July in Early Fort Collins | FC Historical Society

By an order issued in 1864, Antoine Janis was appointed to act as a guide and interpreter for the new army post

According to county records in 1873, the Larimer County Land and Improvement Company sold to Anaximander (“Harry”) B. Tutton 3 lots for $500. The lots were at the junction of College and Mountain Avenues. In a small frame building standing somewhat back from the street, Mr. Tutton, son of a Greeley colonist opened a private bank. Panic sent Tutton to Denver where he deposited surplus funds. He never returned. His bank remained closed and its affairs were afterward wound up. This failure absorbed most of the money in the county and wipe out the accumulations of a number of depositors of money they needed to time them over until a crop could be raised.

In 1878, Mr. J. S. Cathers started running stages from Greeley to Livermore.

In 1903 W.J. Gray was hired as the new Wells-Fargo driver. He was to work 16 hours a day, seven days a week at a salary of $45 per month. The Fort Collins Express editor commented that “this does not seem to be very attractive.”

In 1903 a meeting was held in Loveland of the representatives of the various Big Thompson ditch companies and steps were taken to organize to protect their water rights from encroachment on the part of the Platte ditches. A committee was appointed consisting of H.J. Parish, J.Y. Munson, William Clark, A.S. Benson and W.C. Lewis.

For some time past the tramp fraternity had free access to the town and daily appeals for hand-outs had been made at the kitchen doors all over town without protest. The year was 1898. However, these gentry of the road had not been content with the generosity and freedom allowed them but also began to demand access to homes. Suspicious characters had been observed laying around town by day and sulking around at night. Town authorities took steps to eliminate them from their midst. All characters were closely watched and risked the chance of being apprehended.

The improvements on the fire department building were nearing completion in 1902. The first floor was arranged so that the horses could stand one on each side of the hook and ladder truck. There was a hole in the upper floor with a pole descending to the first floor, down which the fireman could slide. When completed, the second story would furnish sleeping quarters for several of the firemen. It was expected that a fire alarm system would be put in later.

Lamb Day was celebrated in 1914 with band concerts in the streets, a pioneer pageant, a lamb barbecue, a wild west show and rodeo in the afternoon and evening.

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Harry Gant was completing arrangements for the big cowboy tournament to be held at Prospect Park in 1909. The celebration would include fireworks, bucking broncos, wild outlaws, and a match game of polo between Denver and Fort Collins teams.

In 1902 Judge Mills of Fort Collins came flying into Berthoud in his new automobile. He started from Denver at 1 o’clock, stopped about two hours on the way at Brighton and Platteville and then got to Berthoud in time to give a score of Berthoud people a ride on the flyer before supper. The next morning he headed to Fort Collins.

Birthdate of John Baptiste (b. 1823) Provost. His early life was spent trapping and trading furs with Indians along the Missouri River. He came to the Cache La Poudre Valley in the spring of 1858. For many years he operated a ferry which transported emigrant trains across the Cache La Poudre during their western trek. Provost had the distinction of being the first permanent white settler in Larimer County. He purchased an abandoned building in LaPorte and converted it to a hotel, which he operated until his death on January 4, 1904.

The first flag known to have flown in what is now Larimer County was made by Albina Washburn in 1864. It bears the date July 4, 1864 and has stars in an unusual position. It is displayed at the Fort Collins museum during special occasions.

First fireworks display in Fort Collins in 1879.

After the loss of Frank Stover’s building in 1882, a water system was passed upon and tested on this date in 1883.

Early in 1884, two of Loveland’s earliest pioneers, Frank G. Bartholf and Edwin S. Allen, founded a partnership to erect Loveland’s first opera house. It was to be located on the site of Allen’s existing frame harness shop, built in 1878. This date in 1884 marked its formal opening, which was celebrated by a grand ball.

The 4th of July at Stove Prairie in 1899 was very unique. W.W. Degge, managing editor of the Western Churchman, Denver, made opening remarks. Everyone sang the Star Spangled Banner, there were singing solos, piano solos, horse racing, wheelbarrow races and sack and hurdle races. In the evening a ball took place on the grounds on a pavilion erected for the occasion.

The Catholic ladies in Loveland served ice cream and cake, peanuts, lemonade and cigars to the public at Busch’s Island grove on July 4, 1902.

In 1905 the city council meeting included protests on the Howes Street sewer assessment, a petition for crossing on College Avenue at the north side of Oak Street (tabled due to lack of funds), the question of filling mudholes at the corner of Myrtle and Stover and the telephone company was ordered to place its poles inside the curb line so that they would not interfere with the gutters.

In 1910 Rodney Rist drowned but his body was not found until July 25, 1.5 miles below the point of drowning.

In 1898 the case against the Millers (Frank and wife) for selling liquor on July 4 and 5 were brought up before the County Clerk and withdrawn by order of the district attorney.

In 1917 the Fort Collins’ county commissioners allotted $300 for construction of two bathhouses on Sheldon Lake to relieve complaints of naked boys swimming in the lake.

In 1881 Fort Collins citizens met at the Opera House to grieve President Garfield’s July second assassination.

J.J. Herring bowled a perfect score of 300 at the Breniman Bowling Alley in 1905. This had never been done before in Fort Collins and only twice in the State of Colorado. It was quite remarkable.

In 1884 the Courier reported that a number of cowboys rode into town. “They were gentlemanly and well-behaved fellows.”

Work on the street railway began in 1907 when a large steam traction engine started plowing up West Mountain Avenue. The street barn and power house were built at North Howes and Cherry Streets.

Lindell Mills, the pioneer flourmill of Cache la Poudre was destroyed by fire at a loss of $60,000 in 1886.

On this date in 1918, the streetcars stopped running on the streets of Fort Collins. The D & I had gone into financial receivership.

The birthdate of William C. Stover (b. 1841). He established the Poudre Valley Bank and represented Larimer County as a delegate to the convention in 1875-76 that drew up the State Constitution.

In 1883 the Windsor Hotel was reopened with Burt Williams and T.J. Manley, proprietors.

In 1905 Wellington organized a circulating library with a membership of 35. The books were to be kept in the Cooper Drug Store.

The Honorable Harris Stratton celebrated the 40th year of his existence in Cache La Poudre Valley in 1905. He left Kansas in May 1865 and was 45 days crossing the plains, reaching Fort Collins on July 12. Aside from the military post, which was established the previous year, there was little of what is now the bustling county seat of Larimer County. Auntie Stone was building a log hotel but it was not finished until sometime later. The hotel was later moved to the corner of Mountain and Mason Street and became part of the old Commercial Hotel.

In 1893 the City Council granted a franchise to the Colorado Telephone Company to build a line connecting City Hall with the water works pump house for use in case of fire when greater pressure was required.

In 1904 W.F. Watrous’ losses following the flood and the storm exceeded $1,000. He stated that he had nothing left to keep him at home and thought he would just go fishing.

In 1899 ground was broken for a schoolhouse to be built at the corner of Remington and Olive Streets, the building to be ready for occupancy for the first of September. Mr. Herman Schrader was the contractor.

In 1914 Fort Collins celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding following a Poudre River flood which inundated Camp Collins on the site of Antoine Janis’ original homestead west of LaPorte in June 1864. The program included a banquet for local pioneers in a large tent at LaPorte and North Howes Street and a pioneer campfire with a prize for the earliest settler present.

In 1899 Dr. Sol Bock, State Veterinarian, was in Fort Collins to look after some horses that were afflicted with glanders. He ordered the animals killed and the barn in which they had been kept burned.

In 1899 the Chicago Drovers’ Journal reported, “Fort Collins intends to be famous for something besides fat lambs and has started to make a mark at calf feeding. May success attend the new move.”

In 1902 the library board received notice from Mr. Andrew Carnegie, wealthy industrialist, promising $10,000 for the construction of a library building. The amount was later raised to $12,500.

In 1905 Madame Marie LaFitte purchased 218 Jefferson from T.C. Brolliar, who was a miller at the Lindell mills. The purchase price was $1,500.

This date in 1911 marked the beginning of the Union Pacific Railroad.

In 1898 Miss Jean Belsher, teaching of music in the public schools, had been appointed instructor in “Methods in Teaching Public School Music” in the 2nd district Normal Institute of Larimer, Weld and Boulder Counties. She taught one hour each day and was paid $6 per hour, which the paper claimed, showed you how highly her services were valued.

In 1898 round trip train tickets from Greeley, Fort Collins, Loveland and Windsor to Boulder were $1. From Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville and Burns Junction, they were only 50 cents.

In 1902 S.A. McIntyre and C.W. Eddy, who had been in partnership killing wolves and coyotes, dissolved the firm. McIntyre will collect for the bounties. Since February 8th they had bagged 85 coyotes and wolves.

In 1902 it was reported that C.S. Phister of the Strathmore Coal Company “had the audacity to mention the matter of selling coal to some of Fort Collins’ citizens on as hot a day as July 15th. Probably the remembrance that winter was coming saved him from personal violence.”

Theodosia Ammons died in Denver in 1907 (check this).

In 1881 men employed in grading the street between College and Mason Street plowed a skeleton up on Oak Street.

In 1881 Theodore Vogel completed a new barber shop on College Avenue next to the Cornucopia Restaurant.

William F. Watrous, member of the Fort Collins Board of Trustees at the time the first waterworks system was built in 1882. On his farm northwest of Fort Collins, he pioneered the growing of fruit in this area. He also had a great influence in establishing the university, then known as Colorado Agricultural College.

Gratton Lawder married Sir Cecil Moon, a British baronet and she became Lady Catherine Moon in 1888.

In 1904 Vandewark and Atherly opened a natatorium just north of the ice plant on Jefferson Street. It was an attractive pool with five feet of distilled water, which was kept there continually except on the days set apart for the children.

In 1904 Postmaster Roberts and employees of the post office were rejoicing over the installation of an automatic stamp canceller. The machine was similar to those being installed in offices throughout the country.

In 1904 McIntosh’s Collins Cash Grocery moved to the Schroeder grocery and baking building, 162 North College where patrons were cordially welcomed.

Burglars broke into the L.W. Welch and Company store in 1881 and made off with $4.

In 1910 Senator Drake declared, “I am too fat for an extra session in August.” This was his response that he made to an inquiry as to what he thought of Governor Shafroth’s call for an extra session. “A man who carries as much flesh as I do is likely to be as ugly as the devil, if called upon to do something he doesn’t like to do during this hot weather. I’m not likely to help ‘Honest John’ half as much as I would during a regular session.” Seriously Drake commented that in his opinion the extra session was a needless extravagance.

A military escort guarding the move of a stage line south arrived in Laporte in 1862. The soldiers erected buildings for a military post created to protect the Cherokee Trail. General James Craig recommended that the post be called Camp Collins in honor of William O. Collins, in command of the 11th Ohio Calvary at Fort Laramie.

In 1884 the tunnel under Bingham Hill was completed. It cost the Pleasant Valley and Lake Canal Irrigation Company $27,000. The tunnel was a distance of nearly 1,600 feet.

It was reported in 1894 that many tourists were visiting the health resorts of Larimer County comprised of Estes Park, Cherokee Park and Zimmerman. Splendid trout fishing was reported at all three sites.

In 1902 the farmers in this vicinity to rid their fields of millions of grasshoppers were using an ingenious machine. It was made of tin, wood and wire screening. It was 16 feet long and about 2 ½ feet high. The front, which slopes outward at the bottom, was covered with tin. Below, running the full length was an opening a few inches in width and the top and back covered with wire screen. A horse was hitched to each end of the machine and driven across fields of stubble or alfalfa. The grasshoppers jumped up on the machine as it passed, strike against the sloping bin and, getting no foothold, slip down and are drawn up through the opening into the machine. One farmer, C.E. Houston, gathered 15 bushels of hoppers this way in half a day. It is the worst year for hoppers since 1898.

A reader of the 1874 Courier submitted a letter to the editor complaining of the dogs in Fort Collins. She exclaimed “there are scores of worthless curs of low degree continually roaming over the country that are of no earthly use to anyone except to keep their owners so poor that they can’t pay their taxes. It would be a commendable act if someone, say the sheriff or constable … would kill 99-100 of them.”

In 1884 Daugh and Annis received about a carload of Wheeling, West Virginia cabbage leaves and turnip tops, rolled into cylinders about the size of a lead pencil and labeled “Tobbys.” It is estimated that the gentlemen smoke about a thousand of them a month and call them good.

The Fort Collins Elks Lodge was instituted in 1902. James H. Loor, Pueblo District Attorney presided. Within one year there would be 160 members.

In 1863, 20-year-old Caspar Collins was killed at the Battle of the Platte River Bridge in Central Wyoming by an arrow that struck flush in his forehead. He was the son of Colonel W.O. Collins, for whom Fort Collins was named and that Casper, Wyoming founded near the battle site, is named in honor of the young lieutenant.

In 1907 Chautauqua opened on the college grounds. Governor Cummings spoke to the crowd on the 30th.

In 1878 formal dedication ceremonies were held at the cornerstone laying of Old Main. Old Main was originally a claim building that had been erected in 1874 to secure Fort Collins’ claim to the college. On this day in 1878, a special train of the Colorado Central Railroad brought Governor John L. Routt and other notables from Denver, Pueblo, Longmont and Boulder. They joined Fort Collins and Larimer County officials and members of fraternal and other organizations in a parade from downtown Fort Collins that preceded the dedication ceremonies. A drizzling rain fell during the parade. A metal box was placed beneath the cornerstone containing copies of the constitutions of the Colorado and the United States, copies of legislative acts pertaining to establishment of the college and copies of Masonic publications. College operations began in 1879.

In 1894 Blind Tom the Negro appeared at the Opera House. He played anything he ever heard previously from the finest compositions of Liszt, Beethoven and other great master of the efforts of local composers. He also repeats a speech he heard delivered by Stephen A. Douglas 34 year earlier.

In 1904 a new 7-ton Frick refrigerating machine was added to the equipment at the Crystal Ice Plant. This gave the plant a capacity of 12 tons of artificial ice per day. Fort Collins people were using 18 tons of ice per day and the demand was increasing at a great pace.

The 1904 Courier reported that four wild and woody Democrats including E. Trimble, J. Budrow, F. Abbott and J. Davidson left for Zimmerman’s to fish and feast on brain food in order to make ready for the fall campaign. Each took a solemn oath to let nothing stronger than branch water pass their lips while on the trip.

Sue Barton, born in 1867 in Iowa, passed away in 1935. For 17 years she was principal of Rockwood School. This school closed in the 1950’s and the name Barton was transferred to the new school.

The 1903 new Fort Collins Directory was completed and being distributed throughout the city. Messrs. Kelly and Carroll who made a census of the city’s inhabitants at the time the directory was compiled, announced that Fort Collins had 5,050 inhabitants. This was a gain of almost exactly 2,000 in three years. It was most gratifying to note that these figures surpass Greeley’s by about 300.

In 1902 F.B. Kerrick of Iowa purchased the Sanitary Steam Laundry from I.W. Trinder and will add dying, cleaning and pressing of clothes to the regular line of laundry work. He guarantees first class work in every respect.

The Aldrich Brothers, one of whom had the credit of capturing Tom Horn, the escaped convict, were well known in Fort Collins, having been here with their merry-go-round for several seasons past. The Aldrich Brothers had seen service as policemen and even though they were quiet men, knew just what to do in an emergency. It was felt that the State of Wyoming should suitably reward the plucky capturer of the noted outlaw.

In 1903 the paper reported that “the female thriller had reached Colorado.” Miss Lucy W. Evans of Omaha and Mrs. A. Douglas of Prescott who had recently sojourned to Estes Park, climbed Long’s Peak by moonlight.