Native American tribes passed through the area including the Kiowa, Mountain Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe.

The earliest recorded activity in the area was the Army’s Major Stephen Long Expedition of 1820. Many homesteaded ranches & farms straddled the El Paso/Douglas County line as early as the 1860s. David McShane is credited with being one of the first Monument homesteaders first passing through in 1861. Henry Limbaugh and his family were also early arrivals and had much to do with planning and developing Monument which prospered as the commercial hub for the area on arrival of the D&RG railroad in January of 1872.

The Higby family ranches totaled, over 16,000 acres. Gene Higby was elected Lt. Governor in 1948 and also patented a jet aircraft!

The large ledger, on the shelf, was the “credit-card” of the day. The last names at the top are Betz and Murphy. An entry in the ledger was made for every purchase. At the end of the month customers would settle up with the store or shop owner. Betz drove a chain driven truck, the 1st in the town. Patrick Murphy was a rancher and was known for walking everywhere. When offered a buggy or wagon ride, he would likely say, “No thanks, I’m in a hurry.”

This Bas-relief panel sculpted by local artist Ronny Walker represents the period when the residents banded together to form an incorporated town. The people, events and structures shown were important to the early history of Monument. Indeed, they represent the foundation that the town is built upon and are part of the colorful history that we all share and have in common.

• 11,000 BC – Human inhabitants present in our greater area as noted by archeological excavations, (Lamb Springs & Franktown Cave) during the Clovis and Folsom periods.
• 1820 – Maj. Stephen Long Expedition passes through the Monument area. The Columbine flower is discovered and will become the Colorado State Flower.
• 1835 – Col. Henry Dodge Expedition map notes Palmer Lake with two outlets one each on the North and South and names each stream, Crystal Creek & Fontaine Que Bouillait which later became Monument Creek.
• 1858 – April 29, Capt. R. B. Marcy & Col. Loring encountered a violent storm lasting several days, east of Monument. 300 of their herd of horses and mules broke away and ran 50 miles before the storm. Two of their men died from exposure to the cold.
• 1860 – 1st settlers in Monument: Guire, Schwanbeck, Limbach, DeMasters, and McShane.
• 1865 to 1868 – McShane Fort used as refuge by pioneers against Arapahoe and Cheyenne raids.
• 1867 to 1868 – Indian raids for horses and food. Some settlers killed.
• 1869 – First post office. David McShane postmaster.
• 1870 – Monument Hotel built-owned by Col. and Mrs. Ford. Potatoes were the chief crop. Potato Bake day, a big event, was usually held after harvest in October. Later a blight caused by insects on wild roses ended the big potato crops. Crops were grown by Dry Land farming methods.
• 1872 – Denver & Rio Grande Railroad opened for business on (Jan 1). Area named Henry Station after “Dutch Henry” postmaster & proprietor of Grocery store.
• 1874 – Jan. 5, plat statement filed & town name changed to Monument. Three churches were established: Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and Methodist.
• 1875 – First drug store owned by Trew Blachly First Doctor – Frank Blachly – Western Telegraph service in town.
• 1876 – Father John L. Dyer presides over the Methodist Church.
• 1878 – Private school opened.
  – First newspaper, the Mentor (owned by A.T. Blachly)
• 1879 – July 3 First Town Meeting Held in Gwillim Hall on corner of Third & Front St.; 1st. Mayor – Henry Limbach; 1st. Recorder – A.F. Woodward; 1st. Town Marshall – W.E. Holbrook
• 1880 – Jail (calaboose) was built.
  – Monument Journal newspaper started
• 1881 – Town Council called a special election to bring water to town. Bonds issued January 2, 1882.
• 1882 – Will Lierd built dry goods, shoes, groceries, casket & coffin store on Washington Street.
• 1883 – First Park deeded by Charles Adams
• 1886 – Cemetery deeded by C.R. Bissell
• 1887 – Denver & Santa Fe Railroad comes through town and builds depot.
• 1888 – Water pipes laid by A.F. Woodward along streets and alleys & he sold the water to residents.
  – Mt. Herman fire leaves 15,000 acres barren. Reforested by 1926.
• 1891 – Colorado Assembly appropriated funds for construction of dam.
• 1892 – Oil streetlights were purchased.
  – Monument Reservoir/Lake was constructed.
• 1894 – 20,000 acres produce 2,000 freight cars of potatoes.
• 1895 – Great Potato failure, due to blight
  – The Great Santa Fe train wreck happens because of a collapsed 300 ft trestle near 2nd St. and Beacon Lite rd.
• 1896 – Telephone service comes to town.
• 1900 – J. W. Higby family arrives in Monument. Higby would later own the Higby Mercantile, and a ranch of over 4,000 acres, raising Hereford cattle.
• 1901 – Ice business prospers on Monument Lake, under lease, by W.E. Doyle & Thomas Hanks.
• 1907 – Monument Tree Nursery established.
• 1910 – Monument Homemakers established.
• 1911 – Catholic Church built.
• 1914 – D. Davidson owned 1st. chain driven automobile.
  – World War I: Government managed railroads.
• 1917 – WW I, Entered by the U.S., April 6, 1917
• 1918 – The Spanish Flu pandemic begins.
• 1920 – Inez J. Lewis consolidated school dist. incl, Pring, Husted, Stout and Gwillimville opened at Big Red.
• 1922 – “Old Disappearance” mountain lion shot by Fred W. Simpson
  – Monument Hotel burned down
• 1928 – School District 38 formed
• 1931 – Oil lights are used until town gets electricity this year.
• 1932 – Ice Harvest Company changed hands due to ice-crop failure.
• 1933 – Civilian Conservation Corp (C.C.C.) camp established at the site of the Monument Tree Nursery.
• 1940 – Ice Company went out of business due to weather changes.
• 1941 – World War II: Dec. 7, 1941, a day that will live in infamy.
• 1942 – J. W. Higby elected to the office of Lieutenant Governor, CO
• 1943 – Ice storage houses destroyed by wind Storm
• 1948 – Lewis Consolidated Dist. #5 cons. With Palmer Lake Dist. #38 and became Lewis-Palmer School Dist. #38.
• 1949 – Monument Fire Dept. organized
• 1950 – Feb. 18 Fort McShane historical marker placed for stone fort at McShane home.
• 1954 – Building of Air Force Academy brings expansion of residential developments
• 1956 – Chamber of Commerce organized (with Palmer Lake)
• 1957 – Built new high school, Lewis-Palmer
• 1958 – McShane Indian Fort repaired, bronze marker placed by Historical Society
• 1961 – Natural Gas now available in town
  – Assembly of God church established
• 1962 – Monument Palmer Lake Kiwanis Club was founded.
• 1965 – 100 yr flood caused by tornadoes, heavy rainfall above Town of Palmer Lake
• 1970 – Area became known as Tri-Lakes when Lake Woodmoor is built.
• 1971 – 1st supermarket, the L&L opens at the Mine Shopping Center
  – Last regularly scheduled passenger trains through Monument were discontinued
• 1973 – All trains routed to old D&RGW tracks – Lewis-Palmer Middle School built.
• 1975 – Tri-Lakes Tribune begins publishing
  – Monument got branch of El Paso County Library
• 1976 – U.S. Bicentennial &Colorado Centennial celebrations
• 1979 – Monument Fire Center established at the Monument Nursery/C.C.C camp
• 1980 – New Monument Town Hall, 2nd St.
  – New Lewis Palmer High School built old high school became Middle School.
  – Big Red became Administration Bldg.
• 1982 – Formal opening of Santa Fe Hike & Bike trail
• 1990 – Population influx/growth begins
• 1993 – Safeway comes to town
• 1995 – Old middle school became Grace Best Elementary
• 1996 – Lewis-Palmer Charter School built
• 1999 – King Soopers came to Monument
• 2001 – Monument Lake drained for dam repairs
• 2002 – Dam repairs completed. Lake cannot be filled due to ongoing drought.
• 2004 – Tentative agreement to fill lake with Colo. Springs water.
  – Town celebrates 125th anniversary since incorporation.
• 2008 – Palmer Ridge High School opens
  – Town begins to annex properties from Baptist Rd. to the north.
• 2020 – Coronavirus Pandemic shuts down normal activities around the World

Compiled by H. Edwards & The Lucretia Vaile Museum