HISTORY; El Paso County http://ftp.usgwarchives.net/pub/co/elpaso/history/bijoubasin.txt Donated by Sundee Maynez October 17, 2001 ********************************************** History of the Pikes Peak Region Facts concerning various school districts and communities of El Paso county, gathered and prepared by students, teachers and residents. A Colorado Eighth Grade History Project, sponsored by office of Mrs. Lucy S. Perry, county superintendent of schools. History of District 49 (Falcon) Some of the pioneers who lived in what is now District 49 were Clide McBroom, the McNeil family, Herbert Skinner, Harry Wooley, Chas. Long, George Southcotte, Fleming Neff, Herbeson Park, Hutton Miller family: Ed Mass, Levi King, Dr. Wall and Andrew Malloy. Most of these early settlers were of Scotch, Irish and English nationality, altho Levi King was a Negro. The Baumister Lindamood and Culver families were also early settlers in this vicinity. Mr. And Mrs. Halvon George Fulsos came to central Nebraska in 1879 form Norway. Later in 1918, they came to Colorado and settled 21 miles east of >Colorado Springs on the Herman ranch. They had come to New York by boat, then came to Nebraska by covered wagon. In 1918, they came in covered wagons to Colorado with 11 children. Mr. Halvon Fulsos died in 1925, and Mrs Fulsos died in 1940. They were both Norwegians. Their son William, now lives on the old Herman place near Falcon. Mrs. Solberg, parents of ___ens Solberg, settled east of Colorado Springs in 1918 How Black Forest Was Named The Black Forest received it’s name from Leonard Curtis. One day as he was riding below the edge, he noticed how black the trees appeared. Some people think that he was reminded of his native Black Forest in Germany. But, whatever caused him to think of it as Black Forest has caused it to retain this name. Black Forest was government owned until it was purchased by General William Jackson Palmer with soldier stamps. Preceding this it was included in a large cattle ranch leased from the government by a cattle company. The cattle company had a range of 40 miles square. Guy Curtis who resides on the Banning-Lewis ranch, west of Falcon, at present, was an early day cowboy in this area. At that time there was only one house in the Forest. It was located two miles south of the present Black Forest store. Because of so much land being included in the Palmer purchase, there was little land left for homesteaders. An early homesteader was Richard Ayer, who came here in 1870 from Lewiston, N. Y. The Santa Fe Trail passed by the Ayer ranch at the edge of the forest. The original cabin, which was built in 1882, still stands on the ranch. At present, 1949, there are three generations of the Ayer family residing there. Ralph Ayer, the present owner of the ranch, has built a home not far from the original cabin where he was born. A map of 1897 shows that the other early land owners were : F. B. Hill, Van Horn, and the Colorado Pinery Land Company. A little later the Edgar Box and Lumber company leased and cut timber. Their sawmill was located on land owned by Cort Burgess. Home owners of that time were parents of Clyde McBroom, who resided in the Country Club area on the west side of Templeton Gap Road. Mr. McBroom says when he was a boy, Kettle Creek was a good place for trout fishing. Since then it has filled with sand and doesn't have much water in it the greater part of the time. The late Governor Shoup was part owner in the Edgar Box and Lumber company. The state Realty was responsible for the subdividing and the development of early homes in Black Forest. R. R. Johnson, a member of this realty company, had a controlling interest in the early 1900's Other early home owners were Trump, owners of the home two miles south of the store: Gilpins, Kirk Brothers, operators of the K. K. Ranch, Apresent Tannenbaum@, and W. B. Weir. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Garvey came to Colorado for Mr. Garvey=s health in 1922. Their first place was in the Vander Plas home. Mr. Garvey passed away in 1948. Mrs. Garvey now owns a home on Shoup Road, across from ATrail Pines@. The Wayne Rusk family came to the Forest to live in 1922. Dr. and Mrs Freeman came from Florida about the same time. No Mail Delivery Then The first post office was in Colorado City, and everyone had to go to town for their mail. In the early days, corn, oats, and potatoes were the principal crops. Dairying and Cattle raising were the main industries. They trailed hundreds of cattle from Texas and Mexico every spring. Present business is much the same, only they do more dairying and farming now. There are not as many cattle raised, but they are a better grade now. This community was once dotted by cattle, and cowboys were plentiful. Even the Black Forest had hundreds of cattle each summer. East of the highway was the Trust pasture. Clair Long has helped round up cattle in this pasture many times. When Clair was a boy he enjoyed chewing spruce gum as much as the modern boy does bubble gum. There was only one house in this 10,000 acre pasture at that time. It now stands on the Harris place. Transportation was by covered wagon, buggies, buckboards and on horseback. The road thru the forest was nothing but a wagon trail thru the trees. As many covered wagons, or Prairie Schooners, as they were called could be seen in a row coming in from Kansas. They were homesteaders who had experienced two or three dry seasons, and were on the move to a new location. The railroads were the Rock Island and the Colorado Southern, which ran from Colorado Springs to Falcon and Eastonville, and on to Denver via Elbert and Elizabeth. The first automobile in this community was owned by Charles Emerson, who lived on the old Malloy Ranch, now owned by Mr. Joe Spannan. Bleeker Was First School The first school in this community had only one room. It was called the Bleeker school. A Miss Bleeker was its first teacher. It was located on the Booster Station Road. Later it was moved on highway 187 and called Forest View, which was consolidated in 1915 with Falcon School. This building was sold in 1916 and moved to Colorado Springs for a residence. Church was held in the Bleeker school house. It was packed to capacity every Sunday. The first school near Falcon was the Amo. Two other early schools were The Granger, northeast of Falcon and Shadeland in the eastern edge of the forest Both of these buildings have been moved to the Falcon grounds. The Shadeland is being used as a classroom for the third and fourth grades. The Granger building has been used as a lunch room since 1935. A School house was built by the Black Forest community in 1923-24. School was held here until the fall of 1945, when the district was consolidated with Falcon. This building in the Forest is now being used as a residence for the county road maintainers. The property was purchased by El Paso in 1947. The community house was built in 1929-30. The people had log rollings, and all took part in the donation of logs and labor. The Black Forest Community church was started in 1933 and completed in 1940. George Teats was the contractor hired by Mrs. Taylor when she planned La Foret. Considerable money was spent on this beautiful estate. The chapel was built in the form of a cross and covered with pink stucco. It was erected in memory of her husband and his ashes were kept there until her death. Her heirs gave the estate to the Congregational church for a young peoples camp. All the roads in the early days were ungraded. They were only wagon trails. In wet weather they were terrible. They were practically impassable when muddy and required hundreds of yards of gravel to make them as good as they are today. Highway 157 follows almost the same route as the Santa Fe Trail. Early Pony Express Route The early route of the Pony Express ran along Cherry Creek, thru Eastonville and on into Colorado Springs near the place in the Forest now owned by Ben Cook. The roads in the Black Forest were named for the following people: Burgess Road, Cort Burgess; Shoup Road, former Governor Shoup; Swan Road, present undertakers in Colorado Springs; Vollmer Road, Vollmer Brothers; Templeton Gap Road, Mr. and Mrs. Templeton. Burgess Road is the main east-west road, one mile south of Black Forest store; Shoup Road runs east-west road one mile north of Black Forest store; Vollmer Road is the north-south road two miles east of the store and changes to Templeton Gap road when it reaches Burgess road, taking an angling direction into Colorado Springs. The present Rattlesnake Hill was called the Big Hill, as it was hard to pull with horses and wagon. The Falcon community has changed less as to people and industries than the Forest community has. There are many small acreages in the Forest, and about 200 families now make their home here. A number of the people have chicken ranches; there are several fox farmers and others drive to Colorado Springs to work each day. At the present time there are three small sawmills that give employment to a number of people. The most recent developments is the establishment of the Black Forest Products Associations, located at the corner of the Burgess and Templeton Gap Road, one mile south of the store. Both communities now have electric service, telephone an many modern homes. JUSTICE Justice triumphs--or that is the claim, The claim that caused her to gain such fame; In any case, she=s completely fair, She is absolutely on the square. The story's good, and maybe it=s true But the justice of this I leave up to you; If my income tax is correctly made out I go to the poor house, without a doubt. If I purposely make a mistake or two Then, the jail house is my rendezvous; Justice triumphs--well, maybe you're right, But it leaves small choice where I'm doomed to light. 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