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| Rosita Property Owners Association |
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| Contact: | Dave Stubbs |
| Phone: | (719) 783-9696 |
| Email: | Email |
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Rosita needed a lawman to mainatin order and tame a hired gunman out of Texas. Jesse Barton of Denver took the job and ordered the gunman out of town. In the ensuing gunfight, Jesse Barton was wounded and the gunman killed.
| THE TOWN OF ROSITA: Rosita, the "little rose", was a rough and tumble delicate flower. In the 1860's there were some houses near the water available in what is now the town plaza. In 1870, a cemetery was needed to take care of the bodies caused by illness, accident, and violence associated with the search for silver ore and easy money. The mines produced silver and people came. In 1873, the town was platted with 36 lots. By 1875 there were over 480 homes, a population of 1,026 and 200 school children. 400 of the population worked in the mines. In 1876, Colorado, the Centennial State, became a state rather than a territory. In 1877, Custer County was split off from the southern end of Fremont county and Rosita became the county seat. The streets - more or less - followed the plat of the town purchased from the county. Rosita was a candidate for capital of the state but was not selected. A representative was sent to the state legislature and several layers of courts were established. A lawman was needed to tame a hired gun from Texas. Jesse Benton of Denver took the job and ordered the gunman out of town. Jesse was wounded and the gunman shot beteween the eyes. When mining became more profitable elsewhere, Rosita declined. The famous brewery at the west end of the plaza, the two-story schoolhouse, the general store, the reduction mill, and the church were either closed or moved to the new towns of Silver Cliff and Westcliffe. In 1966, the post office as no longer able to handle mail and served as a rsidence and a meeting place to have a beer.
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| ROSITA PROPERTY OWNERS, INC.: The Rosita Property Owners was formed in 1983 to have a formal meeting of neighbors, to preserve the 2.15 acre town plaza and to work with the county officials in sorting out the placement of roads, the boundaries of mineral rights, the combining of lots and town roads, etc. The organization gained tax exempt status in 1982. An open picnic and meeting shelter was built and then a second one was added four years ago. Additional picnic benches were built in 2006. The sign on the access road to the plaza depicting a short history was painted by Pat Ramer, a Rosita artist.
In 2004 Rosita was featured on a History and Horses tour put on by the Custer County Library and the Custer Historical and Genealogoical Society. The town plaza was used as a main meeting point and used to show how burros were equipped with packs and with riders. The location of the town well, the general store, the school, the blacksmith shop and other early structures were pointed out and discussed. The property owners organization put up signs, assisted in the tour and set up seating at selected stops.
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| FUTURE PLANS: The history of the area will be captured in a digital disc prepared by the producer Mark Spink and written records will be organized and reproduced. The policy of no covenants and annual picnic/meetings open to members, neighbors and well-wishers are traditions that will continue. Existing signs will be maintained and further sign placement will be considered. Donations of money, materials and labor by members will be aided by continuing sales of T-Shirts and donations from well-wishers. |
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