![]() ![]() The Loveland First National Bank took over all the obligations of the old bank, and none of the depositors lost a cent. Wild was forced to liquidate his stock to keep the bank open and even took out a note secured on his own home. As a board member, he was personally responsible for the bank’s assets.ĭuring the Great Depression in 1929, this bank, like thousands of others throughout the United States, was on the verge of collapse. Wild was on the board of directors for the First National Bank of Loveland. The company decided not to repair the mill since the supply of gypsum was nearly exhausted. and operated until 1965 when a flood damaged the mill and ruined the contents of the warehouse. was eventually purchased by the United States Gypsum Co. After its bankruptcy, Wild was forced to take over its management. It ran from the east side of the Devil’s Backbone, through a tunnel, then down to the kilns. The fire clay was hauled by a 2-foot gauge railroad known as the Buckhorn Northern. Finally, in 1924, a company built a kiln just north of present-day U.S. He did not want to take on the additional burden of running a brick factory so he tried for years to attract investors. The house once used to dry hops was converted into the plaster company’s office and boardinghouse for its employees.Ībove the gypsum deposit, Alfred Wild discovered some fire clay suitable for making brick. An enclosed mill was constructed in 1887. ![]() A large iron kettle was used to heat the crushed gypsum over an open coal fire.ĭenver contractors clamored for as much plaster as Wild could produce from what he called his Buckhorn Plaster Co. By using an old threshing machine engine, Wild constructed a crude crusher for his plaster mill. Wild planned to change this and make plaster affordable. It was successfully converted into plaster. He pulverized it into a fine powder, and then heated it in a kettle over an open fire. Using his wife’s pots and pans, Wild began experimenting with the gypsum to discover how to convert the material into plaster. He sent a sample of the white material to Brown University in Rhode Island for analysis, and it turned out to be gypsum in its purest form. ![]() What was a nightmare for the ditch company became a curiosity for Wild. Much to the surprise of the ditch company, the white material soaked up the water for weeks. They continued excavating, and after it was complete, water was turned into the ditch. The workers struck some soft, white material in the shallow valley east of the Devil’s Backbone. in Denver.Īn irrigation company started building a ditch from the Big Thompson River around the southern end of the Devil’s Backbone through Wild’s property. Nevertheless, Wild forged ahead and became a pioneer in the cultivation of hops selling his output to the P. This led Wild to begin experimenting with hops, something horticulturists deemed impossible in Colorado’s dry climate. Wild recognized that Colorado brewers purchased hops from other states. By 1894, he had succeeded in planting 2,000 trees covering 32 acres. Wild filed for his own homestead near the south end of the Devil’s Backbone and began experimenting with fruit trees. Please consider a different open space for the day and come back another time.ĭevil's Backbone Open Space is open from sunrise to sunset and is located west of Loveland, Colorado.Alfred Wild came to the Loveland area in the early 1880s to manage his brother’s homestead. If you arrive to a full parking lot, that means trails are at maximum capacity. Please carry enough for your hike or ride. The Devil's Backbone itself is one of the most impressive and visible geologic landmarks in Larimer County, as well as an important cultural feature with a rich and colorful history.ĭrinking water is available at the trailhead. It has 17.25 miles of trail that connect to Rimrock Open Space and Horsetooth Mountain Open Space for hiking, running, horseback riding, mountain biking, wildlife viewing, observing nature, as well as enjoying close-up inspection of the rock outcrop and long vistas. Red-tailed hawks soaring above, grasslands carpeted with wildflowers, towering rock formations - these are just some of the natural features to be enjoyed at the 3,007-acre Devil's Backbone Open Space. Codes, Policies, Ordinances & Resolutions. ![]()
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