The confluence of Cherry Creek and Sulphur Gulch has a long and rich history.
Indian tribes favored the tree lined banks as campsites during long harsh winters.
As late as the 1870s, a Ute tribe under the leadership of Chief Washington used this area for their winter camp.
The fresh water and lush vegetation was also refuge for many animals including deer, rabbit and birds, which were favorite foods of these early inhabitants.
The Indians balanced their diet with wild plums, chokecherries and a varity of seeds from grasses, shrubs and trees.
Early pioneers directed their wagon trains along the banks of Cherry Creek.
This popular north-south route became known as the Cherokee trail.
The railroads soon followed. The steam powered engine on steel rails paralleled Cherry Creek.
In a unique government program, railroad companies were given every other ten square mile section of land as an incentive to build more rail lines.
In 1890 the Bar Triple C ranch was owned by the railroad.
The Pouppert family purchased the Bar Triple C from the railroad in 1917 for cattle ranching.
It is rumored that the ranch was a bootleg distillery site during the liquor prohibition years.
The ownership or the ranch passed to the Clarke family in 1951 and later to the town of Parker in 1984.
The above coordinates are where a large distinctive cottonwood tree was in the park.
Since this geocache was placed there have been changes to the tree.
In the spring of 2005 the southeast leader was lost in spite of the pruning and cabling that had been done in 2002.
Parker has installed construction fencing around the tree and that was to be replaced with the same type of fencing that was installed at O'Brien Park.
The 110 year old cottonwood tree represented an irreplaceable piece of Parker history.
Although it appeared that the tree might last a while, it was cut down in October 2015.
From The above coordinates, proceed 200 yards on a bearing of 278 true to a historical marker.
To claim this geocache email the following information.
From the information on the marker, tell me what year the railroad arrived.
You may log this cache before sending the email.
Thanks Geocaching Colorado for the Geocache of the Month Award, as the second series to win!
