Monday, August 27, 2018

The Miksch-Helmer Cabin



My husband and I have lived in Colorado for six summers and in that short time, we have seen the front range of Colorado in the Denver area changing. Land sales, new construction, and the need to widen expressways by adding toll lanes are occurring. With many companies moving into the area and a constant increase in residents, the quiet, open bucolic areas of the front range is being lost to progress.

Happily, preservation has also occurred in many areas, with protected open space and parks owned by our counties. In 1913, the Douglas County Historic Preservation Board preserved a historic 1870 cabin, the Miksch-Helmer Cabin.



The central part of the cabin was built by Pennsylvanian Amos Miksch, who came across the vast dangerous plains to build a new life in what was then the Colorado Territory. Miksch enlisted in Colorado's Volunteer Cavalry and served in the 1862 Battle of Glorietta Pass, and the 1864 Battle of Sand Creek. (See my post on the Sand Creek Massacre Historic Site at this link) Miksch later testified at a formal hearing about the atrocities committed against the Cheyenne and Arapaho people at Sand Creek. Because of his service in the Union Army, Miksch received a patent under the 1862 Homestead Act permitting him to build and cultivate 160 acres of land. By 1871, he was married with two children and had built his cabin of Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine. He cultivated five acres, built a 14 x 24 chicken house and dug a well and a one-mile ditch to help irrigate the arid land. In 1873, Miksch sold the property to Frederick Neumeyer who lived there for a decade before selling the farm to Franz and Judith Helmer for $700.


 The Helmers lived there until 1888 when their son John purchased the farm from his parents. John Helmer and his Irish born wife Nellie had three children, two of whom survived. They raised cattle, sold milk, and irrigated crops using the nearby Highline Canal.  Many years later, after Nellie's death, the husband and son John remained in the cabin. In the 1940's financial troubles and the elder John's poor health led them to sell off some of their lands. In 1948, the son John married Margaret Hildebrand. They lived in the Hildebrand Ranch House until the 1970's when the US Corps of Engineers acquired part of the ranch for the Chatfield Dam and Reservoir.  The Helmer Cabin was intermittently rented and finally sold in 2005.  The last owners, Joseph and Mary Cronen, donated the cabin to Douglas County in 2013. Douglas County’s historic preservation board made several improvements to preserve the home so visitors could visit it on guided tours, combined with visits to the nearby Lamb Springs which dates back to the end of the last Ice Age. It is on this site where bones from more than 30 mammoths have been discovered over the course of multiple excavations by the Smithsonian in the 1960s and 80s. The mammoth remains trace back between 11,000 and 13,000 years!  To read my blog post about our visit to lamb Springs, click here.


The log cabin is constructed of logs laid with a square notch technique, and the interior consists of one large room with a flight of stairs to a loft. The walls are exposed log that at one time were whitewashed. The loft has a wood floor with log walls and horizontal boards in the gable ends. There is the original front door on the oldest portion of the cabin, and the original double-hung windows located on the west side of the original part of the cabin. The south addition was built prior to 1920 and is constructed of wood-frame with board-and-batten siding. Standing inside the cabin it was easy for me to imagine the sparse and simple life these pioneer families led.





The Miksch-Helmer is located near the 71 miles long High Line Canal, which has its own interesting story. The canal was constructed in 1883 to bring irrigation water to farmers. The canal is still operational today but now it is better known for its adjoining multi-use path. Most of the wide, flat 60 mile long High Line Canal Trail is a well-maintained dirt surface, shaded by cottonwood trees. and traversed by walkers and runners, bike riders, and horse riders.


That a cabin built almost 150 years ago still stands is a testament to the hard work and enduring care of its builder and past owners. That has been preserved with landmark status is a promise to future generations that we honor both our history and the fortitude of those who had a dream of living and cultivating the west.

To visit Lamb Springs and the Miksch-Helmer Cabin visit the Lamb Spring website at this link for the tour schedule and information.


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32 comments:

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Thank you for your comment! I read and appreciate them all.
I'm sorry but I can not answer questions or publish comments that come from anonymous commenters. Thanks for understanding.

EricaSta said...

Nice to meet you on Monday - Wish you a very fine Week!

Maggie said...

This was a fascinating read and I really enjoyed hearing about how the cabin came to be built and how the subsequent owners lived their lives there. It is good that the heritage of this area is being protected as it sounds as if there is a lot happening in your area regarding roads and businesses encroaching on these wonderful wilderness areas.
Happy Mosaic Monday!

Tom said...

...change isn't always good. I hope that this place remains. Thanks for stopping by, enjoy your week.

From the Kitchen said...

It is so important to preserve this kind of history. Right now, in our area, a movement is on to preserve the Lake Michigan dunes that are left after being disturbed by the steel mills. The state of Indiana is not being as helpful and it should be in this endeavor. Thanks for an interesting read with my morning coffee!

Best,
Bonnie

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

That cabin has seen a lot in it's life time! Thank you for sharing it and the history of it.

Snap said...

So much history! Beautiful scenery, history and fun -- all in one!

Lady Fi said...

What a lovely cabin! Thank goodness they are preserving it.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Isn’t that the best way to learn history? I can really relate to what you said about standing inside this wonderfully preserved cabin and being able to imagine what it would have been like to live there. History really does come alive in places like this ... and that is so important. Thank you for sharing the tour...which was *almost* as good as being there in person. And the multi use trail sounds like a great one.

Linda W. said...

Very interesting! It's good that places such as these have been preserved for future generations to see.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I love to see these old places preserved! What great photos. Part of me would like to go live in a cabin way out in the middle of no where! heehee! Hugs!

Tamar SB said...

What an amazing history. Such a lovely location.

Ciao Chow Linda said...

I am always awed by the sheer hard work required to build these structures with minimal equipment back in the day. It's wonderful to see places like this preserved for people to learn about.

junieper2 said...

Whenever it's on TV we watch barnwood Builders - building and restoring log cabins - I have much appreciation with how hard it is to build a log cabin. Thank you for telling about how the owners and their families lived! Love that you share the history of these log cabins with All Seasons! Have a lovely week:)

Lorrie said...

It's wonderful to see cabins like this being preserved. As you wrote, it's a testament to the builder that it's standing today after 150 years. I can't imagine the hardships of living through winters in such a place. Thanks for another informative and interesting post.

Angie said...

Pat - you know preservation warms my heart - thanks for sharing this success story with us. It is also a great reminder of the tough lives led by those early settlers - I like my modern conveniences too much to have been successful in that era!

EricaSta said...

I enjoyed this Post for Mosaic Monday... it’s a interesting History.
Wish you a lovely Week

Lydia C. Lee said...

Do you ever wonder how termites left this alone all untreated for 150 years but get into houses that have just been built (relatively speaking)?

NCSue said...

It's nice to see history preserved. Thanks for taking us on a visit with you!
And thanks for sharing this week at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-little-bit-squirrely.html

ellen b. said...

Always happy to see things protected and preserved. Six summers already? Wow!

Little Wandering Wren said...

I'm always in awe of those early pioneers who set out for the unknown. I am grateful for all my travels I have WiFI to keep connected haha! What a beautiful log cabin and I am happy too that its history has been preserved.
Have a great day Pat
Wren x

Lowcarb team member said...

Goodness, such beautiful scenery, great history and fun!
I enjoyed your post.

All the best Jan

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson said...

I'm so glad they preserved it! Too many things are being torn down these days. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann

Sharon Wagner said...

If four walls could talk? Things were built to last. And they were mighty small. My cats would go nuts!

Spare Parts and Pics said...

Wonderful old cabin and so happy it is being preserved. I don't like to hear about all the land sale and new construction you have seen over just 6 years, but sounds like at least some land is being set aside for open space.

Michelle said...

Quite a piece of history and I enjoyed reading about how it all came to be. Thanks for linking up today and have a great holiday weekend.

Jim said...

Fantastic shots.

Cherie said...

What a lovely cabin...I could live there quite happily. I realise that life would have been very tough back then but I would love to lead such a simple life

Jeanie said...

Very interesting. I'm a big fan of historic preservation. It isn't always possible but boy, it sure is important. What stories are here. And you tell the history so well!

Michele said...

Wow! I love that cabin. It's so beautiful. You go on so many wonderful adventures. ;-D Thank you for sharing with us at the Whimsical Wednesdays Link Party!

linette27 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
linette27 said...

Amos C. Miksch was my 2nd Great Grandfather. Do you know if there are any photos of Amos? I love the cabin and will have to visit someday. Thank you for sharing!