No foolin’. Keenesburg, Colorado kids, their mules and donkeys take center stage during the Colorado State Fair, placing in Halter Mules, Amateur Mule Showmanship, English and Western Pleasure, Mulemanship, Reinmanship, Obstacle Driving, Log Skidding, Costume, Men’s Cart, Ladies to Drive, Carriage Driving, Gamblers Choice and on.
Makes no difference if they keep those mules near their homes in Keenesburg, on horse property in Keenesburg or on ranch real estate in Weld County, they just seem to have the special touch. Keenesburg real estate for horses (and mules and donkeys) is a wonderful investment in the life of your child (and your inner child).
Life in Keenesburg can heal any sorehead around. That must be why, around these parts, they say the town has 1,000 happy people and [only] a few soreheads!
Well, you have to give up being sore at least during the Pioneer Arts Festival every summer. There’s great music, a fiddle contest (try that without smiling), reenactments, arts and crafts, skill demonstrations, food, kids' games, a petting zoo, pie tasting, and, oh, all kinds of horses. Yes, you can also hobnob with the Tallow River Trappers Association and the Buffalo Soldiers along the Keenesburg Wagon Trail.
The town sprang up on both sides of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, which stopped in Keene to pick up livestock. It was officially called Keene after one of the first settlers, a rancher named Les Keene from Kentucky. However, within a year the mayor received a letter from a town with the same name in Nebraska protesting the dual name and asking for it to be changed. So, Fannie Evans, the postmistress suggested adding on the “burg” and the matter was resolved without further conflict. See how easy it is to get along with these folks?
Surrounded by infinite prairie, the town was dependent upon the patronage of ranchers but quickly took advantage of the opportunity to provide needed resources. The first building in town was a depot in 1906, prompting the federal government to build a post office, and then came a general store, the Bath Building and a restaurant. Then one by one came a freight service, a lumberyard and a town bank. The town incorporated just before the great Blizzard of 1919 wiped out wandering livestock.
With the barbwire network making way for the telephone and the horse-and-buggy making way for the automobile and service stations, the population has grown from a few hardy settlers to over one thousand, plus the folks in rural areas around town. Many of the families who settled the area remained for a long time; in fact, many are still in town today.
For this town is called “Weld County’s Shining Star” and stars twinkle forever, right? They twinkle to help light the way as we ride along the open trail by moonlight.
