Littleton in Arapahoe County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Rough and Ready
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2021
1. Rough and Ready Marker
Inscription.
Rough and Ready. . , At various points in its history, the Rough and Ready Mill churned out flour, lumber, and livestock feed. But the end product was always the same: growth for Littleton. Built in 1867 by pioneers Richard Little, Joseph Bowles, and John Lilley, among others, it stood at the present-day corner of Santa Fe Drive and Bowles Avenue (now occupied by the Riverfront Center). As the Front Range's first flour mill , and one of the Denver and Rio Grande Western's first big shipping customers , this mighty industrial engine lured jobs, settlers, and business investment to Littleton. By the late nineteenth century, Rough and Ready flour was a prominent national brand. Leased to a timber company in 1902, the mill shut down during the Great Depression and stood vacant until 1959, when a fire destroyed it. But it had already served its purpose: it put the bread on Littleton's table.
The train depot in front of you once served passengers on Littleton's first railroad, the Denver and Rio Grande Western. When this historic line reached Littleton in 1871, both town and tracks were in their infancy. As the D&RGW grew, extending its branches throughout the Colorado Rockies, Littleton grew along with it, becoming one of Colorado's most prosperous agricultural regions. This depot became one of the busiest on the D&RGW network, with twenty-four trains arriving daily by the late 1880s , and departing with freight cars full of local farmers' crops. For nearly a century the D&RGW was the town's economic lifeline; when the last freight train rolled through here in 1982, Littleton had long since made the transition from prosperous farming town to prosperous suburb. Today the old depot stands as a reminder of this community's deep railroading roots , and its everlasting debt to the D&RGW.
[background image caption] , The Denver and Rio Grande Western and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe helped make Littleton a thriving center of commerce. The D&RGW depot (in front of you) was relocated and restored in 1984. The AT&SF depot (center of photo) is home to the "Depot Art Center" , established to promote fine art in the Littleton area. Both are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. , , Colorado Historical Society
At various points in its history, the Rough and Ready Mill churned out flour, lumber, and livestock feed. But the end product was always the same: growth for Littleton. Built in 1867 by pioneers Richard Little, Joseph Bowles, and John Lilley, among others, it stood at the present-day corner of Santa Fe Drive and Bowles Avenue (now occupied by the Riverfront Center). As the Front Range's first flour mill — and one of the Denver & Rio Grande Western's first big shipping customers — this mighty industrial engine lured jobs, settlers, and business investment to Littleton. By the late nineteenth century, Rough and Ready flour was a prominent national brand. Leased to a timber company in 1902, the mill shut down during the Great Depression and stood vacant until 1959, when a fire destroyed it. But it had already served its purpose: it put the bread on Littleton's table.
The train depot in front of you once served passengers on Littleton's first railroad, the Denver & Rio Grande Western. When this historic line reached Littleton in 1871, both town and tracks were in their infancy. As the D&RGW grew, extending its branches throughout the Colorado Rockies, Littleton grew along with it, becoming one of Colorado's most prosperous agricultural regions. This depot became one of the busiest on the D&RGW network, with twenty-four trains arriving
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daily by the late 1880s — and departing with freight cars full of local farmers' crops. For nearly a century the D&RGW was the town's economic lifeline; when the last freight train rolled through here in 1982, Littleton had long since made the transition from prosperous farming town to prosperous suburb. Today the old depot stands as a reminder of this community's deep railroading roots — and its everlasting debt to the D&RGW.
[background image caption] The Denver & Rio Grande Western and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe helped make Littleton a thriving center of commerce. The D&RGW depot (in front of you) was relocated and restored in 1984. The AT&SF depot (center of photo) is home to the "Depot Art Center" — established to promote fine art in the Littleton area. Both are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. —Colorado Historical Society
Erected 2003 by Colorado Historical Society; and Colorado Department of Transportation.
2. Marker detail: Littleton Flour Mills (formerly the Rough and Ready Flour Mill)
(In a 1940 watercolor.) For years, the Rough and Ready served as an economic mainstay to the community.
W. Marker is in Littleton, Colorado, in Arapahoe County. Marker can be reached from South Prince Street south of West Alamo Avenue, on the left when traveling south. Marker is located in the RTD Downtown Littleton Station parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5777 South Prince Street, Littleton CO 80120, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . 1. General History of Littleton. Surveying in an area several miles south of Denver, Richard Little fell in love with the site of present-day Littleton. Upon filing a home stake and other land claims, Richard brought his wife Angeline from the East in 1862, and began to farm. The Littles joined with several neighbors to build the Rough and Ready Flour Mill in 1867, providing a solid economic base in the community for years to come. (Submitted on July 19, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Denver Public Library, Western History Collection
3. Marker detail: Loading milk onto the Uncle Sam, 1915
The Uncle Sam — also known as the "aristocrat of trains" — was lauded as the most profitable on the entire Denver & Rio Grande Western line.
2. Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (Wikipedia). The D&RGW started as a narrow-gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado, in 1870. It served mainly as a transcontinental bridge line between Denver, and Salt Lake City, Utah. (Submitted on July 19, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Colorado Historical Society
4. Marker detail: Heavy Littleton Snowfall, Dec. 6, 1913
Edwin Bemis, Sr., captured much of Littleton's history through the eve of his camera, including this heavy snowfall of December 6, 1913. Over the years Bemis amassed quite a collection of photographs, which he donated to the Littleton Historical Society, an organization he founded in 1956.
Courtesy Denver Post
5. Edwin A. Bemis
On November 21, 1964, Edwin A. Bemis broke ground for the Littleton Library, which bears his name. In 1970 the Littleton Historical Museum opened as well, adding to the Bemis legacy.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2021
6. Rough and Ready Marker
(former Denver & Rio Grande railroad depot in left background)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 19, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 541 times since then and 51 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 18, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3. submitted on July 19, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 18, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
