Saturday, February 28, 2009

Searching for History in Sedalia

I've often traveled by, through or within the small town of Sedalia, CO. Usually it is in transit to CO67 which leads one eventually to Deckers, CO and the nicely winding and twisting roads available from there. Or, it leads one to CO105 and parts south, a popular motorcycle rider road that takes one to Palmer Lake, Monument and points south.

Today though, armed with printed photos from the Douglas County History Research Center, I went to Sedalia specifically to see if I could find the houses I'd found online and show them to you as they were then, and how they look today.

While there have been changes and growth of course from the late 1800s, early 1900s...some houses were still there!

Plum Avenue and the Marquis Victor House
Circa 1890-1920
Link to photo source at DCHRC


Closeup of Marquis Victor House

Further North on Plum Avenue
LINK to source at DCHRC

The chimney is no longer there but the houses are recognizable


The Weaver House and Corral Circa 1898-1910
LINK to source at DCHRC

The Weaver house is now the Johnson and Sons place, as you can see, the corral is gone


Another photo of the Marquis Victor House built before 1876
LINK to source at DCHRC

As you can see the columns supporting the balcony have seen better days

Sedalia School built in 1912
Link to source at DCHRC

It appears to be somebody's home now, the modern school is over to the right and much larger

That's about all the structures that I found at DCHRC and which I was able to locate during today's wanderings around the town of Sedalia. I am sure the few folks who saw me, wondered why I appeared so interested in old ramshackle buildings. : )

I encourage you to click on the links under each historical photo, it takes you to the DCHRC site and more information is available about the subjects in the photos.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, great post. I'm always fascinated by 'then and now' photos.

Jack Riepe said...

Dear Charlie6 (Dom):

This ride looks like it was great fun! The pictures were very interesting, and I wondered if any of the people in these places were related to individuals who lived in the structures when they were new, or newer.

Yet if you were writing a history of a county, you would be entitled to say that not much has changed.

Fondest regards,
Jack
Twisted Roads