Cobweb Express
Jimmy Camp
by Mel McFarland
 Jimmy Camp was the most popular place where travelers met to tratde, talk and relax in this area. Just east of the entrance to the old Banning-Lewis Ranch, between where Constitution meets US 24, and Falcon, is where Jimmy Camp was found. There is a spring there, starting Jimmy Camp creek, however like the creek, it is often dry. It is at the top of the valley that leads south to Fountain.
There are several interesting storys as to who Jimmy was, and how the place came to be named for him. One of the storys says he was Jimmy Beckworth, a Crow Indian trapper and guide. Another credits Jimmy Goyer, an Irishman. He was said to have a cabin where he traded with the Indians. The story goes that he was killed by raiders from Mexico. In another version it was Jimmy Daugherty that was killed by the raiders. Whoever Jimmy was, his name will live on in our history.
One of the early visitors to spread the word of the area was Major-Stephen Long. He was a veteran of the War of 1812, sent west, like others since the Louisiana Purchase, to map and explore portions of the new land west of the Mississippi. Long, with a party of twenty two others, left what is now Nebraska, following the Platte River. When they got to where it divides, they followed the south branch into present day Colorado. Expecting to see mountains in the distance, they were soon treated to a grand mountain view.
Assuming this was the same mountain Pike saw, it was referred to as Pikes Peak. In reality, it was another mountain, this is now known as Long's Peak.
The expedition worked their way along the mountains, exploring as they traveled. They passed through present day Boulder, Golden and Colorado City, to Manitou. (None of these towns were there until some twenty years later.) They camped in the Pikes Peak Region for over a week. One day a doctor and a few others walked to the top of the mountain. Dr. Edwin James christened this peak, James Peak. A name that he had given several other peaks along the way. The party traveled south along Fountain Creek to the Arkansas River. The year was 1820. The event was the second visit to the future site of Fountain by "eastern" explorers. Longs party divided into two groups at the Arkansas, one heading East, the other south toward Raton Pass. This area, at the time was still part of Mexico. Eventually they returned north to the Arkansas, which was the southern border of the Louisiana Purchase.
The West, and specifically Santa Fe became a popular destination for travelers from the east once word spread into the United States. On the frontier there were many new businesses being developed but Santa Fe was in Mexico. Mexico did not want any visiting businessmen from the US. Many who heard the tales traveled on the Santa Fe Trail through southeast Colorado, over Raton Pass. It became a major reason for the war with Mexico, and what many remember as the battle for Texas. in the 18,40's.
In the 1850's with the war with Mexico out of the way there were more, explorations in our area, including John C. Fremont. In the northern part of the state Fort St Vrain came about. Down on the Arkansas, Bent's Fort first" was at what is now Pueblo, on the Taos Trail. The Taos train headed into the mountains and south through the San Luis Valley into Taos. Bent's Fort was later moved to near present day La Junta on the Santa Fe Trail. It became the major "jumping off point" for the trip into Mexico.
Many early settlements or outposts were built along the Santa Fe and the even older Taos Trail. There were other trails that fed into these trails. One ran northward along the mountains to present day Pueblo, up the Fountain all the way north through present diy Falcon, Kiowa.and Elizabeth toward Denver and even to the Black Hills in South Dakota. As it followed Fountain Creek a stream branched away from the mQuntains and today is named for the, little....settlement where it starts. Jimmy Camp Creek is this spot of interest to us. On the high ground at the junction of the Fountain there are a few storys of a regularly used Indian camp at what is npw Fountain. At the other end of this stream on the side of a low hill sat Jimmy ´amp, a small set of cabins used as a trading post.
Jimmy Camp was little more than a crude set of cabins, but it was a place where travelers met to trade. Trappers and Indians alike used the Indian's trail, but not all their meetings were friendly. There are no records of battles, between the Indians and the trappers, or in fact each other in this area, but it is known that occasionally raiding parties from the Pawnee, Cheyenne, and Apache did skirmish with each other on the hin.s in this area as well as raiding early settlements.
Jimmy Camp's name is prominent in our history, and next time we will talk more about its historical significance.
CONTACT THE WRITER • MCMIDLAND@YAHOO.COM
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