Our Douglas County Colorado

Larkspur Colorado

Statistics & Facts:

• The population of Larkspur is approximately 234.
• The approximate number of families is 92.
• The amount of land area in Larkspur is 1.4 square miles.
• The distance from Larkspur to Denver, Colorado is 43 miles.
• Larkspur is positioned 39.18 degrees north of the equator and 104.89 degrees west of the prime meridian.
• The Town of Larkspur is served and protected by the Larkspur Fire Protection District. and Douglas County Sheriff.

History & History Related Items:

• The Larkspur area began as a resort and eventually became a town.
• On January 22, 1862, a territorial post office was established at Huntsville, Douglas County, Colorado. It was discontinued on August 29, 1867 and re-established on April 8, 1869, and the name was changed December 13, 1871, to Larkspur. In 1871 the name Huntsville was changed to Larkspur by Elizabeth Hunt (then Governor). Larkspur was incorporated in 1979.
• The Town of Larkspur is home for the Colorado Renaissance Festival.

The Town of Larkspur is a Home Rule Municipality with a Council / Mayor form of Government. The Council and the Mayor are elected for 4 year terms. Current Council is shown below.

Mayor:

• Sherilyn West – Elected 2006

Current Council Members:

• Steve Smith – Elected 2006, Re-appointed Mayor Pro Tem 2008 2 yr term
• Kristin Cutbirth – Elected 2006
• Sheryl Jones – Elected 2006
• Eve Curry-Harbison – Elected 2008
• Joseph Jeske – Elected 2008
• Lana Wagner – Elected 2008

Town Clerk/Manager:

• Manfred (Matt) Krimmer

A LITTLE HISTORY OF LARKSPUR

Excerpts from an article by Melvin W. Jackson
(circa 1963) and other historical information available On January 22, 1862, a

territorial post office was established at Huntsville, Douglas County, Colorado. It was discontinued on August 29, 1867 and re-established on April 8, 1869, and the name was changed December 13, 1871, to Larkspur. The Larkspur post office has been continuously in operation since that date. In 1871 the name Huntsville was changed to Larkspur by Elizabeth Hunt (wife of the then Governor); she named the town after the flower that grows so profusely in the area.  The Denver and Rio Grande Railway in its construction south from Denver reached Larkspur on September 21, 1871. On September 24, 1871, the railroad reached “Pineland,” a station about four miles south of Larkspur. There was no Pineland post office established.  Subsequently, the name was changed to Greenland, and the Greenland post office was established June 3, 1873.  The Greenland post office was discontinued March 31, 1959, and it was replaced by a rural route from Larkspur.
A one-room wood schoolhouse was built on a ranch south of town in 1872.  It was later put on skids and moved into town. Folklore has it that the original wood schoolhouse was destroyed by a tornado, but no documentation can be found to substantiate that story.  However, in May of 1896 a new brick school house, which stil

l stands today, was built.  Historical records show that the schoolhouse was used for church services, social activities, and community meetings.

In the 1920s Larkspur had a reputation as a health and summer resort. At that time Larkspur had one hotel, a lumber camp adjoining the town, a general mercantile store, blacksmith shop, orphanage, hardware store, grocery store, and the Frink Creamery Company, founded there in about 1900 and known for their popular Black Canyon Cheese.  Most of these buildings and businesses along Main Street near Plum Creek were destroyed in the large flood of 1965.  The main street of town then moved higher up on the hill to Spruce Mountain Road in front of the old school. In 1972, a large new school was built on Perry Park Road and the old school house was sold to a private party.

One pioneer settler in the area was Jimmy Riggs, who moved to Douglas County in

1881 and opened his store at Greenland.  In 1923 he moved his store to Larkspur. He served as County Treasurer for two terms. He passed away at the age of 80 in 1938.
The town was incorporated as a home rule municipality on May 21, 1979. Anne Trueblood was the town’s first mayor.  Since that time the town limits have grown as a result of several property annexations.