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OPINION
Fountain was a farm town into the 1950’s. Summer was simpler then. The past few years have brought changes to Fountain. How about a look at a Summer day over forty years ago, or so. Some of these things have not changed, but many are now faded memories. Our population stood just above 600. Main Street still was home for Fountain Flour and Feed, Fountain Hardware and Implement, Fountain Herald, Arapahoe Food Market, Martin’s Grocery and Market, and a few small stores, but the town’s center of attention was either Art’s Cafe, Lettie Keys’ beauty shop, or Clare Peebles’ barber shop. Those places felt the real pulse of the community on any summer day. On a Saturday it was really busy, when those from out on the farms came in to shop. The old red school house and the new high school were quiet except for a few men getting things repaired. A few children played on the grounds, but most were either at home or across the street in the park, known by many as City Park. Not many of the town’s children could be found anywhere near the school until it was well empty and quiet. The years as a “farm town” were just starting to fade. Agriculture was still the area’s primary interest, even though Camp Carson’s influence was starting to be felt, however, there were rumors of it being closed down. The recruits arriving at Camp Carson had declined, but a few came through on the bus that still stopped as it passed through town. The stops carried a few young men in tan uniforms, mainly on their way home from the war. George Kerr’s pool hall saw its share of soldiers. There might be a few trucks on Main street, some might be picking up hay or feed. They might even drop off their wives for some shopping while they handled business. You might see George Marshal heading out to a job out on one of the area farms. His daughter Patty might even be going along for the ride. The sounds of other children here and there might be accented by the barks of dogs.You might see a boy or two pushing lawn mowers here and there. Mothers calling out for lunch might be heard for blocks. The Colorado Springs and Pueblo radio stations could be heard coming from many homes in the evenings. One might wonder how things could be enjoyable without the Loaf n’ Jug or 7-11, or television! Some day even these will be nostalgic!
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