TRAVEL
History tucked into the suburban present Look no further than Littleton, Colorado
Story and photos by Victor Block
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tepping off the train after a short ride from a modern metropolis, I was immediately introduced to a world that no longer exists. More than 50 houses, businesses, churches and other buildings provide an introduction to smalltown America during the 19th and early 20th centuries. A tiny log home built in 1861 is dwarfed by a larger dairy spread. A general store which operated in the late 1800s stands near a depot where trains of the fabled Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway once stopped. This setting greets passengers disembarking from light rail trains connecting Denver with Littleton,
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Colorado—20 minutes away in time, but more than a century removed in atmosphere. The setting is akin to entering a Norman Rockwell painting of life as it used to be, and in some ways still is.
WHY WALK? The first view of Littleton that people arriving by train encounter is displayed on a 40-foot-wide mural on a wall of the railroad station platform. The colorful composition depicts historic structures, some long gone and others still standing. The seeds of the settlement were planted in 1859, when the Pikes Peak gold rush attracted miners to the community, along with merchants and farmers who came to
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supply and feed them. Since that modest birth, Littleton has expanded into a suburban community. The action is centered around a stretch of Main Street. A walking tour is a good way to take in historic buildings and get a feel for the setting. Begin at the light rail depot, a Victorian-style stone building constructed in 1875. Another train station and a vintage caboose parked next door serve as an art gallery. The tower of the Columbine Mill, built in 1901 as a grain elevator, looks out over the town. The charming Louthan House (circa 1905-1909), named for its builder, is home to the Café Terracotta, one of a number of restaurants that
THE FAVORITE ATTRACTIONS FOR MANY VISITORS ARE TWO LIVING HISTORY SETTINGS THAT RECREATE FARM LIFE IN THE 1860S AND 1890S.
