Glendale Stagecoach Inn on Beaver Creek

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Boy With the Boot 2


STATUE OF BOY WITH A BOOT 2

The story of the little boy is not known for sure. He may have been a drummer boy in the Civil War who brought water in his leaky boot for thirsty wounded soldiers. The statue is a monument to his caring and dedication.

There are only 24 known statues of the Little Boy in the world. He is made of bronze and is now owned by the Senior Citizens of Penrose. In the Spring of 2005, he was presented to the Penrose School and has a place of honor in a glass display case at the new school.

Boy With the Boot 1


STATUE OF BOY WITH A BOOT 1

On 13 November 1915, Spencer and Julie Penrose presented a statue of a little boy holding a leaky boot to the citizens of Penrose. Main Street was filled with citizens of Penrose and the surrounding areas. The hitching posts were full of horses that people rode into town and wagons lined the streets. The crowd was delighted to see Mr. and Mrs. Penrose and all were dressed in their Sunday best.

School children led a parade, held banners and flags, and sang songs. Old soldiers also marched in the parade and many speeches were given. The flag was raised during the ceremony. The statue was placed at the intersection of Broadway and Fremont streets. It stood on a small pedestal inside a larger fountain surrounded by a white metal picket fence. Water spouted from the toe of the boy’s leaky boot and fell into the fountain below.

Playing on Beaver Creek




PLAYING ON BEAVER CREEK




These photos were given to me by descendants of families who lived on Beaver Creek. I love the
"Hat Ladies" and the happy children.



STONE HOUSE BUILT BY THE TOOF BROTHERS

This building is still standing south of Highway 50, south of Beaver Creek. It may have been flooded in 1921 and abandoned. I was able to hike there with the permission of HOLCIM, who owns the property, in Oct. 2007. The map is from the late 1890s and shows the settlement of Toof where Beaver Creek empties into the Arkansas River.

Dance at the Rowland Barn


THE DANCE AT ROLAND BARN IN PENROSE COLORADO.

This photo shows a barn dance at the Rowland Farm in Penrose around the turn of the century. It is unknown exactly where the Rowlands lived but their name does show up in the City Directory.

Neighbors, family and friends came together to have an evening of old-fashioned fun. People brought their fiddles and guitars to make and share music. The women brought cakes, pies, cookies, coffee, and lemonade. Everyone dresses in their Sunday best, including the children. Women wore beautiful lace-trimmed dresses and the men wore suits and ties.
Notice all the different ages. If a square dancer caller was in the vicinity, he was invited too. A good time was had by all with dancing, eating and visiting.

The Kirkwood Memorial Presbyterian Church


THE KIRKWOOD MEMORIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

In the early 1900’s, people had to travel to Florence or Canon City to attend church services. In 1908, Mr. Ben Taylor met with other citizens of Penrose to establish a church. Construction of the church began in October 1908 and it was almost finished in December 1909, when the whole building was mostly destroyed by a storm.
This was very disheartening to the congregation because they had little money and the winter weather was quite cold. By May 1909, the little church was completed and on 30 May 1909, the Kirkwood Memorial Presbyterian Church was dedicated. It was completely paid for and had 17 members.
It was named in memory of Rev. Thomas C. Kirkwood DD of Colorado Springs, who helped with building and financing the new church.
There were other church services by various religions, but this was the first church building in Penrose. In 1937-38, an addition was built to the original building.

Penrose Beaver & Northern Railroad 2


PENROSE BEAVER & NORTHERN RAILROAD 2

On 1 June 1909, the first passenger train roared into Penrose, with important visitors from Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek, with Spencer Penrose as their leader. The depot was located north of Penrose, and the tracks went through the downtown section, then over present day Highway 50 and on to the Denver and Rio Grande tracks by the Arkansas River, south of Penrose. This station was named Beaver.

The railroad did not make lots of money and only lasted for 10 years. By 1918, more automobiles were traveling over the roads and the production of fruits and vegetables was not as great.