Lincoln Trading Post, Barlow and Sanderson and ranches of the lower Fountain Valley

In the 1860s, there was a general store known as the Lincoln Trading Post on the stage coach road south of Fountain.  This stood near Little Buttes, where Old Pueblo Road forks either across Fountain Creek or east to Hanover.   

Andrew Lincoln and his business partner James C. Woodbury purchased land together near the Buttes, and in fact the Buttes railroad station on the Denver & Rio Grande line was on Lincoln's land in section 33 of T16SR65W, on the east bank of Fountain Creek.   [Today only the station foundation remains along the tracks.]  A Feb 2, 1878 Gazette article lists the transfer of their land in sections 32 and 33, and adjacent land to the south, from AG Lincoln to Alice Royce for $2500.  However in May 1881 this same land was sold back, from Phineas Royce to Sophie Lincoln, for $3000.  

This copy of the 1864 survey map from www.glorecords.blm.gov/ shows the trails in use, with the D&RG railroad line put in in 1872 (the straight line in sections 28 and 33), and land that was claimed prior to the survey by Owns (sic), Geiser and an unnamed party in section 33.  There also appears to be  a ditch in section 29 across Owns' land.

Bulkley Maps of Fountain

Marguerite Bulkley's files contain maps of Fountain, as she remembered it and had heard about it from her family.

These can be found on the Bulkley Page at right.

Dreadful Disaster- the 1888 wreck

The following are notes from the Pueblo Chieftain and the Colorado Springs Gazette on the 1888 explosion.

The morning edition of the Pueblo Chieftain on May 15th, 1888 offers some details on the town of Fountain that were not noted by other reporters.  It mentions the blacksmith shop of CW Sells (likely Cells), the frame structured school wioth a portion of the walls standing, and the badly damaged Mitchell House- a frame and adobe hotel.  The Fountain Hotel, about 1/2 mile from the blast, was also badly damaged.  The car of powder that exploded contained 17000 lbs of No. 2 Giant, being shipped to Leadville.  The blast destroyed two engines, 14 railroad cars, and the mail and baggage car.


Colorado Springs Gazette

Tuesday May 15, 1888 page 1 [Note that much of this article, as found in an historic newspaper database online, is illegible.]

Location of 1888 Explosion
On Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railway south of Illinois Avenue
Depot probably stood just south of car lot on right side of tracks

Number 4486

DREADFUL DISASTER

Fountain village, situated 12 miles southeast of the city, was the scene of a terrific catastrophe early yesterday morning, which finds no parallel in the history of the county. The loss of life was comparatively small considering the magnitude of the ca the catastrophe but the damage cannot be accurately estimated.

An Explosion

A few minutes after three o’clock yesterday morning the residents of the town were aroused from their sleep by the report of a loud explosion.  The ground shook and the glass in the houses rattled perceptibly. The general impression was __ __ by an earthquake and the rumbling noise ___ ___ the explosion seemed to pass through the city from southwest towards the northeast.  Of course few people knew the exact nature of the deafening noise, but by 8 o’clock the news that a dreadful explosion had occurred at Fountain spread through the city.

 

May 19, 1888