Bakersfield

 

Bakersfield, Colorado

Bakersfield, CO, was a small country Post Office on the Plains of Eastern Colorado.   SW of Vona or SE of Seibert.  It served local farmers and ranchers, early 1900’s out of their house.  Where the map showed the location, there were a couple of homes.  One was an abandoned farm, now home to grazing cattle.  Nearby was an operating farm, with equipment and well kept yard.  The empty farmyard is probably where the PO was located. 

 

It is an area of rolling hills, of mostly pastures, with some farmland.  Cattle pause their browsing to look at the interloper, the buffalo have a look of curiosity and the deer and antelope scurry for cover and distance.  The fox and coyotes wander the area as do other critters.  Then there are the birds, Eastern Colorado has one of the largest, most diverse variety of birds in the state. 

 

Because it is mostly ranchland, the area is pretty empty.  Homes are few and far and the little country Post Office may have had a couple dozen customers. 

 

Nearby is the Mennonite community of New Fredericksburg. The church has been boarded up, but it appears the graveyard is still used and taken care of.   Probably there are still some ancestors in the area.

 

It is a land that holds memories of dreams from years ago. 

Oriska, Colorado

 

Oriska, was a rural Post Office, located in East Central Colorado, just south of Seibert. 

 

The map shows there had been two Orica’s, one located on SH Hwy 59 and the other just a couple miles to the east.  Both were in operation during the early 1900’s.  When the contract for mail service was changed, it appears the name stayed with the PO.  On occasion when the rancher would get the PO contract, he would change the name of the Post Office, using his last name. 

 

Along the highway there is not much left of the ranch.  A few out buildings and corrals.  According to the map, Oriska was just south of the corner store.  The General Store, would be located on the corner of the correction line road curve. 

 

Here there are a few old building and houses.  Often these little general stores would get the Post Office but according to the map, no PO was located at the curve. 

 

These little country Post Offices would serve around 12-20 customers.  Located in the ranch house, it would also be a place to pause and visit and learn the gossip about the neighbors.  The postal customers of Oriska were probably consolidated in the Post Office at Seibert.