Attractions (in category: Transportation)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.