We give tours. We plan events,” she said.
Behind the scenes, those tasks were leading her toward an unexpected chapter of self-discovery.
The McAllister House was once home to Union Army veteran Henry McAllister, who served under Colorado Springs founder General William Palmer.
“He would have had the best view of Pikes Peak directly out of this window,” Miller said.
As Miller immersed herself in local history, she began collaborating with other museums, including the African American Museum of Colorado Springs. Her goal was to expand the museum’s collection and educate the community about the region’s untold Black history.
“I definitely wanted to learn more about Black history here in Colorado Springs and how we can connect from our museum to their museum,” Miller said.
That partnership sparked new research, involving the historical relationship between Matilda McAllister, daughter of General McAllister, and her friend Helen Lowery.
"Helen, in the 50s and 60s, was a caretaker of Matilda McAllister," Miller said. "And this was at a time when we still had a little bit of discrimination, a little bit of segregation here in the Springs, but these two ladies were the best of friends. They went everywhere together."
MORE | Woman turns to Colorado Springs nonprofit to learn about family history
“Through connections with Candice and her museum and then our own collection, we can kind of build a bigger picture and then also connect it back to Helen’s very close friend Matilda,” Miller explained.
It inspired Miller to examine her own lineage as the research unfolded. So she enrolled in a beginning genealogy class. It was hosted by the African American Historical and Genealogical Society of Colorado Springs, the same organization that runs the African American museum. What she found was both enlightening and difficult to swallow.
For me, when I look back at my history, there are pieces that I wouldn't be proud of today," Miller said. “Growing up in rural Virginia, there were people who were enslavers back in our family history, and that is not something that I’m proud of, but it's something that opens my eyes to the history as a whole. Not only looking at history from that perspective but also how it impacted people and still impacts people today."
Miller recalled during the workshop that she was an anomaly in a room filled with Black people, who were sharing experiences that were different from hers.
"I understand that history encapsulates everything," Miller said. "It has to be told in that way, but for me, it was very humbling to listen to some of the people who were sharing their stories and kind of look at mine. A piece of me was reflecting on the privilege that my family had and then some of the things that weren’t so pretty.”
Becoming aware of that reality and preserving history is part of the mission for Candice McKnight, founder of the African American Museum in Colorado Springs.
“You’re going to have to deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly…” McKnight said. “In a sense, you need to be proud of it because it happened, and it’s over. You don’t have to just cling on to that.”
McKnight leads genealogy workshops throughout the year to help others trace their roots and make peace with what they uncover.
“I say to them, you take a deep breath. You might cry. You might be angry. You might be in denial. You might laugh. You're going to go through a lot of emotions,” McKnight said.
Her museum, located at 1620 West Bijou Street in Colorado Springs, houses more than 2,000 books, artifacts, and archived stories about Black pioneers and families who helped shape the Pikes Peak region.
“Our ancestors are calling. They want to be found. There’s a story to be told about how things went down,” McKnight said.
Both women agree that knowing your roots, regardless of what you find, can change how you see yourself and your purpose in the world.
“I’m very glad about the things that I found out and know that I can make a difference in a different way,” Miller said. “But I think that everyone has different things in their past, and as we look from a 21st-century perspective, we have to look back and say, ‘OK, that is something that wouldn’t be OK with me, what can I do with this now?’”
For anyone interested in learning more about their family tree, the African American Historical and Genealogical Society of Colorado Springs offers beginner genealogy classes throughout the year.
The organization is one of three hosting a Juneteenth celebration on Thursday, June 19, 2025. The federal holiday marks the day the last enslaved people in the U.S. were freed in Galveston, Texas. This was more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
MORE | Why celebrate Juneteenth? What local events are happening this week
Have a story? Reach out to KOAA News5 reporter/anchor Kierra Sam at Kierra.Sam@koaa.com
Internal safety memo retracted over The Citadel Mall Juneteenth event
A Juneteenth celebration that's expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors received some attention this week with a memo being sent out urging area military members to not attend.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
