Writing Lost Fort Collins has been a load of fun. In fact, it’s been an obsession. But lately, just about every part of my life has changed. My work is drying up, my family is transitioning, and I’m ready for some change.
So, I’m moving on. To Bismarck, North Dakota, of all places.
But before I go, let me say this: It is an honor to be read, and especially to have others participate in my enthusiasm. Many of you told stories, asked questions, sent photos, or offered up ideas. Lately, you’re not even talking to me anymore, but to each other. I love that. Many of you contributed history of Fort Collins that otherwise had never been captured.
I’m prouder of Lost Fort Collins than almost anything else I’ve ever done. Thanks for being part of it.
Cat
P.S. If you want to stay in touch, feel free to friend me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/catmcc) or write cat at lostfortcollins.com
I want to cry!! I absolutely love your blog and learning about the hidden details of our small city has been both fascinating and exciting. Your work will be missed tremendously!
Good luck on your move to NoDak and best wishes for a smooth transition!
Thanks so much Cat for reuniting all of the members and fans of the Cunningham Corner band! All the best to you. Kevin
Cat! You will be missed in Fort Collins. You and your writing have been, and will continue to be, a credit to the community.
Have wonderful times in Bismarck.
Thank you Cat! Your blog has been a wonderful inspiration and portal for hearing stories about Fort Collins that I would have never known about otherwise. I wish you the best of luck your continuing ´´unofficial exploration´´ of new things. Un abrazo from Peru. -Paul
Cat, you are clearly going to be missed. I want to thank you for the enjoyment I’ve gotten from this blog, basking in small details of my home town that I don’t get to talk about anywhere else. Any chance someone else would take over the blog? Anybody?
(By the way, did you ever discuss Harper Goff here, who co-designed Disneyland and modeled parts of Main Street, USA after buildings in Old Town? I didn’t find this out until I’d been living in Virginia for many years, but it resonated with me because I was such a fan of Disney (who died on my tenth birthday), and was always irked because we moved from southern California, where I’m told I visited Disneyland twice when I was less than a year old and couldn’t remember any of it.)
Anyway, thanks for being one of my favorite bloggers. I know you’ll apply the same quest for history to Bismarck. Their gain, our loss. Dress warmly and take care.
Cat, you will be missed! Stop by before you go!!
Cat,
I am truly sorry to see you go, as I thoroughly enjoyed your blog and your tidbits on Fort Collins History. As a member of the Landmark Preservation Commission, I find you did an awesome job.
Perhaps I will pick up pieces of your blog on my own, though I admit, I havn’t been blogging much lately, though have a lot of em in the works.
I do understand your reasons for wanting to make a change (particularly the drying up of work part), and have contemplated that myself. Best of luck! I did friend you on Facebook.
P.S. Don’t throw away your files, they should be archived with the museum or something.
You will be sorely missed in Fort Collins in so many ways! Good luck with the transition, and keep in touch as you make the shift to the new environment.
Thanks for your great blog. It will be missed. I am glad I got to meet you face-to-face once at the social media social.
Cat,
This blog has reopened my eyes to my hometown. found it by accident and watched in amazement at some of the comments and memories come flying in. Hopefully someone in the “fort” will be able to continue in this same vein. Thank you for your excellent variation of stories and giving us who live in other regions of the country a chance to reminisce about growing up in the choice city.
Cat,
Sorry to hear of your departure. As a Fort Collins resident for the better part of the last 40 years, I remember many of the things about which you wrote, and enjoyed reading about those I did not remember. Good luck with your new adventures.
Mike Weber
Cat,
You will indeed be missed by many, however I think we all realize that things change and moves are sometimes necessary.
I wish you well in whatever you do from this point forward and will indeed keep in touch.
All the best,
Vic
Ok, Fort Collins, who will start the bidding?
Do hope somebody will pick up the challenge and keep the effort alive. What once was lost can be found again.
jc
JC, my “found bismarck” blog is here: http://foundbismarck.wordpress.com/. It’s immature, or rather, it’s in beta. But it’s a start. Thought you might like it since you’re kind of here too…
I’m not liking this one bit, Cat. I’ll miss this site. Even if it lives on without you, your words and thoughts can’t be replaced.
Best wishes to you on a new life up north!
Wow..I just found this site a few months ago. I was so excited today to ask a question, and now this. Won’t someone pick it up and continue?
BTW, my question, in case anyone knows, is whats the story on the rows of tall pine trees running East/West along Shields between Horsetooth and Harmony, on the West side? It looks like it was for an old farmhouse or something, but I’m curious. The trees are all now fully grown and quite thick.
You guys make me feel so good. Thank you.
Someone has stepped forward to take over the blog. Someone with insider knowledge of preservation issues and design. Someone I’d be proud to have take it over. So, maybe LostFortCollins isn’t dead after all. More when I know it.
SMS, that farmhouse and land was owned by a man named “Funk” I can’t remember his first name but I remember running my horse through his fields as a child. West of the house was an older cabin with a two seater outhouse. It was right about where the school is now.
A remarkable research link with all the goodies along with maps of the original owners can be found here.
http://history.fcgov.com/
Cat, we owe you a debt of gratitude and God willing we can all chip in with what we know to keep this site going the best we can. In fact we would expect you to stop in from time to time
Good luck with your move Cat…
and thanks for the blog…
Cat,
I want you to know that your blog has inspired me to put together a “scrapbook” for my family about their relatives who were a part of local history. I can tell you that my father has enjoyed many of the things that I have uncovered through old newspaper articles and history online. I even found a picture of my Grandfather (I had never seen a picture of him) due to searching for things that I could add to your blog.
I thank you and wish you all of the best-make sure you pack a sweater, I don’t think they have summer in North Dakota.
Humbly yours,
Captainbevo
Oh my! I’m gonna miss your questioning my historical FoCo mis-facts! The staff at ‘Roadside Mysteries” and I will miss you very much. Good luck and please take care!
Duncan Madog
Looking forward to learning more about Bismarck on your new blog! My uncle was a DJ at KFYR-AM in Bismarck in the 70s.
Hi Cat
It is sad indeed to see this blog no longer penned by your masterful hand and your uniquely keen interest in my old home town. I’ll miss the rides here and there to obscure areas to find things even more obscure as objects or concepts that revive the memories of my youth and younger life! As your unofficial historical consultant, I really have enjoyed exploring the past with you as I have never done before! What a great idea…. and thanks so much for including me!
Best of luck in Bismarck and please stay in touch!!
Norm
I have enjoyed Lost Fort Collins since first discovering it many months ago. It has also inspired me in many ways. Thanks for all that you invested in it, you will be missed.
Daryle
You will be missed, Cat, as will “Lost Fort Collins.” It was a blast! Best of luck –
for SMS — question on pine trees along Shields: good eye! Yes, there was an old farmhouse there; the trees were started for commercial Christmas trees by the Coleman family, who also ran Angus cattle on the place. Mrs. Coleman was the sister of one of my neighbors in a small town in NE Washington state. A friend in Fort Collins was a classmate of her daughter; we discovered this connection one day when driving down Shields and both of us started to comment on the trees! The Colemans still lived there in the late 70’s, when I moved to Fort Collins. They later moved east of Greeley to farm since development was crowding them out.
Oh dear…. I was dismayed to see that you are leaving town, Cat. I just discovered your blog recently and it really excited me, and even motivated me to get out exploring my town. Very engaging topics and coverage.
I just wanted to congratulate you on a truly excellent job and wish you well in your move to a new town!
Cat!
I’m just catching up on my blog reading (since before Christmas) and I find this sad news! It’s only tempered by the news that somebody else has stepped up to continue writing it. FC is not my hometown, though I’ve lived here over 21 years now, but it’s the only place I’ve lived for any length of time (being an Army brat) and the only place, besides my country of birth, that I’ve called home. I love learning the history of the town and sharing that with my children, who will all call it home forever, if I’m able to make that happen. :-D
Have a wonderful time in ND; Bismarck is fortunate to have you sharing what you learn with them.
Thanks for all of your excellent writing Cat, this is truly something to be proud of. I regularly steer people to the blog and think this is clearly one of the more interesting FOCO-based blogs. Please keep writing and let us know where we can read you next!
Thanks Michael. I wouldn’t steer EVERYBODY to this particular writing, but you might like it…In the comments of a recent Beet Street blog. I was thinking of you when I asked this question: http://beetstreet.org/blog/?p=1212#comments