Four Mile Historic Park; Home to the Oldest House in Denver

Back in the old days people heading west into Denver would find several "mile" houses along the various stagecoach trails (e.g. Smoky Hill Trail, Cherokee Trail, etc.). Each house represented the number of miles to the city center. For instance the Four Mile House was four miles from downtown and the Nine Mile House was nine miles out...and so on. Only two of these mile houses are still standing in Colorado today; the Four Mile House and the Seventeen Mile House.

The Four Mile House came into existence in 1858, when two brothers with the last name Brantner built a log house that became a popular stagecoach stop on the way into Denver. Eventually the brothers sold the house to a business savvy widow named Mary Cawker, who became the first to run the place as a sort of hotel for those traveling west. She and her teenage kids would hang out in the parlor while the men would drink and play cards in the tavern. After the Cherry Creek flooded in 1864, Cawker sold the property to an up and coming couple, Levi and Millie Booth. The Booth's added a brick addition onto the log house along with finely furnished Victorian era furniture (which is currently on display at the Four Mile House). The Four Mile House is exactly four miles away from downtown Denver, from the intersection of Colfax and Broadway. Folks would head into town to gather supplies and then head further west in search of gold!

Nowadays, the Four Mile House is a part of the Four Mile Historic Park and is open to the public for house tours, cultural history education, and Colorado heritage education. The park makes for a nice family outing, school field trip, photography session, scenic special event host, and overall fun learning experience.

So, get in touch with your pioneer spirit and come take a tour of the oldest house in Denver!



Four Mile Historic Park Hours

April-Sept. (Wed-Fri 12-4, Sat and Sun 10-4)

Oct-Mar (Wed-Sun 12-4)

Every First Friday of the month is FREE!

Call ahead to find out if wagon rides are available for the day you want to visit.

Websites:
Home Page: http://www.fourmilepark.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FMHP

(Sources: Information contained in this blog entry is taken from information dispersed from FMHP. Photos taken are property of this blog writer.)