Indian Park School - Douglas County, Colorado
Posted by: 
Big B Bob
Assisted by: boB B giB
N 39° 22.815 W 105° 04.894
13S E 492974 N 4358977
An 1884 One-Room "Mountain School".
Waymark Code: WM7X41
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 12/16/2009
Views: 5
Created From:
Indian Park School - Douglas County, Colorado - posted by
boB B giB
From the Douglas County Library:
Unique among Douglas County’s historic schools for many reasons, Indian Park School was built in 1884. Unlike buildings in most other districts in Douglas County, the school neither moved nor was it remodeled extensively, but like many other districts in the county, it was renamed occasionally. Designated on the Douglas County school rolls as District #7, this school has held several names through the years including Jarre Cañon, "Mountain School" Brown’s School (it was on or adjacent to the property of Orville R. Brown, who homesteaded around 1900 ) and finally Indian Park School.
The land for the school was purchased by William Smith in 1883, the school was built in 1884, and deeded to the school district in 1885. Mr. and Mrs. William Smith are buried in the Indian Park Cemetery, adjacent to the school. Eight students came from District 5 (Oaklands, to the south) and four from District 26 (Sugar Creek, to the west) to form the first student body. There were never more than twelve students in the school at any particular time, and usually, there were far fewer. The students and teacher shared a special bond because of the small class size, and the community around the school remembered the teachers long after they had moved on.
The close-knit atmosphere among the students one year led them to form a "Mountain Goat Club" to prevent fighting. The club must have been sorely needed, because it fell apart when a girl who had been treated unfairly in a baseball game whacked a boy and was expelled from the club. The rest of the girls that year went with her, and the club disbanded.
During the winter months, the heavy snow led to igloo building, sledding, and of course snowball fights. Apparently, the students would stand on top of the boys and girls' outhouses to lob their frosty projectiles at one another.
The school was also the site of many community events such as picnics, Christmas programs, films, and graduations.
In 1959, Indian Park became one of the last rural schools in the county to close.
The building was purchased by the Indian Park Schoolhouse Association in 1974 in order to save the area from being developed, as rumors had spread about proposed commercial usage of the land.
Indian Park School is located just north of Colorado Highway 67, 10 miles west of Sedalia, CO. The 12 x 20 foot building (with 6 x 12 foot cloakroom) has been on the National Register of Historic Places since February of 1978. It is currently maintained by the Indian Park Schoolhouse Association, and the community along Jarre Canyon uses the building for gatherings such as picnics and weddings.
Address:
10 mi. (16 km) W of Sedalia on CO 67
Sedalia/Deckers, Colorado
Web Site: [Web Link]
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