Virtual Historical Tour
Click an image to begin the virtual tour of Sterling’s historical sites.
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- Barbershop
The barbershop was in the planning stages for about a year before actual construction was begun in the spring of 2001. Plans for the construction were taken directly from the original barbershop which is in Haxtun, Colorado. The original building was built in 1910. It was made of cement block and a slate roof, making it too difficult to move this building. Using the original Haxtun structure as a model a wood frame, wood sided building was constructed at the museum. Although a replica, the structure is very similar to the many frame buildings constructed throughout the eastern plains. The building has a false front, like the Dailey Cash Store, however, it has a hipped roof instead of a gabled roof. The top two-thirds of the building is wood clapboard and the bottom third is wood vertical siding. The windows are double hung. The red and white barber pole was original to the Haxtun shop.
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- Karg Barn
Mr. E.P. Morlan came to the Atwood area in the late 1800's. He was a well-known cattleman and had what was reputed to be the largest herd of Holstein cattle in the area. He was in need of a barn to provide hay storage for his cattle. In 1915, he purchased an adequate amount of lumber from an Oregon mill to build his barn. It was high grade lumber - having almost no knots in the wood. It was sold in 1959 to Harold and Henry Schott. It was owned by these two brothers until 1996, at which time they sold the farm to their nephew, Robert Karg.
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- Bogg's Auto Supply
The building in this photograph is located at 725 South Division Avenue. Boggs Auto Supply was located here in the early 1920's. The Carrol Boggs residence was located across the street at South 2nd and Factory Streets. Other tenants over the years include: Hayes Motors, MOSCO, Inc. and Gandee Electric. The currant owner of the property is Chaney-Reager Funeral Home, located directly across the street. Here, they have room to garage their business vehicles, and also have parking area for those attending funerals.
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- Central House Hotel
The Central House Hotel building located at 209 to 211 Main Street, has been around since the 1890's. It was owned and operated by Sam Ard. Mr. Ard installed the first telephone switchboard in town in this hotel and had a phone line running from the hotel to the Union Pacific Depot. The phone was used to call railroad workers staying at the hotel back to work. Later this was known as the Southern Hotel. Currently, it is the office of Fetzer and Company, C.P.A.'s. Larry Fetzer and his wife, Elsie, have made the upper level in to private living quarters.
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- Evangelical Lutheran Concordia Church
This church was built in 1915 in Stoneham, Colorado. Originally, it was over a basement and the furnace was located there. At some point members of the congregation applied stained-glass contact paper to the inside of all of the windows. The contact paper baked onto the windows for many years, and was removed by museum employees after it was re-located to the museum. During the 1930's, attendance at the church dwindled due to many families leaving the area. For several years there were only three families using the church. They, too, finally went elsewhere to worship, leaving the church building empty. These three families - the Carlson's and Schmeeckle's, were instrumental in donating the church and it's contents to the Overland Trail Museum.
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- Old City Hall
The City of Sterling purchased the lots on which the building is situated in 1909 for $2500.00. The building was designed in 1913 by the same architect who built the Logan County Courthouse, John J. Huddart. The contractor was William Kaepernik of Sterling. The building is located at 214 Poplar Street in Sterling. At the time it was built, it cost $13,208. The City sold two lots which was part of the space occupied by the Logan County Court House to finance the construction of the city hall.
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- Logan County Courthouse
The "new" Logan County Courthouse was built in 1910 in the middle of the courthouse square. This Classic Revival-style building is a visual anchor for our downtown area. This style is more reminiscent of court houses found east of the Mississippi River. It was built at a cost of $100,000 by Kaepernik and Jenkins, with John J. Huddart as the architect. (It was recently learned that Mr. Huddart has more courthouses on the National Register than any other architect).
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- Dailey Cash Store
Originally this building was located in Dailey, Colorado. In the spring of 1914, a group of farmers organized to build and run a general store so there would be a nearby supply of groceries and supplies. Mr. and Mrs. Guy Frank of Kearney, Nebraska, were contacted to operate the new store for the farmers. The new store opened in the spring of 1915, and was called the Dailey Trading Company. Dailey store The Franks ran the store for the farmers for two years, then they purchased it and changed the name to the Dailey Cash Store. Mabel Frank Markham operated the store for 47 years.
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- Sterling Elk's Lodge
The Sterling Elk's Lodge #1336 is located at 321 Ash Street - directly behind the courthouse. Noel Hogg was the contractor for the new building which was constructed for under $30,000. The cornerstone was laid on May 16, 1919 with 106 charter members.
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- First Presbyterian Church
This is the First Presbyterian Church located at South Fourth and Ash Streets. It was built in 1918, and is the fourth church used by the congregation.
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- Foote Building
This structure at the S.W. corner of Second and Main Streets is known to many as the Foote Building. It was built in 1901 by the Gillett brothers in the Late Victorian Functional style. It replaced an earlier wooden building which housed the Logan County Bank, which the Gillett's founded in 1893. This brick building was the most massive commercial structure of its time in Sterling.
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- William S. Hadfield Home
This was the last home owned by William S. Hadfield and his wife, Charity. It is located at 402 South 2nd Street. The house was probably built around 1905-1910. Mr. Hadfield is known as the first permanent white settler in Logan County.
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- Hamil Building
This is the newest addition to the Overland Trail Museum. Inside on the walls is memorabilia from Dave Hamil's private collection. There are photographs and awards, plaques and letters all lauding the accomplishments of Mr. Hamil. They range from his college days at Hastings (Nebraska) College, to his terms in the Colorado Legislature, and focus mainly on his time working in Washington D.C. under four Presidents as the National Director of the Rural Electric Association. There will also be an area devoted to the R.E.A. for a display showing how rural America benefited from electricity. The Colorado Women's Task Force helped with a fund-raiser to erect this building. R.E.A.'s from all over the country sent donations to this fund in honor of Mr. Hamil. There was also an Energy Impact Grant given to this project. The Pawnee Pioneer Trails (who also have a display area here) were awarded a grant to help with this project. There were many other smaller private donations given for this project. This large building also houses the museum superintendent's office and a work space for museum employees. Below the display area is a large work/storage area and public restrooms. There is also a media room where videos can be shown on a large screen television. A bridge connects this new building to the main museum building. A formal dedication will be held in 2003 for this addition.
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- I & M Building
In 1920, prominent cattleman W.C. Harris started the construction of this 20th Century Commercial style building with Georgian influences at the corner of South 3rd and Main Streets. The building was designed by architect Eugene Groves and maintains much of its original condition.
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- Overland Trail Museum
In November, 1933, Sterling mayor John Beck created the Civic Aid Committee to recommend a useful project for the Works Progress Administration. The committee proposed the building of a museum, which was approved. On Nov. 30, 1934, formal action was taken to organize a Logan County Branch of the Colorado State Historical Society - the first branch in the State! The purpose of the organization was to assemble and preserve information and relics of historical significance and to make plans for establishing a museum. museum In January of 1935 the board met with the county commissioners to discuss a plan for a museum offered by Billy Williams. The plan included having space in Overland Park east of Sterling for the building site. Mrs. Emma B. Conklin suggested that the structure be patterned after an old fort.
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- North Front & Poplar
This building is located at the corner of North Front and Poplar Streets. Built in the 20th Century Commercial style. It was one of the last hotels built in the downtown area.
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- Federal Building - U.S. Post Office
This is the Federal Building - better known as the U.S. Post Office. This building was added to the National Register in 1986. It was built in 1930 at the corner of North Third and Poplar Streets. It was designed by architect James A Wetmore and built by a Denver firm at a cost of $187,877. William Kaepernik assisted in laying the foundation. It formally opened on October 24, 1931 and had courtrooms on the upper levels. W.B. Giacomini was nominated in 1934 by Franklin Roosevelt to serve as postmaster. It is one of Sterling's tallest structures. It also has a working elevator.
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- H.C. Sherman Home
Built around 1896 on the S.E. corner of what is now the Courthouse Square in downtown Sterling. In its time, it was one of the show homes in Sterling.
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- St. Anthony's Catholic Church
St. Anthony's Catholic Church has been a beautiful landmark in Sterling for many years and is located at 326 South 3rd Street.
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- Stoney Buttes School
This building was located on the Stortz place, about 35 miles northwest of Sterling. It was built around 1920. It was the second schoolhouse built on this land. It was in School District #19, known locally as the Kenesaw Valley District, and was one of five schools in the district. It was closed in the spring of 1965, and moved to the Overland Trail Museum in the fall of 1979. Students from grades 1 - 8 attended this school. The original spelling of the school was Stony Buttes, but after many mis-spellings of the name, it was left Stoney Buttes. By 1927, this was the only school left in the district. When it closed in 1965, the students attended school in Peetz, Colorado.
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- Telephone Exchange
Built in 1909, this 20th Century Commercial building housed the Telephone Exchange. This building is located at 112-114 North Fourth Street and opened on March 31, 1910. Apparatus and work rooms were on the ground floor; operator's rooms, business offices and restrooms on the second level. Women operators could not be married. Codes of conduct were very strict; and proper dress included long skirts, white aprons, hats, white gloves and bloomers. Exercises were held on the roof of the building and were mandatory! The operators would become the focal point of the town's social activities. Many young men became infatuated with the sweet voices on the other end of the line, and would actually propose to these unseen women. The company was later absorb ed by Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company - a part of the Bell System. This building served as an exchange for over 50 years. Its exterior is relatively unaltered.
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- Tew Farmhouse
This 1 1/2 story Victorian home was built in 1898-99 for W.M. Tew by a contractor named Daniel Keen. It is a farm home located 4 1/2 miles N.E, of Sterling at 20468 County Road 36. Frank and Marilyn DeWitt currently (2001) live in the house.
