The offices of Four Mile Historic Park have been in many different places over the years, including inside the Bee House and even inside the Four Mile House itself. The twenty-first century has brought many changes to the Park, including a new welcome center and entrance for Park visitors.
The original Bee House was built in 1866, two years after the Booth family purchased the Four Mile House from Mary Cawker. Millie kept bees on the property, and in the 1890s expanded her beehives into a highly productive business. At least 120 hives were installed north of the Bee House.
The original portion of the Four Mile House was built by brothers Samuel and Jonas Brantner in 1859. The Brantner brothers, along with Samuel's wife Elizabeth and his father-in-law Lewis Smith had come to Colorado in search of gold, but soon used their log house to provide lodging for other travelers. Samuel and Elizabeth's daughter Izamba would be born in the house in October of that same year.
Pioneer kitchens came in many different forms. When pioneers were traveling on the prairie, food would be cooked over an open fire. When wood was scarce, pioneer travelers would often use bison chips, or dried bison dung, for fuel. Early log buildings were small and not well-ventilated, so kitchens were often built outdoors and away from homes.
Chickens served many purposes for pioneer families such as the Booths. Eggs could be sold at markets, and chickens who were productive layers would be highly valued. Chickens on the Booth farm would have been free to roam the property. In addition to selling honey, the Booth family also had tremendous success in selling poultry and eggs.
Four MIle Historic Park is also home to two different gardens. In between the house and the beehouse is the garden known as the kitchen garden. Planted and maintained by Four Mile’s volunteers, this garden is home to many vegetables and herbs that would be found in pioneer farms, like corn and tomatoes. Next to the house is a small garden known as the shade garden. Many herbs are planted there, which would be dried and used in cooking during cooler weather. Other plants were used for dying fabric and yarn, as well as medicinal purposes. These two gardens were constructed on the property in the 1980s.
The Four Mile House did not have indoor plumbing until about the 1930s, so like many families, residents would use a small building away from the house known as a privy or an outhouse. These would be built far enough away from wells in order to not contaminate any drinking water.
Pioneers used root cellars for storing produce and other items they needed to keep cool. The root cellars were dug underground, and were accessed using stairs or a ladder. They could also be used for protection from tornadoes. These rooms varied in size and materials as well. Permanent root cellars were often made of stone, which would keep the structure cool all year long. Others were made of logs and sod.
Four Mile’s gold pond is available to visitors from April to September, and drains into a small wetlands area. Here visitors to the park can pretend they strike it rich as they take turns panning for genuine fool’s gold (iron pyrite). Visitors can take home their two favorite pieces. (Please note: the Gold Pond is temporarily closed)
The Cherry Creek Valley was once home to many Native American tribes such as the Ute, the Arapaho, and the Cheyenne.
Built in 2008, the Miner and Trapper cabin gives a glimpse into the lives of a miner and a mountain man, or fur trapper. The mountain men came before the pioneers and miners, creating trails the pioneers would eventually use to travel westward. The mountain men followed the rivers, hunting animals like beavers. Beaver fur was commonly used for items like top hats. The mountain men nearly hunted beavers to extinction. Once these hats were no longer fashionable, mountain men used their knowledge of the land to guide settlers and other travelers westward. The miners first came to Colorado in 1858, after hearing rumors of gold strikes. Miners also came looking for other materials, like copper and silver.
Formerly the entrance and park offices until the building of Grant Hall in 2003, the Gate House was moved to the back of the park in 2001 and would continue to serve as a temporary park entrance until the opening of Grant Hall. Now, it serves a space for educational activities, as well as additional restrooms.
In the tradition of Millie Booth, the Four Mile Historic Park is still home to several beehives. The park’s five beehives are maintained through a partnership with the Butterfly Pavilion. They are behind the fence for their own safety as well as the safety of visitors. Visitors are asked to please stay off the fence and away from the hives.
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Four Mile’s Blacksmith shop is fully functional, and is used at least once a month for 4th Sundays at Four Mile, a monthly Park event. The forge blower is from the 1800s. Four Mile’s trained volunteer Blacksmiths create ironworks that can be purchased at the Four Mile gift shop.
Stagecoaches were a common way to travel during the 1800s. They would carry passengers as well as mail and money. Carrying money often made them a target for thieves, so there would often be an armed guard sitting in front with the driver. This is where the term “riding shotgun” came from.
Four Mile’s covered wagon is a restored wagon from the 1800s. It doesn't move, but you can gently explore its interior. This covered wagon is the average size of a wagon pioneers would have traveled in. They packed mostly necessities, and had to choose what would be left behind. Heavy items would often be abandoned along the trails. Travelers had to bring enough food to last at least six months. Travelers would usually leave on the journey in late winter, when rivers and lakes were still frozen over. Pioneers would travel from the east along different trails. The Oregon Trail never came through Colorado, but it was home to many other trails. The Cherokee Trail runs right through the park.
Four Mile’s windmill is from around 1900, but is not original to the park. It was installed in the park in 2008. Windmills served many different purposes. Some were for pumping water. Others, like those seen in Europe, were used for grinding grain. Modern windmills are often called wind turbines, and convert wind into energy.
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Water was an important resource in the history of Four Mile and the surrounding areas. When the Booth family converted the property into a working farm, Levi Booth diverted water from Cherry Creek in order to irrigate his crops. He was the first landowner to divert water from Cherry Creek.
The newest additions to Four Mile Historic Park are two female kunekune pigs named Clover and Antigone, or Tig. Their pig pen was built in 2020. This breed was once only found in New Zealand, and was first imported to the United States in 1996. Obviously, this breed is not historically accurate, but they actually allow the Park to preserve its historic nature while providing another representation of farm life. Kunekune pigs were chosen due to their small size, gentle temperament and grass-based diet being the most suitable for the delicate environment of the Park.
The Four Mile goat pen was expanded in 2019 to accommodate the arrival of Pearl the white Angora goat. Goats and sheep were useful additions to any pioneer farm, as they provided wool, meat, and milk. They also help control weeds, as they eat many different types of grass and plants.
The log barn was built in 1982 using historically accurate methods, including tools from the 1800s. The logs were chinked with a mixture of clay lime and sand. Pioneers would have used such a mixture, as well as what was available. Chinking and daubing would have been done by hand, and this was used to seal the cracks between the logs. Barns would house animals as well as food, which provided shelter and warmth. The fence around the corral (and other parts of the park) was also created with historically accurate methods. Park visitors are asked to please stay off the fences for their own safety.
Near the Bee House stands the Park’s restored chuck wagon. Chuck wagons were common among cowboys, who would use them to store silverware and other cooking tools, as well as bedrolls and other cowboy belongings. The fold-out table became a work station for the cook. Chuck was another word for food, and the small wagons became known as chuck wagons. Cowboys would often work for a cattle rancher just because they had a good cook!
This Tour is a Virtual Museum or Site Tour.
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Four Mile Historic Park is home to the oldest standing structure in Denver, the Four Mile House. This 12-acre site features a look back into Denver's agricultural history. Visitors are welcome to visit the grounds, peek into the historically accurate buildings, and say hello to the various farm animals. (Due to COVID-19, house tours are currently postponed.)
