In a message dated 5/3/03 7:10:57 PM Central Daylight Time, pauli1028@msn.com writes: > If anyone can answer this ladies questions can you address your answer > directly to her. (Please post to the list too as I would like to know the > answers myself. > Pauli > > Subject: First cabin built in Boulder County > > Dear Pauli: > I have information that claims William Miles Barney (you have him in your > G.A.R. list as William N Barney) was the first person to build a cabin in > Boulder County. > The info I have on William M. Barney says he homesteaded in the St. Vrain > district It also says he was 1st Lt. in the Boulder County Rifles. Was > there such a thing as the Boulder County Rifles? Your G.A.R. listing has > him as a Sergeant, Company D, 3rd Colorado Cavalry. Would Boulder County > Rifles be in addition to this or part of this or simply made up by the > family? > > MaryJoy Martin > Montrose, CO Hi all, There were whites who moved in and out of the area much earlier. But the first white "settlers" were with Capt. Akins. Captain Thomas A. Akins led a party / company of men into the area in the fall of 1858. There were approximately 12 men in the party and they were the first white settlers in the area. For protection from both the coming winter weather and the often unfriendly locals (the real "first" settlers) they built cabins at the mouth of Boulder Canyon. [Obituary Boulder County News 26 April 1878:2 from "Boulder County, Colorado / Deaths and the Insane / 1859-1900 / Newspaper Abstracts / Mary McRoberts / Boulder, Co / July 1991"] They had been part of a larger party of gold miners who had stopped at the fort at St. Vrain. The rest of the group went on to the Denver area. From the pamphlet "Tales of Boulder for Young Folks - No.1 The beginnings of Boulder" by Sanford Charles Gladden : "About 12 men left the larger party and came to what was to be the city of Boulder. I won't give their names, as I have found a long list of names may be rather boring." SANFORD !!!!! He goes on to say "As a matter of fact, a marked has been put up where they camped, with their names on it." ( He says it is at "...those red rocks near the Memorial Hospital.") Has anyone there in the area seen this marker ? We would all appreciate if you could post to the list. Gold is what brought them to Boulder and gold is enticing. Mr. Gladden goes on to say that just 6 months later (after the worst of the winter) "in February, 1859, the town of Boulder City was started, and about 70 log cabins were built..." There are 2 photos and 2 lithographs in the pamphlet of Boulder at that time. Beautiful. I'm gun shy of copywrite ; but can scan and distribute if someone will tell me the "right" way to do it. Also, I know I've got more books around here with the names and other items of interest ; I'll keep looking. I'm not real familiar with Colorado GAR, all of my GAR was Pennsylvania and Iowa. I'll look for this Boulder County Rifles. Regards, David Knowles