Impression Evergreen

Mount Vernon townsite Just south of where Interstate 70 curves west and begins its climb up into the Rockies, Matthews/Winters Park preserves a splendid plateau and a fascinating past. It’s a unique location because it’s the exact point where the high plains meets the mountains. The place was first settled in 1859 by an entrepreneurial clergyman named Joseph Casto who hoped to make a profit from the burgeoning gold rush. Second to arrive was a lawyer from Nebraska named Robert Williamson Steele who called the area Mount Vernon after George Washington’s estate in Virginia. Casto platted the hillside and encouraged development of the small village that became known as Mount Vernon Towne. Casto also started the Denver, Auraria, and Colorado Wagon Road Company, which built a toll road from Denver through Mount Vernon and up the canyon to the gold fields at what is now Central City and Blackhawk. Almost overnight Mount Vernon was transformed into a thriving transportation hub as

General Custer fell here After destroying Custer's entire battalion, the warriors raced south across the ridges to engage the last remnant of the Seventh Cavalry. Lying flat on the ground, the soldiers formed a perimeter of defense around a natural depression scooped out of the summit of their hilltop refuge. They managed to hold off a determined siege throughout the evening and into the darkness. Many of the spooked men recalled how down in the Indian village there was a celebration of dancing and singing that lasted all night. Desperate cries from captured soldiers who were being tortured below filtered eerily through the hills. Troopers who chose to hide in the timber rather than retreat, somehow worked their way back up to the relative safety of rejoining their comrades. By first light the next morning, the conflict resumed and the remaining 300 or so soldiers continued to hold the high ground. Incredibly, a group of volunteers even snuck down a steep ravine all the

An impressive bison While waiting for practice to end, wandering down to Evergreen Memorial Park is like walking back in time. Set in Colorado's Front Range foothills, the sprawling meadow serves as a cemetery, wildlife preserve and wedding ground. The weathered barn chapel, complete with stained-glass windows, is a symbolic structure and fitting tribute to the early settlers of Evergreen and the Old West. Just like days gone by, buffalo roam across a golden plain and gather on the muddy banks of a lively watering hole. Occupying a rocky domain, amusing goats and friendly fallow deer greet the visitor with unbridled enthusiasm. Further along the path, an impressive herd of antlered elk is tame enough to be hand-fed. The curious critters use their long, sticky tongues to swipe pellets of compressed hay directly from your clutch. An interesting ritual is the daily occurrence of congregating clouds that seem to melt into the cool-blue mountains. The fascinating weather effect