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HOSKINS HOUSE

Edward Wallace Hoskins was born in Nashville Vermont on 16 October 1879. He was married to Maude Hurbert Bicknell, and they immigrated to Colorado in 1910 because of his failing health. He had tuberculosis. He was a painter and decorator by trade, and when physically able, worked at it around the Parker area.

Maude was a graduate of both the Vermont Normal School, and the New Jersey Normal School, and had taught school for eight years prior to coming to Colorado. They had prepared for their move to Colorado by her securing a job as teacher at the Pine Grove School. She taught there from 1910 to 1915. Maude was an excellent teacher and well liked, and as such, she was recruited to run for the position of Superintendent of Douglas County Schools in 1914, and was elected. She took office January 1st, 1915. She initiated several innovative programs while in the position, such as the idea of “ Centrals”, which were groupings of schools that would interact scholastically and in other activities. She also initiated the first parent-teacher association in Parker.

In 1911 the Hoskins had purchased a 50´ by 150´ lot in Dr. Walter Heath´s Vermont addition to Parker, and upon securing a $500 loan from Dr. Heath had a nice two story home built on the property. After Maud´s election to Douglas County Superintendent of Schools, they sold the property in 1914 to Thomas & Flora O´Neil for $300, and moved to Castle Rock. Edward died there, and is buried in the Castle Rock Cemetery. After serving multiple terms as superintendent, Maude left the area, and eventually remarried. Today the Hoskins House has had a large addition added to it and is the home of a day beauty spa.

Note of Interest; The Hoskins House is one of the two houses that escaped damage in the flood of 1912.

Information for this brief was obtained from various articles in the Record Journal, and the book “A guide to Historical Sites in Parker” by F.B. McLaughlin.

This building has been land-marked by the Town of Parker.

This brief was last updated in January of 2009 by Larry T. Smith

Location: From Mainstreet and Parker Road, drive East for .2 miles to Pike´s Peak Drive. Turn right for .1 miles to Pike’s Peak Court . Turn left for .1 miles to the end of the road. The house is on the left.

Site created by Alex Hernandez, Alvie Sellmer, & James Vallejos 2009