North Park union., 1901-11-01
Mrs. Grenfel in
Northern Colorado.

North Park, situated in the west
ern end OF Larimer county, is separ-
ated from the remainder Of the coun-
ty by high range OF mountains
known as the Medicine Bow range.
Two days staging from Fort Collins
arc required to reach Walden, the
town OF the Park. Walden may also
BIO reached by going by train to Lara
mie City, Wyoming, and then by
stage, which trip is made in day.
Therefore tho latter was chosen by
Mrs. Grenfell In making her official
visit, time being an important factor
IN the work of the state superintend-
ent's office.
1t is said that the wind always
blows on the Laramie plains, and the
superintendent can testify that it in-
variably did during that portion OF
the Ides Of September in which her
trip was made.
The North Park is a mountain val.
10y of over 5000 feet altitude, fifty
by flfty-flve miles across, surrounded
by mountain ranges and traversed by
many pretty streams, tho Michigan,
the Illinois and their tributaries, the
Big and Little Grizzly and the head
waters OF the North Platte being
among the number.
Everybody in the North Park rails
es cattle aud the watered lands are
all used for raising hay which is fed
to :hese cattle during the winter,
while in the summer they arc driven
to the higher portions of the sur
rounding mountains to Craze.
The school districts IN North Park
are large in area and sparsely settled,
owing to the fact that the ranches
are very large in extent as must be
the case with all cattle ranches. The
children have to travel Q great
distance to attend school, and owing
to the fact Of the heavy SHOWS and
wind during the winter, the school
term is during the summer, and is
necessarily short.
| The town Of Walden Is the natural
educational center for the Park, and
is an ideal place for the location Of q
union high school. At present, two
teachers are employed, and there is
no high school course, but a strong
feeling exists on the part of the COM
munity for the establishment Of the
high school, and if tho outlying dis.
tricts cooperate by endeavoring to
arrange for longer terms OF school
and transportation Of pupils so that
good preliminary work may be done
in the rural districts, the North Park
may look forward to an educational
growth which will be q blessing to
young and old. 1t is estimated that
there are about 1900 people living
in the Park, an Industrious, self-re-
specting class, amongst whom pauper-
ism is thing unknown. The very
fact OF their isolation, and the necss-
sity for special effort to bend the
natural difficulties Of condition to
their will gives tho chance for the
development Of particularly sturdy
character and indepe ndent type of
citizenship.
An educational meeting was held
at Walden on September 11th, the
mayor Of the town presiding, and the
attendance including residents Of all
localities in tho park. Families trav-
elcd twelve, fifteen, eighteen and even
twenty-five miles to be present at the
meeting, and gave most cordial re-
ception to Mrs. Grenfell and to Miss
Gill, the superintendent Of schools Of
Larimer county, who both addressed
the meeting.
Mrs. Grenfell spent several Gays
in the Park, meeting the citizens and
learning Of school conditions and
needs--Rocky Mountain Educator.
In private letter to the editor Of
lthe Ussos. Mrs. Greafell writes Of