Hugo Colorado Townsite – Ghost town
Photos Courtesy of Mike Sinnwell December 2008
Don’t forget to read the “Hugo helps a stranger” story
Okay, not quite a Ghost Town but when I saw the roundhouse that was built in 1909 I could not resist stopping and taking a few photos. The Colorado Historical Society is assisting with the renovations in cooperation with the Lincoln County and Roundhouse Preservation Inc. Can’t wait to see the final outcome. Hugo began as a stop on the Smokey Hill Stage line and was called Willow Springs. The Railroad, Kansas Pacific, (KP) came through in 1870 and a post office was established in 1871 naming the town Hugo after an early pioneer, Hugo Richards. It was also the county seat and in 1903 Teddy Roosevelt stopped for a cowboy breakfast on May 4th.
A viewer writes – Thursday March 31st 2011 — I live in Hugo Colorado and all though you got some great pictures of our round house and train depot I would encourage another visit to our town you missed some very exciting historical buildings such as our original post office our bank has been restored to the original architecture and we also have a fully restored house that belonged to one of our first settlers by the name of Dickenson I get that this is about ghost towns but you missed a lot of history. Oh and I was wondering what made you take the picture of the house with the VW in the yard. Rocky says – cause there has got to be a story behind that one.
And the story is : I am so happy you e-mailed me back!! I will most definitely get you more pictures and information I am 25 years old and have lived here all my life and even wrote a term paper on the town I love it here very much. And about the VW house its mine and I am always curious to know why people are drawn to it as I’m sure you can understand some people love it and some people hate it. My husband and I drove away from our wedding in that little bug 61/2 years ago and when the transmission went out we knew we didn’t want to part with it so we plant flowers and strawberries in it and every so often he repaints it with something new. It was great to connect with you and I will be in touch with more pictures and information.
A viewer writes – Sunday, October 30, 2011 — Hi my name is Joan A. (Boyd) Church, my Father was born in the Hugo depot in 1878 to JG Boyd or Joseph G. Boyd and Kate Boyd. I know it may seem strange, but very true. I was born late in Dads life. Granddad worked at the railroad, can anyone share something they may have Joan Church Pinehurst Id
A viewer writes – Thursday February 16th 2012 — My name is Carol (Mac Donald) Barrett. I spent my childhood in Hugo. My Dad worked at the depot from 1950 to 1956. Before that we lived in Crook, where Dad also worked at the depot there. We also lived in the depot with trains going by on each side. There was a huge pot belly stove in the middle of the depot. But memories are from Hugo, and am planning a trip back in late June of this year. Joan, I will look for your VW, what a great story!
A viewer writes – Monday May 14th, 2012 — It’s always fun to read what others think about our small town! I’m working on a history of Lincoln County’s railroads and was thrilled that viewers have shared their railroad connections on this site. Thanks for providing such an interesting forum. Dee Ann Blevins, PO Box 353, Hugo, CO 80821.
A viewer writes – Tuesday October 23, 2012 —
Good Morning,
My name is Betty Jo DePue -Gutierrez. I was web surfing old memories of the town I grew up in–Hugo, Colorado. My family home was at the corner of 2nd street and what was then Church St. I believe that the home in the picture with the VW is my old family home.
I have often wanted to know if someone bought it that thought of it as a cozy home. No doubt you already know the history of the house, but if you do not then feel free to e-mail me.
I wrote to her – this is her response —
Mike,
Thank you for getting back to me. Sorry it took me awhile to answer. It was not clear if you are the owner or someone else is. The owner probably bought the home from Clarence, Mary or William DePue. Clarence is our father. Our mother Frankie passed away in the bathroom of that home in 1984. My three to four year old daughter was with her at the time and no one found Frankie until a few hours after she had passed away. My daughter tried to alert people by phone but was not believed so my daughter was with her dead grandmother until my sister arrived for lunch that day.
I am curious if anyone has reported paranormal activity in one of the original home bedrooms because my son who was about 10 years old stayed with his grandfather and spent the night sitting up looking at an apparition of Frankie crying but unable to talk to him.
Now, on to the home. I may have been approximately 10 years old when Clarence and Frankie bought the original structure that was an old duplex on the property. This was about 1963- 1964. There was a lot of work to be done. Clarence connected both duplexes by knocking a doorway between the hallway and where the older bathroom was built from an old kitchen. There were 3 bedrooms, one bathroom, one washer and dryer room, a living room and a kitchen. Our family lived in the structure as the rooms were built around us. The roof was torn off the week of the United States sending a man to walk on the moon. I was helping my dad, Clarence take out old nails from the boards and reusing them on the roof when Neil Armstrong took his famous moon walk. I stole precious moments to see history in the making but avoiding my dad admonishing me to keep removing nails from the old roof boards. Well, I saw the moon walk and we finished the roof and did not get rained on. My dad was a carpenter by trade.
The old garage had been built on the cement outside patio but got moved because it was too close to the house. The old patio was used by kids and grandchildren a lot.
The second structure perpendicular to the older home was built later after Clarence remarried. I never saw the home on the inside again after the remarriage. I have been told that it was quite nice and the older part of the home had been remodeled from what I had grown up in too.
The original back yard was one big sticker patch which my family refashioned into a fertile soil beautiful back yard. The hedge between the homes was 8 – 10 feet high and was sweet honeysuckle. We enjoyed being a family from 1964 up to 1984 when Frankie passed away. I am pleased to see someone enjoying it as much as we did.
A viewer writes – Sunday June 29 2016
August 22, 1964 – On this day in History in Hugo Colorado. On that day, a terrible car accident killed my Dad, Dale Stufflebeam. My Mom, brother & I were taken to the Hugo Hospital – the ambulance from Denver was unable to get out of traffic there. The emergency doctor, Dr Skirenzey (probably misspelled) took care of my Mom (Alma Stufflebeam). He stitched up the cuts on her face and knees but didn’t clean her up otherwise. She was in critical condition and was not expected to live through the night – but she did. She also was not expected to ever walk again, but she did. She passed away August 17, 2001. She often talked about the little hospital and the people of your town. Everyone was very kind. This meant a lot to us.
I stumbled onto this site as I was looking for information on the hospital. It looks as though you no longer have a hospital. I would love it if someone has pictures or pieces of history on this little hospital. If not, I would still like to thank everyone in the town for the care you gave my family on that day. God bless!
Email=tillie.2016@gmail.com Linda Langgin