1862 AD
| |
Parker: First building erected in the present town of Parker: the Pine Grove post office. |
|
| |
Franktown: May 22: Russellville Post Office opened. (Bauer: Colorado Post Offices, 1859-1989.: p.126) |
|
| |
Franktown: September 8: Russellville Post Office moves to Franktown. (Bauer: Colorado Post Offices, 1859-1989.: p.126) |
|
| |
Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree: December 20: Bennet Springs post office opens. (Bauer: Colorado Post Offices, 1859-1989.: p.19) |
|
| |
All: The first county commissioners elected in Douglas County. They are John L. Boggs, Sylvester Richardson, and Joseph Hipley. The first sheriff is Charles Parkinson; clerk and recorder, J.F. Gardner; treasurer, Noel Webber. (Hall: History of the State of Colorado, Vol. III.: p.333) |
|
| |
Larkspur: D. C. Oakes opens a sawmill at Huntsville (possibly in conjunction with the one in Bennett Springs/Oakesville.) (Scott) |
|
| |
All: United States government passes the Homestead Act to encourage settlement in the West. (National Park Service) |
|
1863 AD
| |
All: Telegraph line links Denver with the East: ten words to New York cost $9.10, the equivalent of about $136 in 2003. (Colorado State Archives) |
|
| |
Larkspur: April 7: Bear Canon post office established. (Bauer: Colorado Post Offices, 1859-1989.: p.17) |
|
| |
Roxborough: April 7: Keystone post office opens. (Bauer: Colorado Post Offices, 1859-1989.: p.82) |
|
| |
Franktown: Fire at Frankstown destroys county records. The county seat is temporarily relocated to J. F. Gardner's California Ranch, which was owned by Charles Parkhurst. (BullChamblin: Historical Encyclopedia of Colorado.: p.184) |
|
1864 AD
|
| |
Castle Rock: Town of New Memphis is founded two miles north of Castle Rock, by a land company from Memphis, Tennessee. (Chamblin: Historical Encyclopedia of Colorado.: p.185) |
|
| |
Parker: 20 Mile-House built near Pine Grove post office, present day Parker, at the intersection of the Smoky Hill Trail and the Cherokee Trail. |
|
| |
All: The massacre of the Hungate Family in Douglas County sparks increased tension between settlers and Native Americans. This tension culminated in Col. John Chivington's Sand Creek Massacre north of Fort Lyon on the Arkansas River. (: Douglas County News Press.) |
|
| |
Spring Valley, Cherry Valley & Greenland: Conrad Moschel is murdered by Native Americans near the George Engl Ranch. His epitaph is carved into the nearby bluffs, and becomes a marker for travelers. (Appleby: Fading Past: The Story of Douglas County, Colorado.: p.57) |
|
1865 AD
| |
All: United States Civil War Ends. |
|
| |
Sedalia: Town of Round Corral is founded by John H. Craig (later becomes Sedalia.) (Chamblin: Historical Encyclopedia of Colorado.: p.184) |
|
| |
Spring Valley, Cherry Valley & Greenland: March 27: Spring Valley post office established. (Bauer: Colorado Post Offices, 1859-1989.: p.135) |
|
| |
Franktown: September 1: Franktown school district organized. (Marr: Douglas County: A Historical Journey.: p.35) |
|
| |
Sedalia: September 1: Sedalia school district organized. (Marr: Douglas County: A Historical Journey.: p.35) |
|
| |
All: Douglas County has three school districts with a total enrollment of 70 students. (Chamblin: Historical Encyclopedia of Colorado.: p.185) |
|
1866 AD
| |
Sedalia: Oaklands School opens. (Cornish) |
|
| |
All: President Andrew Johnson vetoes bill for Colorado Statehood. Among his reasons are the Sand Creek Massacre, the doubtful legality of the proposed state's constitution, and the shrinking population caused by lessening of gold strikes. (: Encyclopedia of Colorado.: p.92) |
|
| |
Franktown: J. F. Gardner buys California Ranch from Charles Parkhurst. (Bull) |
|
1867 AD
| |
Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree: David Gregory, another homesteader on the future Highlands Ranch property, filed for 80 acres. Between 1867 and 1910, 189 filings were made within the ranch. |
|
1868 AD
| |
Larkspur: Glen Grove school founded. (Marr: Douglas County: A Historical Journey.: p.201) |
|
| |
Larkspur: Fort constructed on Benjamin Quick Ranch near Perry Park. Native American raid occurs the following week. (Webb: The Perry Park Story.: p.11) |
|
|
1869 AD
| |
Sedalia: John H. Craig sells town site of Sedalia to Jonathan House. (Appleby: Fading Past: The Story of Douglas County, Colorado.: p.163) |
|
| |
Castle Rock: Jeremiah Gould stakes claim at present site of Castle Rock. (Appleby: Fading Past: The Story of Douglas County, Colorado.: p.8) |
|
1870 AD
| |
Parker: 20 Mile-House nearly burns down near Parker. |
|
| |
All: Kansas Pacific Railroad completes first rail line in Douglas County near present day Limon, linking Denver to Kansas City. (Chamblin: Historical Encyclopedia of Colorado.: p.184) |
|
| |
Spring Valley, Cherry Valley & Greenland: Spring Valley Cemetery founded. (Appleby: Fading Past: The Story of Douglas County, Colorado.: p.191) |
|
| |
Franktown: First burial in the Franktown Cemetery. (Appleby: Fading Past: The Story of Douglas County, Colorado.: p.57) |
|
| |
Parker: Pine Grove post office opens. (Bauer: Colorado Post Offices, 1859-1989.: p.113) |
|
1871 AD
| |
Spring Valley, Cherry Valley & Greenland: Lake Gulch school district formed. (Doepke Family) |
|
| |
All: Colorado Springs is founded by General William J. Palmer. Denver and Rio Grande Railroad is built southward from Denver by Palmer, bringing the railroad through Douglas County. (Colorado State Archives: Encyclopedia of Colorado.: p.92) |
|
| |
Castle Rock: April 5: Original Castle Rock Post Office opens at site of Douglas, south of Town of Castle Rock. (Bauer: Colorado Post Offices, 1859-1989.: p.31) |
|
| |
Larkspur: December: Town of Huntsville moved to Larkspur. The name Larkspur was chosen by Governor Hunt's wife, Elizabeth. (Cannon: A Brief History of Huntsville, Larkspur, Hunt Ranch and Nickson Ranch.: p.3) |
|
| |
Sedalia: September 6: Round Corral becomes Plum after Denver and Rio Grande names their station "Plum Station." (Chamblin: Historical Encyclopedia of Colorado.: p.184Machann: p.2) |
|
| |
All: Hayden Expedition passes through Douglas County. William Henry Jackson takes earliest photographs of the area. (PBS Interactive) |
|
1872 AD
| |
Castle Rock: Silas Madge, "the father of the lavastone industry." starts work in the MAdge Quarry south of Castle Rock. Douglas Quarry established. National Land and Improvement Company acquires townsite of Douglas. |
|
| |
Castle Rock: January 8: New Memphis post office opens. (Bauer: Colorado Post Offices, 1859-1989.: p.105) |
|
| |
Spring Valley, Cherry Valley & Greenland: February 12: Frost's Ranch post office changed to Rock Ridge. (Bauer: Colorado Post Offices, 1859-1989.: p.123) |
|
| |
Sedalia: April 8: Sedalia Post Office opens. The name Sedalia was chosen by Henry M. Clay, a prominent landowner, who came from Sedalia, Missouri. (Bauer: Colorado Post Offices, 1859-1989.: p.130) |
|
| |
Larkspur: Missouri industrialist and railroad owner John D. Perry purchases several homesteads to make a ranch at "Pleasant" Park. (Chamblin: Historical Encyclopedia of Colorado.: p.9) |
|
| |
Larkspur: Lone Tree school built. (Marr: Douglas County: A Historical Journey.: p.214) |
|
| |
Sedalia: Community church built a Bear Canon, it will later become St. Philip in the Field Episcopal Church. |
|
1873 AD
| |
Spring Valley, Cherry Valley & Greenland: June 3: Greenland post office opens. (Bauer: Colorado Post Offices, 1859-1989. Supplement.: p.2) |
|
| |
Parker: First Allison school (wood frame) constructed. (Miller: Parker Colorado: A Historical Narrative.: p.65) |
|
1874 AD
| |
All: February: Douglas County borders redrawn by the territorial legislature, eastern section becomes Elbert County. |
|
| |
Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree: January 30: Acequia post office opens. (Bauer: Colorado Post Offices, 1859-1989.: p.9) |
|
| |
Castle Rock: May 18: Castle Rock post office changes name to Douglas and New Memphis post office moves to new Town of Castle Rock. (Bauer: Colorado Post Offices, 1859-1989.: p.46) |
|
| |
Castle Rock: April 25: Town of Castle Rock founded and named county seat, survey by J. D. McIntyre. 2 story wooden courthouse built in Castle Rock. (Appleby: Fading Past: The Story of Douglas County, Colorado.: p.18) |
|
|
| |
Mountains: July 1: Denver South Park and Pacific Railway opens for business up the Platte Canyon in Douglas County. (Post: p.127) |
|
