County Map from Time Capsule
The map was found in November of 2000 when Larimer County officials opened time capsules from the Larimer County Administrative Services building in Fort Collins. These time capsules were concealed behind the cornerstone wall located near the Oak Street entrance of the south wing of the building.
This map was produced by E&L Horn for the City of Fort Collins' Public Library Project Benefit Fund. Our research puts the map at about 1937 - 1938.
In 1937 a library expansion project was approved by the City of Fort Collins. The public library did put funds into projects that would help raise funds to build the expansion. We believe this map may have been used to generate funds for this project. The project was completed in 1939.
A Fort Collins Public Library research we conducted turned up a Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce brochure produced in 1935 that contained a very similar map, author unknown.
The front page of the Fort Collins Leader, dated 1936 (vacation edition), is made up of a very similar map.
Colorado Legislation passed in 1937 allowed the Northern Colorado Conservancy District to be created that same year. The Big Thompson Project began in 1938. This map lists the Big Thompson Project but the "Proposed Continental Divide Tunnel". This tunnel, the Alva B. Adams Tunnel, carried water from the western slope to the eastern slope and was completed in 1947.
Horsetooth Reservoir was labeled "Proposed Reservoir (Big Thompson Project)" on this map. Construction of Horsetooth Reservoir took place from 1946-1949 with the first water storage in 1951.
The map shows three Civilian Conservation Corp, 'CCC', camps. The CCC program was established in 1933 and disbanded in 1942. The Buckeye CCC Camp (shown on map northwest of Wellington) was in existence from 1935-1939. Also shown on the map are camps near Redfeather Lakes and near the Big Thompson River.
At least two books about local life are listed on the map. Next to Buckeye the "Back to Buckeye" book is listed and that book was published in 1934. Southeast of Wellington the "Second Hoeing" book is listed and that book was published in 1935.
The clothes, cars, Airstream Trailer, and other depictions on the map look the era.
The population of Larimer County in 1940 was 35,539.
