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RIO BLANCO COUNTY |
BufordBUFORD SCHOOL 
The 1902 Buford School has long been the educational center of the rural
area near Buford and served as the local school until consolidation in 1952.
Its intact setting and associated privy helps to convey the rural school
experience of many children in northwestern Colorado. For several generations,
the building stood at the core of the White River Valley’s daily life, and it
continues to serve this rural community as a gathering and learning place. The
Buford School is a highly recognizable valley landmark. The property is
associated with the Rural School Buildings of Colorado
Multiple Property Submission. MeekerBATTLE OF MILK RIVER SITE/THORNBURGH In September of 1879, Ute warriors skirmished here with troops under the command of Major T.T. Thornburgh as the troops entered the Ute Reservation on an expedition from Fort Steele, Wyoming to the White River Agency in northwestern Colorado. Located in the remote Milk Creek Valley, the battle site covers approximately 1,600 acres. Portions of a historic wagon road remain visible. DUCK CREEK WICKIUP VILLAGE The site is important for its use by Utes well into the late 19th century during their annual fall and winter gathering of pinyon nuts in the surrounding area. HAY’S RANCH BRIDGE The M. J. Patterson Contracting Company of Denver completed this pin-connected, six-panel steel Pratt pony truss in 1901. It is one of Colorado’s earliest state-funded vehicular bridges and one of the oldest roadway trusses in northwestern Colorado. Its slightly bowed top chord represents an unusual modification of the Pratt pony truss. Listed under Highway Bridges in Colorado Multiple Property Submission. HOTEL MEEKER Constructed in 1896, this two-story brick building reflects the characteristics of commercial structures built in small western towns during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. HUGUS, J.W., COMPANY BUILDING/A. OLDLAND BUILDING The two-story brick building was constructed in 1911 to house the Meeker operations of J.W. Hugus & Co. Founded by J.W. Hugus in 1877, the company operated numerous general and dry goods stores in southern Wyoming and western Colorado. The building was designed by the prominent Denver architectural firm of Fisher and Fisher. When Hugus decided to liquidate his assets in 1919, the building was purchased by the retailing firm of A. Oldland and Company. RIO BLANCO COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL The 1924 two-story building of rough-cut thinly coursed local sandstone includes a gymnasium wing extending from the rear of the rectangular classroom portion. The floor plan is typical of secondary educational facilities built during the period. Designed by noted architect Robert K. Fuller, the building served as the county’s only high school facility from 1924 until 1951. ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH Constructed in 1890, this stone building was the first church in Meeker and one of the oldest Episcopal churches in Colorado. The main entrance is topped by a unique bell tower faced with wood shingles. RangelyCAÑON PINTADO HISTORIC DISTRICT Because of the arid nature of the area, the archeological sites within the district are well preserved. Early pictographs and accompanying cultural material represent the eastern periphery of the Fremont culture, which developed out of Utah between AD800 and 1150. CARROT MEN PICTOGRAPH SITE The cliffs above this prehistoric campsite retain rock art typical of the Fremont people who resided in Utah and central and western Colorado from AD800 to 1150. COLLAGE SHELTER This repeatedly utilized cultural site has the potential to yield important information about prehistoric land use patterns and population movements between core and marginal use areas. FREMONT LOOKOUT FORTIFICATION SITE The lookout is on the eastern periphery of the Fremont cultural area which was occupied from AD400 until AD1150 by agricultural peoples who cultivated corn, beans and squash. The Fremont people built the stone lookout to defend their fields and hunting areas, and it is the only known example of such a defensive structure in Colorado. YampaPYRAMID GUARD STATION 
United States Forest Service (USFS) administrative sites like the Pyramid Guard Station represent the evolution of the agency’s mission from basic custodianship to extensive resource management and conservation. This shift manifested itself in the placement of ranger/guard stations within the forests, allowing rangers to react quickly to resource threats. The Pyramid buildings represent the 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps/USFS ethics of conservation, efficiency and working for the public good. Begun in 1934 as one of the first CCC-built complexes in the state, Pyramid is an excellent example of the kind of work done by the CCC in the national forests during the Great Depression. The dwelling, combination building, barn, blacksmith shop and wood shed typify administrative buildings of the USFS Rocky Mountain Region during the CCC era and are excellent examples of Rustic style architecture. The buildings exhibit key style characteristics such as log walls, overhanging eaves with exposed rafters, small paned windows, and the use of local materials in construction. The buildings reflect a local manifestation of a regional style mandated by the USFS for rural areas. (2006 photograph) |