Cobweb Express

Road to Fountain
by Mel McFarland

Original paths along the mountains when the West was first reached by the Spanish were from animals and Indians. Not much really changed until the arrival of Pike and Long. After the Civil War much changed as towns started popping up and roads became important. The highway system we know of now dates from after World War One. Roads were given numbers all across the country, Odd numbered roads ran North to South, even numbers west to east.

Two main roads from Texas became US 85 and 87. They joined south of here, but divided again in Castle Rock. When the Interstate system was designed in the 1950ís part of those became 1-25 as it ran along Fountain Creek. As here some entirely new paths for the road were cut. I have talked about our early roads before, but this time I am going to use my old 1909 map to travel a few old roads. In 1909 all roads were dirt and when times were wet there were problems.

We will start in Colorado Springs and head for Fountain, we travel south, probably on Weber, not Nevada to Fountain Street, and turn east. Fountain was not as straight east as it is now, but wandered a bit around hills that are now cut down. The first turn to the right, now called Royer took you to what is now Las Vegas street. That area was a town called Leander. Or you could stay on Fountain and go east to Hancock, near the cemetery entrance with Hancock. Fountain Road, as it was then known wound south around and through the cemetery, across the railroad tracks to a spot called Kelker. The road followed the railroad tracks to a junction which is now US 85. The early road follows what is more or less todays route, crossing back and forth across the railroad a couple times before it reached the Comanche Village crossing. Passing through town on Main Street, and continusing on what is now Old Pueblo Road to Pueblo.

In Fountain in 1909 there were about a dozen streets each a few block long. Main was the main street, turning into Pueblo Road, down near Pueblo it was called Overton Road because there was a little town on it about ten miles from Pueblo called Overton. The paved highway, built in the 1920ís and 30ís eliminated the need for crossing the railroad tracks, since they were dangerous, as well as bridges over creeks and rivers, which were expensive. Some towns even moved, some died out, like Overton. When the Interstate was built this happened again. Next time, a different road.

CONTACT THE WRITER • MCMIDLAND@YAHOO.COM

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