--------------------------------------- Donated August 2001 Transcribed (with written permission) by Leona L. Gustafson from the book: THE FORGOTTEN PAST OF ADAMS COUNTY, vol. 1. Written and published by students of Thornton High School, Thornton, CO in 1978 --------------------------------------- THE FORGOTTEN PAST OF ADAMS COUNTY, vol. 1 -part 2 ********************* ADAMS COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS East 124 Avenue and Henderson Road Adams County Reagional Park Location Description The Adams County Fairgrounds is located at the Adams County Regional Park. The address is: East 124 Avenue & Henderson Road. It covers 625 acres of beautiful land. History of Site The Adams County Fairgrounds was originally located in Brighton, Colorado, at South Fourth and Southern Streets. In the late 1880’s the area was first known as the "Driving Park", because of the horse races held there. The old fairgrounds was the site for not only horse races, but also baseball games, bicycle, foot and auto races, fairs, carnivals, and circuses. The Adams County Fair Association was organized be- tween the years of 1904 and 1905. The annual event was originally called "Tomato Day." The event that is best remembered was the "Battle of Brighton," a contest between two teams, one from Brighton and the other from Fort Lupton, each having a box of ripe tomatoes as weapons. The Fairgrounds in Brighton continued to host many activities, by eventually became inadequate in size. The county began their search for better facilities and more land. The Denver Poor Farm near Henderson had recently been terminated and was up for sale. In 1956, negotiations began between Denver and Adams County for the sale of the Denver Farm. It was sold to Adams County in 1959 for $176,500 with certain conditions. Among these were to build a 180 acre golf course, sixty acres were to be devoted to the County Fairgrounds and related usages, a race track, and the remainder of the land to be used for a recreational park. The problem of inadequate room was solved. The old Fairgrounds in Brighton was cleared and a recreation area was built on the east end. On the west end, a new six-story Adams County Administration building was built. (Photo goes here.) The land on which the Denver Poor Farm was located has some interesting history itself. John Henderson, the first cattle rancher in the region, established his ranch there in the 1860’s. It was named Henderson's Island because the Platte River separated into two branches forming an island. The ranch attracted many people and soon became a popular resort. The next things heard about the ranch was when it later became the McCool ranch, and after that Denver bought it for a "Poor Farm." The Denver Poor Farm was a home for convalescents and old folks. The area retained its resort beauty. There was a hospital for the residents and a pesthouse to take care of people with contagious diseases. The ‘‘Poor Farm was also a method of dealing with welfare. In the surrounding area there were field crops and dairy cattle. People came in from Denver to work the farm producing an abundance of food for Denver’s poor. Due to changing times and ideas, by 1953, poor farms in Colorado became obsolete as a method of welfare. This resulted in the selling of the poor farm to Adams County to develop the regional park. Adams County was able to excavate enough gravel from this land to repay most of the cost. The hole that was left is now an eight acre lake. The Regional Park today consists of a golf course, a club house, the Adams County Fairgrounds, an exhibit hall, stock barns, a grandstand and track, rodeo chutes, announcer’s stand, facing seats, and various pbulic buildings. Among the public buildings are the auditorium (the dome), and a community room. The park was opened to the public in 1962. (Photo goes here.) The area is maintained by the Adams County Department of Parks and Recreation. There are a total of sixteen park maintenance workers. Four of these sixteen are custodian workers who maintain the inside of the Fairfrounds Complex. The other twelve workers main- tain not only the Regional Park Complex, but also other places in Adams County, such as the Northglenn Library, Rotello Park, and the Perl-Mack Library. The Adams County Fairgrounds is a fine axample of cooperation between counties and how all concerned have benefitted. Acknowledgments Mr. Arthur Ross Mr. Albin Wagner Mr. J. R. Van Meter References Brighton Reflections: Bicentennial Years, 1776-1976. Brighton, Colorado: Brighton Federal Savings and Loan Association, 1976. Copyright, Albin Wagner, 1976 The Denver Post, August 9, 1970 ********************* LUCKY DAY RACE TRACK 8999 North Federal Boulevard "And they’re off and running," this phrase is heard daily several times in many locations around the world. From 624 B.C., when the first recorded races with mounted houses were held until the present time, the rise of tracks around the world has increased tremen- dously. Today horse racing is one of the world’s most popular sports. This sport gave one man, Roy D. Barnes, the initiative to build a race track in the Adams County area because of his love for horses. Photo goes here. In the early 1900s, the land, which was later to be- come the Lucky Day Ranch and Track, was a prosperous cherry orchard called Mattison Orchards. This was later important to the existence of the track because of the railroad that was built to export the cherries and later to transport the horses. This orchard was then considered to be the largest cherry orchard in the world. After its peak year, in 1918, the orchard began to decline in output because of the age of the trees. Roy D. Barnes then came upon the scene and acquired the land. He then set out to build a ranch which he then called the Lucky Day Track. This was located near the present site of Shaw Hights. It was west of Federal, south of 92nd, north of 88th Avenue, and east of Sheridan. His love for horses motivated him into bringing the first quarter-horse racing to Colorado. Along with this came a horse, called Dutch McCue, which was the first quarter-horse to stand in this state. He then proceeded to build the track. Included in this track was a tack building, which was for feeding both the horsemen and horses and storing the equipment. The actual racing surface was then constructed. The first racing day was the first weekend In June, 1945. This led to the traditional weekend horse racing in the summer and fall. This became a part of the Western Quarterracing Association, which set up track and rac- ing rules. Only members of the Association could race on the track, though the public could look on for a small admission fee of one dollar. There was no para- mutual betting, but there were private wagers. One example was the match racing which was set up by the Association so any two horse owners could race together and see who had the better horse. There often was personal betting on the side. All entry fees were used to pay the winners of each race. All purses were divided fifty percent for first place, thirty percent for second place, and twenty percent for third place. In 1948, plans were made for expansion of the quarter mile straight track to a conventional oval track. This included a 25,000 car parking lot and a 50,000 seat grandstand. This was to be built with aid from the county government. On February 21, 1949, the commis- sioners of Adams County stated that they would provide highways to the location, because they thought it would be good for Colorado. This was supposed to open later in the summer of 1949, but because of some difficulties, it was not completed. That year was the last year for racing at the track and it was closed. PROPOSED LUCKY DAY TRACK (photo) In 1954, Mr. Barnes sold the land to Ray Shaw and his two lawyers, Arthur and Erwin Hayutin. They proceeded to clear the land, including the destruction of the track, and built a housing project on some of the land. These houses still stand today. The other portion of the land will more than likely be used for future development in the housing industry. Acknowledgements Matilda Campbell, Westminster Historical Society Frank Ciancio Leonard Pomponio Fred Eppinger Dr. Carl Jacogson Roy D. Barnes ********************* RIVERDALE GRANGE HALL Riverdale Road and 100th Avenue Location Description The present Riverdale Grange Hall is located four and one-half miles north of Adams City. The original hall (Patron) was located on Globeville Road. After a fire, in 1923, they rebuilt the hall at its new location on the southwestern section of ground at the intersection of Riverdale Road and 100th Avenue. History of The National Grange The National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry was founded by Oliver Hudson Kelly, in 1967, in Washington D.C. The primary reason for the establishment of the Grange was to advance the social, economic, and polit- ical interests of the farmers of the United States. Because of this the Grange feels a sense of responsi- bility toward the farmers. This is why the Grange has also set-up a system of fire, windstorm, and automobile insurance for its members. Today, the Grange also exerts its influence to secure the passage of legislation aimed at improving both the status of farmers and of agriculture in general. The Grange is also very active is the areas of environ- mental protection. Water is the essential natural resource for farming and the Grange plans to protect it in every way. History of Riverdale Grange No. 187 Riverdale Grange Hall was built in the fall of 1909, forty-two years after the Grange was established. At that time it was named Patron Hall and was located be- tween the Globeville Road and the Platte River. The Riverdale Grange received its charter members on March 1, 1910. Walter Tuck was the first master at Riverdale Grange. Riverdale Grange enjoyed much progress between 1910 and 1923, considering it served such a small area. Then disaster struck at the New Year’s Patry being held at Patron Hall. A major fire started and eventually de- troyed Brewers Hayloft, Patron School, and Patron Hall. A year and a half later a new hall was constructed and became the Riverdale Community Society Hall. But the Grange was allowed to use the hall for meetings and other business. The Great Depression seemed to bring the Riverdale Grange much prosperity. It is felt by some members that the 1930’s and 1940’s were the "Golden Years" of the Grange. The depression brought people closer to- gether. People didn’t go places for entertainment, rather they made their own. Many times their activ- ities led them to the Grange Hall. At the hall, they had many dances, dinners, mettings, and plays. Soon the Grange hall became the center of the farming com- munity. However, everyone didn’t do as well as the Grange. The Community Society had been running deeper and deeper into debt. So, in October of 1936, the Community Society sold the building to the Grange. They took over the hall with the understanding that they were to payoff all debts on the hall at that time. The debts against the hall, being a note for $1,950 and interest amounting to $102.37, came to a total of $2,052.37. Seven years and six months later the debt was paid off. This had all been made possible by the joint effort of the members. Holding severing dances, which netted as much as $150, helped to retire the debt. Even though the debt had been paid off, the hall still held dances. This helped keep the people close. Members of the Riverdale Grange had an outstanding horseshoe throwing team from 1940 to 1945. Two interesting things about the place include the wooden floor and the stage. The floor of the building was made of oak, which was paid for by a dance that was held at the Grange Hall. The stage is on the western side of the hall. Many plays and vaudeville- type shows have been put on there. The money raised went to many good causes. In the summer of 1957, Holy Cross Church did not have a church of their own. So as a gesture of goodwill the Grange allowed the church to use the hall for their services. Gradually Grange membership started to decline as the area changed from farming to residential. These people were not farmers so they saw little need for the Grange. The Grange soon started falling into financial problems and on October 1, 1974, they had to sell the hall. The new owners are the Northglenn American Legion Post No. 22. The building is still used by the Grange for their meetings. Most of the Grangers refer to the hall as "The Barn," because it is painted red and looks like a giant barn. Acknowledgments Mr. & Mrs. Elmer Pftersh The National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry Colorado State Grange, 2695 Alcott Street References The Granger, published by the National Grange Colorado State Grange History, published by the National Grange Universal Standard Encyclopedia, Volume 11 ********************* SAVERY SAVORY MUSHROOM COMPANY 17th and Federal Boulevard When one talks about the history of mushrooms in Colorado, one name will always stand out, CHARLES WILLIAM SAVERY. He started the Savery Savory Mush- room Company in 1924. C. W. Savery was born on November 15, 1878, in the state of Pennsylvania, the second of six children. His parents were Stephen and Susan Savery, also natives of Pennsylvania. Charles W. Savery attended the West Town School as a child; later he went to a Quaker boarding school until the age of seventeen, at which time he graduated. He then worked at various jobs, and for awhile, devoted his entire time to the lumber trade. While in the lumbering trade, he at- tained a good standing in the brokerage business. On June 16, 1904, Mr. Savery went to Denver and married Miss Frances Darlington. In 1908, after paying his debts for heavy losses in Phildelphia, Mr. Savery and his wife moved to Denver with less than six hundred dollars. Charles Savery became interested in mushrooms back in West Chester County, Pennsylvania, through a relative, Ed Jacobs, who was in the mushroom business. At that time, West Chester County produced eighty percent of the nations’ mushrooms. Mushrooms were very new to the people in the United States and had only recently been introduced to the United States in 1902. Mushrooms are a fungus and are reproduced by spores. Mr. Savery and a friend, L. A. Hughes, got a bottle full of these spores and started growing mushrooms under the Twentieth Street Viaduct in Denver. When Savery was kicked out of Denver, because of the stench and the insects produced by the horse manure that was used to fertilize the mushrooms, he bought eighty acres north of Denver at 107th and Federal Boulevard. Mr. Savery devoted twenty to twenty-five acres of land to mushrooms, and the rest of the land was used for other small crops. Charles Savery named his new company "Savery Savory Mushroom Company." He used Savory, which means a special flavor or quality, along with his last name, for his company name. By 1930, Mr. Savery had built thirty-two mushroom buildings and fifteen tenant houses. He employed mostly women, of Spanish descent. There were a total of eighty-four men, women, and children living on the land. In addition to the tenant houses and mushroom buildings, there were twenty-five to thirty adobe huts built to accomodate the Mexican-American workers. A baseball field and a tennis court were also con- structed at this site. A well was dug and it has been said that the water was so good and pure that Deep Rock Water Company would come and get some of their water from this well. By 1930, Mr. Savery had invested $100,000 in his mushroom factory and had started two others. One of the other factories was run by Charles Savery’s son, Robert, in Los Angleles. Charles invested $70,000 in this factory. The other factory was in San Francisco and was run by his other son, Stuart, with $95,000 invested in it. Mr. Savery had to keep his mushrooms at a temperature of fifty-six degrees to sixty degrees. So he had to heat the mushroom houses in the winter, and cool them in the summer. He would rotate his mushroom crops to that while some of the crops were ready for harvesting other mushrooms would just be starting to sprout. Savery Savory Mushroom Factory was very successful at first with an annual gain of $85,000 to $90,000. Savery’s factory produced 2,500 pounds of mushrooms daily. About 500 pounds of the fresh mushrooms were sold to stores close by, including a Red and White grocery store that was on his land. The rest of the mushrooms were canned and trucked into Denver for nation-wide delivery. When Savery was asked how he became so successful he said, "Know your stuff; if more people would study their failures and delve deeper into necessary information regarding whatever enterprise in which they happen to be engaged, there would be fewer business flops." In 1935, because of reduction in crops due to diseases from insects, Charles William Savery folded up the Savery Savory Mushroom Company. Mr. Savery was involved in many other activities besides growing mushrooms. One of the activities that he was involved In was the raising of hogs. He had two ranches, one of 160 acres and another of 800 acres also helped organize the 50-50 Food Growers Association and the Apex Refining Company. Through the years, since 1935, the land on 107th and Federal has changed hands several times. Today, there are some foundations of the old Mushroom Factory left, including the water tower that was used by Charles W. Savery during the duration of the Savery Savory Mushroom Company. C. W. Savery’s son, Stuart D. Savery, states that the tower is a replica of one of the cans of mushrooms used during the 1920’s. The land is now rented out to be used as horse pasture. Acknowledgments Mr. Stuart Darlington Savery (Sonny) W. Weingarten References Colorado Manufacter and Consumer Denver Public Library State Historical Society of Colorado ********************* FEDERAL HEIGHTS AIRPORT 100th & Federal Location & Description The Federal Heights Airport, also known as Ruston Airport, located at 100th & Federal, was formed in 1944, by Mr. Harry H. Ruston. His idea for the airport was that some of the World War II pilots would like to keep flying. Ruston Airport was the first private airport in Colorado. It consisted of one hanger, one hunderd four feet long, ninety-seven feet wide, and twenty-five feet high. It was used for major engine repairs. A second building, thirty- one feet wide and seventy feet long, was used for two classrooms, one with plane simulators and one which be- came a cafe, the "Pilots Perch." There were four runways constructed which could be extend- ed to eight thousand feet if needed. The runways were: N-S 3900 feet long; N-W 2600 feet long; N-W and S-E 2800 feet long. The airport was a training center for Regis College and Denver University. There were only two accidents during its life, one related to the schools: a student took a plane in the mountains and was caught in a down draft resulting in the loss of the plane, with not a scratch on the pilot. The second incident was when a pilot hit some power lines. Luck prevailed again; the plane was lost, but the pilot was not injured. The elevation of the property is 5,550 feet; latitude is 39 degrees 52 minutes 30 seconds; and longitude 105 degrees 01 minute 15 seconds. It is located about four and one-half miles north of Denver City limits on North Federal Boulevard in Adams County. It contains 320 acres of land. Description: East half of Section 17 Township 2 North Range 68 West The Postal address was 1100 North Federal Boulevard, Denver 11, Colorado; the nature of the land was gently sloped with drain- age running to the North & Northeast and South & Southwest. The far South portion had rolling hills. Closing of the Airport came about because of housing developments. The two largest were Broomfield Heights, about four miles Northwest, and Thornton, a very success- ful community two miles East. A home building project Deza Estates, were built by Art Swanson. They were constructing contemporary homes in the price range of $20,000 to $35,000. Final Use Of Property Between the years 1957 and 1960, the Jefferson County Airport took all the business from Ruston Airport. Mr. Ruston closed his airport in 1961. It took him three years to get out of debt. After the closing of the airport, Mr. Ruston was appoint- ed Attorney General of the State of Colorado, and was also the Inheritance Tax Collector for the State. The buildings are now occupied by two different businesses: one is the "Flight Deck Restaurant"; the other is a carpet store. Acknowledgements Kenneth J. Hardison, Federal Aviation Administration Harry H. Ruston ********************* PASCAL CELERY The Men Who Started Pascal Celery The first known growers of Pascal Celery in the Denver Area were the Spano Brothers - Samuel, Sal vatore and Tony. The exact time of when they moved into the area around Welby is not known, but it is known that they first started selling their celery for market sometime during 1902. Later on, after they had been in the business a few years, they had acquired enough money to send to Sicily for their mother and sisters. After they had arrived in the country, the family moved to a different farm, located on West 38th Street. It is not known if the family still owned land in Welby or not, only that they moved to a different loca- tion somewhere in Arvada, where they were to settle down. In 1912, there was a man named Joseph Elliot, who, after marrying Clara Spano, the Spano brother’s youngest sister, began to grow the celery also. By 1944, the Pascal Celery Industry in Colorado had reached it’s peak; Joseph Elliot & Son were ship- ping a car load of celery a day to people all over the state and all over the country. At this time, one of the shippers of celery, in the Metro-Denver area was the Green Brothers. They shipped for many people in the area surrounding Denver, including the Elliots, Spanos, and a man named Kohlahan, who had also been growing the celery since 1910. It is not known when the Green Brothers got into the shipping business or at what time they got out of it, only that around the 1940’s they were about the biggest shipping firm around. Some of the other growers who had made the scene around this time were Henry Felhman, John Buck and Tony and Adlof Wieh. There was undoubtly many more men growing celery at this time, but their names are to numerous to mention. In the 1930’s and 1940’s the Pascal Celery Industry was undoubt[ed]ly at it’s peak. The men responsible for this were referred to by their fellow growers as the "celery kings." There were undoubtly many more growers, but none that could match the acres or the knowledge of the Elliots and the Spanos. The Area In Which The Celery Was Grown The area with which these men worked was remarkably small compared to the output of celery they produced. At its peak, It is estimated that just in the Metro area there were 500 to 650 acres of celery in the ground. The land most suitable for farming was along any river flood plain. Cherry Creek and Sand Creek had extensive farming but nothing to compare with Clear Creek and the South Platte flood plain. Another area that was successful as farm land was the Globeville area. A region, referred to as the "Poor Farm," near Globeville, was productive to three different families--the Stravaccis, the Peilos, and the Talericos. The residential and light industrial growth have forced most celery farms to the Brighton area. What Happened to the Celery Industry Where did all the delicious Pascal celery go, ask some people; others hunt endlessly around their corner grocery store looking for just a few stalks to bright- en up their Thanksgiving and Christmas tables. There were only really three reasons for the celery industry to fade away: one was Safeway; Safeway used to buy all the Pascal celery it could lay its hands on in the 1940’s, but later on in 1943, they started to buy a strain of green, tough celery that was grown in California. The growers in California were able to grow more celery for a cheaper price because it didn’t have to be bleached out like the Pascal celery does so it took less time to grow, and less labor to grow it so they took the market right away from the Colorado growers. So if there was no market for the celery there was no need to grow it. Another reason was a disease the celery was getting when it was about six inches tall. This disease was making the celery go to seed. There was no explan- ation they could find for the celery going to seed like that and spoiling the crop. A few years later some professors from Colorado State University came down to Mr. Maryon Elliots land, which was located down where all the oil refineries presently are down on Brighton Road. These men tried just about every chemical on the market at that time and there was no success. This disease started sometime during 1943, but during the past ten years Mr. Elliot has been planting a crop of Pascal celery on some land that he had acquired in Brighton, because the City of Denver annexed his land down near where the refin- eries are today to make a city disposal plant. The last reason for the farmers to quit growing Pascal celery is that in 1943, the Army started to buy a green "stringy" strain of the celery. This created an alternative for the farmers to turn to instead of growing the Pascal bleached celery. This green type of celery that the government was buying was hardly fit for a horse to eat, let alone a person. It grew to be much larger than the Pascal, in fact, Joseph Elliot, in 1943, won a prize at the Welby Fair for a fifty-nine pound bunch (twelve stalks) of this green celery. How Celery Is Grown Celery is a crop that farmers can grow year-round, which means they can always, no matter what season, have a crop in the ground. This may be why it was so popular to grow years ago. Most farmers who grew the celery planted in early spring. This makes the date for sale around August or September. Then he can check and see when all the other men are planting and he can plant his so that it will ripen in a different month, so that there will be a guaranteed market. So if no one planted to have their crop ripen for Christmas, he can plant his in early May. That way it is underground being bleached. Bleaching is a process that only very few vegetables go through. In this process the celery is put underground in a trench for approximately twelve to fifteen days. After that it is taken out of the trench and it is all white like someone had poured clorox all over it. This gives it a crispness and mellow taste that you would appreciate if you had ever tasted it unbleached. One other way that the celery can be bleached, if it is warm weather when it’s being done, is to wrap news- paper around the stalk while it is still in the ground, and then pile dirt up about one-fourth the way up the stalk. Then in about the same amount of time as the trenching method, the celery is bleached. Marketing The selling of Pascal celery was usually done through a middleman. Which means that the farmer sold his crop to a grocery store or to a vegetable and fruit market, which is then sold to the customer. The going price in the 1930’s and 1940’s for twelve stalks of celery, or a bunch as the farmers call it, was approximately twenty-five cents wholesale. Freight for shipping the celery across the state or across the nation, which was frequently done, was somewhere in the area of thirty-five to forty cents per crate. The principle shipper for celery in this area was the Green Brothers Trucking Company. Acknowledgment Mr. & Mrs. Maryon Elliot ********************* THE GLOBE HOTEL 5106 North Washington Research Team: Sandy Benevidez Jim Ritterhouse Dave Steely Mike Wood The Globe Hotel stood in the vicinity of 5300 Water- felit Avenue, now Washington Street. The Hotel was built in the year 1891, owned and operated by the American Smelting and Refining Company. The Company also owned twelve small cabin type houses for employees’ families to live in, called Sheedy Row. This line of houses, built on either side of the hotel, was located North & East across the Street from the smelter. The Hotel was four stories high, and approximately eighty feet across the front. The outside was made of white brick with heavy oak outer doors and shutters, also a wide, wood plank sidewalk leading around the building and to the street. On the first floor of the hotel was a general Merchan- tile store selling everything from food, hardware and clothing, to veterinarian supplies. A private party operated the store. An old rickity wagon pulled by a horse would deliver the housewives’ supplies pre- ordered from the mercantile store. Getting supplies generally took just a few hours, depending on whether they were in stock. Just above the store were three floors with room for the employees of the smelter to live in. There were 125 living rooms on all three floors. There were also three large coal furnaces to heat this large building. All the rooms were very neatly furnished. The rugs were made of the finest materials around. Even the rest of the interior design was made to last, as well as good looking. There was a family style dining room on the second floor, serving an average family a good meal for 5O cents to $1.50 depending on the number of people and how large their appetite was. This was cheaper than going in to town to eat. Transportation was no problem. There was a small rail car to bring the miners from the mines to the hotel and on in to town. The track ran from the mines out west and up north to the terminal in downtown Denver. Part of the track ran just south of Sheedy Row, south of the smelter and on in to the mountains: This would allow for miners to stay over night in the hotel be- fore going on to the assayers’ office the next day. In approximately 1934 progress slowed down for the hotel because of the rumor that "illegal doings were going on in the hotel. Because the people moved out, money stopped coming in and the hotel closed down in early 1936. Later on they tried opening again, but this failed. Late in the spring of 1936, after the second attempt failed, the decision came to demolish the building because it was to expensive to let sit and pay taxes on. In June of 1936 it was demolished. The project took 3 weeks to tear down and to remove all the rubble. The day the wreckers came, all the neighbor kids came to find the gold coins that had fallen between the wood slats of the side walk and store floor. Many coins were found. Plans were made to build more buildings in the vacant lot, but because the lot was in the path of the refining smoke, plans were forgotten. The smelter leased the land to Mr. Hyderman, who later turned the lot back to the company. American Smelting & Refining Company still owns the land. References: Mrs. Ella Tanka Dr. Frank LaConte, Jr. Mr. John Gizewski Mr. Bomeretto The Denver Public Library Western History Section (General information on Globeville) The State Historical Colorado State Museum American Smelting & Refining Company Denver Office ********************* EASTLAKE, COLORADO Eastlake is a little town located about three miles northeast of Northglenn’s City Hall. One hundred years ago, however, there was no Eastlake, Northglenn, or Thornton, just bare, desolate land used by the Indians. Near the intersection of 144th and Colorado Boulevard lies "Eastlake Hill," the highest point in Adams County. Eastlake Hill was used by the Indians as a lookout. On a clear day they could see two-hundred square miles of the surrounding area. During the winter of 1863-64, the Colorado State Militia called a caucus with the Indians in an area which was known as the "dishbowl." Today the dish- bowl is the football field at Meritt Hutton Junior High School in Thornton. The Indians disagreed with the State concerning the land, which was owned by the State and Federal Governments. The land was just desolate and unused. One of the first homesteaders, in this area, was Judge Henry Tull. He owned the King and Willy Ranch. The boundaries ran from Washington two miles to Colorado Boulevard and from 136th to 120th Streets. Later, in 1890, he sold this land to Andrew Patten, the founder of Westlake. Patten tried to make Westlake a boom- town but failed because it had no railroad. So he tried again and made a town with what is now known as Eastlake. In 1901, he obtained the township rights from the State. Patten and a few business friends founded the Eastlake Land Development Company and the Eastlake Water Company. Andrew Patten wanted to name his new town Quimby, but the State would not let him because Quimby was already a town. Patten then decided to do the same thing he did when naming Westlake--name it after the lake and so it was named after the lake east of town. Along about this time, the coal towns around northern Colorado were really booming and the Union Pacific Railroad decided they would need a line through this area. They had done everything they needed to do and were ready to start laying tracks, except the problem of locating the tracks around the existing town. So they went to Patten and he made them a deal. The Union Pacific would lay out the town, that is survey, grade the street, mark the curbs, etc. He would then give them the "right-of-way" through his land. The Union Pacific agreed, but they were sly devils. They knew that the horseless carriage was coming so, if they were to lay out the town west of the tracks, it would expand west and 11 the commerce who shipped out would be using the country road with their wagons, carts, and cars; but, if the tracks were laid east of the town, the town couldn’t go any further than the tracks, so shippers would use the railroad for their shipping. This is the reason why Eastlake is the only town in the State of Colorado to be built off the county highway. After the railroad was built, people started coming in and homesteading. In 1910, one of the first businesses was started by Mr. Sniddle. It was originally known as "Eastlake Grain Elevator." Later it was bought out by a syndicate known as ‘‘The Denver Elevators.’’ The oldest house in Eastlake is the Sniddle House. Around the same time, a man, named Hopkins, arrived in Eastlake from Denver. He started Hopkins Lumber and Hopkin’s Mercantile, which is now the vacant lot next to the barber shop. Dr. Elmore was the first and only doctor in Eastlake. He took care of anything that moved and breathed. He had a two story building that had his waiting room on the first floor and his office on the second floor. Dr. Elmore also took care of the Post Office and the Drugstore across the street. On the corner of Second Avenue and Main Street there is a manhole. This used to be Eastlake’s community well. It was an artesian well, owned by Dr. Elmore, who bottled it and sold it to people who did not have good drinking water. People used to say that Dr. Elmore’s water would cure almost anything. Dr. Elmore had two children. One a lovely girl. Babe, was known as the "Belle Of Eastlake." She is now Mrs. Howard Sniddle. Dr. Elmore practiced until 1947, and died soon after. On the east side of town is one of the town’s two churches; the youngest one, Eastlake Catholic Church, was built in 1916. It is now a Masonic Temple. The oldest church is the Eastlake Congregational Church which was built in the years 1910-1911. The First National Bank of Eastlake opened in 1910, but failed during the Crash of 1929. Eastlake was mostly a wheat farming community, but long before that the big crop was sugar beets. There was a sugar beet dump a little north of the grain elevator. The Union Pacific was running four passenger trains daily, two in the morning and two in the evening. They went from Denver to Fort Collins. Next door to what was the Mercantile were the original Eastlake Food Lockers. Where the Food lockers are now was where the Poolhall-Dancehall was located. It was built in 1910. When it first opened, the poolhall was up stairs and the dancehall was downstairs. This arrangement was reversed around 1918. The community outhouse was located in back of the poolhall building until 1925 or 1926. School in Eastlake presented a problem. The children did have a choice. They could go to the Cinderblock School which was located at Colorado Boulevard & 120th; Webster School at Washington & 112th; Number 64 at 144th; or to the school at Holly Street & 100th. The pupils complained that they didn’t want to walk so far to go to school. Their parents didn’t want to see them walk that far either, so they started a movable school. One never knew where it would be. One day it would be in the back room of Hopkins Lumberyard, the next day it would be in the back room of the drugstore, but, usually, it was held in the basement of the Congrega- tional Church. Finally in 1916, Eastlake School was bui1t. In 1917, there was a teacher’s strike. All four or five of them! Patten was a nice fellow and paid them until the State paid them their back wages. Eastlake is now the oldest school building in District Number 12. Great Happenings The first National bank of Eastlake was robbed in 1921. Thirteen thousand dollars was taken. The bank robbers were two young men and one young woman. All three worked on the King and Willy Ranch. They had gone in to deposit their weekly paychecks, but they wanted more money. Before they left the bank, the robbers locked their two hostages, Miss Cathguard, bank teller, and Ed Whitter, bank guard, in the vault. A by-stander witnessed the robbery and called the sheriff. Meanwhile, other townspeople caught on to what was happening and started on a chase. The girl was caught trying to hide in the wheat fields. One of the fellows was caught north of town and the other one had an accomplice waiting in a car at the King and Willy Ranch. The head woman at the King and Willy Ranch, known as Grandma, saw them and held them at gun point with a sawed off, twelve-gauge shotgun until the sheriff came and took them away. Back at the bank there was a problem concerning the two hostages In the vault. The combination to the vault was nowhere to be found and nobody beside the teller, Miss Cathguard, and the First National Bank of Denver. who had a subinterest in the bank, had the combination. Some people had to go and flag down the train, tell the engineer what was happening so he could get help. He zoomed all the way to Denver. They ran and got a cab to take them uptown to where the bank was, but the doors were locked! So there they were, pounding on the doors saying "Let us in," when along came a policeman. As the story goes, he wanted to pick them up for making a disturbance, but they explained what had happened and he didn't take them in. In the meantime, some one had found the com- bination on the back of a scrap of paper and the hostages were released. In 1926 there was a fire. As the story goes, the man who owned the poolhall was going broke and had a large amount of Insurance on the place. Everyone just figured he set the fire to collect the money. He was taken to court but the State found him not guilty. On the night of the fire, there was a dance, and the poolhall caught fire. The Eastlake Volunteer Fire Department came running to put out the fire. The fire went on to spread to the Food Lockers, to Dr. Elmore’s place, then on to the Mercantile Building. The only building that was spared on that side of the block was Hopkins Lumber. People figured if that building would have caught fire, the whole town would have gone. Most of the land around Eastlake is slowly becoming housing developments. Thornton has annexed most of the land surrounding Eastlake and part of Eastlake, but the name will always be Eastlake, because when Andrew and his friends set up the Eastlake Land Development Company, they put in a law stipulating that "whoever gets the Eastlake land in the future, the name Eastlake will always stay." This is a law registered in the State House. Acknowledgements: Phil Bruchez Mr. Sayre ********************* CITY OF THORNTON Thornton is located approximately seven miles directly north of Denver, Colorado. It is one of the larger suburbs of Denver, located in Adams County. According to the map issued by the State of Colorado. Thornton has an elevation of approximately 5,300 feet above sea level. The land around Thornton is compiled of flat, rolling hills. The land north of Denver, Colorado, was owned by farmers. The Eppinger and McElwain families owned a lot of this land. After World War II, many veterans moved into the Denver area. In 1953, a man, named Sam Hoffman, under the direction of Mike Dichter, bought land from the Eppinger and McElwain families. Then Hoffman and his F & S Construction Company began to build several homes in this area. Over 300 homes were sold in a matter of weeks. This was the start of a community north of Denver. Sam Hoffman chose the name of the new community. He chose the name of Thornton after State Governor Dan Thornton. The community of Thornton began to grow rapidly. Why not? It gave people a chance to buy well built houses at a decent price and also to get away from the taxes of the big city. As the community grew, the Thornton Community Association (TCA) was formed in the first part of 1954. The Association was formed by a few good men and women who were interested in the growth and development of Thornton. Early in 1954, the TCA had the streets of Thornton laid. These streets were named after important people of the community. For example: "Hoffman Way," Russell Boulevard, the curviest road in Thornton, was named after the "curvy" actress Jane Russell who was Hoffman’s daughter-in-law, and "Eppinger Boulevard." In 1955, the Association bought and put up about 4,000 street lights in Thornton. It also set up the first police and fire departments of the new community. According the Mike Dichter, the police department was set up on a voluntary basis. The first police officer in Thornton was a man named Oscar Hill. Later, under his leadership, a few more good men joined him. In 1957, there was still only a six man police department in Thornton even though they were getting paid by then. Today, the police department in Thornton is solid, with a personnel of fifty-five. It also has some modern equipment, such as a radar gun called "Vascar," which is used to check the speed of traffic. The Fire Department was also voluntary. The first ten firemen to sign up were: Ken Freiberg, Carl Nelson, Al Weltman, Wilber Biggs, Richard Hicks, Harry Salzman, Rudy Salazar, Ken Alles, Douglas Stevens, and Vance Utterback. Mike Dichter bought the first fire truck for the department. In just a short time, this team of fire- men became one of the best in the state. In a contest their first year, they took three places. This had never been done before by a first year fire department. In 1976, Thornton has a thirty-eight man fire depart- ment and they are still very good. By the end of 1955, there were an estimated 5,500 people and over 1,200 homes in the Thornton community. This was quite a few considering that the project only started two years before. The citizens of Thornton had to have water and a Utilities System. Little did they know that the Denver Water Board would refuse to service the com- munity with an option to buy the system at a later date. At first, there was one well located at 91st and Clarkson Street. This well served every home in the community, but as the community grew the utilities system grew and visa versa. It greatly influenced the growth of Thornton by who it would serve and the income it was bringing, but the system also had some problems. Thornton continued to grow and develop through 1955. The TCA began to "fight" to incorporate Thornton as a city. On May 26, 1956, their dream came true; Thornton was incorporated into a city. The citizens strongly approved of their new city. The new city had a lot of work ahead of it. It had to continue to grow and develop, create jobs for people of the new city, attract new businesses, and start a city government. The members of the first Thornton Government were sworn in on August 25, 1956, at the Eppinger School house (Thornton Elementary, as it is now known). The first City Hall was an old quonset hut which was to be shared with the fire department; then, the city elected a mayor. They selected a man by the name of Oyer G. Leary, who served from 1956 until 1960. That is the longest a mayor of Thornton has served. The other mayors of Thornton are listed below: Mayor Years Served William Alexander 1960-1961 Allen Cooter 1961-1964 James Carpenter 1964-1968 Russell Hoswell 1968-1972 Thomas Carrillo 1972-1974 Josephy Chavez 1974-1976 Anthony Richter 1976- In the chart below is a list of salaries of City Officials for the City of Thornton in the year of 1958. City Official Salary Per Month Chief of Police $375.00 Police Officers $325.00 Fire Chief $375.00 Firemen $325.00 City Clerk $250.00 City Attorney $175.00 The Thornton City council made a Charter, (a set of rules and boundaries), for the new city. They were always looking forward and planning for the future. Under the guidance of these people, the City of Thornton became prosperous and continued to grow at an amazing rate. By 1957, there were an estimated 10,350 people living in the city of Thornton. This growth brought about many changes. An independent newspaper was started. It was called "The Thunder." Today, the "Sentinel" is a reasonable facsimile of the Thunder. The Thornton City Park and the Thornton Public Swimming Pool, located in the city park, was also begun in 1957. To- day the city park provides a great source of recreation for the residents. Thornton also had a taxi service at this time. The service consisted of one taxi which was a Volkswagon Bus that could hold ten passengers. A trash department for the citizens was also formed. The Council also made the plans to enlarge the City of Thornton. The Council split Thornton into two districts, a residential and a commercial district. They also planned a new City Hall which would cost $144,000. The first Post Office also came to Thornton in 1958. So as you can see the City was quickly becoming a booming suburb of Denver. The City continued to grow through the 1960’s. In the early 1960’s, Valley View Hospital was built, because there was a big need for some kind of medical care in the area. At first, the hospital had 250 beds, but later, it was enlarged to accommodate 950 beds because of the fast growing population of Thornton. Today, Saint Anthony’s North Hospital stands just outside the city limits of Thornton. This hospital helps take some of the load off of Valley View Hospital. It also has the modern convenience of a helicopter ambulance. The Thornton Shopping Center was also built in the mid 1960’s. The Center is located at the corner of Washing- ton Street and 88th Avenue. There were many stores in the Center including a "Safeway" and a "Millers." The shopping Center was the first major source of income for the City of Thornton. It was in 1963 that the Utilities System had its problems. That year the City of Thornton decided to exercise its option to buy the Utilities System from Northwest Utilities Company. At this time, the System was pro- viding about 30,000 people, both inside and outside the city of Thornton, with water. The city sold a total of $7,870,000 in bonds in order to purchase the utility. Now the system is under the direct control of the City of Thornton. The problem was that about sixty percent of the customers lived outside of the City of Thornton. These customers, especially Northglenn residents, had to contract with Thornton Utilities because Northglenn made no provisions for contracting with another company for utilities. The contract, which runs until 1988, guaranteed that users outside the city limits of Thornton were to agree to contract only with Thornton for the duration of the contract. The Northglenn residents claimed the contract was "too long," but being out-of-city residents, the people had no official representation in the administration of the system. For this reason the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) questioned the validity of the sale by Northwest Utilities Company. In 1964, the PUC took the problem to the Colorado Supreme Court. The PUC claimed that it should have jurisdiction over the system in order to protect buyers outside the city. The Colorado Supreme Court declared that the sale of the system from Northwest to Thornton was invalid because outside customers had no represen- tation in its management, so the PUC took jurisdiction of the system. Less than a year later, the Colorado Supreme Court re- versed its earlier PUC ruling, declaring that the PUC had exceeded its jurisdictional powers and had no right to interfere with matters of municipal improve- ments. The City of Thornton regained control of the Utilities System. Immediately after the ruling, Thornton moved forward in developing its system. In 1965, the biggest ex- pansion occurred. $1,300,000 was spent on items such as storage tanks, water mains, new wells and a utilities department in the new city hail. At present approximately 80,000 people are being served by the Thornton Utilities System. Only about one third of these people reside within the city limits of Thornton. The system is providing better service for out-of-city residents, and it is continually being expanded to provide service for the future. By the year 2000, it is estimated that Thornton will have approximately 200,000 utIlity customers. The City of Thornton continued to grow and develop through the early part of the 1970’s. The population to the city still grew In leaps and bounds. This created more housing projects and provides more income for the city. The following figures show the population for the City of Thornton In the 1970s. Year Population 1970 13,326 1971 15,000 1972 18,500 1973 23,000 1974 26,500 1975 29,000 1976 30,000 Nineteen seventy-one was a very big year for the growth and development of the City of Thornton. In January, Thornton was awarded a divisional second place in a national litter prevention contest. The population in Adams County was 185,789 in 1971. This was fifty-four percent higher than it was in 1960, with a population of 120,296. The City of Thornton Is attributed with a large portion of the population growth of Adams County. In February, 1971, Thornton made four annexations total- ing 925 acres. The old North Valley State Bank announced new plans for building a bigger and better bank near it’s old site. In April, the YMCA opened a branch in Adams County. This was the first real recreational building for the youth of Adams County. A few years later, Thornton spent $870,000 to have a full-scale recreational center and library combination built. Construction was started on a new "Target" store in August, 1971. The store is located on Washington Street just south of 104th Avenue. This was a con- venience for Thornton and Northglenn shoppers. In October of 1971, a $1,127,100 budget was approved for Thornton. Many new stores were being built in Thornton. These stores made average retail sales worth approximately $100 million. Thornton had a steady rate of growth during 1972 and 1973. The North Valley Shopping Center was also built during those years. North Valley is located at the corner of 84th Avenue and Washington Street in the southwestern corner of Thornton. Thornton’s third fire station opened towards the end of 1974. The station was converted from a ranch style home. The new station is located on 112th Avenue and Birch. The fire department’s second station was located on 92nd Avenue and Huron, which was quite an improvement over the old quonset hut. Today Thornton is a well established city. There is a total of 17.6 square miles of land within its city limits. Over 30,000 people live within these limits. Many businesses and shopping centers are in the city also. In 1976, Thornton was assessed at fifty-two million dollars. The average price of a home in Thornton today is $30,000. In 1975, the City Council decided to build a new and third City Hall of Thornton. The City Hall cost $723,000 to build. It was built at the site of the former North Valley State Bank. On January 11, 1976, the new hall was officially opened. The old City Hall was remodeled and turned into the Public Safety De- partment building. It is the opinion of Mike Dichter that the City of Thornton has a great future ahead of It. He feels that it will only be a matter of time before the cities of Thornton and Northglenn will merge into one city. The two cities are wasting money by duplicating services and there also isn’t much land left in the area. Mike Dichter also feels that Thornton will eventually be- come a big industrial area because of the large labor pool in the city. That Is Thornton, a city of the past, the present, and the future. Acknowledgments Jim Perry Tom Clonsen Mike Dichter John L. Kane References Forward Thornton The City Chatter Report on Thornton Utilities Articles on the City of Thornton Thornton City Charter ********************* FORT CONVENIENCE Research Team: #1 Jason Ota Steve Sicola Joe Sullivan #2 David Anderson Larry Kieffe Steven Russell Terry Woehrle Preface The story of what prompted us into researching the story of Fort Convenience is almost as interesting as the story itself. As somewhat sceptical but en- thusiastic students in a new class at our school called Mountain, Plain, and Plateau, our main ef- forts had been centered around reading and listen- ing to lectures about Colorado history and geography. In November of 1974 however, the sponsors of our unique class came to us with an interesting proposi- tion. Would we consider actually doing research on our own in an historical capacity, by conducting our own "field work" digging, and sorting in an effort to re-explain some of Adams County’s historical myster- ies? We were further asked to choose an area of re- search that has caused a few headaches for history experts in the state. Sound ambitious? It was, especially for a groups of inexperienced High School students to whom the very word "research" was unnerv- ing. We were given a list of Adams County unique- cases, and were asked to make our choice. A few of us were intrigued by an option simply titled "Fort Vasquez No. I." To anyone familiar with Colorado history this was confusing. History books show that only one Fort Vasquez is recognized and that the location is no-where near Adams County. How then could this be? The instructors had no idea. Their list had been complied by the State Historical Society as unsolved puzzles connected with Adams County. We had no address to work with, no names, no locations, only the bewildering clue "Fort Vasquez No. I." This would indicate that the Fort Vasquez we read about in history books was number II, and that the original had been built in our own Adams County. This was a real gem of historical contradiction and controversy and we were determined to seek an answer. The four of us made a trip to the Fort Vasquez museum near Greeley. After a long drive we were informed that very little was known about another Fort Vasquez but that Louis Vasquez had built many forts in the area. After looking at some of the old relics in the museum one of us happened upon a plaque attached to a painting of Louis Vasquez, it says that Louis had also built a Fort Convenience five miles north of Denver. After simple computation we reasoned that perhaps Fort Vasquez No. I was actually another name for Fort Con- venience, located "conveniently" in Adams County!!! This then, is the story of Fort Convenience. Louis Vasquez and William Sublette were employed by the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. The aim of the fur company was to explore and document the wilderness area of northern Colorado in order to expand a dwind- ling supply of fur. The Rocky Mountain region of this company was headed by General Ashley. Hearing reports that the Clear Creek-South Platte area was rich in beaver pelts, an expedition was formed to make a more thorough investigation, and also to set up forts, trading posts, and similar needs. Diplomatic over- tures would also be necessary to gain the confidence of a possibly hostile Indian population. Both Vasquez and Sublette were experienced explorers and trappers. In the 1820’s both men had been involved in exploring the western regions. It is curious to note that al- though Vasquez and Sublette were encouraged, the Federal Government gave little if any help to these lone men who, though spurred by economic gain, were performing a valuable service to their nation. Part of the reason for this was that the geographic and political stability of the region was unstable. No- body could say with any certainty that the area was part of America, or Mexico, or perhaps the leader- less Indians. It was assumed, therefore, that who- ever got to the area first, with the most, was the owner. It was to the advantage of America, that whatever was built in the region should be called a "Fort." It added strength to American claims to be able to point out the number of "forts" in a disputed area. Even more importantly, it induced reluctant trappers to work for and with the fur company. One would be more likely to assume the rigors of trapper life if one felt safer in a territory considered harsh and hostile. The very word "fort" brings visions of some security. It is , therefore, entirely, likely that the little shack know as Fort Convenience was not a "Fort" but a rest stop with an imposing name. In 1832, Louis Vasquez went to St. Louis, Missouri, to buy a years supply of odds and ends used for trade. The supplies were for his Fort which was next to Clear Creek, in an area that had been controlled only by the Bent’s fur bonanza. Vasquez's’ plan was to use the river to transport his furs to market. While in St. Louis a newspaper wrote, "The Old Moun- tainman, Louis Vasquez, is in town. He is purchasing supplies for his newly established trading post, as the foot of the Great Rockies." He had spent so much time in the Mountains, and led such a hard life he was known as "The Old Mountainman" even though he was only in his early thirties. But Vasquez was not an average mountainman, he was a gentleman, and he was educated. Because he could read and write, he stayed in the Fort and did the bookwork while his men did the trading. He was not only educated but he enjoyed reading. In a letter, (believed to have been written while he was at Convenience) he asks for some novels from his brother, who he called Godfather. Vasquez also spoke eight languages. The Fort was made of cottonwood logs and adobe bricks. Its uses were: a center of fur trade, a trading post, and a place where mountainmen could buy supplies, such as flour, salt, gunpowder, and lead for making bullets. When completed the Fort consisted of a crude dwelling, a trading store, a shop, and an enclosed coral. The main use of the Fort was to store furs, and supplies. The Indians, when the trading was done, did not come to the Fort to trade. Vasquez and his men used the Fort as a base of operations and went to the Indians to trade. Although the Redmen did not come to Convenience, the white mountainmen did. Aside from the necessary items the Fort was heavily stocked with beads, mirrors, bells and other items that were used to help the men flirt with comely Indian women. The life of the mountainman was a lonely one. He might spend months trapping alone. Vasquez being a man of the mountains himself realized this and tried to make their visit to his fort a time to remember. He threw 'whingdings' with jugglers, wrestlers, music, games of chance and shooting matches. These parties would go on for days. The men would sing dance and have a good time. The Indians who lived nearby would dance and sing for the men they did business with. The women who came with them were most welcome by the men of Vasquez's company. In a letter to his brother Vasquez said, "I love all the women, yet like none of them." He was one of the few mountainmen to marry a white woman and not a squaw. About the fall of 1835 Fort Convenience was left, the reason being bad location. The river that was to float the furs down to the markets was not deep enough, and the competition from, the other forts was to much, Louis Vasquez was forced to give up his "inconvenient" fort. No physical evidence remains of Fort Convenience, al- though it is safe to assume that it was not very im- posing. It was not designed as a permanent post but rather as a shelter for the winter. It is probable that Fort Convenience has been mistaken for Fort Vasquez because it was Vasquez’s original contribu- tion to the later chain of "forts" to come. Here then is the controversy surrounding the name of Fort Vasquez People in Adams County can say with some justification that Vasquez built his first fort in Adams County. History has become distorted, however, as a result of the curious habit of early trappers to attach little significance to an outpost’s name. To assume that Vasquez did not mind if his name was attached to a particular outpost can also be questioned. Not with- standing the controversy we prefer to call Fort Vasquez No. I by its proper name, Fort Convenience, mainly be- cause this was the name Louis Vasquez gave it. We have documented evidence that Fort Convenience existed as the result of a letter written by Vasquez to his broth- er in 1834. This would mean that for at least two years Fort Convenience was of some importance to the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. No actual proof exists to show the exact site of Fort Convenience. Since no time was available to build a militarily sound fort it can be assumed that tension between the trappers and Indians was light. A Pike Vasquez, the nephew of Louis, is believed to have worked there as late as 1836. Since we know that Fort Vasquez was built in 1836 it might be probable that the work A. Pike Vasquez was engaged in was removing valuables such as equipment and animals to the new, more durable Fort Vasquez. No further mention is made of Fort Convenience and it can be assumed that the little outpost had out- lived its need. Fort Convenience was built from cotton- wood logs and garrisoned by no more than 20 hunters and trappers. It was probably little more than a rest stop after 1834, a place to buy food and provisions, a place of orientation and short stays. It ceased being of any economic value after the building of Fort Vasquez. The saga of the Vasquez forts continued, however, with the building of Fort Sarpy, Fort Lancaster, and Fort St. Vrain. Vasquez was the mastermind behind most of the northern Colorado forts. The Fort that bears his name was besieged by Indians in 1842 and later burned and abandoned. (Illegible) December 30, 1834 Dear Godfather, I’m taking advantage of Andrew Sublette’s going down to inform you of my news. I’m getting along well, for you know that I’m constitutionally strong and that a trifle doesn't stop me. Your letter pleased me greatly seeing that the family was getting along fine except for my little Emilie and Baron. But it is to be hoped that this fever is nothing. Tell Emilie not to fear for my health. Tell her that the God of man, who had never been reproachful, is with me; and also that I have nothing to fear. It is a great satisfac- tion for me (to know) that you are well and that I might contribute to making you happy. Rest assured that I don’t do it only as an obligation, but for pleasure. I am happy that you didn’t buy a horse from Sublette, since it is no favor. He owes me money. I wrote to Larry and at the same time to Robert Campbell in order to pay him that $50.00 because he has been a friend, and he can be sure that I would do the same for him. As for that which concerns Mademoiselle Tinten or Tintine, I assure you that there is so much that I am obliged to her for. The game doesn’t dis- please me. Frankly, I like all the girls and love not a one of them. I feel (illegible). Assure him of my friendship, as (brotherly friendship) a brother. And Guillaume too. I’ll write to (illegible) and to Martin. Assure poor old (?) Emilie and poor (illegible) of the sincere attachment that I have for them. Tell them that the time will come, perhaps, when they will carry with honor the name they have. Tell them I haven’t (illeg- ible) and that I hope to make a fortune. Write to me through the company. Address your letter to Fort Williams (Black Hills) and if I go down I’ll write you my intentions. Nothing more. Goodbye. Believe me your brother for life. Louis Vasquez Harris Fork July 9th, 1834 United States Territory Dear Godfather, I received your letter dated the 4th of April. You told me the whole family was getting along fine. I assure you that it gives me great pleasure to have news from you. It is so rarely that I receive any letters. But in reading this you tell me that (viz., I learn that..)* your crops were almost all eaten up by the squirrels and then that the dryness and/or (pelting?) rain also contributed considerably. At any rate I have grieved for you. But, in short, one must hope that next year will be more favorable for you. I have had two men killed by the Blackfeet this spring. Little Bourdon from St. Charles and Pierre Hebert from Cahokia (?). I traded with the Crow last Autumn and Spring. I’m not going down this year. You will find, in a letter I wrote to you carried by Mr. Wm. L. Sublette, a draft for fifty piastres (dollars) and then if you have need for a horse or a mare he can get one for you. But make a good bargain because money is involved. Wm. Sublette or Campbell are going to get up again this Autumn. Please write me. Give me details of everyone. Kiss the whole family for me. Tell them that I love them all. Don’t forget to pay Chauvin and retire the note. Goodbye. Believe me your brother for life. Louis Vasquez If you can get some novels for me Win. Campbell will be pleased to bring them to me. * Translator’s license. References: Colorado Magazine, January 1933 Colorado Magazine, January 1964 Men to Match My Mountains, Irving Stone Mountain Men and Fur Trade, 1965 Colorado Magazine, September 1933 Colorado Magazine, January 1953 Trappers and Mountain Men, Evan Mones The West of William Ashley, Old West Pub. 1964 The Fur Trade, Paul Phillips Mrs. Bessie Clark Mrs. Phyllis Witney Mrs. A. J. Hale Mr. Ken Malone Colorado Historical Society Denver Public Library Rivalry at River, Seletha Brown =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. 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