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.

You can also find me on 

Instagram Twitter Facebook Pinterest

I'm linking this post to the following blog events:

Amaze Me Monday, Mosaic Monday, All Seasons, Blue Monday,  Through My Lens Monday, Inspiration Monday, Blogging Grandmothers, You Are the Star Blog Hop, Good Random Fun, Nature Notes, Grand Social, Travel Photos, Photo Tunes, Happiness Is Homemade, Tuesday Treasures, Pictorial Tuesday, Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday, Tuesdays With A Twist, Party in Your PJ's, Wordless Wednesday, Oh My Heartsie Girl's Wonderful Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Whimsical Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World, Wonderful Wednesday,  Share Your Cup, Little Things Thursday,  Travel Photo Thursday, Thankful Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Friendship Fridays, Friday Photo Journal, Skywatch Friday, Sweet Inspiration, Pink Saturday, Over the Moon, Happiness Is Homemade