My sister and I today went to the
Wheatridge, CO. Historical Park for Apple Cider Days, an annual event located
on what was once our paternal Great Grandfather’s holdings. A cousin is the
custodian/caretaker/manager, etc.
When our paternal Great Grandfather moved
West from Kansas, he bought an existing sod house and acreage in what is now
Wheatridge, CO., West of Denver.
In later years the city acquired some of the
land for a park. The soddy was plastered to preserve it.
He then built a modern, for the times,
brick house adjacent to the soddy. The
property was a base for his operations into Northwest Colorado.
The soddy continued to be occupied. Our
Grandfather and his family lived there from time to time.
The water table in the area is high, and
the area was long grass prairie. The ground was fertile and vegetables for the
Denver market were grown.
Some historical buildings have been moved
to the site and a shed to store various artifacts of the early days. The place
operates on a shoestring and the efforts of dedicated volunteers.
So nice to do something family linked
that doesn’t include a visit to the family cemetery.
15 comments:
That is some great family history! Thanks for giving us a peek!
Thank you for the kind remarks. Glad you enjoyed the post.
I've driven through there! Came into town on the 70, and then took the 76 to bypass some of Denver.
+1 on Old_NFO!
You have a great and deep heritage.
Hard to imagine the I-70/I-76 corridor as open rolling prairie that it once was.
Thank you for that remark. The heritage is more of a story in endurance. The Great Depression and health problems kept any upward gains to a meager subsistence level for most.
Enduring and persevering is the hallmark of our American nation. It's what built the nation. I admit that today, there are a lot of young people eating the bread earned by their ancestors without realizing it. But THEY didn't build anything (I'm not quoting Barack). The spineless curs that sit in their onesies, drinking coco and badmouthing their country would have been in the woodshed learning quickly that their asses weren't made for "humping".
But nations always follow that pattern of struggle, and discipline followed by complacency and decay. Rome is instructive.
Seems to be a human condition. My father often spoke of motivation as, "The belly flapping principal".
I think it is great that you keep up with your heritage. Mine is as deep and scattered as your, but, sadly, I don't know many of them.
Yeah, the Denver Metro area has spread like an octopus.
They are scattered coast to coast and Canada. Social media helps to keep in contact.
It's wonderful that you have access to your heritage, and can share it.
Credit goes to some of my relatives who do the hard work. I just write a check from time to time.
That is very cool. You have a lot of neat history there.
Nothing extraordinary, just preserved. That said, I'm mindful of the struggles and hardships of those before me.
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