It was a bright day with few clouds appearing in the sky last week as a group of people, interested in the history of our area, toured the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. The Derby Old Timers, organized by Jean Klein, boarding a new old-fashioned tram car were taken to the Visitors Center to watch a video and see displays highlighting the region. Starting in the days when Indians roamed the land, the history continues through the homesteaders and the years of World War II. It tells of plans for the future of the Wildlife Refuge now located on this land east of Commerce City.

A school bus full of young people drove up just as the group left to drive through the historic site. Approximately 8,000 school children toured the Arsenal last year. A Fish and Release Program is popular with old and young alike.

Ernie Maurer, the only Arsenal guide raised on the land, was the spokesman on the tour. His ancestors homesteaded and lived there until he was a teenager, when the Maurer family was forced to move.

Several people in this older group had lived on farms on the land and were able to add interesting observations. One of those was Walt Anger who grew up in the area and lived on the creek bottom, close to where cars now drive on Pena Boulevard. The Highline Canal went through the corner of their property. The Angers owned 640 acres of dryland.

There were no deer in the area at that time, but there were antelopes and coyotes. Because of their bark the early settlers thought the little animals who burrowed in the ground were small dogs so they named them Prairie Dogs. Winters were harsh. Beginning the first of November the ground was covered with snow and remained there until spring.

Close to the Visitor's Center is the Egli dwelling, built in 1912. It is one of the two original houses still standing. The other place was the home of a family named Householder. In 1920 the Eglis planted one locust tree as a marker so they could find their home when the wind whipped the dirt or snow around. That tree flourished and now there is a grove of locust trees north of the Visitor's Center.

First Creek is the only natural water supply on the Arsenal. The drylands will be made into wetlands in the future.

Upper and lower Derby Lakes were developed in 1883 by the Highline Canal to catch and return fish. At the time the farmers lived in the region Lake Ladora was known as Derby Lake. It was popular but treacherous. Strong undercurrents made swimming dangerous. Young Sterling Householder was drowned and Ernie Maurer almost lost his life one summer in that lake. Lake Mary, once an Alfalfa field was built by the Army in 1960. Lower Derby lake was drained and renovated last year.

Shrubs called Matrimony bushes were planted to insure fertility because the farmers needed lots of children to help with the hard work of farming.

Two hundred, thirty-two farms were located on the 20,000 acres that made up the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Forty three of those were larger than 80 acres. Most produced truck crops, chickens, hogs and dairy products. Many farms failed during the droughts of the 1890's and the Dust Bowl days of the 1930's.

In the early part of 1942 residents were notified that their homes and land would soon become a possession of the United States Government. Construction of the Arsenal began on June 30, 1942.

In July a huge mass departure took place. The South plants buildings were in operation by June 30 of 1943 where chemical weapons were made as a deterrent to the use of chemical weapons used by Hitler.

Because of the forced move the farmers were told that they would be paid for their crops. Due to a shortage of manpower Governor Ralph Carr approved the use of 70 prison inmates to pick the 2,000 acres of corn that was left behind by the farmers. During the harvesting the convicts and their four guards stayed in the house and barn on the former Victory ranch. The property owners were not paid for their crops until March or April of 1943.

The tram with the Derby Old Timers drove past underground bunkers, where bombs were stored. The bunkers were covered with dirt so they would not be seen from the air. Next to them are above-ground bunkers. These concrete bins have doors and windows painted on them to make them look like a little village when seen from an airplane.

A prisoner-of-war camp was once located on the Arsenal grounds. Because there was a large number of German soldiers being captured in North Africa, the Army established what was known as the Rose Hill Prisoner of War camp on November 6 of 1943. During this time, there were as many as 300 German prisoners in the Rose Hill POW camp. It closed on April 1, 1946.

The tour group stopped and walked to the top of a hill. Even though there were no snakes in the area the United States Army told the men and women at the Arsenal that there were rattlesnakes on this hill to keep them from parking and necking there. Thus it became known as Rattlesnake Hill. One large, soft plant seen on the hill and purported to be used by Native Americans is named "Indian Toilet Paper."

There are always improvements being made on the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. The Game and Fish Department intends to bring back to the area native animals such as buffalo and prairie chickens. For the use of buses a new road is being built where the railroad tracks were located.

Due to the presence of heavy trucks and the work going on in the area there will be no more tours of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal until October. Buses will still operate and take people to the Visitors Center.