| 8/16/2005 The Twin Cottonwoods stood alone on the bank of Lincoln Creek in the middle of the plains. The symbolic significance of these trees, along with their location in the center of Hamilton County, made them the logical location for a new town which would become the County Seat. Miller and Thorpe camped near the trees in June of 1871 and dug out a shelter in which to live.
For many years the Twin Cottonwoods of historic fame stood in all their splendor until the ravages of age and disease gradually claimed them. However, they were preserved in a beautiful oil painting produced by Aurora's own artist, the late Edwin Tuepker. This handsome picture now hangs in the Plainsman Museum. These trees were located in the present Streeter Park. Firewood was mighty scarce through these early years, and while many other trees and shrubs of lesser note were chopped for firewood, the Twin Cottonwoods, held all in awe by their majesty, and their lives were preserved.
The Twin Cottonwoods monument can be visited in Streeter Park in Aurora.
|