Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site is a living history farm and museum which depicts life in the Pikes Peak region from the time Native Americans made this land their home to 1910. Several distinct periods of development took place on this property and two significant historic structures remain on site. The Ranch is operated by the Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department with assistance from the Rock Ledge Ranch Living History Association, a volunteer support group. Through hand-s on demonstrations, tours and exhibits, the story of settlement and use of the land by Native Americans and European settlers is brought to life.
Duane and I read the above information from the site map as we paid our $6 senior entry fee ($8 for other adults) and followed the arrows along the path around the site which is directly adjacent to The Garden of the Gods. As veteran visitors of many living history villages, we were not prepared to be impress as we wandered along between thick bushes and a trickling stream and shaded by tall trees. We opted to avoid the crowds that the special demonstrations and activities that the July 4th holiday will attract, and visit the Ranch on Saturday, having been assured that the blacksmith and other interpreters would be present.
After a pleasant stroll we found the 1775-1835 Native American Era, here represented by a summer camp. For thousands of years Native American people have made the Central Front Range of the Rocky Mountains their home. Ute oral tradition says that their people have always lived here. Other groups, including Kiowa, Comanche, Apache, Arapaho, and Cheyenne also traveled through and considered the land their home.
As we approached these ladies at their tasks, we were asked if we had entry stickers. They explained that anyone could walk the trails crisscrossing the Ranch site, which has signs (pictured above) informing walkers where fee areas are. If you pay the entry fee, you are free to talk to the interpreters and examine the artifacts. If you are not wearing your stickers, you are expected to keep walking.
As veterans of fur trade era camping, we were very familiar with the accouterments here and didn't need to ask any questions. We did examine them, however and were impressed. Even though the exhibit was small, (during special events other structures, artifacts and activities are available here and throughout the Ranch) care was taken to make the site historically correct and the interpreters were very welcoming and well-informed. (We found this attention to detail in every site throughout the Ranch.)
In the next clearing we skipped forward 30 years to the Galloway Homestead, representing the years 1867-1874. In 1867 Walter Galloway built a small cabin and struggled to improve his 160 acre homestead in Camp Creek Valley. The (reconstructed) cabin represents life on the pre-railroad frontier. (Nearby was the settlement Colorado City, population 81. Colorado City is now old town CO Springs.)
Inside the children demonstrated their toys while mom talked about the house. All interpreters (except the Native Americans) greeted us with Good Day and Welcome.
As we walked the shady path to the Chambers Farm and Rock Ledge House (1874-1900), we noticed that the pleasant, shady woods and brush gave way to a large open area. Civilization had arrived.
After searching for land with sufficient water for farming, Robert and Elsie Chambers purchased Galloway's homestead in 1874. The Chambers were entrepreneurs and innovators.
They increased irrigation by building a small reservoir behind the house and developed a truck farm specializing in asparagus, raspberries, currants, and gooseberries.
Here children help their father open sluices to irrigate the garden.
That windmill powers the pump.
The Chambers raised livestock. This is the horse barn and corral.
This barn had sheep and other small animals.
The Chambers also planted orchards of apples, cherries and pears. By 1900 the Ranch was considered to be one of the most productive farms in El Paso County.
The fully restored Victorian Era house is not typical of that time period. The family residence was also used as a boarding house. Consequently there are extra doors and passageways to keep boarders areas separate from family areas, while some rooms were used by both family and boarders.
The door on the left led to the Chambers bedroom. The next door was a passageway to the boarders' rooms upstairs. The sliding doors separated the family and dining guests. In addition to the unique arrangement of the rooms, there were other innovations in the house. The child's high chair
could, with one hand, be changed to a stroller to move the child from room to room.
As the Chambers prospered, they took advantage of the many items being shipped in daily by rail, to discreetly display their wealth. One way to do that was by papering not only the walls, but also the ceilings, and adding chandeliers.
Child's room with nice toys.
A lot of their boarders had come west to improve their health. Many had tuberculosis, or had similar symptoms and came to recover in the clean, dry mountain air. If there were a lot of visitors, they shared rooms and beds. When several healthy people had to share a room, the sick people slept on the porch, (but they had a good view!)
Another innovation was this rocking chair. When the sitter leans forward, the chair locks into position to aid any unhealthy or infirm person in standing.
There are several shops on this site, representing how the railroad opened the West. As transportation of people and goods became easier and cheaper, more people stayed to take advantage of whatever opportunities they sought, whether it was to start a new life, to attain health, or make money.
Goods and services that the homesteader had to provide for himself and repair himself, were now available on a regular basis for reasonable fees. These services included home goods and repairs,
tools and dry goods including decorative and exotic items and toys,
(this building housed public restrooms and a gift shop with items available during the Victorian age.)
and a blacksmith shop. The shop was small. The larger area house a collection of wagons. The smith explained that he didn't make items for the home, because mass production in factories made these items cheap to buy. The smith's main business was to mend damaged or broken household items, wagon parts, and tools.
Notice the elaborate and nicely done sign. Duane is enjoying a chat with a local blacksmith.
The smith and his apprentice. Notice the writing on the hood of the forge. Smiths often chalked designs or noted there.
Since we have been in Colorado Springs, we have met a lot of people from Ohio. Here at the Ranch the lady in the log house is originally from Ohio, as is the guy in the orange shirt in the pic above (he's on vacation with his family,) some (visiting) distant relatives of the smith, the wife of the local smith Duane is chatting with in the pic above, and the relatives woman who gave us a tour of the next site.
That's a story for another day.
Louise and Duane
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