All Attractions in Region
Housed in the old Granada Town Hall, the Amache Museum displays artifacts from Camp Amache, a World War II Japanese internment camp that imprisoned nearly 7,500 Americans of Japanese descent between 27 August 1942 and 15 October 1945. The 160-acre camp, also known as the Granada War Relocation Center, included a 10,000 acre farm for raising livestock and produce.
Since 1990, the Amache Preservation Society, a Granada high school group, has worked on the preservation of the site and its documents and set up the museum as a school project. Former internees share their experiences through videotaped interviews included in the collection.
Learn about adobe brick construction by viewing the fairgrounds' adobe stalls, which were built as a WPA (Works Progress Administration) project in 1938. The best surviving example of WPA work in Rocky Ford, this impressive project encompassed some 85 stalls and was one of a series of WPA improvement projects at the Arkansas Valley Fairgrounds that provided a significant source of employment.
Adobe was an inexpensive yet labor intensive building material--a good fit for WPA projects in eastern Colorado that ensured most of the money went to labor rather than materials.
Some stalls are still in use, and many are being restored by volunteers.
For more than a century, the Arkansas Valley Fair has been an Otero County tradition. The popularity of Watermelon Day started by Colorado Senator George Swink in 1878 gave rise to one of the longest-running festivals in Colorado.
Built in 1901, the Art Building is the fairground's oldest building. Join the decades of attendees who have enjoyed its unique presentation of local arts and crafts within its octagonal shape. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the structure is a well-preserved example of the "Octagon Mode," which enjoyed some popularity in home and barn design in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Local Co-op art gallery displaying area talent in painting, drawing, woodwork, jewelry, woodturning and more. Majority of work depicts the area culture and history.
The current courthouse was built in 1916 after a fire destroyed the first Baca County Courthouse in 1910. The elegant brick addition, which presents the Main Street facade, was designed by the Denver firm Mountjoy and Frewen and constructed in 1929-30. In 1935, WPA workers began construction of a second addition. This two-story, stone building served initially as a jail and sheriff's quarters, which remained at this site until 1972 when a new jail was built.
The WPA plans by E.C. Measel included landscaping and a stone wall around the grounds. The lovely stone building behind the courthouse was built as a wellhouse and library by the WPA in 1935.
A portion of the library and museum building is dedicated to exhibits of historical and Native American artifacts, local photographs, and objects of curiosity. Information on Baca County, local genealogical records, and early newspapers are readily available.
Curiosities include a two-headed calf, a dwarf calf, and mammoth bones.
The impressive two-story Bent County Jail was built of brick and sandstone in 1902 at a cost of $8,478 and served as the county jail until 2000. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Neo-Classical Revival structure lies just north of the 1887-88 courthouse.
The downstairs contained the residential quarters for the sheriff and family. A separate entrance led to the jail, which was located on the second floor. Curtis Gates, aka Ken Curtis and "Festus" of the popular 1960-70s TV series "Gunsmoke," lived in the jail as a child. Curtis's father, Dan Gates, was sheriff for six years.
Built in 1886-89, this striking two-story red brick building is the oldest courthouse in continuous use in Colorado. The exuberance of the corner towers, open Romanesque arches, sandstone trim, and overall architectural rhythm are a stunning local expression of Victorian institutional style architecture. Many of the original courthouse furnishings are still in use today. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, the building is being preserved with grant assistance from the Colorado Historical Society's State Historical Fund.
The neighboring 1902 jail served as the county's processing and holding facility for 98 years until 2000.
Walk the winding path to Bent's Old Fort and enter a massive, two-story adobe structure that was the epicenter of a trade empire on the Santa Fe Trail in the 1840's. Inside, the three foot walls offer cool respite. Climb to the upper floor for a panoramic view of the Arkansas River and the high plains. Plan ahead and create your own character in the historical reenactments and encampments that take place at this National Park Service site every summer. This is one of Colorado's premier stops for kids of every age.
Be sure to include the Big Timbers Museum while following the Santa Fe Trail to take in the household items that traveled by covered wagon along the trail to Lamar. The building originally erected by the American Telephone and Telegraph Company housed repeater equipment for the company's Denver-Kansas City long distance lines from 1929 to 1966. Now a notable World War I poster collection is on exhibit, as well as, Trench Art that would enhance your experience after visiting other historic sites in the region that reflect our nation's military heritage.
Imagine yourself in the shoes of Kit Carson, strolling along the Avenue of Trees at Boggsville National Historic District in the company of the legendary ladies of Boggsville. These women somehow created an enclave of elegance and beauty in the midst of a harsh western landscape. On your self-guided tour, you may run into birders along the Purgatoire River or archaeology students in a field school. You can explore two restored houses and the extensive grounds with the help of extensive informational signs.
Shop at the bookstore for an excellent selection of books on local characters and historic events.
Enjoy the view from this simple, prairie church founded in 1919 as the "Church of God." The church housed the 7th and 8th grades from 1920-21 and later became an American Baptist Church. The first high school was held in the Rock Church, which no longer stands.
Originally called "Wilson Switch" after the switch on the Denver, Texas & Fort Worth Railroad and later "Coloflats," the area was first homesteaded by Lawrence Athey around 1916. Settler Josiah F. Branson platted the area in 1919. Branson was once a thriving community with 1,000 residents, grocery stores, a saloon, and other businesses.
The historic 2-cell stone jail was built in 1923, around the time that Joe Grisby and Otto Peach built the local pool hall. Local lore has it that the jail only ever held two residents--drunken men whose wives came and busted the locks to break them out of jail. Located at the end of the street at the top of the hill, the jail was highly visible. Today it offers great views of the vast rolling landscape surrounding Branson. Picnic tables at the overlook make for a great lunch spot.
Admire the brick stonework and enjoy the outdoor family amenities of this two-story school, built in 1923 to meet the needs of the booming Branson community. Two hundred grade and high school students attended this school in 1923-24, when the town's population had peaked at about 1,000. Kids will enjoy burning off energy at the playground, and the public is welcome to use the tables, grills, and potable water available east of the basketball courts.
Pick up a map and brochure at Granada City Hall before starting your self-guided driving tour of Camp Amache, a WWII internment camp that imprisoned 7,500 Americans of Japanese descent.
Drive through one square mile of concrete foundations where signs identify the locations of dirt-floored barracks and other communal buildings that served as mess hall, hospital, schools, theater and fire department. Walk through the cemetery in the far corner and contemplate the tragedy that President Reagan called a grave injustice and "a failure of political leadership."
Tours offered in the Comanche National Grassland and on private ranch property in Baca County and the surrounding area. Tours range from interpretive tours of Picture Canyon to driving tours. All tours interpret local history, legends, natural resources, historic and pre-historic sites. Tours of local historical and heritage sites include: Picture Canyon, Carrizo Canyon, WPA sites, homestead, cemeteries, birding, county and local history. Tours can include lodging, horseback riding, trail rides, wagon rides, backpacking and hiking trips, and can be customized to fit individual needs and interests.
Originally a livery stable for Springfield, the Capitol Theatre is a revitalized historic theatre. The large single-screen, 250-seat theatre boasts a newly renovated interior with original hardwood floors.
Carrizo Canyon provides a large amount of resources in a small area. Tours to Carrizo Canyon are offered by Heritage Journey Tours and include guiding to and around the site, area history and heritage, and interpretation at the site. The canyon has water year round and a two mile hiking trail that encircles the area. The canyon also provides camping spots, restrooms, and picnic areas. Although the canyon is not deep, it is a beautiful place to watch wildlife and provides excellent birdwatching in the spring and fall. The canyon also boasts pecked style animal petroglyphs if you care to crawl around and look for them.
Originally planned as the residence for the county sheriff, the defining features of the 1915 courthouse have much in common with the residential construction style of the period. Designed in the Prairie Style by architect J.M. Gile of Pueblo, the two-story yellow brick courthouse now houses the sheriff's office, combined court, and other county functions. The matching brick addition was added in 1990. Primary court functions moved to the new courthouse at 603 Main in 2003.
Built in 1914 as a country school, the building has been painstakingly restored and serves as both Crowley County's museum of agricultural, social, and economic history and a community meeting place. This museum brings to light the agricultural involvement of early Japanese settlers who arrived between 1915-1920 through photographs and family histories. Notable among the artifacts on exhibit within the museum is an excellent collection of photographs from Camp Amache, a World War II Japanese internment camp located in Prowers County, which reflects the strong influence of Japanese culture in the region. Other natural, ethnic, social and economic collections reflect the evolution of Crowley County's heritage.
An incredible opportunity to view both unique dinosaur tracks and an interpretive exhibit awaits at the John Martin Reservoir Corps of Engineers Visitor Center. The exhibit was prepared by the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center in Woodland Park, Colorado. This includes information on crocodiles, an Ornithomimid, and numerous Iguanodontids. The design of the exhibit gives the visitors three interactive things to do: rubbings of a track, touchable tracks, and the matching pace of the dinosaur with silhouettes on the floor. It also has an eye catching mural and very informative signage.
Admire the craftsmanship and pristine condition of this WPA-era masonry bridge that features six fourteen-foot arches of locally quarried stone. The Douglas Crossing Bridge over Two Buttes Creek is one of the most substantial and handsome of Colorado's relief-agency bridges and continues to provide an important crossing for the agricultural community.
The bridge was constructed with a crew of only eight men, at a cost of $20,000. The stone was hauled by teams from a quarry located about one mile up the creek. The WPA was particularly active in Colorado's southeastern corner, where high unemployment was endemic during the Depression.
This self-guided tour takes you back through time to the 1930s depression era and the Works Progress Administration's building projects that employed so many jobless people. Devastating dust storms and extreme economic depression rendered Baca County one of the worst hit areas.
The masterful craftsmanship and use of native materials created lasting monuments to the local people who built them and the WPA federal relief program that was so significant in the region. The tour guides you to six communities and beyond to visit the masterpieces of stonework that took years to build. The tour sites may be viewed in any order.
The WPA tour includes: Baca County Courthouse, Campo School, Pritchett School Bus Barn, Springfield/Baca County Shop Building, Two Buttes Gymnasium, Vilas School, Springfield City Park, Konantz School, and the Edler School and Bus Garage.
On October 7, 1938 the Town of Eads held a huge celebration around the dedication of three buildings completed by WPA workers: the town hall, hospital, and the American Legion fairgrounds pavilion. To build the town hall native stone was hauled by truck from the Bristol/Granada area, some 50 miles away. Originally the building held both the town hall and library, with the upstairs rented to the Masons and Oddfellows lodges.
The craftsmanship and sheer volume of stone used to construct the town hall and hospital is impressive, especially considering that generally all use of machinery was eschewed and stone was moved and worked by hand. The local workers were previously untrained.
Consider the layers of history at the Edler school buildings, now a private residence.
The Edler area was homesteaded around 1912-1913. Built in 1916, Edler's first post office was in continual use through 1948. Around 1928, the small schools established by the settlers across the prairie were consolidated to Edler. A 24 x 24 frame building was moved from Horseshoe and placed over a one-room basement to accommodate elementary classes in the basement and high school classes upstairs.
The WPA constructed the Edler School in 1937 and the bus garage in 1939. The WPA employed twenty-five men to construct the new sandstone, two-room building that replaced the frame school.
Visit the site of the former community center of Estelene, named after Estelene Collins who taught at the schoolhouse and ran the local post office on the Collins Ranch. Down the road view the foundations and cistern of the early 20th-century Estelene schoolhouse. Visitors can experience the history of the area by staying in the charming locally quarried limestone bunkhouse, which was once Estelene's post office. An earlier post office building overlooks the site from the hill near the ranch house. Established in 1910 Estelene served as a community center and post office for the rural people of southwest Baca County until 1927.
Take in the magnificent beauty of the 1907 First Presbyterian Church--now CommUNITY Presbyterian Church--in downtown Rocky Ford. The imposing Tudor Gothic architecture, glazed brick exterior, grand stained glass dome, and the many original features are breathtaking. Admire the elaborate stained glass windows, Gothic arched cloister corridors, the spectacular 1920 Kimball pipe organ, and the original craftsmanship that will immerse you in the church's devotional spirit. You won't want to miss the 1906 quilt embroidered with the names of some 292 church members and the fabulous story of how it returned to the church in 1999. The church museum/history room features a collection of early church photographs, manuscripts and war memorial items.
Rich in heritage, Fowler is preserved and interpreted by the Fowler Historical Society and Museum. A must see among the prehistoric fossils, artifacts, historic photographs, genealogy, archives and other memorabilia showcasing the history of Fowler, is a 1870 Winchester Rifle in a 4 ft. Cottonwood stump
Check out the stunning facade and marquee of the Fox Theater located in downtown La Junta. Built in 1912 as a playhouse, it was purchased in 1939 by the Fox Theater chain and converted to a movie theater with 800 seats. Twinned in the 1970s or 80s, the theater closed in the mid 2000s desperately needing repair. Reopened after extensive renovations in March 2008, the private owners have restored vibrancy to this historic theater, assisted by community volunteers. The interior now hosts two movie screens with showings nightly.
Step back into early schooldays on the prairie inside the Glendale Schoolhouse. This restored 1929 woodframe schoolhouse has been carefully preserved with many of the original furnishings intact. Moved in 1976 some 25 miles from its original location to the fairgrounds, the schoolhouse continues to host quilts and other heritage displays during the fair in summer. The original coal burning stove, hardwood floors, glass lanterns, piano, water crock, teacher desk/stage area and later student desks are still in place. An original map of schools in Baca County and other historical documents are also on display.
The Granada Gymnasium was constructed as a WPA project, to be an "elaborate and commodius structure." Among other reasons, such as over-crowding, the gym was justified because "this project is located in the dust bowl area of Southeastern Colorado. It is also that area which was flooded by the Arkansas River about a year ago. A large number of residents are on relief rolls and are greatly in need of work". This relatively simple building stands as a testament to the federal government's concern for the people of Southeast Colorado during such a hard time, and the uncommonly high contribution of the local populace illustrates the ongoing committment of the area residents to their youth.
For a unique experience visit the Grand Theatre, a historic community-owned movie theater that offers first run films to the Arkansas Valley community on one of the largest indoor theatre screens in Colorado.
Constructed in 1935-6, the Grand Theatre's modernized facade, neon marquee, and lobby area date to 1950; yet much of its original 1936 Art Deco interior has been maintained. The theater is guided by the Rocky Ford Arts Commission and operated by an army of dedicated volunteers. The Grand Theatre also provides a venue for live performances including the annual Summer Student Musical and Creede Repertory performances and workshops.
Perched on a hilltop, the Hartman Gymnasium was constructed as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project c. 1938 by local workers as an addition to the existing two-story school. Though the school was torn down, the locally quarried limestone gym was saved and given to the town when the school district consolidated.
The gym was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the only WPA construction in Hartman and for its local social significance in long service as a community center. The annex building, which was moved in 1947 from Camp Amache, the Granada Japanese-American internment camp, is historic in its own right.
Peek through the barred windows of what may be the nation's smallest jail. Constructed in 1921, the tiny, 14 by 16 foot, concrete jail is one of the few public buildings ever constructed in Haswell.
Not in use since the 1940s, the building once hosted drunken, unruly citizens and the occasional criminal. More often than not, the jail was empty, and local men met there to hold secret poker games out of sight of their spouses. With improved transportation and roads, Haswell Jail was no longer needed, as prisoners were sent directly to the County Jail in Eads.
The gymnasium is constructed of Niobrara limestone and measures 125 x 77. The regularly course ashlar masonry has a sawed finish and rests on a raised concrete foundation. The building consists of three sections, a large gymnasium with two smaller extensions off its west (facade) and east (rear) ends. The facade extension contains a lobby and two classrooms; the rear extension has a raised stage and dressing rooms. The gymnasium is covered by a truncated gable roof sheathed with asphalt shingles. The upper portion of the gable ends are stuccoes. The flat-roof extensions have stepped parapet walls trimmed with coping.
Renovated in 1999, the historic Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Depot building houses the Holly Town Hall and library. The second-generation depot was dedicated on August 10, 1912 and is one of only four depots in Colorado displaying the Mission Revival details that were to become the Santa Fe railroad's trademark style. The depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The stone barn was built in 1879 by John Gores and Hiram S. Holly on the SS Ranch, one of the largest and earliest cattle ranches in the area. Hiram Holly established the ranch at a time when Colorado's early dependence on mining was increasingly giving way to agriculture. The trade and commerce at Holly SS Ranch was seminal for the founding of the town of Holly, which grew up near it. Constructed of native stone, the barn is one of the most well preserved stone barns in the region and is exemplary of construction during the pioneer period.
The Kim School buildings are a spectacular example of New Deal era craftsmanship, evident especially in the exterior masonry work. A close look at some of the sandstone window and door surrounds reveal the workers' creative touch; keen eyes will locate the forms of an eagle, a lyre, and other animals and emblems carved in the stone.
Constructed over an eight year period, the three buildings provided much needed employment through the Great Depression/Dust Bowl years and provided the first substantial school buildings in Kim. The gymnasium (1933-35), elementary school (1937), and high school (1938-41) are excellent examples of New Deal Rustic design.
Kiowa County Museum offers opportunity to muse over the prehistory and settlement of early Kiowa County and the High Plains. The area's past from Indians, Ranches, Homesteaders, Farmers, Businesses; how people lived, worked, played and interacted with depression, tragedy, poverty and failure as well as success and happiness is displayed. Memoirs of world events such as wars, railroads and inventions are seen from a local view.
For an authentic experience of the local landscape and historic features, take a jaunt down County Road M off Hwy 287. Kirkwell is marked by a historic stone building, which served as a post office from 1917-21 and in the 1940s as a dry-goods store and community center.
To the west, the settlement of Carrizo Flats was platted in 1880 during the first homestead act and land rush in eastern Colorado. The town operated a post office from 1887-1895, but there was very little water so they picked up and moved the town, buildings and all, to Carrizo Springs (some six miles west) in 1895. Carrizo Flats and Carrizo Springs were the only two towns in southwestern Baca County in the 1880s.
Kit Carson, Army scout, trapper, brigadier general and one-time commanding officer at Fort Garland, Colorado, died here in May, 1868. Moved from a location within the correctional facility complex in 2002, this stone building was first used as quarters for the post surgeon, who in 1868 was Dr. H. W. Tilton. Carson had been in failing health and was brought to the doctor from his home in Boggsville (now a National Historic Landmark), about two miles south of Las Animas.
Now within the grounds of a correctional facility, the chapel can be viewed on the way to the Fort Lyon National Cemetery.
Constructed of adobe in 1940 and originally used to house German prisoners of war captured in South Africa, the Kit Carson Museum focuses on the history of Bent County from the time of Kit Carson through World War II. Additional buildings on view include an 1860 stage station, the original Bent County Jail, the first Las Animas city jail, a blacksmith shop, a carriage house and a one-room county school house--the Kreybill School.
The Kit Carson Museum presents a collection of artifacts representing the development of Bent County from the days of Kit Carson through WWII.
In 1935, the Konantz School District applied for a WPA project to construct a new stone school building with a full basement and stage, large enough to also serve as a community center. According to the project application: "The present school house is very much in need of repair, for it was badly damaged during the dust storm last spring. It does not provide enough room for classes, especially those of lower grades."
A WPA crew of 45 men began construction in late 1935 and completed work in 1938. Workers dug rock from a quarry about 200 yards from the school.
Modeled after the Great Kiva at Aztec, New Mexico, the Koshare Indian Museum is one of Colorado's great repositories of Southwest art and Native American artifacts. Antiquities, pottery and textiles represent the great prehistoric cultures of the Southwest from Cheyenne and Comanche to Ancient Pueblo and Hohokam to modern Pueblo and Navajo. Art works by the Taos Society of artists, Frederick Remington and Honduran sculptor and painter Ernesto Zepeda are also featured. The museum is home to the popular Koshare Dancers, and besides the galleries and displays, features a unique gift shop with limited edition prints and Pueblo pottery.
Take a stroll through La Junta's shady city park and enjoy the craftsmanship of its many rustic stone structures constructed by Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers in the 1930s. Traditional construction methods, use of native stone, and simple functional design are characteristic traits of the WPA Rustic style stone walls, benches, and buildings that shape the park.
Site improvements began in the underutilized park in 1933 under the Civil Works Administration and continued under the WPA until 1941. The lake, trees, and drives were part of the extensive landscaping for the WPA project, which provided much needed employment during the Great Depression.
The grand facade of the La Junta Post Office is one of the architectural gems at the center of La Junta's downtown. Built by the US Treasury under Supervising Architect Oscar Wenderoth in 1915, the post office opened in 1916 and quickly became the architectural focal point of the community. Its defining features, especially the low-pitch tile roof, boxed eaves with decorative brackets, arched windows and entry porch, elaborate grille work, and symmetrical smooth stucco facade are an expression of Spanish Colonial Revival and Italian Renaissance styles.
La Junta (Spanish for "the junction") was established as a stop on the Santa Fe Railroad in 1875.
Today this restored 1907 depot, which originally served the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, houses the Colorado Welcome Center and the Lamar Chamber of Commerce. The depot still serves as an Amtrak passenger station. Stop in to find out about the great natural and cultural attractions of the region.
Also on site is the Engine 1819, which hauled freight and passengers nearly a million miles before retiring in 1953. Stretch your legs and enjoy a shaded walk through Lamar's adjacent "Enchanted Forest"--a half block of coniferous trees and community plantings line a pathway for all to enjoy.
Located in downtown Lamar, Colorado, the Lamar Theatre opened its doors on November 15th, 1946, as a single screen, 832-seat "High Art Deco" theatre. It was designed by the prominent Denver architect Charles Dunwoody Strong. The exuberant curved Art Deco forms of the colorfully lit facade and marquee beckon the visitor into a well preserved large-screen theatre for a classic night at the movies. Theatre-goers are captivated by the fluid forms of the colorful interior murals, recessed neon lighting, chrome details, mirrors, curved wall edges, and rounded corners, which are signature elements of Art Deco theatre design.
Dedicated on September 24, 1928, this sculpture by August Leimbach is one from a national series of twelve monuments erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution to commemorate the Old National Trails and the settlers who traversed them. In particular it celebrates the spirit of pioneer women across the United States, from Maryland to California. Located on the Santa Fe Trail, Lamar is one of the handful of towns in the West honored to receive one of the sculptures.
The sculpture stands at the corner of Main and Beech and is visible as you approach the Welcome Center.
The Santa Fe Railway Manzanola Depot was constructed in 1913 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF). This county-seat type depot was once a very prominent stop along the line, serving both freight and passengers. Manzanola, Spanish for 'large apple', was once home to the annual Cherry Pie Day, and the railroad ran a special train from Dodge City, Kansas to Manzanola for the big event. Now serving as the Town Hall, the building has recently been lovingly restored to feature its beautiful design and rich history.
Built out of local sandstone in 1889, this structure was the first school building in Springfield. The schoolhouse served as a true community center for the fledgling town and was used to meet the educational, civic, and religious needs of the residents. When school was out of session, community dinners, spelling bees, music, drama, recitations, and interdenominational church services were held in the school.
In 1920, a new school was built and the rock schoolhouse became a Masonic Hall. Today the building remains as a monument to the pioneering settlers who came West in the late 19th century.
Visit the fabulous two-story studio and gallery designed by painter Willard Louden in remote historic Branson. The studio loft looks out towards Mesa de Maya and the Louden Cattle Company Ranch, where long-time landscape painter Willard Louden grew up. Louden and his wife, Mary Ann, who creates dazzling tinwork, look forward to meeting with visitors to the gallery, which is a work of art itself. (You won't want to miss the whimsical "outhouse!")
Educated as a geologist Louden has enjoyed a fascinating life that includes world travels and explorations that have given him amazing stories. Louden also helped to found the AR Mitchell Gallery in Trinidad.
Built in 1918 as Ordway High School, the magnificent brick Crowley County High School is the second oldest high school in continuous operation in Colorado. The Mediterranean Revival building stands out for its spectacular brickwork and expansive tile roof. The building cost $100,000 to construct in 1918. Many original interior features remain, and grant funding has assisted with the restoration of the windows and front balustrade. The auditorium has recently been renovated to provide the original seating with new upholstery and install matching carpet and stage curtain.
Incorporated in 1900 Ordway is the county seat and named for George N. Ordway, an early pioneer.
Experience life in the lower Arkansas Valley during the pioneer days on this 12 acre site. Tour a 1890's home filled with period furniture, a log cabin schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, and a neighborhood grocery store which opened in 1903. The extensive collection includes a chuck wagon, surrey, a 1927 fire engine and a 1867 Stage Coach among other items.
When the first, 1901 school was destroyed by fire in 1905, the school was immediately rebuilt on the original site with a capacity for 250 students. The prominent stature and location of the school in the developing area indicates its priority for the community. Between 1905 and 1954, the school was constructed in four phases.
The early phases of the Park School were constructed in a simple brick style with elements of Romanesque Revival at the main entries, original bell towers (removed in 1954), and minimal decoration. Though the red brick construction was maintained, modern windows were integrated in the later phase.
The Park School is now being rehabilitated to house municipal services including the Town Hall, Police Department and Library. The project includes geo-thermal heating and cooling.
Marvel at this fabulously unique 1930s gas station constructed almost solely of petrified wood. Built in 1933 by W.G. Brown, the early gas station once served Phillips 66 gas. Brown had a lumberyard and later a tractor and implement business on site until around the late 1950s. Since 1962 Jim Stagner has had his tire shop nearby and currently also sells cars and trucks from the lot. The Ripley's "Believe It or Not" sign dates from at least the 1950s.
Now depleted from the area some 40 miles away near Two Buttes Mountain, petrified wood was once used to build local fences and fireplaces.
Utilizing local stone quarried from nearby locations the WPA built this theater as a school gymnasium during the height of the Great Depression. Later modifications expanded the stage area and adapted the building for performance center use. The theater, now known as the Picketwire Center for the Performing and Visual Arts, has been serving the community of La Junta and the surrounding area for more than 60 years. Special concerts and theater productions are performed here throughout the year, and the Picketwire Players, a local community theatrical group, call the theater home. Occasionally the theater also hosts art exhibitions.
Picture Canyon is a premiere heritage site that is not only renown for its unique petroglyphs but also for the abundant wildlife and birds that flock to the region every spring and fall. Picture Canyon is a part of the Comanche National Grasslands in the Carizzo Unit. Located 15 miles southwest of Campo the canyon borders the Oklahoma state line. Inside the canyon are over 12 miles of hiking trails, restroom and picnic facilities and the opportunity to ride, bike, or hike. Highlights inside the Picture and North Canyon areas are Ogam-like petroglyphs, homesteads, Crack Cave equinox site, Arch Rock, as well as several springs and seeps. Tours to Picture Canyon are offered by Heritage Journey Tours and include guiding to and around the site, area history and heritage, and interpretation at the site.
On November 15, 1806 Zebulon Pike saw the peak to be named after him for the first time. Today a marker stands in the general vicinity of this site. The bronze plaque with Pike looking through his spy glass and a quote from his journal about the sighting is mounted on a five ton slab of red granite from Pikes Peak. The remote area in which the marker is located provides the visitor some of the same experience that Pike and his men felt on that historic day.
Designed by Denver architect Robert Fuller, the Neo-classical Prowers County Courthouse was constructed in 1928-29 of Indiana limestone. The entry interior features friezes depicting the registered cattle brands in Prowers County at the time of the building's construction.
The detailing of this magnificent courthouse displays an innovative blending of Second Renaissance, Neo-Classical Revival, and moderne styles and, as a sign of the times, heralded a progressive shift away from the architecture of the original, 1890 late Victorian courthouse county needs had outgrown.
The Red Shin Hiking Trail begins at the stilling basin below the dam and winds through the park to the Santa Fe Historic Site on the north shore of the reservoir. The trail is approximately 4.5 miles and provides excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing!
Explore the history of Rocky Ford and life in the Arkansas Valley at the Rocky Ford Historical Museum. Housed in a Carnegie Public Library built in 1908, the collection includes objects documenting the Arkansas Valley Fair, Watermelon Day, the sugar industry and the everyday life of the people of the Arkansas Valley. Exhibits also focus on the geology, anthropology, and archaeology of the region. Highlights include an early Watermelon Day porcelain set from the Swink family, animals molded from beeswax, woolly mammoth skull, early fire truck and firefighting equipment, and memorabilia from prominent local families.
Drive 20 miles northeast of Eads to the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. Here National Park Service guides will direct you to an overlook where you can view the place where 675 U.S. volunteers, led by Colonel John Chivington, launched a dawn attack on a village of Cheyennes and Arapahos who were camped under the protection of the American Flag. Over 160 Indian men, women and children were killed. Listen to one of the three 45-minute presentations given each day at the overlook (a 12 minute walk from the parking lot), or simply ask questions of the NPS guides.
Follow the mountain route of the Santa Fe Trail, America's first great trans-Mississippi route from Franklin, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was an important route for commerce and cultural exchanges between 1821-1880. The longest segment of the Santa Fe Trail on public land in the state of Colorado occurs on the Comanche NG. Three interpretive sites allow visitors to walk along the historic trail, view trail ruts and experience the changing horizon from the plains to mountains. This transition marked a major milestone on travelers journeys.
The stadium and stone wall complex was a WPA project that was not completed until 1942, making it one of the state's last significant WPA projects to finish. Made of coursed quarry-faced ashlar stone, the stadium and stone wall are a beautiful site to see. Schedule your visit during Savage football or track season and support the local team while taking in this remarkable structure.
Visit the Shore Arts Center to discover the region's unique performing arts center and art gallery. The center is owned by the Arkansas Valley Wind and Percussion Ensemble and is also home to the Southeast Colorado Art Guild and Lamar's Dudes and Dames Square Dance Group.
Check the SECAG and AVWPE website calendars for details on art exhibitions and performances, including concert band and jazz concerts. Lamar Dudes & Dames hosts a full children's and alumni square dancing program.
In 1939, the Springfield City Council applied for a WPA project to improve Springfield's City Park. The total project cost was around $10,000. The city provided the stone and the WPA provided the project labor. The project included the construction of stone walls, stone benches and tables, stone ovens, a stone wading pool, flower beds, and toilets.
Experience the grace and beauty of St. Paul's Lutheran Church--perhaps an unexpected treasure in the heart of Sugar City. Sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Iowa, the church was established in 1901 with twenty-five families attending the first meeting. The congregation continued to meet at various locations until the townsite company donated two lots for a church site. Dedicated in May 1902, the church seated 100 and held services in German. With a significant growth in membership by 1918, the congregation decided to replace the old church with a new one--the current Gothic Revival style structure in which German services were held until 1953.
The church building that now houses Christine's Restaurant was built in 1910 by a group of men "with a vision." St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church held its first services in the building in 1911. From the day the doors opened until 1959, all services were conducted in German. In 1972, the final church service was held due to declining attendance and membership.
Over the years the former church was used as an antique shop, a funeral home, and even as a weekend "get-away" for one local owner.
Mike and Christine Laurent purchased the building in 2004 and began renovations. Christine's opened for business in January 2005.
During the 1800s, Springfield was a main stop along the stage line between Texas and Canada. With the introduction of the automobile came the necessity of hotels. The Stage Stop Hotel is Springfield's longest functioning and oldest surviving hotel. Opened in 1923 as the Commercial Hotel, it has operated continuously up to the present, known as the Hamilton Hotel from 1943 until 1987, when it finally received its current name. Interestingly, it was the in 1990s that the hotel was actually used as a 'stage stop' for a mail contractor with runs to Denver, living up to its name and history.
Built by homesteaders around 1898 the Star School is a stunning landmark on the rolling prairie and recalls the early settlement of the region. The land and most of the labor was donated by members of the small group. Apparently much of the stone for the building came from Bent's New Fort about a mile away, which had already been dismantled.
In addition to its function as an early school, the schoolhouse served as a meeting hall for community groups and churches for many years. In 1952 the school was consolidated with McClave. Currently a local non-profit group is seeking to restore the building.
Step back in history in the lovely prairie village of historic Stonington. The Late Gothic Revival style of the 1917 white clapboard Methodist-Episcopal Church recalls New England design. Local craftsman W. S. Murray, a postmaster from a nearby small Kansas town, built the church and many of the small residences in town. It was the second church built--and the only identified example of this style--in Baca County. The original wood weathervane and bell are still functional.
Stonington was established in 1887 and was named for the rocky stream near the original site. It was the hub for the surrounding community until Walsh was established in 1926.
In 1931, a blizzard hit at this site where six people, five students and bus driver lost their lives. Now a large stone monument marks the spot where heroic efforts saved the lives of the remaining 15 survivors, receiving national attention.
The 1909 dam is significant for its engineering and as an intact example of a turn-of-the-century earthen dam built to aid in irrigating portions of southeastern Colorado. The dam was built before machinery with horses, mules and hand labor.
Remains of the canal that delivered water many miles for farming use are still visible above the road through the adjacent Two Buttes State Wildlife Area that lies at the foot of the dam. Locally known as the "Black Hole," the deep water between the cliffs remains a vital source of water (and popular swimming hole) even when the reservoir is dry.
Because the town had no public meeting or recreational spaces and the school was not large enough, the Two Buttes School District applied for a WPA project in 1935 to construct a new school with a gymnasium and additional classrooms. Construction began in early 1936 with a crew of 36. The gymnasium was constructed of local stone "taken from eight different quarries to assure high quality." A letter appeared in the "WPA Worker" in August 1936, praising the WPA as the "most wonderful thing that ever happened in hard times." The letter invited people to come see the remarkable Two Buttes Gymnasium, erected through the hard labor of amateurs without any construction machinery. A community supper and dance celebrated the gymnasium's completion in May 1937.
Discover the stories behind the interesting curiosities this tiny museum and library has to offer. Housed in an historic 1912 bank building, this local history museum highlights a collection of artifacts, specimens, and other unusual items from Dr. Verity, a local doctor who practiced in Two Buttes from 1911-46. In addition to the various artifacts and specimens he collected, he accepted objects from townspeople as "payment" for his assistance.
An extensive collection of antique rifles, a two-headed calf, and other objects of interest are on view in the bank's vault. The building also houses the town library and town hall.
You can hike, bike or ride a horse to view the largest dinosaur track site in North America. On the trail to Picket Wire Canyon, pass walls resplendent with rock art and explore the Dolores Mission, the Old Rourke Ranch and remote cemeteries. Just off Hwy 109, on your way to Picket Wire Canyon, is the turn off for easier hiking at Vogel Canyon where you can follow the trails to a historic stage coach station near the Purgatoire River. In Vogel you can hike any one of the gentle two-mile loops and find abundant rock art.
Built in 1938 through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the historic Wiley Rock Schoolhouse, is a lasting monument to the local people and others whose lives were improved by the employment provided by this federal program.
WPA projects focused on using local labor and inexpensive materials. Native sandstone slabs from grassland areas near the river cover the recycled concrete block that forms the interior walls. The curb and stairways were constructed of locally quarried sandstone. The project also included curbing and gutters for Wiley's three main streets. Witness the success of this project in the creative masonry, craftsmanship, and enduring functionality of these structures.
Take a stroll in shady Willow Creek Park and enjoy the fine craftsmanship of Colorado's first Civil Works Administration (CWA) project and Lamar's first planned park. Begun in 1933, work on the park continued under the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) and completed under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938. The project provided employment to hundreds of local men.
Explore the various hand-crafted stone structures in the 28-acre park including the Boy Scout Kiva, caretaker's house, outdoor fireplace, small bridge, gates, walls, and "Pike's Tower" located at the mouth of Willow Creek and named for explorer Zebulon Pike, who stopped in the area.
