A spy plane made an emergency landing in Cortez in 1959. Now you can color it

Courtesy of Jessica Lykins and the City of Cortez

A coloring book may not be the first port of call for a history lesson.

And yet it is precisely that history and a deep sense of place that can be found in a new coloring book dedicated to Cortez in southwest Colorado.

The city of 9,000 inhabitants is the gateway to Mesa Verde National Park and is teeming with indigenous culture.

29 locals, including children, provided illustrations.

One of them in particular shows the U-2 weather reconnaissance aircraft, which was forced to glide over the Cortez Municipal Airport on August 4, 1959.

Like many others, artist Jessica Lykins placed Ute Mountain in the background of her drawing. Lykins is a graduate of the nearby Dolores School District.

What else can I draw?

The new coloring book, supported by the rural-focused LOR Foundation, also celebrates long-standing businesses in The Four Corners, such as the Burger Boy Drive-In and the Fiesta Theater, both of which transport doodlers to another time.

The Cortez Cultural Center and Cliff Palace’s displays celebrate Native American life and peoples.

There is even a drawing of a Spanish-style stucco funeral home on Market Street that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The 70-page coloring book can be downloaded for free or purchased for $5 at the Montezuma Heritage Museum and Cortez Cultural Center.

Courtesy of Cynthia Switzer and the City of Cortez

Courtesy of Abby J. Fox and the City of Cortez

Courtesy of Blake Pirslin, Ashley Nolan and the City of Cortez

Courtesy of Aida McDowell and the City of Cortez