Sidebar by Ed Quillen
Local History – May 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine
The official boundary of Park County is in the Colorado Revised Statutes 30-5-153. It was written in 1861, long before there was anything like the Global Positioning System satellites used today.
“Park county: Commencing at a point where the second correction line south intersects the Platte river; thence south to the third correction line south; thence west to the summit of the snowy range, east of the Arkansas river; thence in a northerly direction along the divide between the Arkansas and Platte rivers, and around the headwaters of the Platte river and its tributaries; thence easterly along the snowy range dividing the waters of the Platte from the waters of the Blue, to the point of intersection with the first correction line south; thence east on said correction line to the western boundary of Jefferson county; thence south on said boundary to the Platte river; thence up the center of said river to the place of beginning.”
Observe that the first “snowy range” refers to the divide between Platte and Arkansas drainages, while the second “snowy range” refers to the Continental Divide between the South Platte and Blue drainages. Of such differences were lawsuits made.
— E.Q.
