Damascus,
Colorado
Damascus,
Colorado, was a small Post Office, operated out of a home at the turn of this
past century. The home site was located
on the banks of Rush Creek in far south eastern Lincoln County.
Out
there in the ranchers pasture, among the trees a few structures can be
seen. Nearby is another ranch house and
some barns and out buildings. According
to the old map, a wagon road went through the area, near Damascus. It is a land of open spaces, Population density
is maybe one person per 5 square miles.
It
appears the wagon road to Hugo, a railroad town during the 1899’s and 1900’s. From Hugo, the mail and express was delivered
to the ranchers in the area and maybe trading posts. From Hugo, about 60 miles away, the drayage
service would have delivered them mail to Damascus and other PO’s along the
route.
When
I journeyed looking for Damascus, I had no expectations of what I would find
and not much did I find. I turned south
from Boyero, making small dust cloud as I bounced along the dirt road. About 4very miles or so I would pass a ranch
house, otherwise it was open country.
Here an untouched land, much like when the buffalo roamed the prairie. The only changes were the roads and
fences. The buffalo had been replaced by
cattle to graze the grasses.
There
were scores of different birds, falcons, eagles, hawks, larks and you name
em. The occasional antelope could be
seen on the ridges, watching the intruder, deer cautiously watcher the passer
by, ground squirrels scurried off the road and coyote sauntered along the
ditch. Here was a land with few changes,
so I settled in for the journey.
Soon
I was at my destination, well almost.
The road curved at the fence and beyond the fence went the ruts. Over there in the trees was Damascus Post
Office. I followed the road around the
curve and across Rush Creek. There was a
small trickle of water in the creek, some deer were lounging in the cool
grasses on the banks.
I
paused and did a 360 look about, There was a ranch house over there and some
cattle were grazing over there and the breeze tickled the air. It was day of time of wonderment. The destination was at hand, the journey was
the time spent thinking about past travelers.
Damascus,
Colorado, how came to be named that is still a mystery.
