County to decide: Overland Trail or County Road 21C

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

In the 1850s and 1860s, LaPorte was a bustling hub of activity. Trappers and fur traders, Native Americans, soldiers and settlers rubbed elbows in the busy burg, the first white settlement in northern Colorado.

The major route through this settlement was the road now called Overland Trail, named for the Overland Stage Line that operated between Kansas and California from 1858 to 1868. A branch of the stage line ran very close to what is now Overland Trail, according to local history buff David Budge. In fact, what is now the driveway to Jim and Rose Brinks' home was part of that branch line. LaPorte had its own stage station, where weary travelers could rest and enjoy a hot meal.

This spring, there's a chance that the Overland Trail moniker could be changed to County Road 21C, as part of Larimer County's Rural Addressing Improvement Project. Many residents who live along the road, which snakes along the foothills from Fort Collins into LaPorte, are casting votes to keep the name the same.

Overland Trail residents have until March 17 to object to a name change. A public hearing about the road's name is planned for April 21, 6:30 p.m., at which time the county commissioners are expected to make a final decision. If commissioners preserve the Overland Trail name, it will also be assigned to County road 21C north of LaPorte.

Gary and Caryn Delehoy live along Overland Trail near the Poudre River and see no reason to change the name. Their property has been in the Delehoy family since 1952. Gary Delehoy noted that LaPorte has a very interesting history, and it's appropriate that the road name should reflect part of it. Historic buildings still exist in the town, he pointed out, as well as remnants of a railroad line built in the 1860s.

LaPorte was named the county seat of Larimer County in 1861, Delehoy said, and was even in the running for state capital designation. The Bingham Hill Cemetery, whose first burial took place in 1862, overlooks the town.

Numbers favored

With the addressing project, the county's goal is to assign numbers to county roads in most cases. However, exceptions are being made when there is historical significance to the road name in question. Last year, residents along Bingham Hill Road south of LaPorte were allowed to retain the name of their road rather than going to a number.

Karlin Goggin is the building department's liaison who is collecting residents' opinions about Overland Trail. "I will do what the property owners want," she said. Goggin will submit a report and recommendation to the county commissioners based on local input and her own research.

Currently, the road is called Overland Trail from Drake Road in Fort Collins to County Road 54G in LaPorte. From there, going north and crossing U.S. Highway 287, it bears the name County Road 21C. Larimer County is seeking to get rid of all such dual identities as part of the addressing project, an endeavor that was undertaken late in 2004. The project's stated objective is to make road names easy to use by citizens, visitors and service providers such as fire departments.

Regardless of the commissioners' decision on Overland Trail vs. CR 21C, some residents along the road will be looking at a change of address, Goggin noted.

History outlined

According to Budge, the local branch of the Overland Stage Line was called the Cherokee Trail, named for Cherokees who traveled from Georgia to California during the '49 Gold Rush. The Cherokee Trail ran from Bent's Fort in southeastern Colorado to Fort Bridger, Wyo., and an estimated 2,000 wagons per day used the trail during the 1860s.

"The Overland Stage Line was a major western migration route," Budge said, adding that notables such as Horace Greeley, General Ulysses S. Grant and Gen. W. T. Sherman traveled on the stage line.

Budge is irked that the county is even suggesting a name change for Overland Trail. "It's just another example of the county trying to systemize things," he complained.

Overland Trail, Budge pointed out, is an important name in LaPorte history and runs very close to the actual trail. "It's dumb to just stick a number on it," he stated.

Budge said that the town of LaPorte in general is "tremendously underrated" as a historic resource for the county and state.

Residents who have opinions about Overland Trail vs. County Road 21C may submit comments to the Larimer County Building Department, in care of Karlin Goggin, P.O. Box 1190, Fort Collins 80522. Goggin can also be reached at 498-7722 or kgoggin@larimer.org. Goggin said her report can include feedback only from county residents along Overland Trail north of Michaud Lane (County Road 50). She welcomes historic references to the name or old photos of the stage line.