Aroya, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aroya, Colorado
(Arroyo)
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| Counties | Cheyenne |
| Elevation | 4,580 ft (1,396 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
80862 (Wild Horse)
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| Area code(s) | 719 |
| GNIS feature ID | 195190 |
Aroya is a small, quiet community in Cheyenne County, Colorado, United States. It's not a big city but a rural area where people live. It's located in the eastern part of Colorado, near where two important roads meet: State Highway 94 and U.S. Highway 40/U.S. Highway 287.
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What is Aroya?
Aroya is known as an unincorporated community. This means it's a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. Instead, it's governed by the county it's in, which is Cheyenne County.
Where Did the Name Come From?
The name "Aroya" comes from the Spanish word arroyo, which means "gulch." A gulch is a narrow, deep valley, often formed by a stream. There's a gulch nearby that is now called the Aroya Gulch. On some older maps, you might even see the community spelled "Arroyo."
A Look Back in Time
Aroya started in 1870, but not exactly where it is today. It was first a camp for workers building the Kansas-Pacific Railroad. This first camp was about three miles west of the current spot.
Why Did Aroya Move?
The community moved to its present location because there was a better supply of water there. Water was very important for the people and the trains back then!
Aroya Today
Even though it's a small community, Aroya has some interesting features.
- The Post Office that serves Aroya's mail is located in Wild Horse.
- Aroya has a railroad line, which is part of the Union Pacific Railroad.
- There's also a cemetery called Aroya Cemetery.
- You can still see an old one-room schoolhouse in Aroya. This school was used by local children until the early 1960s. Imagine all the kids who learned there!
The JOD Ranch Story
Near Aroya is the famous JOD Ranch. This ranch was started in 1883 by a man named Joseph Ottmar Dostal. The ranch's name, JOD, comes from his initials. Ranching has been a big part of the area's history since the 1870s.
Joseph Dostal and the Ranch
Joseph Dostal was born in 1842 in a place called Rychnov nad Kneznou. When Cheyenne County was officially formed in 1889, Joseph Dostal was the person who paid the most property taxes in the whole county. This shows how much land and property he owned!
The Ranch's Airfield
The JOD Ranch used to have its own private airfield. These were dirt and grass landing strips for airplanes. The airfield was named after Bill Maurer, who was one of the people who owned the JOD Ranch after Joseph Dostal. In the early 1980s, these landing strips were plowed over. This happened during an attempt to grow wheat, but it wasn't successful. Even though the strips are gone, the building that was used as a hangar (where planes are kept) and the pole for the windsock (which shows wind direction) are still there.
Famous People from Aroya
Aroya is the birthplace of Carl "Bev" Bledsoe. He was born there in 1923. Carl Bledsoe became a very important person in Colorado politics. He served as the Speaker of the State House of Representatives for a long time, longer than anyone else!
