Description

Join us in touring to local sites of historical significance. Nonmembers are $5.00 additional, payable at the start of the tour.  Click here to first add a membership to your cart, then select CONTINUE SHOPPING and add the tour.

You will be informed of program changes or problems via email. Activities are subject to change due to bad weather. Refunds made if notified one week in advance or in case of an emergency. Members have priority due to limits by museums, parking, and other restrictions. No pets are allowed on tours. When carpooling remember to reimburse the driver.

Don’t let being hard of hearing stop you from signing up. We now have tour guide wireless receivers with earbuds for you

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Museo de las Tres Colonias, Holy Family Church, and Sugar Beet Park
June 18. 8:45 am – 3:00 pm

Recounting the history of the Mexican-American sugar beet workers

The  Museo de las Tres Colonias provides a living history highlighting Hispanic life, working conditions in the sugar beet industry and community life, most specifically within the Tres Colonias, Buckingham, Andersonville, and Alta Vista during the 20th century. The adobe home is a great educational tool, interpreting the significance of Hispanic culture and its impact on the Fort Collins community. This museum provides insight and community support of Hispanic culture in the home, religion, work, cultural celebrations, tolerance, and social justice.

Holy Family Church, constructed in 1929, was the first church found in Fort Collins to serve the Latin community. A complete history of “Northern Colorado History” can be found at https://northerncoloradohistory.com/holyfamily/

Sugar Beet Park is a profoundly impactful park to the residents of Fort Collins, particularly to Mexican/Hispanic residents of the Tres Colonias neighborhoods, where basic infrastructure, transportation, and open space needs have a history of neglect. As a cultural bridge, the park celebrate the rich heritage of the sugar beet in in Fort Collins, a large and quirky vegetable that transformed Fort Collins into the nation’s largest sugar producer in the early 20th century.

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VEE BAR RANCH & LARAMIE TRAIN DEPOT
July 16. 8:30 am – 3:00 pm

The Vee Bar Guest Ranch is a family owned dude ranch. The ranch is owned by Kelly & Lisa Cole and Brent and Kari Kilmer. Brent and Kari operate the ranch. This family-owned dude ranch had a diverse history. The main lodge was constructed in 1891. It soon became a stage coach stop and post office. More of its recent history includes being a buffalo ranch and a government school for boys.

The Laramie Train Depot was built in 1924 to replace the town’s original Union Pacific Depot/Hotel, which was destroyed by fire in 1917. It served as Laramie’s Union Pacific passenger depot until 1971 and as an Amtrak depot until 1983. In 1985, the Union Pacific Railroad gave the Depot to the Laramie Plains Museum, which then transferred ownership to the Laramie Railroad Depot Association in 2009.

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LIVERMORE & RANCH HISTORIES
HANSEN RANCHES PLUS OTHER HISTORIC SITES
August 20. 9:30 am – 3:00 pm

Livermore and Ranch Histories
In 1863, two miners, Adolphus Livernash and Stephan Moore, built a cabin on the North Fork of the Poudre River. The large area surrounding their claim was named Livermore from the combinations of their names. Russell Fisk purchased Moore’s claim in 1871 and built a log hotel and store. In the late 1870s or early 1880s, Fisk built a large frame “Livermore House” as he called it, to replace the log hotel. At this time the road crossed the North Fork of the Poudre River right at the hotel site where all travel had to go through Livermore to the upper Poudre until 1920. In 1890, the road was moved to its current location 1/4 mile north of the Fisk House, which caused it to go out of business. William Brelsford built the new Livermore Hotel, general store and livery barn as seen in the picture on the top left. In 1904, a big flood washed out the hall and livery barn. The Livermore Hotel is now a private residence.

Hansen Ranch
In 1871, the ranch was homesteaded by two brothers, Horace and Charles Emerson. They first bought cattle, built an irrigation ditch with the cooperation of their neighbors and planted trees. Eventually they married and built homes along the ditch (picture on top right). They bought other ranches. Horace’s daughter Dorothy married a Sackett and they lived in the house originally built for her father. It burned in 1933 so they built a low brick house with a red roof, which still stands today and can be seen through the trees. The Hansens bought the ranch in 1940. They hired Lowell Cope as the ranch manager. Ed Hanson and his wife Marilyn moved to the ranch in 1960. Over the years they added to their holdings by acquiring the Fanning Place, Griffith Ranch and part of the Elliott Ranch. The Hansen Ranch is still in operation with their sons, wives and grandchildren.

More information can be found in “Among These Hills” by the Livermore Woman’s Club.
Proceeds from the Livermore Tour will be donated to the Livermore Hall.

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HISTORY OF GLACIER VIEW
September 6. 9:00 am – 2:00 pm

We will tour several sites in Glacier View including the Currie Ranch, Batterson Barn and many others.

The area known as Glacier View Meadows was part of the Currie Ranch, which also included Crystal Lakes, Green Mountain Meadows, Hewlett Gulch and other larger parcels in the surrounding area. The building of the Currie ranch took about 50 years starting in 1906. In 1967, Currie sold the ranch to the Black Mountain Ranch, Inc. The group then sold it to Lee Stubblefield. In November of 1971, Don, Lucille, Cid, Rick and Sue Schmitt moved into the LOX house. Don leased the ranch from the group for his cattle operation. The family also operated Pine Ridge Stable. Lucille was the first on-site salesperson and caretaker for Glacier View Meadows with the office in the “Trophy Room” of the LOX house. The Glacier View development started in 1972. Just a start to the history with more to come by Lucille Schmitt.