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Welcome to the Parker Area Historical Society! |
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Legend has it that a one room cabin was built in 1863 by a man named Alfred Butters up in a grove
of pines, just South of present day, Old Town Parker. He used the cabin in part as a sort of post
office. It was not a post office as we recognize one today, but was a place to post a letter or notice
to travelers, and to supply them with provisions. The place became known as the Pine Grove Post
Office. Butters was a squatter on what was then known as part of the Lord Ranch. The Lord brothers
were also squatters. After a short time Butters traded the place to a Mr. Goldsmith for a yoke of
oxen, and in turn, Goldsmith sold his rights to Mr. and Mrs. George Long in 1864. The Longs were fresh from a lumber camp East of this area, but were forced out due to Indian attacks. They moved the tiny structure about a mile North to where the Tallman Gulch and Cherokee trail crossed and began construction on what was to become the 20 Mile House; a place to service the Smoky Hill and Cherokee trails as well as the numerous freighters hauling wood into Denver. Note there is some discrepancy in whether George Long moved the structure or weather James Parker did. It is generally held that George Long was the one. The Longs built an addition to the Post Office structure to include 10 rooms and a second story, as well as several out buildings on the property. It became a prosperous place providing meals, lodging , and provisions to travelers, as well as to new settlers in the area.
In 1869 the Longs who also were squatters, traded their interest in the property to Nelson and
Susan Doud, for a span of mules. Although accounts by the two most knowledgeable writers
Margaret Long and Josephine Marr in reference to the date when the Longs sold out to James Parker
is in dispute, court house records stipulate that the Douds sold out to James S. Parker in September
1870, and the Douds moved on up the creek and purchased the property known as the 17 mile House.
Before consummating the sale to Parker, Nelson Doud first took out a Homestead application on
August 9, 1869, and then , purchased the property outright on August 29th 1870 for $2.50 per acre,
for a total of $200.
On December 8th, 1870 the U. S. Government established the official Pine Grove Post Office, James S. Parker, Postmaster. James continued to run the 20 Mile House facility, adding groceries and
other supplies, as well as a farm machinery franchise. He also established a blacksmith shop with
the only facility in the whole area able to shoe oxen. He was Post Master in Parker for 27 years,
finally selling out to Neil Duncan in 1910 and retiring to Denver. He died in that same year and
is buried in the Parker Cemetery.
The 20 Mile House building was partially torn down in 1946 by the owner Charles O´Brien, leaving
only the old Post Office portion. A new two story cinderblock house was built.
The old 20 Mile house property continued to be a working farm until the mid 1990´s, when the
property was acquired by developers. Eventually the cinderblock portion of the building was torn down and the small plot of land that the 20 Mile House structure was built on was donated to the
Town of Parker, and with the help of the Parker Area Historical Society the original Pine Grove
Post Office portion was restored and surrounded by a small pocket park. Pictured here is a view
of the Southern exposure of that building.
This building has been land-marked by the Town of Parker.
This web page material updated January of 2009 by Larry T. Smith
Location: From Mainstreet and Parker Road, drive West on Mainstreet .15 miles. The 20 Mile Post Office is on the left.
Site created by Alex Hernandez, Alvie Sellmer, & James Vallejos 2009