Hornbek Homestead, Florissant, Colorado Postcard

The Hornbek Homestead in Florissant, Colorado, is a testament to the hard-working perseverance of Adeline Hornbek, mother of four, who moved her family in the 1870s to the Florissant Valley of Colorado after the death of two husbands and the loss of two houses. Claiming land under the Homestead Act, Adeline Hornbek defied traditional gender roles to become the owner of a prosperous ranch. By 1904, she owned more than 280 acres and 40 head of cattle. Located within Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, the house is one of the best surviving examples of domestic log architecture in the Rocky Mountain Region. The walls of the 1½-story dwelling are of massive squared logs with V-notched joints. The steeply pitched gable roof is cedar shingled. The house appears to have been constructed in three stages, with its wings resulting in an irregular floor plan. You can visit this homestead, which is 35 miles west of Colorado Springs on the flanks of Pikes Peak. The homestead is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.