THE COLORADO MAGAZINE Published bi-monthly by The State Historical Society of Colorado Vol. XVII Denver, Colorado, May, 1940 No. 3 Place Names in Colorado (B)* Bachelor, Mineral County. Named for the Bachelor Mine, which was staked out in 1884 by George 'Wilson. One version is that the camp was so-named because of the absence of women. Between 1895 and 1908 the town had a population of more than a thousand inhabitants. It was abandoned after the highway was built, the population moving to Jim Town, which later became Creede. 1 Bachelor Switch, Ouray County. This town was named for the Bachelor Mine, Uncompahgre District,2 and its location at a switch on the Rio Grande Southern Railroacl. 3 Bailey, Park County. Bailey was named for a settler, William Bailey, who established a hotel and stage station here in 1864. 'l'he station was known as Bailey's Ranch; the later settlement adopted the name, later shortening it.4 In 1878 the narrow-gage Denver & South Park Railroad made Bailey its terminal. Bakers Crossing, Arapahoe County. In 1859 Jim Baker, fa. mous Mountain Man, established a small store here and operated a toll bridge, built to replace the old ferry ; hence the name. Baker's adobe house stood on the south side of Clear Creek, near what is now 53rd and 'l'ennyson Streets in the present city of Denver.5 Bakers Park, San Juan County. This was the first permanent settlement on the present site of Silverton, and was named for the surrounding area, which had been called Bakers Park since 1860. In that year Capt. Charles Baker, an adventurous prospector, obtained a grub-stake and set out to prospect the little-known San Juan re­ gion. He found gold near the site of the later town, and for a number of years he continued to work the region. Baker's reports were largely responsible for the settlement of the region.6 In 1875 the inhabitants of this settlement voted on the names of Silverton or Greenville, the latter name chosen to honor the owner of the local smelter; the former name was adopted.7 *This article has been prepared by the Colorado Writers' Project and the State Historical Society's \\'.P.A. Project. A story on Colorado towns whose names begin wlth "A" appeared in our issue of January last.-Ed. 'Charles Henderson, Gold. Silt,er, Lead. Copper and Zinc in Colorado in 1918, (pamphlet, U. S. G. S.) ; and The Trail, XVI, no. 7, p. 17. 2statement by L. R. Rist, Superintendent of Uncompahgre National Forest. 3U. S. G. S. topographic map, Ouray Quadrangle. 4 The Trail, XIII. no. 9. ":\'olie Mumey, Life of Jim Baker, 217. •Rocky Mountain News, Nov. 14, 1877. 7 State Historical Society, pamphlet 362/26. 82 COLORADO MAGAZINE PLACE NAMES IN COLORADO (B) 83 Bakerville, Clear Creek County. The settlement, about six Basalt, Eagle County. Founded in the late 1890s when the miles below Georgetown, was named for John Baker, who, with Wil­ Colorado Midland Railroad was built through here, and used as a liam F. Kelso and Dick Irwin, discovered the Baker Mine on Kelso railroad division point. The town was named for Basalt Peak l\fountain in the summer of 1865.8 (10,800 altitude), which rises from the center of a large outcrop of Bald Mountain, Gilpin County. Bald Mountain, a mining basaltic lava.11 town, was named for its location at the foot of the peak of that name, Bassickville, Custer County. l3assickville took its name from so called for its bald crest. 'fhe name was chosen for the post office E. C. Bassick, who discovered the Bassick Mine in 1877.18 At one here by the Federal Government in 1859, but the settlers refused to time Mrs. Bassick found it impossible to obtain credit for a paper of accept the name for the town itself and continued to refer to the pins in the neighboring town of Rosita, but a few months later her settlement as Nevada or Nevada City.9 husband was able to refuse an offer of $1,700,000 for his mine. The Baldwin, Gunnison County. This was originally the name of a town's 11ame was later changed to Querida. 19 coal camp across the hill from the site of the present town. Since Battle Creek, Routt County. The town is named for the near­ there is no record of a person of this name having lived in the camp, by stream, which derived its name from a battle fought on its banks it is believed that it was named for someone living in the East.10 in August, 1841, between a party of white hunters and their Sho­ Balzac, Morgan County. The town is believed to have been shone allies and a band of Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Sioux. The named for the 19th century French author, Honore de Balzac.11 whites were led by Henry Fraeb, usually called Old Frappe, who There are three towns of this name in Colorado, all ghost towns. was killed in the fighting.20 Barela, Las Animas County. Named for Casimero Barela, Baxter, Pueblo County, was named for 0. H. P. Baxter, Colo­ known as the ''Perpetual Senator,'' having served Las Animas rado pioneer of 1859. He took up the land, twenty miles east of County as its representative for 40 years (1876-1916). He owned Pueblo, upon which the settlement was founded.21 extensive properties in Las Animas County, and in New Mexico and Baxter Pass, Garfield County. This station on the Uintah Rail­ Old Mexico, and a coffee plantation in Brazil. His home at Rivera, way was named for C. 0. Baxter, an official of the Barber Asphalt near Barela, was maintained with all the pomp and state of a feudal 12 Paving Company of St. Louis, Missouri, a concern that developed lord. asphalt deposits in the area.22 Barnum, Denver County. Incorporated in July, 1887, this Bayfield, La Plata County. The town was laid out by Mr. W. suburb of the State's capital was named for P. T. Barnum, famous A. Bay, for whom it was named.23 The post office was formerly showman, who purchased a large tract of land here in the 1880s as Los Pinos. winter headquarters for his circus.13 An early day mining town in Bear Gulch, Fremont County. The official nam.e of this hamlet Gunnison County was namPd for a Mr. Barnum who owned a large is Fremont, probably for the Fremont Mine; however, local inhabit­ ranch near-by.14 ants call it Bear Gulch.24 Ban· Lake, Adams County. This town, founded in 1884 and Bear River, Routt County. The town was founded in 1915, first known as Platte Summit, was renamed Barr City, for a civil with the opening of the Bear River Coal Mine, and was named for engineer of the Burlington Railroad. The name was later changed the stream that flows at one edge of the town.25 to its present form.15 Beaver, Fremont County. The town was probably named for Bartlett, Baca County. When the Santa Fe Railroad built a the many beaver in the near-by stream. It was established as a post branch line through here to the town of Pritchett in 1928, they 16 17U. S. G. S., Origin of Certain Place :Vames in U. S. A. (Bulletin No. named the section point Bartlett, for an official of the railroad. 258), 38. 18Frank Fossett, Colorado (1880), 466-467. "The Great West, Dec. 25, 1880. 1•The Trail, XIX, no. 5, p. 10; and the Colorado State Bi;s-iness Directory of •Frank Hall, History of the State of Coloraclo. III, 419. 1883. 1•Letter from John A. Steel, Gunnison, Colorado. "'L. R. Hafen, "Fraeb's Last Fight and How Battle Creek Got ltR Name" 11Place Names in Colorado, M.A. thesis by Olga Koehler, University of Den- Co lorado Maga.zine, VII, 100-101. ' ver, 1930. "'The Trail, II, no. 12, p. 25. 12Frank Hall, Histoi·y of the State of Colorado, IV, 383. '"'Statement by F. A. Kennedy, Baxter Pass, Colorado. 13Frank Hall, Histo1·y of the State of Colorado, III, 285. "'Information by J. E. Tiffany, Bayfteld, Colorado. "Ernest Ingersoll, Crest of the Continent 21 Canip and Plant Magazine, I, no. 7, p. 89. "Letter from Mrs. Clara P. Sutton, Barr I.akl', Colorado. ""Letter from Henry J. Dodds, Postmaster, at Bear River Colorado to State 10Letler from Thomas A. Shyer, Postm: ··l'r at Bartlett, Colorado. Historical Society, Jan. 27, 1935. ' ' 84 COLORADO MAGAZINE PLACE NA:\fES JN COLORADO (B) 85 office in 1864.26 There are sixty-two place names in the State with name was cha11ged to Berthoucl, to honor Capt. Edward L. Berthoncl, ''beaver'' as part of their construction. ehicf ciYil engineer of the railroad. Capt. Brrthoml was also the Bedrock, Montrose County. The post office here is built on a discoYPrer of BertJ1oncl P<:1ss.=i 1 bedrock of sandstone, which probably accounts for the name of the B erwind, Las Animas County. This town, founded in 1888, village.27 when the Colorado Fuel & hon Corporation opened the coal mines Beecher Island, Yuma County. This post office-store was in this area, 1rns named for E .•J. Berwind, chairman of the Board named for the jslaud in the Arikaree Riser where Lieut. Fred IL of Director,; of the c:orporation.a:; Beecher was slain on September 17, 1868, during a battle between B essemer, Pueblo C'onuty. In 1880 Gen. William Palmer, military scouts and Cheyenne Indians led by Roman Nose.