Paoli......a little town that could.

The arrival of the railroad in the late 1800's brought many changes to the growing settlements across the plains of Northeast Colorado. Stations and towns were needed every 10 miles to meet the needs of farmers, ranchers and soon to be growing communities. In August 1887, Burlington-Missouri Railroad Company, (later called C.B & Q) continued their quest to lay tracts between Haxtun and Holyoke. It has been said that the railroad engineer even named the town after his hometown of Paoli Pennsylvania, but that can't be documented as "truth." One hundred and thirty seven years later, Paoli Colorado has become "the little town that could."

The boxcar which may of been the first depot, and later was the town creamery.

I think I can......With some quick thinking and a-little ingenuity, the new town had a temporary depot in the form of a used boxcar.....what a novel idea! A shed and stockyards were also constructed. This was in 1908. It didn't take long for plans to reveal a two story building (similar to surrounding towns), with Dick Steinbeck in charge as the first depot manager. Later, the classic boxcar became a much needed creamery.....another novel idea.

Paoli Colorado......I think I can...I think I can....I think I can.

Full steam ahead.......With area land moving swiftly into grain production, grain facilities were needed. A small wood framed granary was constructed along the tracts, to be used as an elevator. But in 1914 a group of area farmers pledged to finance the construction of Paoli Grain and Trading Company for the storage of corn and wheat. In 1919, the Paoli Farmers Cooperative Elevator came into operation and is currently the longest running business in Paoli. It recently celebrated a 100 year anniversary. The Denver Grain and Milling Company, and was later owned by the Tri-County Grain Company (referred to as the middle elevator) and the Taylor Grain Company were also part of the growing Paoli Community. Note: At the present time, this blog does not have a photo copy of two of the listed elevators.

Paoli Farmers Coop Elevator, 1920

Paoli Farmers Coop Elevator, 1960

Paoli Farmers Coop Elevator, 1990

Moving on up......As the wheels on the track were turning, so were the building of new shops, land offices, grocery stores, pool halls and a bank. The Phillips County State Bank in Holyoke, expanded their operation to include a bank in Paoli on the corner of Lohn Ave and Hwy 6. Later, it was home to the Town Hall and today sports a clothing shop and hair saloon. Businesses from the early 1920's to 1970's became well known around the area. In the early years Roy Dinsmore opened a successful General Store. The first Pool Hall was owned by Earnest Cheramy, and later it became the Paoli Recreation Hall with several different owners. It closed in 1986. Nora Fisbeck owned a grocery store south of the pool hall and was later moved into the Oscar Lohn building where her family lived in the back of the building. She carried a wide selection of goods but was known for her longhorn cheese cut from the wheel! She sold the business to Bill and Linda Smith, and in 1978 it had closed. Oscar Lohn erected a building for the purposes of a hotel. It was torn down in later years. The Nowl Lumber Company was the first lumber supply business in Paoli. Later Foster Lumber owned the business. The Clover Brothers, built a hardware store. (they owned one in Holyoke as well) In 1930, Albert Smith opened a barber shop. The Paoli Coop Oil Company was established and also erected a filling station on Hwy 6. Just east of the filling station was a cafe operated by Lorena Fisbeck which was started in 1953. Charles Gale built a drug store and it was also a popular hangout for ice cream and drinks. Schnieder Feed and Feed served the area starting in 1952. In 1917 the Paoli Gun Club was started and in 1945 they built a cement block building to house their events. I believe the building still exists today. In 1957, Lee Schnieder bought a building on highway 6 and started a chicken egg production business. John Harms bought the business in 1971. Virgil Harms currently owns the building. A full list of the businesses are recorded in The History of Paoli by Alice Bamford and Phillps County History by Deb Kugler.

From the Holyoke Enterprize, 1916 Industrial Edition.

Oscar Lohn and Earl Scott driving a 1908 model T in 1910.

For many years Paoli had successful rodeos.

This view was taken in 1925

Charlie Gales's Grocery and Drug store. Gale organized the first Paoli Day" rodeo in 1929.

Service Station and Automative Repair

Filling Station

Pool Hall, later became the Paoli Recreation c.1972

Where two or three are gathered..........Earnest Starkebaum and Henry Lucas had a dream and erected a tent and called it church in the summer of 1916. With a growing population of 150 or more, Paoli needed a place of worship. Two churches were established to fill that void; Trinity Methodist Episcopal church ( the building still stands as a residential home) and the Paoli Methodist church. The following report is from The History of Paoli Colorado by Alice Taylor Bamford, giving the reader a more in depth narrative. There are also two cemeteries in the community, Paoli, one mile north and one mile west and Postgate, two miles south of the town.

Paoli Methodist Church, Paoli Colorado, c. 1930

Paoli Colorado, Methodist Church Congregation, date unknown.

Chuggn Along........Making education a priority in this small and growing community was of upmost importance. Several one room county schools were servicing the needs in the country: Broadway School, 3 miles south and 1 west of Paoli, and Prairie Star District 7, 4 miles north and 1 mile east of Paoli. Prairie School was recorded as closed in 1946. The Wild Duck school, northeast of Paoli, which may well of been the first Paoli School was built in 1888. A much larger school, Paoli School district # 66 was constructed in 1918, on the south part of the town. This school closed in the c. 1960's.

Paoli Baseball team playing Highland Center, South of Haxtun, Co.

The Paoli School as it was in 1990.

Whoa, hold the line...... severe weather, hail, wind, and floods were apart of every community, and Paoli had not found a way to escape these events. Because of the location of the Frenchman creek within one mile distance, Paoli has witnessed historic floods in several of their 136 year existence. Floods in 1934,1940,1954, 1955, and as recent as 1989 have ripped through the town. When these events arrive at the height of wheat harvest, or growing seasons, farming can take a emotional and financial hit. Fortunately, you can hear that familiar farmer voice, "there is alway next year."

According to Homesteading Haxtun and the High Plains by Jean Gray, “flooding became a major concern in August 1944, when a call went out to residents that rain water from the Fleming -Haxtun area would soon reach Paoli. When the water arrived, it banked up against the highway bridge, and flowed into the town flooding basements and dwellings. The water reached over the running boards of trucks driving down highway 6. Many outdoor caves and wells were filled in with water and was a problem to secure drinking water in town.”

Then again on July 29, 1989, 3 to 5 inches spilled across the plains creating massive flooding and banking up against the bridge, flooding Paoli.

Frenchman flood in the Holyoke Paoli area. Date unknown.

Flood waters at a Fertilizer Plant in 1989.

Home run......I think to can! In 1920, a young group of men formed an award winning home run team! One of the more famous years, they gained a 15- win season and then were awarded the Interstate Champion trophy in 1921. Another team in 1926, playing neighboring towns of Amherst, Fleming, Ovid, and Haxtun, was also named champion that year.

The conductor of the town..............Most would agree that longtime resident Virgil Harms and his wife Eloise were the glue that held the community together. They even lived on a road called Harms Way. Virgil holds the record for "longest tenured mayor" according to Homesteading Haxtun and the High Plains by Jean Gray, Jean writes in her book, "the council appointed Harms pro tem on August 24,1959, to sign a liquor license for the Pool Hall since Mayor Oscar Lohn was not able to sign it. When Lohn died on November 3,1961, Harms officially became mayor." Virgil served the town well into his 80's and just recently passed away at the age of 96. He loved to tell stories of Paoli and Haxtun, portraying the events with a twinkle in his eye.

Virgil Harms in his mayor office.

Later years, Paoli Colorado, author of this print unknown.

Town Hall (2023), on the street named after Oscar Lohn.

I thought I could......I thought I could.......I thought I could....... When the railroad laid the foundation for this little town all those years ago, they had a dream of what Paoli could become and could only imagine what the future would be for a small but mighty community. It has withstood failures, and celebrated accomplishments, and it lives in hope everyday; the flag waving as a constant reminder to keep chugging along..... to pass this great community on to the next generation.

Credit: History of Paoli Colorado by Alice Bamford, Phillips County Museum, Holyoke Colorado, Homesteading Haxtun and the High Plains by Jean Gray, Wilbur Kipp Collection, Phillips County History by Deb Kugler.

More history and photos will be added to this blog. If you see discrepancies in any of the information please let me know so I can make the necessary changes. If you have valuable information and photos, please submit and I will add to this post.