discover southeast colorado 2010

8/9/2019 Discover Southeast Colorado 2010

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DISCOVERSOUTHEAST COLORADO

2010 Travel and Tourism Guidefor Southeast Colorado


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In the Begining...

Bob & Helen EmickBob & Helen EmickSteve, Don, Dave, Mike, Greg, Tim, Tam,Steve, Don, Dave, Mike, Greg, Tim, Tam,Kenny and all the Emick family are proudKenny and all the Emick family are proudto sponsor the windmill story inside.to sponsor the windmill story inside.


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TABLE OFTABLE OFTABLE OF

CONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSPage 2 ............. Colorado Welcome CenterPage 3 ........................... The Santa Fe Trail

Page 4 ......................... Pierre Auger Array

Page 7 ............ Historic sites on Your Way

Page 8 ................................ Bents Old Fort

Page 9 ................. Wondrous Canyonlands

Page 14 .............. Sand Creek Historic Site

Page 17 ................ Area History Preserved

Page 19 .............. Historic Railroad DepotsPage 20 ..................... Blowing In the Wind

Page 23 ........... Amache Internment Camp

Page 24 ....................... Birdwatching Guide

Page 26 ..................................... Fly Fishing

Page 27 .......... Boating and Fishing Guide

Page 29 .................. Camping and Hunting

Page 30 ......... Summer Bluegrass Festival

Page 32 .......................... Arts on the PlainsPage 33 .................. John Martin Reservoir

Page 34 ........................ Calendar of Events

Page 36 .......................... Church Directory

Page 37 ....................... Southeast Colorado

Lodging Guide

Page 38 ...................... Public Golf Courses

Page 39 .... Spreading Antlers Golf Course

Page 40 .............. Chambers of Commerce

No matter what your interests are, or the time ofyear, there is always plenty to do in Southeast Colorado.

Visitors and residents alike will find much to satisfytheir spirit of adventure. Nature lovers will enjoy theabundant wildlife that populates the region. Herds ofantelope and deer can be seen year round and birding

here is exceptional.Birders will find least tern, piping plover, lesserprairie chicken, snow geese, blue heron, burrowing owland lark buntings to name but a few varieties thatfrequent the region. A morning drive on a country roadwill reveal an abundance of majestic birds of preyincluding hawks and numerous nesting eagles.

History lovers will find that the descendants of thehardy souls who settled southeast Colorado have donea fine job of preserving and protecting the artifacts thattell the story of building a life in the American West.The area is home to numerous buildings that wereconstructed through programs such as the WPA and

local historians are always more than willing to provideinformation and point visitors towards the nexttantalizing bit of information.

The farms and ranches built by generations offamilies who survived the hardships of the GreatDepression and the Dust Bowl years would come toprovide the sustenance to help the nation to grow andprosper like no other. Many of those originalhomesteaders have relatives who still live and work onthe land here.

Here one can find the contrast of old and new insights like the modern windmill farms juxtaposed withantique windmills as highlighted in our feature story.

The area boasts a remarkable number of gifted artists,but is also home to carefully preserved and protectedancient cave art.

With its big sky and expansive views of the landscapeit is no wonder that so many artists, artisans, musiciansand writers make their homes here.

Whether you are here for a few days or areconsidering relocating to southeast Colorado, we hopeyou will find this guide helpful in learning about thearea.

Mary Breslin, Publisher Lamar Ledger

Cover Photo: John ContrerasCover Design: Mary Breslin

2010 Discover Southeast Colorado Page 1...
http://www.lamarledger.com/


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COLORADOCOLORADOCOLORADOWELCOME CENTERWELCOME CENTERWELCOME CENTERThe Colorado Welcome

Center in Lamar is one of the9 state welcome centers inColorado. Lamar was selectedto represent the state as a

Welcome Center site becauseit is intesected by three U.S.highways 50, 287, and 385.The center is located in ahistoric 1907 Railroad Depotwhich has twice-daily Amtrakservice between Chicago andLos Angeles.

The center is open sevendays a week from 8 a.m. to 5p.m. during winter monthsand from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. fromMemorial Day to Labor Day,and closed only on New YearsDay, Easter, Thanksgiving,and Christmas. Volunteersare available to assist travelerswith their plans and answerany questions aboutColorado.

The Colorado VacationGuides cover each region ofthe state. These will give ageneral overview of areas ofinterest and information about

each region.

Individual brochures ofspecific attractions are alsoavailable to enhance theinformation shown in theguides. There are alsobrochures covering heritagesites and museums; scenichighways and byways;galleries and performing art

locations; sports arenas, andgolf courses just to name afew.

The Welcome Center alsohas information covering allthe state parks. To enhancethis information, visitors willfind the Colorado NationalParks guide and regularcamping guides.

The Division of Wildlifesupplies hunting, boating andfishing information, includinga video about watchablewildlife and Web sites tovisiting on the ColoradoBirding Trail.

Travelers are encouragedto stop at any ColoradoWelcome Centers to planyour next vacation.

The nine ColoradoWelcome Centers, sponsored

by the state of Colorado, arelocated at main highwayentrances. Operating fundsare allocated annually by thelegislature.

In addition to the welcomecenters, the state providesfunding for informationservices and marketing,which is administered

through the Colorado Traveland Tourism Authority underthe direction of the Coloradotourism Board andDepartment of Local Affairs.

Other Welcome Centersare located at Burlington andFruita on I-70; Julesburg on I-76; Trinidad on I-25; Cortez onU.S. Highway 160; Dinosauron U.S. Highway 40; and atFort Collins on I-25.

Travelers are invited to callthe Welcome Centermanager, Judy Douglass at336 3483 for furtherinformation or assistance.

First stop on the way to discovery

Daniels ConstructionCompany, LLC

201 E. Washington St.

Lamar, CO 81052

C O M M E R C I A L R E S I D E N T I A L

Dwight Daniels719-336-2011*p719-336-9851*f

[email protected]

Page 2 2010 Discover Southeast Colorado ...


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No matter whereyou travel a rich

history awaits

THETHETHE SANTA FE TRAILSANTA FE TRAILSANTA FE TRAILThe Santa Fe Trail is a place of

history, international trade, varied

culture, and prairie grass.Nomadic tribes of Plains Indians

roamed the area of the Santa Fe Trailwith the buffalo which provided alltheir basic needs food, clothing andshelter.

Zebulon Pike received theassignment of exploring the southwestfrom President Thomas Jefferson. Pikefocused on the mountains to the west.Located almost in the middle ofColorado, Pikes Peak is one of 53

peaks over 14,000 feet. Along thismountain branch of the trail, 500,000acres of short grass prairies survive onthe semiarid land of winds and lowamounts of rainfall. At one time it wasthe largest grassland in the world.

Tens of thousand of years ago thedinosaurs crossed the Santa Fe Trail.The largest collection of mapped tracksare located here and more arediscovered all the time.

Wildflowers and yucca grow in theprairie grass, cottonwoods indicated

water and a place to rest and talk andhawks and prairie chickens stir and fly,

and the almost continual windproduces waves of sound. Deer andantelope wander the trail and thedistant cattle resemble herds of buffalo.

Before 1821, the Santa Fe Trail hadbeen a trade route for the native peopleand the Mexican traders. Early Spanishexplorers had circled to the east andwest of the trail. Commerce had begunand was expanded after Mexico tookcontrol of Santa Fe.

The trade extended from Missouri to

New York City and then to Europe.From Santa Fe the trade stretched tothe southern regions of California.Traders and trappers from the end ofthe Lewis and Clark Trail crossed theSanta Fe Trail seeing the southernshipping ports and cities.

Conestoga wagons carried basicgoods of cotton cloth, tobacco, kettlesand pots.

The Madonna of the Trial statuelocated along Lamars Main Street isone of 12 such statues erected across

the country. The statues honor thepioneer mothers who traveled west

along trails like the Santa Fe. Thestatues, inspired by an Oregon statueof Sacajawea, mark each of 12significant locations along the Old Trailacross the United States. The Madonnaof the Trail is a pioneer womanclasping her baby with her young sonclinging to her skirts. In 1911, theNational Society of Daughters of theAmerican Revolution established anational committee known as theNational Old Trails Road committee,establishing the Old Trails Road as a

great National Memorial Highway.In 1924, the plan was made to erect

12 large markers. The statues,designed by St. Louis sculptor AugustLeimback, were made of algonite stonewith the main aggregate being pinkMissouri granite. The statues stand 10feet high on top of a six foot base with afive foot foundation.

Located at the corner of Main andBeech streets in Lamar, the statue isnear the Colorado Welcome Centerand Lamar Chamber of Commerce.



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PIERRE AUGERPIERRE AUGERPIERRE AUGERARRAYARRAYARRAY

Collegeto host

internationalultra-high

energyCosmic Ray

Observatory

Lamar Community College willbecome the international hostfor 400 collaborating physicistsfrom 17 countries as the Pierre

Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory is com-

pleted in the Northern Hemispherewithin the coming decade. These scien-tists hope that in capturing the highestenergy cosmic rays for study, they willbe able to interpret these messengersfrom the extreme universe as to theirsource.

The college was chosen as the Edu-cation and Outreach Host Institute forthe Observatory in 2006 after Augerscientists selected several counties insoutheastern Colorado as the NorthernHemisphere site. When complete, this

observatory will be the largest, withproposed 4,400 surface detectorsspread over a proposed 8,000 squaremile region.

The Auger Southern Hemispheresite was completed in 2008 in the Ma-largue cattle ranching region of Mend-oza, Argentina and has been feeding in-formation to these scientists since2004. It spreads over 1,200 squaremiles and contains 1,600 surface detec-tors.

The Lamar Community College li-

brary, located in Bowman Building,Room 148, contains the interim CosmicRay Observatory Visitor Center. A dis-play depicting realtime hits from highenergy cosmic rays as they occur at the

Argentina site can be watched here.Soon, the Northern Observatory willhave administrative and scientific head-quarters as well as a permanent visitorcenter somewhere on the LCC campus.

By covering the skies of both hemi-spheres, scientists will be able to moreprecisely pinpoint the source of theseextremely high energy rays, which cur-rently remain a mystery. In the 1930s,the French physicist Pierre Auger firstdiscovered the existence of cosmic rayshowers. These showers occur when

natural ultra high energy particles ar-riving from outer-space break into bil-lions of secondary particles whenthey hit the Earths atmosphere.

Common cosmic rays which con-stantly bombard the earth with regular-ity are from sources within the MilkyWay Galaxy. These cosmic rays in-clude atomic nuclei, electrons and sub-atomic particles.

Physicists suspect that the ultra highenergy particles which travel just belowthe speed of light are coming from Ac-

tive Galactic Nuclei from outside ourgalaxy. The nearest AGN is 11 millionlight years from Earth, a galaxy calledCentaurus A. There are thousands ormillions of galaxies that could be re-

sponsible for sending the particles ofmost interest to scientists, so a methodof pinpointing their source in reverse isneeded.

Scientists hope to learn more aboutthe particle type, energy and incidentdirection of primary cosmic rays withenergies greater than 10 X 19 electronvolts (eV). The ultra high energy cos-mic rays subject to this purely scientificstudy rocket in with incredible energyabout 800 times per year, and at a ratemillions of times higher than the

worlds most powerful particle accelera-tors can produce. Recent findings sug-gest the secret may lie in galaxies withmassive, active black holes in their cen-ters. However, much more informationis needed to verify this idea.

Scientists from Europe, Australia,South America and the United Statesare studying ultra high energy rays in-directly by observing the showers ofsecondary particles utilizing completely

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enclosed fiberglass tanks fitted with in-terior mirrors and filled with purifiedwater. A bladder lining separates the fi-berglass from the water and mirrors.

The 3,000 gallon tanks are fitted withdata collecting devises and GPS unitsthat will transfer the incoming informa-tion to a central location at the scientif-ic center at Lamar Community College,when completed. This process of inqui-ry is currently being used at the Mend-oza, Argentina Observatory. During ashower event, the particles reflect afaint flash of light which are picked upby the detectors lining the tank.

Demonstration tanks made in Brazil,can be seen from the road at the Ad-ministration Building on the Lamar

Community College campus and at theBent County fairgrounds. An additionaldemonstration tank is planned for atthe Kiowa County courthouse in Eads.

The proposed 4.400 tanks, called anarray, would be spread over as many as8,000 square miles in southeast Colo-rado. Currently the proposal includes

portions of the counties of Baca, Prow-ers, Bent, Kiowa and Cheyenne whichcollectively presented the best skies,terrain, geography and altitude interms of being a suitable site. Partici-pating landowners agree to these tankspositioned on their property for the du-ration of the scientific study, expected

to continue approximately 25 years.

In addition to the array of tanks, sci-entists also will use sets of highly sensi-tive atmospheric fluorescence tele-scopes to observe the dim ultravioletglow particle showers created in the at-mosphere on clear, moonless nights.For example, a set of four fluorescencetelescopes would be used to augmentinformation about the growth and de-cay of the extensive cosmic ray airshower recorded by the detectors in

the tanks. 39 fluorescence telescopesare being proposed for use in theNorthern Hemisphere site. 24 are oper-ational in Argentina.

The Colorado Coalition for CosmicRay Research team includes scientistsfrom Colorado State University (Ft.Collins and Pueblo campuses) and the

Colorado School of Mines and Lamar

Community College.

Dr. John Harton, Professor of Parti-

cle Astrophysics, CSU, Ft. Collins coor-

dinates the Colorado team as well as

serves as liaison with the other institu-

tions around the world.

Southeast Colorado Enterprise De-

velopment, Inc. (SECED) worked to

bring the Observatory to the region

and Executive Director, Dan Tate, con-

tinues to act in a multi-county coordi-

nating capacity for this project. LCC

Outreach Education Coordinator, Leon-ard Pruett, works with the public,schools and landowners in relation tothis project.

Very soon, regional K-12 school chil-

dren and community college studentswill have many unique opportunities tolearn first-hand about specializedworld-class research regarding the im-pact of ultra-high energy from outerspace. To learn more as the project pro-

gresses, refer to www.auger.com andwww.lamarcc.edu.

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HISTORIC SITESHISTORIC SITESHISTORIC SITES ON YOURWAYON YOURWAYON YOURWAYAmity A Social

Experiment

Five miles west of Holly theSalvation Army created thetownof Amity one of threetowns in the United Statescreated as a 19th centurysocial experiment. Thethought was to move innercity poor to a wholesomerural environment where theycould earn a living byfarming. Each head of familywas given 10 acres of land tofarm. The town was locatedon the south side of Highway

50 where a sand and gravelbusiness operates today.

The experiment started in1898. In 1908 the Amity bankwas robbed by Henry Starr nephew of outlaw Belle Starr and Kid Wilson in a semi-comic set of circumstances

which had the robbersherding the entire town to theriverbank so the law could notbe alerted through the use ofthe one telephone in town.But as a social experimentAmity failed, despite aglowing report by H. RiderHaggard in his book ThePoor and the Land. Heavydeposits of alkali salted theformer swampland, makingfarming difficult. In 1909 the

town was sold to real estatespeculators and theexperiment ended.

Carlton still acommunity

Twelve miles east of Lamara grain storage unit alongside

railroad tracks, a small signand a private house alongsideHighway 50 are the onlyobvious signs that a townnamed Carlton once thrivedthere. At one time Carltonclaimed a livery stable, asaloon, a hotel, a newspaper,two general stores and severalresidences, but that was in1887.

Like many frontiercommunities, Carlton has its

desperado story. OnThanksgiving Day, 1902,Carltons Post Office andgeneral store were robbed ofguns, ammunition, bolts ofcloth and $62.10 in moneyorders among other loot.Sheriff Frank Tate and Under

sheriff J.H. Frisbie trackedthe robbers, later identified asCherokee Bill Smith, andbrothers Sam and Bill Martin,alias Sam and Bill Stanley. In

a gun battle Tate waswounded and died thefollowing year. In Decemberof 1906 Frisbie was gunneddown on the streets of Lamar.Cherokee Bill was latercaptured and the Martinbrothers were gunned downthe following August inOklahoma with a $12,000dead or alive price on theirheads.

Though the fortunes of

Carlton waned as a town, thefarmers and ranchers of thearea remain a close-knitcommunity and some of thedescendants of the originalsettlers of that area still live inProwers County and in theCarlton area.

Everywhere you travela rich history awaits



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BENTSBENTSBENTS OLD FORTOLD FORTOLD FORTExperience life on the Santa Fe Trail

A

s you approach thegate, you smell the

aroma of acottonwood

campfire. Entering the plaza,you hear the clang of theblacksmiths hammer on ananvil. You are greeted by aguide in 19th century garbmuddied with adobe.Welcome to 1846! Welcometo Bents Old Fort!

Bents Old Fort NationalHistoric Site, located eightmiles east of La Junta on

Highway 194, preserves thesite and story of a famoustrading post. The fort wasone of the significant centersof the fur trade on the SantaFe Trail, influencingeconomies around the world.Originally built by brothersCharles and William Bentand their business partnerCeran St. Vrain in 1833, thepost was the center of theleading industry west of the

Mississippi in the early1830s. For 16 years, Bent, St.Vrain and Companymanaged a prosperoustrading empire.

The fort was located onthe Arkansas River, theinternational boundarybetween two countries,Mexico on the south side of

the river, and the UnitedStates on the north.

Strategically located on anestablished road, the forthelped pave the way for the

occupation of the West by

the U.S. Army during the

war with Mexico, and was an

instrument of manifest

destiny.

By 1849, the trade whichhad made Bents Fort

prosper was deteriorating.Local bison populations werein decline, cottonwoodgroves were wiped out, andthe lives of the PlainsIndians had been disruptedby trade and the growingstream of settlers, gold-seekers, and soldiers duringand after the Mexican-American War.

Clashes with the PlainsTribes had become more

frequent, cholera wassweeping the area, andWilliam Bents first wife andthree brothers had died.

Today, Bents Fort isreborn; faithfullyreconstructed by theNational Park Service on itsoriginal site. Visitors cantake a self-guided or guidedtour, view the documentaryfilm and visit WesternNational Parks Association

Book Store. Special eventsinclude the Santa Fe TrailCaravan in May, LivingHistory Encampment inJune, Kids Quarters July,Fur Trade EncampmentMid-October , and theTraditional HolidayCelebration the first week inDecember.

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Mountainbike, hike

orhorseback

ridethrough

fantasticwondersof nature

WONDROUSWONDROUSWONDROUS CANYONLANDSCANYONLANDSCANYONLANDSBy Barbara Preskorn

Prairie grassland ecosystem

The Comanche National Grasslandconsists of vast open agricultural and

natural grassland spaces and anextensive network of beautiful canyons.The canyons are located in remote areaswhere archaeological sites abound. TheU. S. Forest Service oversees protectionof both the fragile soil and the culturalresources in what has grown to be450,000 acres divided into two units.

Many of the sections of grasslandseen today were born of the Dust Bowlera when many farmers and rancherssimply could not continue to attempt toraise crops and livestock against the

odds of persistent drought, dust rollersand economic depression. 10,000 foothigh dirt and sand storms, dubbedblack blizzards, rolled through theregion regularly for several years,turning rich top soil to gritty dust thatcan still be found along a few fence lines.

After encouraging homesteaders forseveral wet decades prior to the 1930s tocultivate 160 acre sections in easternColorado, the U. S. Department ofAgriculture in the mid-1930s beganpurchasing these sections. The federal

government had not learned about

drought cycles until one coincided with anational economic depression, whichmade it doubly hard for those livinghere.

Much work had to be done to stabilizeand restore soil from past practices. Ithad to be revegetated for land uses thatwould sustain it over time. Farmers whostayed on their land also began using

various soil conservation techniques.

The U. S. Forest Service hasjurisdiction over two units, the CarrizoUnit in Baca and Las Animas countiesand the Timpas Unit in Otero and LasAnimas counties. They manage domesticlivestock grazing on the prairie and carefor numerous Indian archaeological andhistorical homestead sites that are foundprimarily in the canyons.

The land is still in recovery. Grazingcattle have replaced bison, butpronghorn, deer and elk continue tograze the short and mid-tall grassesthroughout the High Plains.

Grazing is important to keeping fuelfor prairie fires low.

Lightening can start prairie fires thatgrow and move quickly if windconditions are right. Properly managing

and maintaining a healthy andsustainable grassland and canyonecosystem is important to the plants,wildlife, domestic animals and theculture of the people making the regiontheir home.

Canyon gems

Colorful and extensive canyons existalong the many tributaries of theCimmaron and Purgatoire (Purgatory)Rivers. Conditions ideal to promotehuman activities were created by

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protective canyon walls withnumerous well-positionedsprings and seeps wheregroundwater surface. Thisecosystem now providesprotective cover and water forthe plentiful wildlife and

hundreds of species of birds,ample trees and grasses.Humans have been attractedto this network of canyons forwhat is estimated to be asmany as 11,000 years.

Accessing remoteareas

Several of these ComancheGrassland canyons aremaintained for publicrecreational and educational

uses. The U. S. Forest Serviceadvises visitors to prepare fortheir treks into these remoteareas.

Safety and natural resourcemanagement are of concern.Visitors are advised to consultwith either the Springfield orthe La Junta offices for

current conditions beforeembarking onto trails. Adetailed map of theComanche NationalGrassland is available forpurchase. Weatherconditions, availability ofwater, proper equipment andunderstanding of travel

management rules need to bereviewed. Cell phones worksometimes on top of mesas,but rarely in the canyons.

Photography of rock art isdifficult where lightconditions do not createshadows, so having a sketchnotebook is recommended.Using a sky filter and alower f-stop is sometimeshelpful as is photographingfrom a slight angle. Do not

touch or mark the rock art inanyway, as it is illegal.

Vandalism is occurring atan increasing rate as areasbecome more accessible. Themost common types ofdamage are done with paint,scratched graffiti and

gunshot. All culturalresources on public lands areprotected by law, please helpthe U. S. Forest Serviceprotect the past. Signs ofrecent vandalism should bereported immediately.

Picket Wire Canyon

Along the Purgatoire River35 miles southwest of LaJunta in the Picket Wire area,points of interest extend fromthe Jurassic Period 150million years ago to therecent past whenhomesteaders establishedranches and cultivatedgardens and crops. Becausethe area is rich withprehistoric Indianarchaeological sites, access is

limited and no facilities areprovided.The day trip from the

Withers Canyon Trailhead tothe largest number ofdinosaur tracks in thecountry, is approximately 11miles round trip, with hillyterrain. (William J. Withers

managed part of the JJ Ranchdivision of the Prairie CattleCompany, located between LaJunta and Las Animas alongthe Purgatoire River from1882 to 1917.) No overnightcamping is allowed.

It is important to be insufficient physical condition to

manage extremes in weather.Proper equipment, includingfirst aid supplies, ampledrinking water and insectrepellant is essential. Bootsand long pants are highlyrecommended, packing shoesfor crossing the river which isnecessary to see the dinosaurtracks.

Rock art

Prevalent in the miles of

rock walls above thePurgatoire, rock art locationshave not been disclosed forprotective reasons. The U. S.Forest Service 4-wheel drivetour offered in spring and fallof each year, does sometimes

CONTINUED ON 11

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make one stop at animportant rock art site.Reservations can be made bycalling 719.384.2181. Moreinformation can be found atwww.fs.fed.us and click on tofind a forest or grassland.

Many classic animal andabstract designs are depictedas well as what appear to becounting or record-keepinggrids and meandering lines.Rock art in this area arealmost exclusivelypetroglyphs pecked or etchedinto rock usually heavilycoated with brown iron-colored patina, allowing thelighter rock color to showthrough. When the art isolder, new patina has grownover the fresh rock cutsmaking them harder todetect.

Because intent is oftenhard to prove, researcherscan only speculate aboutpurposes and meaning ofcertain glyphs or alignmentsof shadows on those glyphs.A large 20 foot high rock thatis split apart and surrounded

with petroglyphs around bothsections is located in anorthern inaccessible portionof Picket Wire. It is possiblethat this rock also containsseasonal time-telling potential.It has been noted that a spotof light from a small crackmoves across the interiorsurfaces coming to rest on thefourth of four pecked parallel

lines at sundown on a certainday of the year.

Dinosaur tracks

Where 1,300 dinosaurtracks are presently located atthe rivers edge, apatosaurusand allosaurus were the mostprevalent dinosaurs at theedge of a very large lake in atropical savannah

environment 150 million yearsago. As these dinosaurswalked along the muddyshore, they left footprints thateventually became coveredover and turned to stone withsubsequent pressures on thesandy mud. Because of theextensiveness of the tracks,scientists can learn aboutsocial behavior among the

dinosaurs. Brontosaurus arealso known to frequent theregion during the JurassicPeriod.

Mission Cemetery

The trail passes by theHispanic Delores MissionCemetery that containsseveral headstones and theremains of a church. There is

evidence of garden cropsbeing grown so a smallcommunity was present close-by.

Rourke Ranch

The U. S. Forest Servicetour also stops at the 19thcentury Rourke Ranch,currently being refurbished asa destination for interested

members of the public. It islisted on the National Registerof Historic Places. For awhile, it was part of theArmys Pinon CanyonManeuver Site until theyturned it over to the U. S.Forest Service in 1977.

A interpretive kioskdescribes the life of the Irishemigrant Eugene Rourke

family members who livedhere. In 1871 Mr. Rourkeclaimed a 40-acre homesteaddeed. Through years ofhardship, they succeeded inestablishing one of the largestranches in southeastColorado.

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Santa Fe Trail

To the west of PictureCanyon around thecommunity of Timpas, wagonwheel ruts provide evidenceof the Santa Fe TrailMountain Route (1821-1880)

used until the steamlocomotive reached Santa Fe.Two other routes passthrough the ComancheGrassland, the Aubry Cutoffeast of Campo (1850-1860)and the Granada-Ft. UnionMilitary Route, west andnorth of Kim (1872-1874).This route crosses Highway287/385 about 20 miles northof Springfield. Whereevidence of these trails can be

found, the spot is marked bylimestone posts.

Carrizo Canyon

The east fork of the CarrizoCreek flows through thissmall canyon graced byjuniper and cottonwood.Images of mountain sheep,elk and a deer withfantastically-branched antlers,have been pecked into thecanyon walls where trees and

vegetation provide cover.Carrizo Canyon contains awonder array of grasses fedby springs and seeps, makingthe short loop trail verypicturesque.

Covered picnic tables andrestrooms are available and itis a good choice for travelerswho have only a few hours toenjoy the richness of thewildlife and Indian culturealong Carrizo Creek.

Birds are easily spotted andobserved. The allusive LarkBunting, Colorados state birdis known to be in the regionduring summer months.Known for its wonderful songand distinctive solid blueblack color with a single whitepatch along each wing it iswonderful to watch in flight.The attractive yellow-breastedwestern kingbird, a flycatcher,also frequents the area.

Carrizo Canyon isaccessible from Highway

287/385, by turning west justnorth of Campo onto CountyRoad M, and traveling 22miles on this well maintained

gravel road. However, in wetconditions any of the unpavedroads can become slipperyand difficult to navigate,making 4-wheel drivepreferred if wet weather ispossible. County Road 10goes north to paved Highway160 near Pritchett.

Picture Canyon

This well known canyon is

accessible along the sameCounty Road M, but turnsouth at 8 miles. A sign willindicate proceeding onCounty Road 18 for another 8miles to the Picture Canyonsign, again turning south ontoForest Service Road 533.

On the right just afterturning, watch the top of thesecond hill for signs ofintentionally placed largerrocks. This is the location

where train robber Black JackKetchums gang ambushed

the posse from Folsom, NewMexico chasing them.Although Black Jack got awayon this occasion, he was

caught later and hung. Thisgang also robbed wagontrains and local ranchers, somany people were unhappywith Black Jack!

Please sign the registry inthe parking area. In less thana mile, a trail leads to the rockart area on the east wall. Twoiconic figures on the DakotaSandstone picture rock wall,the warrior and the horse, aregood examples of wherepictographs and petroglyphsare found together. Thesedepictions were highlightedwith black pigment. On closeinspection, faint lines abovethe horse may indicateteepees. An antelope and apig were created in redpigment farther down on thesame wall.

The figure of a woman,with many circles across the

chest and belly, is one of themost fascinating of all images

depicted among this extensivecollection. It is assumed thatmost of the rock art here wascreated during the 17th orearly 18th century by PlainsIndians.

The U. S. Forest Serviceprovides occasional tours tothis wall of pictures. Check

with the Springfield officeabout tour availability bycalling 719.523.6591. Theirbus tours to Crack Cave, 3/4mile from the Picture Canyonparking area on the days ofthe spring and the fallequinoxes, arrive directly atthe site before sunrise.

The cave contains hatchmarks that some researchersfind strongly resemble Ogam,of European origin.

Anthropologists have notfound collaborating evidencethat Europeans actuallyvisited this region. The marksare clearly delineated withlight as the sun rises on thesetwo days each year.

Lush riparian habitat andthe areas perennial springsallowed for a semi-permanentliving environment forindigenous peoples. Teepeerings, rocks of certain size

found in deliberately placedcircular formations, have beenlocated on the mesa above thecanyon by scientists, but nonehave been designated forpublic viewing.

Many undocumenteddinosaur tracks are reportedto exist in the rocks above thecanyon. Abundant plantfossils including stems, twigs,cones and the first floweringplants are also found within

the layers of rock in PictureCanyon.

Vogel Canyon

The eastern most trail inVogel Canyon winds alongover rocky pinon-coveredterrain with rock walls withinviewing distance. The easyalternative trail, directly southfrom the parking area, is level,wide and well-maintained andleads to the canyon overlook.

CONTINUED ON 13



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It is handicap accessible.Either route on this

interpretive trail can take thevisitor to two springs at thebase of a high rock wall onthe east side of the canyon,where an abundance of rock

art also can be viewed. Onelarge animal figure isprominent in the northernoverhang and abstractdesigns and symbols aredepicted. Some of the rock arthere is over 1,000 years oldand fragile.

When in bloom the flora ofthis canyon is spectacular.The remains of the foundationof an old stone homesteadhouse can be explored.

Unique rock formationsabound.During the 1870s a spur off

the Santa Fe Trail wasdeveloped by the Barlow andSanderson Mail and StageLine. Sections of the

stagecoach road and ruins ofthe station can still be foundon the much longer outer trailloop west of the campground.Access to this loop is

noticeable on the road intothe parking area.

Vogel Canyon is accessibleby traveling 13 miles southfrom La Junta on Highway109, then west onto County

Road 802 for 1.5 miles, southon Forest Service Road 505Afor 1.5 miles to the parkinglot. Vogel Canyon picnic areahas beautiful camp sites,separated from each other.Covered picnic tables andrestroom facilities areavailable. When returning to

Highway 109 a turn southtoward Kim passes throughmore scenic canyons forabout 15 miles.

Baca County WPAself-guided tour

A brochure whichhighlights a few of thehundreds of Works ProgressAdministration (WPA)projects in Baca County withdirections to their locations isavailable at many locations,including the Two Buttes andSpringfield Museums and theU. S. Forest Service office inSpringfield.

The opportunity to work

saved many families from

having to move on. A letter at

the Two Buttes Museum from

one worker from Walsh

expresses appreciation for

being able to participate in

building the Two Buttes

gymnasium.

Bridges, public buildings,gymnasiums and schools

were built between 1935 and

1940 in primarily Baca and

Prowers counties in Colorado

to help the region recover

economically from

devastating drought

conditions and many are still

in use. Simple and functional,

they remain excellent

examples of stone masonry

where workers had little or noprevious training. Large hand

saws for two and hammer and

chisel were the primary tools

used to cut local stone to

shape.

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SAND CREEKSAND CREEKSAND CREEK HISTORIC SITEHISTORIC SITEHISTORIC SITE

Located in Kiowa

County, the Sand

Creek Massacre

Historic Site pro-

vides some insight into oneof the most infamous inci-

dents in the history of the

settlement of the American

west.

Its victims numbered in

the hundreds. Cheyenne and

Arapaho survivors were dis-

placed, relocated to Indian

Territory. Its aftermath in-

cluded congressional investi-

gations, bitter critics, and

staunch defenders, repri-sal, revenge, the mustering

out of a Colonel and the res-

ignation of a Governor.

Sand Creek also gave rise

to a new generation of feder-al Indian policies, new trea-

ties at the Little Arkansas

and Medicine Lodge and

the next generation of fight-

ers and fights: Beecher Is-

land, Washita, Summit

Springs, Palo Duro Canyon,Sappa Creek, and the Little

Big Horn.

Sand Creek is among our

nations most profound his-toric places. The event re-

mains a powerful, and tosome, sacred symbol of sac-rifice and struggle.

A Colorado Territorygrew, so to did the tensionand fear between settlers

and native tribes. The set-tlers desire for land andprosperity was confronted bynations who lived, hunted,and traveled across the same

areas. Negotiations betweenleaders governors, agentsand officers on one-side,chiefs and headmen on theother, failed. A reservation

established in 1861 was in-sufficient for the nomadic

Cheyenne and Arapaho. Thearea was but a fraction of

what had been promised ten

years earlier. The seeds of

conflict began in 1864 with

the murder of Cheyenne

Chief, Lean Bear. In addi-

tion, the burning of several

Cheyenne camps by Colo-rado cavalrymen near the

South Platte, and claims thattroops had initiated conflict

near a place called Fre-

monts Orchard foreshad-

owed war. By June, the mur-

ders of the Hungate family

near Denver and lingering

fears of Indian attacks like

those at New Ulm, Minneso-

ta which had claimed hun-

dreds of lives, increased ten-

sion among pioneers and

Colorado officials. Assur-ances of amnesty for friend-

ly tribesmen were tempered

by a proclamation to kill

and destroy hostiles. By

summer, war would erupt

across the plains of Nebras-

ka, Kansas, and Colorado. A

September sojourn by Chiefs

to meet with Colorado Gov-

ernor Evans and Colonel

Chivington accomplished

little. Soon, the recruitmentof additional volunteers be-

gan farmers, printers,miners, clerks, politicians,

gamblers, and even an actor

heeded the call.

On November 24, 1864, a

force of some 600 troops un-

der the command of Colonel

John Chivington, mostly vol-

unteers who had been

chided as the Bloodless

Third Regiment, began a

ride from Camp Fillmore to-

wards Fort Lyon, some 120miles down the Arkansas

River. At Lyon, the expedi-

tion was joined by an addi-

tional battalion.

Boots and Saddles was

sounded on the evening of

November 28. An all night

ride brought the volunteers

to Sand Creek. Here, at

dawn, the troops got their

first sight of the camps of

CONTINUED ON 15

At the dedication of the Sand Creek Massacre Historic Site in 2007 dignitaries such as

former Colorado Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell spoke to the crowd that assembled for the

event. Ceremonies included various tribal songs and drum circles.

Site commemorates historic1864 massacre



17/43


Black Kettle, White Ante-lope, Left Hand, and otherleaders. Within moments, abarrage of arms fire andhowitzer bombardment wasleveled against the Chey-enne and Arapaho. The

tribes used driftwood andunderbrush as defense whileothers crawled into pits dugalong the banks of SandCreek. Big Head, HowlingWolf, Spotted Horse, andother small groups of warri-ors fought the troops in sev-eral desperate struggles nearthe creek.

Later, groups of volunteerscontinued to pursue Chey-

enne and Arapaho for sever-al miles up Sand Creek. Byafternoon, about 160 of thetribes lay dead, the majoritywomen and children.

Before departing theBloody Third ransackedand burned the village. Doz-ens of wounded troopers andtheir dead comrades weretaken to Fort Lyon for careand burial. Here, protesta-tions against the attack werelodged by some officers andcivilians sparking bitterindignation that would con-tinue for years.

A native of Pennsylvania,Shoup commanded the 3rdColorado Regiment at SandCreek.

Questions about the attack

and claims of atrocities led toCongressional investiagionsand military inquiry. Thesetook testimony from dozens

of eyewitnesses and ac-cepted depositions from oth-ers. Controversy arose assome veterans, like Lieuten-ant Joseph Cramer and Cap-tain Silas Soule, bitterly con-demned the attack, citing itsghastly scene and brutalities.On December 14, Soulewrote, I refused to fire andswore that none but a cow-ard would, for by this time

hundreds of women and chil-dren were coming towardsus and getting on theirknees for mercy$ My compa-ny was the only one thatkept their formation, and wedid not fire a shot. Soulewas alter murdered on thestreets of Denver.

Others, including Colonel

Chivington, Major HarryRichmond, stoutly defendedthe attack. Volunteers anx-ious to restore honor andreputation, referred to them-selves as the Vindicators.One, Sergeant Stephen De-catur, penned, We are notviolators of the flags of truce!

We are not the cowards whowould massacre disarmedprisoners of war! Nor thevain braggarts to bring hometrophies of a battle with de-fenseless and already subju-gated enemies$We are menwho proved our manhood bygoing out in defense of all wehold dear. We are Ameri-cans, who love the flag offreedom, and we believe that

we honored and did not dis-grace that flag at the battle ofSand Creek.

White Antelope and Yel-low Wolf, venerated Chey-enne Chiefs, were two ofmany leaders to perish atSand Creek. Others includedLone Bear, Warbonnet,Standing Water, Heap ofCrows, Black Wolf, and BearRobe. A list of 112 SandCreek Heads of Families wastranslated and complied bythe United States in 1865.The list includes killed,wounded, and uninjured.The names of additional vic-tims, particularly babies,children and women, areharder to ascertain andthe difficult task of identifica-tion continues.

The Sand Creek MassacreNational Historic Site will beopen daily, 9 a.m. 4 p.m.The site will remain on thisschedule through November30. We will close for the sea-son on December 1. The sitecurrently contains approxi-mately 2385 acres. There is34 mile walking trail fromthe visitor parking area tothe monument. At this time,there is no access beyondthe trail.

There is no entrance fee tovisit the Sand Creek Massa-cre National Historic Site.

Please call the park at 719438 5916 for additional in-formation, or visit our web-

site at www.nps.gov/sand.The Sand Creek Massacre

is located in Kiowa CountyColorado. To visit the site,follow Colorado State High-way 96 east off Highway 287near Eads, or west off High-way 385 at Sheridan Lake.Near Chivington, turn northonto County Road 54, or atBrandon, turn north ontoCounty Road 59. Followthese roads to their intersec-tions with County Road W.The park entrance is alongCR W a mile east (right) ofCR 54 or several miles west(left) of CR 59. CautionLarge Vehicles and Motorcy-clists: There is approxi-mately eight (8) miles ofdirt/sand roads leading tothe site.

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19/43

AREA HISTORYAREA HISTORYAREA HISTORY PRESERVEDPRESERVEDPRESERVEDBig Timbers Museum

Prowers Countys BigTimbers Museum is locatedat the western edge of thecounty on U.S. Highway 50just North of the city ofLamar.

The red brick buildingwas built j 1929 as anAmerican Telephone andTelegraph (AT&T) transferstation and contains many of

the solidly constructedfeatures of a building meantfor industrial use.

The exhibits reflect wellthe ranching and agriculturallives of those who settled inthe region. Saddles, barbedwire, arrowheads and stoneartifacts are included in theimpressive collection. An

early telephone switchboard,medical and dental tools andother glimpses of 19th into20th century life are all partof this museums manyartifacts.

Even more rare is anexhibit of framed World WarI posters in mint conditionswhich display the artistry offamous early 20th centuryillustrators. The collection of35 posters is believed to bethe largest of its kind outsideof the Smithsonian Museum.The collection is shown in

the Weldon Green Room ofthe museum, also know asWar Room because of themany items brought home toProwers County from battlesas old as the Civil War and

the Spanish American Warand as recent as DesertStorm. A rare confederatebattle flag believed to haveflown at Vicksburg in 1863and an American battle flagrecently flown on ahelicopter mission in Iraqare among the War roomtreasures.

The museum underwent a

top-to-bottom renovation in2007 and exhibits are nowarranged in categories tofacilitate easy viewing.

The museums extensivecollection includes artifactsfrom the infamous ProwersCounty bank robbery by theFleagle Gang, Holiday on Iceskater Jinx Clark who wasborn in Lamar and laterretired here and a

newspaper archive datingback to the early 1900s.

A nominal fee is chargedto tour the museum. Furtherinformation about themuseum, including currentevents, and hours ofoperation is available at the

CONTINUED ON 18

Area museums workto conserve regionstreasures

1001 N. Main, Lamar, CO719-336-9049

John Adams, Owner

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20/43


museums We sitebigtimbersmuseum.org.

Kit Carson Museum

The Kit Carson Museumis located in the southeastcorner of Las Animas. Turn

south on Highway 101 andyou will see the long whitebarrack style building that isthe entrance to the building.

As you enter the museum,your eyes focus on dinosaurtracks, mounted buffalohead, black and whiteportraits of William Bent andOwl Woman. This room tellsyou what will follow inindividual rooms displayingthe history of the area.

The museum is one of theGerman prisoner of warbarracks and each room isunique with artifacts fromthe mid 1800s to late 1900s.One room shows manydifferent styles of phones aswell as a switchboard.

You may enjoy the farm

implement room. Thee isthe Spanish room with avery unusual rug that is

thought to have the woolpounded together ratherthan weaved.

The last room in themuseum is dedicated toLlewellyn Thompson,Ambassador to Russiaduring the Cuban crisis.

Presidents he served andplaces he had been aredisplayed throughout the

room as well as hisscrapbooks.

Pike advised thePresident in 1805. Thompson advisedPresidents of the mid 1900s.The history of both can beseen at the Kit Carson

Museum in Las Animas.

Kiowa CountyHistorical Museum

Kiowa County HistoricalMuseum can be found at1313 Maine in Eads. Theyare open afternoons from

May through September.The museum housesartifacts from the Easternplains.

The Towner bus tragedyhappened near here. Youcan see one side of a similarbus the children rode in toattend school. On March 26,1931, 20 children and theirbus driver started homefrom school but becamestranded for 33 hours during

a snowstorm. Six did notsurvive. Their tale is toldhere.

A banking section hasvarious banking machineson display. Ledgers from thebank were saved and remainat the museum.

http://www.legacyatlamar.com/http://www.valleynationallamar.com/


21/43

HISTORICHISTORICHISTORIC RAILROADDEPOTSRAILROADDEPOTSRAILROADDEPOTSThe railroad and the

depots that served the tracksplayed a major role in thedevelopment of southeasternColorado.

The Lamar brick Santa FeDepot also features thecountry seat architectureand closely resembles theGarden City, Ks., depot andthe Las Animas depot. Todaythe Lamar depot stillfunctions as a depot and alsohouses the Lamar Chamberof Commerce and WelcomeCenter. It has beenhistorically restored topreserve its architecturalfeatures. Also on thegrounds is a retired Santa Felocomotive and a park forpicnics and wherecommunity events are held.

When manual signalswere the standard,frequently second-hand

carbodies were put to use as

station facilities, waiting

rooms, freight offices and

operators quarters. Where

towns were establishes,

small frame depots were

built or moved in and most

of them reflected the

architectural features of the

larger brick Santa Fe

structures. As these frame

stations were small, agentquarters where usually asmall addition to the rear ofthe depot of located in acomer of the freight room.Bristol, Hast, Wiley,McClave and Fort Lyon wereexamples of this type ofstation.

Santa Fe Railroad key todevelopment in the region

TheTheNatural ApothecaryNatural ApothecaryMarplesMarplesCountry MarketCountry Market101 N. 4th Lamar, CO101 N. 4th Lamar, CO719-336-4001719-336-40011 b lock ea st o f Main S t.1 block east of Main St.

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[email protected]



22/43

BLOWINGBLOWINGBLOWING IN THE WINDIN THE WINDIN THE WIND

Emick familycreating regionalwindmill legacy

By Barbara Preskorn

Special for the Lamar Ledger

The community of La-mar and the travel-ing public are treat-ed each Holiday

Season to three unique andcolorfully decorated wind-mills along Main Street. TheRobert Emick family mem-bers share their enthusiasmfor antique windmills throughmagical lights and beautifullylandscaped grounds.

The multi-generational Em-ick family cattle ranch located26 miles south of Lamar isnow home for 98 wind power-generation turbines andabout two dozen antiqueAmerican style windmills.

Their cattle graze on theshort grass prairie unper-turbed by the presence oflooming wind power

generators overhead, silentexcept for the hum made asthe gigantic blades slicethrough the air.

Regarding the addition ofthe Colorado Green wind tur-bines that stretch either sideof Highway 287/385 at thefamily ranch a few years ago,Mr. Emick is happy to be ableto finally put the persistentwinds on his ranch to gooduse.

My uncle homesteadedthis ranch, and he managedto survive during the windy

dirt and sand storms of the1930s Dust Bowl era, whichhit this area particularlyhard. Robert Emick workedon his uncle Aaron Hassersranch during the 1950s andpurchased it in 1968.

American WindmillTrade Association

Robert and Helen attendedtheir first American WindmillTrade Association meeting inPortales, New Mexico in 1989with about 30 other people.Since then their family hasworked to purchase andtransport deterioratedwindmills that are usually inpieces. So great is theirpassion for American millinventiveness, they have ashop devoted to this activityand one or more familymembers are alwaysattending to some aspect of

restoration or installation.Nearly 400 people in each

of four annual windmillassociation meetings havebeen hosted at the Emickranch since they first met in1989. Again in 2011, peoplewill come from all over thecountry to enjoy each otherscompany and to comparerestoration notes at theEmick Ranch.

Helen Emick has greataffection for these old millsand works tirelessly to helpwith the restorations, most

notable with the painting,lettering and logos as well askeeping abreast of thehistorical records. Mostrecently, I have retired fromall the painting. We get theyounger folks to help dothis!

Dedicated to findingand restoring oldwindmills

This family is endeavoringto preserve in a major way, a very important part of Americas homesteadingagricultural history. Forthree decades Robert andHelen Emick and theirchildren Kenneth, Tim,Steve, Michael, Donald,Greg, David and TammyEven have collected andmeticulously restored unique American style windmillsthat they then share with the

public. Their contribution to this

aspect of the regions culturalheritage is evident along thehighway and in the city ofLamar. Altogether, they haverefurbished approximately110 antique windmills fromthe west and midwest. 40 ofthem can be viewed at theLubbock (TX) WindMuseum.

At the Lubbock Museum,Mrs. Emick tells They havedug a trough into the groundso it is possible to see how

water is pulled up from deepin the ground. The wheelsare at eye level.

The Emick family replacesand re-crafts many parts inthe restorative process tobring back the original coloror luster in making themfunctional. Some parts aresandblasted and cleaned,some parts have to be recastat factories because they areno longer available.

Most blades are handcrafted from cyprus wood,and the arms (spokes),which hold the blades inplace, are made of oak. Newrims, which attach to the

arms and further aid inholding the blades in place,are molded to the correctshape in the shop to replacethose broken or missing.Often, all wood parts needreplacing.

Two classic American windmills now located oneither side of the railroadtracks along Main Street(Hwy 287) have been loanedto the City of Lamar. Thenorth side millcommemorates how earlyhomesteaders got groundwater to crops and to

CONTINUED ON 22

ge 20 2010 Discover Southeast Colorado ... 2010 Discover Southeast Colorado Page 21...


23/43


livestock in a short grassdesert environment wherewater availability wasseasonal, if at all. TheWelcome Center milldemonstrates how waterwas transfered to steamlocomotives.

Early trains dependon water

Coal-fired steam Atchison-Topeka and Santa FeRailway trains began comingthrough the region in the1880s. In Lamar, theoriginal tank that suppliedwater to these locomotiveswas a couple of blocks westof Main Street, Mr. Emickrecalls. I used to play

around there as a kid.I believe the only place inAmerica where a windmilland a 10,000 gallon watertank are displayed togethernext to a locomotive is at theLamar Welcome Center.according to Mr. Emick.Locomotives took on waterat railroad depots all acrossAmerica, and his family areassuring this aspect of trainhistory is remembered andenjoyed.

European-style Dutchwindmill

The iron parts for theEuropean-style DutchWindmill, now located infront of the Prowers Countycourt house, werepurchased and shipped bythe Wilson family in theearly 1930s while on a visitto Holland. It was installedin the Wilsons backyardgarden on east ParmenterStreet. A 1935 photo andarticle indicate it wascharming center piece.These are viewable on thekiosk in front of thewindmill.

Robert Emick purchasedthe deteriorated mill and hisfamily refurbished anddedicated it in 2005 for thepublics enjoyment. Itremains on loan to ProwersCounty and Helen Emick

oversees gardening

responsibilities.

Importance ofwindmills in desertenvironment

Playas and small lakes dot

the high plains region, butmany are seasonal. Playasmay only exist for very shortperiods followingdownpours and this mayhappen only once in severalyears. As water sinksquickly underground insandy areas, they were notreliable sources for thoseneeding surface water on aconsistent basis.

Development of

American style self-governing windmills

Mr. Emick attributes theability of ranchers andfarmers to develop the vastGreat Plains agriculturallybetween 1880 and 1920 tothe invention of the self-governing American stylewindmill developed byDaniel Halladay in 1854 inConnecticut. He created self-furling sails that prevented

destruction by centrifugal

force by a mechanism thatallowed it to automaticallygovern the wheels speed.

Automatic self-governingwindmills made it possiblefor landowners to deliver

water where it was neededfor irrigation and wateringlivestock after the land wasparceled into fenced sectionsand where there wasextremely limited access tostreams or ponds.

Irrigation and wateringlivestock called for smallertypes of windmills that didnot have to be tied downmanually in order to stop thewheel turning. The initialautomatic Halladay design

had four blades that rotatedand turned parallel with thewind as it increased, thusslowing down the rate ofturn. The slower the wind,more blade surface wouldrotate to face the wind. Thewheel always turned to faceinto the wind, guided andbalanced by the vane. Manyhundreds of patentsapplications for self-governing windmills

followed after Halladays

invention.The early American mills

operate on a direct stroke.For every revolution of thewheel, the pump brings upone load of water. There isa ball that holds the waterbetween strokes to keep thewater from flowing back

down the pipe. Mr. Emicksaid when describing howthe wheel acts to bring waterto the surface.

Additionally, he added,To make these millsoperate independent ofhumans, there is a reservoirof oil in a bowl under themain casting that allows thegears to work through thebowl. This requiresreplacement of oil only aboutonce a year.

Mr. Emick likes to tellstories about a few of theearly windmills and why heis so interested in keepingthem from being lost tohistory. One extraordinarilylarge electricity-generatingwindmill invented by CharlesBrush in Cleveland in 1890had a 60-foot wheel. Itrotated with the wind onwheels circling the base ofthe center post. Although

the Henry Ford Museumwanted this unique mill,the city of Cleveland put itinto storage with the idea ofusing it later as an attraction,but instead it was tossed andlost when the value of all theparts were not recognized bya new administrator.

Plans for the futureI have two rare windmills

that I plan to loan to ProwersCounty that could be

displayed inside the newproposed building at the BigTimbers Museum designedto display bigger items. Itwill be up to the board of themuseum whether to acceptthem, he said.

After getting the watertank and windmill installednext to the old locomotive atthe Lamar Welcome Center,I think I will retire from thewindmill business! Robert

Emick said smiling.



24/43

AMACHEAMACHEAMACHE INTERMENT CAMPINTERMENT CAMPINTERMENT CAMPGranada students help to keep memory alive

Camp Amache was a Japanese Americaninterment camp located nearthe town of Granada. It ismore than just a museumsince you can visit the site ofthe camp outside of town.Camp Amache was hiddenaway for years. No onewanted to remember thischapter of history. GovernorRalph Carr welcomed theJapanese Americans toColorado near the smalltown of Granada. It was thesmallest of the internment

camps. However inColorado, it was the 10thlargest city during this time.

The interment camp wasthere only three years. Thetown of Granada HighSchool teacher, JohnHopper, led the way to

restoring this relocationcamp. Hopper states, Whenwe started this project, it wasa research project. We weretrying to gather as muchinformation about Amacheas we could.

Among his duties wasteaching history and Hoppersaw the dirt covered cementslabs of barracks and weedsas a piece of Americanhistory. A mathematicsinstructor worked withHoppers class to create a

scale model of CampAmache. Examining themodel in the museum, youwill find the five churches,two silk screening shops, astate of the art hospital, anda high school. CampAmache was much like anyother town except that it was

entirely surrounded by abarbed-wire fence and sixwatch towers.

One dig uncovered a koipond which is a traditionalJapanese water garden,buried under five feet ofblown sand. You can see thepond and its small bridgeacross the road from therodeo arena.

New signs have beenerected along the streetsidentifying the sites of the various buildings. Barracks

sold when the camp closedare being purchased andrelocated to the site.

Students maintain thecamps cemetery, installingbenches, planting trees andsod. During the war, some ofthe Nisei men living at thecamp wanted to join the war

efforts. Eventually, they wereallowed to join the U.S. Armyand fought with the 442ndand 100th battalion. By theend of the war, they were themost decorated battle units.Many received Medals ofHonor. A large monument tofallen soldiers can be foundin the cemetery along withthe grave markers ofchildren, and a pagoda-stylebuilding. To protect thecemetery, the studentsencircled it with a chain link

fence surrounded by abarbed-wire fence aremembrance of the originalenclosure. To see CampAmache, head west out oftown on Highway 50. Withinless than a mile there will bemarkers directing you toturn south into the camp.

Bents Old Fort

National Historic Site

Who says time travelis not possible...

SPECIAL EVENTS June 4-5

50th Anniversary Celebration July 10

Kids Quarters Oct 9

Fur Trade Encampment December 3-4

Holiday Celebration

Western National ParksBook

Store at BentsOld Fort offers

manyof the sametrade

goods thatwere exchanged

forbison robesandother

peltriesat the fort in 1846.

Call 719-383-5010 formore informationor visitwww.nps.gov/beol

45miles west of Lamar via US 50 andCO194

http://www.nps.gov/beolhttp://www.nps.gov/beolhttp://www.nps.gov/beolhttp://www.nps.gov/beolhttp://www.nps.gov/beolhttp://www.nps.gov/beol


25/43

BIRDWATCHERSBIRDWATCHERSBIRDWATCHERS PARADISEPARADISEPARADISE

Bird watching is thefastest growing out-door activity inNorth America.

The National Survey of Rec-

reation and the Environmentsays one in four Americanswatch birds and that numberis growing rapidly each day.

Because mountain weath-er can be extremely harsh,greater species of wildlifecan be found on the Plainsand Southeast Colorado hasthe best year round birdwatching areas in the state.It is estimated that there arejust over 700 species of birds

in the lower 48 states of theUnited States and every oneof them can be seen on theSoutheast Colorado Plains.

Geography, location, andthe habitat are why birdscome to Southeast Colorado.There are many differenthabitats that attract speciesfrom the northern, southern,eastern and western regionsof the country to a very smallarea in the state of Colorado.Currently there are 800 po-tential sites for bird watchingin the state of Colorado and48 of those sites are inSoutheast Colorado.

The Colorado State Bird the Lark Bunting is seen inabundance in Southeast Col-orado. All species of shorebirds have been seen inCrowley, Bent and Kiowacounties of Colorado.

Bents Old Fort, located 13miles West of Las Animas, isthe best place in Colorado tosee the Black Rail. Of the 43species of Warbler, 35 canbe found on the plains ofColorado. The Least Ternand the Piping Plover, boththreatened with extinction,can be seen at John MartinReservoir in Bent County,Adobe Creek (Blue Lake), aswell as the Great Plains Res-

ervoirs in Kiowa County.The Lesser Prairie Chick-

en is found in Baca Countyon the Comanche NationalGrassland. The land belowTwo Buttes Reservoir inBaca County is legendary formigrant birds. ProwersCounty is also the home ofthe annual Snow Goose Fes-tival in February. In late win-ter every year thousands of

these geese begin their mi-gration north and stop at themany lakes and ponds ofSoutheast Colorado to restand feed. You may have theopportunity to see Burrow-ing Owls wherever there is aprairie dog town.

Southeast Colorado isblessed with many StateWildlife Areas, which pro-vide excellent recreationalareas for wildlife observation

and photography. The fivecounty areas in SoutheastColorado include Bent, Baca,Crowley, Kiowa, and Prow-ers.

Bent Countys wildlifeareas include John MartinReservoir, Las Animas StateFishing Unit, Purgatoire Riv-er State Wildlife Area, Set-chfield State Wildlife Area,and Adobe Creek Reservoir.

The wildlife areas in Baca

County include Two ButtesReservoir, Turks Pond, andBurchfield State WildlifeArea.

Crowley Countys wildlifeareas include Olney SpringsReservoir, Ordway Reser-voir, Lake Henry, and Mere-dith Reservoir.

Kiowa County offers a vari-ety of wildlife areas, includ-ing Queens State Wildlife

Areas and the Great PlainsReservoirs.

Prowers County wildlifeareas include the ArkansasRiver State Wildlife Areasand Holly State WildlifeArea, Deadman State Wild-life Area, the Mike HigbeeState Wildlife Area, Red DogState Wildlife Area, ThurstonReservoir, Willow CreekPark and the Willow Creek

Nature Trail.

Baca County abirders haven

Over 275 species of birdscan be spotted in BacaCounty during differentseasons. Baca County hasquietly become a favoritesite for travelingornithologists and Audubonmembers alike. The upperTwo Buttes Lake area and

Two Buttes Canyon alongwith the canyon area southand west of Campo are a fewof the favorite sites.

Some of the more popularspecies include lesser prairiechicken, Canadian goose,ducks, scaled quail, morningdove. Prairie falcon, long-billed curlew, loggerheadshrike, white-crownedsparrow, kingbird, larksparrow, horned lark, rough-

legged hawk, northernshrike, roadrunner, black-billed magpie, lark bunting,several species of hawks,meadowlark, killdeers andeagles.

Every spring in BacaCounty, the lesser prairiechickens gather at thebooming ground for theirmating ritual. A viewingblind offers an opportunityfor pictures of these

beautiful birds.

Snow Goose Festivalnot just for geese

Another great opportunityto view birds occurs at the

annual Snow Goose Festivalheld each February.

The festival, centered inProwers County, offerssunrise and sunset tourswhere participants can viewsnow geese and other typesof waterfowl includingSandhill cranes. Participantsare encouraged to bringalong binoculars, a camera,bird, identification book,sunscreen, sunglasses,

layered clothing, a hat, andrain gear. Participants canalso take advantage of theWillow Creek Nature Walk.

In addition to the tours,there are presentations fromorganizations such as theRaptor Center in Pueblo,which brings live display ofbirds. Other guest speakersinclude representatives fromthe Colorado Division ofWildlife, United States

Department of Agricultureand other wildlife experts.

The annual Snow GooseFestival is sponsored by theLamar Chamber ofCommerce, the localDivision of Wildlife, KiowaCounty Chamber ofCommerce, Eads Chamberof commerce, and ProwersCounty Development, Inc.

Kiowa, Bent host variety ofbirds

The Great Plains Reservoirand Abode Reservoir inKiowa County afford primeopportunities for bird andwildlife viewing. Similaropportunities can be found atJohn Martin Reservoir, BlueLake, and Adobe Creek inBent County.

In Prowers County, birdwatchers can visit a DOWhunting preserve along theArkansas River to view

pheasants, ducks and otherwildlife.

Climate, habitatmake for abundance

of birds



26/43

FALCONRYFALCONRYFALCONRY ON THE PLAINSON THE PLAINSON THE PLAINS

The sport of falconry is said to dateback to the 13th and 14th centuries inMesopotamia. It was also popularamong the nobility of Medieval Europe.Today, the sport is still has participantsaround the world.

Falconers say that getting their birdsback after a hunt means they had asuccessful day, whether a game animalwas caught or not.

Though trained to return to theirflyers, falcons and hawks, particularlyones that are trapped, remain wild. Thebirds are perfectly capable of survivingon their own, and it is not uncommonfor a falconer to trap a wild bird before

the season begins and then train it andhunt it before releasing it.

The raptors, even if tame, retain theirindependence, and the only thing that

brings the bird back to its flyer is thepromise of a meal.

It takes two to three weeks oftraining with an experienced falconerbefore a bird can be flown free.Training happens in three stages.

The first stage is called manning,during which the bird learns to

associate food with handling as itbecomes tame. The falconer will carrythe bird around and get it accustomedto being near people.

Using a tether called a creance, thefalconer teaches the bird to return tothe gloved fist where it is rewardedwith bits of food. The distance isgradually increased until the birdreturns from 30 40 yards away,when it is introduced to the lure. A lureis a leather pouch connected to a longcord to which food can be tied. Thefalconer swings the lure in a circle, andit is the one image of falconry that mostpeople should recognize. Once the birdresponds to the lure, hunting canbegin.

Hawks and falcons are the two mainspecies used in falconry. Eaglesrequire a lot of paperwork and permits,which limits their popularity amongpractitioners of the sport. And owls,while used occasionally are notconducive to falconry because theygenerally hunt at night.

Easternprairies ideal

for ancientsport

Pizza,S

ub

Sandwiches

andHot

Wings

Karaoke&DJs

Truck Parking!

BikersWelcome!

All Partys

Welcome!

Pool

Table!

Home of ROAD JAM Street Party - 12 Hours of Live Music

Big Screen and Multiple TV for Sporting Events

4:00 PM till 7:00 PM Happy Hour Monday thru Friday- Daily Specials

Downtown Historic Building Decorated like a Musical Museum

101 North Main - Lamar, Co. 81052 - Phone 719-336-7415

Live Music Our Specialty!



27/43

FLYFLYFLY FISHINGFISHINGFISHINGSoutheast Colorado has its share of big fish

By Steven Becker

The best places tocatch big fish seemto be far away, andrequire a lot of

surplus cash, possibly apassport and maybe a weekat a high priced resort. Butwhat is a big fish? Any fishthat can cause a fly rod tobend clear down into thehandle is a respectablecatch, and we have a lot of

such fish right here insoutheast Colorado. Its apretty good bet we havemore ten pound carp in thisstate than five pound trout orbass, yet because of a badrap, anglers tend to ignore ordistain carp.

While I love to fly fish, Idont always have a lot ofsurplus cash and idle timetogether at the same

moment, but give me a twohour window of opportunityduring the summer months,and Im off to Lake Henrynear my home in CrowleyCounty to fish for carp.

Carp are very intelligent,have good eye sight, and arefairly shy in waters wherethey are regularly pursuedby anglers and are incrediblystrong. All this makes for a

great sport fish. Whenhooked, the carps first tacticis a long hard run. Its notunusual for a five pound fishto strip all the fly line from areel along with 20-30 yardsof backer. The final stage ofa carps fight is to bulldogyou to the bottom and makeit as tough as possible to liftits head. These tactics areinitially very similar to troutor salmon, and finish up like

members of the black bassfamily.

Fly fishing equipment forcarp need not be expensive.A good starting place wouldbe a 5 weight rod. For thosenot familiar with fly fishing,rods are weighted for thesize of the water and fishbeing pursued. There is a

000 weight rod (extremelylight weight) out on themarket that probably couldprovide hours ofentertainment fishing insomeones aquarium, up to a16 weight stick (extremelyheavy weight) that is used tochase blue water speciessuch as marlin and yellow fintuna. A fair, single actionreel with a decent dragsystem is almost a necessity,

loaded with 100 yards of 20lb Dacron backing andeither a weight forward ordouble taper 5 or 6 weightfloating line. Add to this anine foot 3X leader, two feetof 4x tippet material and allyou need is a few fly patternsto start your quest.

Because carp areomnivorous, they will take awide variety of fly patterns.

In the spring when thecottonwood trees are

shedding their seeds, acottonwood seed pattern isideal. A lot of insect patterns

such as ants, smallgrasshoppers, scuds, as wellas juvenile crayfish andwooly buggers are a greatstarter selection. A lot of dry

flies such as Renegades,Hares Ear, Elk Hair Caddis,and others are equallyeffective. Because carp havebeen called a fresh waterbonefish, I also carry aselection of Crazy Charliebonefish flies in my carp flybox.

A fly has to be delicatelycast to within a foot of thecarps head, or cast close aspossible and carefullystripped (pulled) back to beright in front of the fishsface. It is always exciting towatch a big carp turn andinhale your fly. When thecarp are feeding in the algaeon the rocks for the insects,drop a fly as close aspossible, slowly strip thepattern back to the rockwhere the fish is feeding andwatch as the carp lunges

forward to capture the fly.Carp have a firm fleshy

mouth and its easy to set ahook without a hard jerk.

Most of the time, walkingalong the dams or shorelinelooking for the fish will be asuccessful way of locatingthe fish and being able todetermine if they are feedingor not. When one that isactively feeding is spotted,begin the cast once you arewithin range. Fish thatappear to be just cruisingalong seldom feed and its

best to pass them up in favorof feeding carp. Carp tend toschool up at different timesand you can hear the carpfeeding and sucking on thesurface. They will appear asa tight school or ball of fishactive on the surface. Cast afly in close proximity to theschool and hang on; one ofthem will take the fly andhead for the far shore linewhich is why youll need the

100 yards of backingmaterial on your reel.

Steven Becker has beenan avid fly fisherman and flytier for over 45 years. Heworked for the State ofKansas as a FisheriesManagement Biologistwhere carp were beingactively promoted as arecreational and foodresource. Additionally he has

worked with the WyomingGame and Fish Commissionon the North Platte Riverand with the ColoradoDivision of Wildlife on theimpact of the CurecantiProject on the GunnisonRiver; he worked as a ParkManager and Ranger withJefferson County OpenSpace for a number of yearsand currently lives with hiswife in Crowley County

where he serves as theCounty Undersheriff.



28/43

BOATINGBOATINGBOATING & FISHING GUIDE& FISHING GUIDE& FISHING GUIDESoutheast Colorado offers what many think is the best warm water fishing in the state.

With nearly a dozen reservoirs and the Arkansas River, fishermen have many opportunities, from well developedrecreating areas like the new state Park at John Martin Reservoir, to smaller and lesser known bodies that containexcellent fishing opportunities, but only primitive camping or very few facilities, and therefore, generally smallercrowds. At some of the smaller reservoirs, you may even find that you nearly have the place to yourself.

And, with the exception of John Martin, there are few if any fees at southeast Colorado reservoirs. A word ofadvice, though, it is usually wise to pack your own toilet paper and water in, and to be prepared to pack your trashout. Some facilities have little or no maintenance, and water levels at many reservoirs fluctuate widely because theyare used for irrigation. Following is a list of top fishing spots in Southeast Colorado:

Adobe Creek(also known as Blue Lake)Location: From Las Animas,go north on Bent CountyRoad 10 for 15 miles to theproperty.Property: 5,147 acres public

access land, 5,000 acressurface areaMotor Boats: Permitted,public boat ramp availableFacilities: Boat Ramp,Public RestroomsCamping: Permitted, but fewfacilities. No developedcampgrounds or hookupsavailableAccess: Open all yearSpecies: Blue Catfish,Channel Catfish, Clack

Crappie, Saugeye, Walleye,Wipers, White Bass.Most Abundant Species

(2004 DOW gill net report):Channel Catfish, BlueCatfishNotes: Huge members of frysize Wipers and Saugeyewere stocked in 2001.Closed Nov. 1 through lastday of waterfowl season.

John Martin

(including Lake Hasty)Location: From Lamar, gowest approximately 20 mileson US Highway 50. TurnSouth at the town of Hastyand follow the roadapproximately two milessouth to the John MartinDam.Property: 22,325 acrespublic access land, 13,000acres surface area.Motor Boats: Permitted on

John Martin, not permittedon Lake Hasty. Public boat

ramps available near thedam. Free boat rampavailable on Lane 19 near thewest end of the lake, but notaccessible unless waterlevels are relatively high.Facilities: Boat ramps,public restrooms, RV

hookups, RV dump stations,showers, laundry,playground, coveredbuildings, many developedand semi-primitivecampsites. Handicappedaccess to fishing in LakeHasty. Hiking trails. Publictelephones, marina, baitshops, convenience storesand fuel available nearby.Camping: Camping in thestate park is permitted below

the dam at the Lake HastyCampground and on thenorth side of the reservoir atthe Point Campground.Camping fees apply in bothareas.Access: Lake Hasty open allyear. John Martin closedfrom November 1 to end ofwaterfowl season, usuallymid March to April 1.Species: Channel Catfish,Wipers, Saugeye, White

Bass, Blue Catfish, FlatheadCatfish, Walleye, Trout.Most Abundant species:

Saugeye, Channel Catfish,Wipers.Lake Hasty: Lake Hasty isstocked primarily with troutbut is an excellent fishinglocation for the handicappedand young children. JohnMartin holds recent staterecords for Walleye and/orSaugeye, and promises to be

one of the prime Saugeye/Walleye fisheries in the state

in 2002. Many large wipers, as

well. Boaters should take

special precautions with

winds, which can rise

suddenly and cause

hazardous boating conditions

to unwary boaters.

Nee GrondaLocation: From Lamar, go

north on U.S. Highway 287

approximately 21 miles to

Kiowa County Road C, then

1 mile west to property.

Property: 4,426 acres public

access (includes entire

Queens, Nee Gronda, Nee

Noshe area,) 3,400 acres

surface area.

Motor Boats: Permitted.

Small, primitive free publicboat ramp available on east

side of lake. Privately owned

boat ramp available on north

side of lake.

Facilities: Boat ramp and

restroom on public lands. No

drinking water or developed

campgrounds on public

lands. Privately owned

marina/campground on

north side of lake offers

numerous facilities.

Camping: Permitted. Freeon public land, but few

amenities and now water.

Access: Closed from Nov. 1

to end of waterfowl season

(usually mid March to April

1).

Species: Channel Catfish,

Saugeye, White Bass,

Wipers, Carp, Largemouth

Bass.

Most Abundant Species:

Wipers, Channel Catfish,Saugeye, White Bass.

Nee NosheLocation: From Lamar, gonorth on U.S. Highway 287approximately 24 miles toKiowa County Boat Rampaccess road, then onequarter miles east to publicboat ramp.Property: 4,426 acres publicaccess (in entire 4-lakecomplex), 3,696 acressurface area.Motor Boats: Permitted.Free public boat rampsavailableFascilities: Boatramp, public restroomsCamping: Permitted but fewfacilities. No developedcampgrounds or hookupsavailable. No fees.Access: Public accessprohibited from Nov. 1 toend of waterfowl season.Species: Channel Catfish,Carp, Wipers, Saugeye,Walleye, White Bass, Largemouth Bass, Crappie, BlueCatfish.Most Abundant Species:

White Bass, Wiper, Saugeye: Huge numbers of fry sizeSaugeye and Wipers werestocked in 2004. Historicallyyields large wipers.

Queens(Upper and Lower)Location: From Lamar, goapproximately 21 miles northon U.S. Highway 287 toKiowa County road C, then3.5 miles east to UpperQueens. Follow the accessroad south about two milesto Lower Queens.Property: 4,426 acres publicaccess in four lake complex,

CONTINUED ON 28



29/43


1,900 acres surface area.Motor Boats: Permitted.Free public boat rampsavailable.Facilities: Restrooms, boatramps. No drinking water.Camping: Permitted, but no

developed campgrounds orhookups. No fees. Bringyour own water and toiletpaper, pack out your owntrash. A few well shadedcamping spots are available.Access: Upper Queensclosed from Nov. 1 to end ofwaterfowl season.Species: Black Bullhead,Black Crappie, ChannelCatfish, Carp, Saugeye,Wipers, White Bass, Blue

gill.Most Abundant species:

Wiper, Saugeye, White Bass.Notes: Small numbers ofTiger Muskie and NorthernPike have been stocked inrecent years, but none werereported caught in 2001 gillnet reports.

Thurston ReservoirLocation: From Lamar, gonorth 9 miles on Colorado

Highway 196 to ProwersCounty Road TT, then 1 milewest to County Road 7, then14 mile north to thereservoir.Property: 173 acres publicaccess, 200 acres surfacearea.Motor Boats: Permittedexcept during waterfowlseason

discover southeast colorado 2010

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