Dailey, a tiny town sandwiched between Haxtun and Fleming, Colorado, was and is today the epitome of "small." As the old saying goes driving through Dailey........"if you blink, you'll miss it." Dailey an unincorporated community was founded on 1915 by a fellow named James Dailey, a railroad official. He opened the first post office in the town. Later a grocery store, church, gas station and an elevator were added.
One of the first businesses to be constructed in 1915 was the Dailey Coop Elevator. Residents and local farmers donated their time to quickly get the structure up and in working order to ship and receive grain as the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railway, (C B & Q,) was in full operation for several years (1887) before Dailey was founded.
The town was rapidly making progress! That same year 1915, the Dailey Cash store was opened for business. For more than 47 years, it served the area until it closed in 1962. Mabel Frank Markham was more than an owner; she operated the post office in the back corner of the store, was a cook for the lunch counter, and rented out rooms for guests at her home. Since the store did not have running water, her three sons carried the necessity from the home to the store every day. The store remained empty for a few years before it was moved to the Overland Trail Museum in Sterling Co. in 1992.
And...... as the town grew so did the need for a school. In 1916, a school was built and financed by locals and businessmen in the area. Dailey was the first consolidated school in Colorado and also the first school to run transportation busses. The Dailey School became the pride of the community and even after it closed in the 1960's, many community events were held in the building and the surrounding gymnasium.
The school continued to thrive giving the administration reason to set goals of construction of the new gymnasium. So in 1926, the progressive community held a basket dinner dedication, raising funds of $10,000, for the new gym.
The basketball teams throughout those early years were the talk of many in northeast Colorado. Even though the numbers were small they garnered their share of accomplishments in scholastics and athletics. The 1938 team defeated area schools in the district tournament paving the way for a trip to the state tournament. The outstanding team shocked a southern school La Junta, by a score of 47-29, but later fell to Englewood, 34-20. Those on that team that year were: Les Anderson, Ross Frank, Bud Grauberger, Warren Heckman, Wayne Hinde, Glen Kelly, Buell Mock, Cecil Mock, Melvin Spanjer, and Art Wheeler.
The Evangelical Church was formed in 1921, but Sunday school and church service was held in the school, with Reverend H.O. Jochens as pastor. Later a new minister came to town, Reverend W. M. Force taking over as the head pastor, the same year the church was built in 1925. (No photo of the church at this time)
Although the Dailey community will most likely remain a "if you blink, you will miss it" town, the memories come alive, as citizens make their gaze across the familiar streets, recalling the stately school, the friendly cash store, and the vital business that proudly make Dailey...... home!
Credit: Wilbur Kipp collection, Mike Salyards, Overland Trail Museum, Sterling Co., and The Logan County Ledger by Dale Wells.
And this is Renee, by the way.
Cindy-- I've so enjoyed these old photos you post, but I didn't know you had this wonderful blog and certainly didn't know that you were the one running this site. I love all things historic. Add pictures and great writing to that, and I'm so excited to have found this! Thank you for the work you put into this. 💜