Papeton, Colorado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Papeton, Colorado (now Venetian Village)
Neighborhood
Etymology: John H. Pape
Papeton, Colorado (now Venetian Village) Location in Colorado
Country	United States
State	Colorado
Municipality	Colorado Springs
Time zone	UTC−7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Area code(s)	719

Papeton was an old coal mining town in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Today, it is part of a neighborhood called Venetian Village. It's located about 1.4 miles (2.2 km) southwest of Palmer Park. The area sits high up at 6,184 feet (1,885 meters) above sea level.

Life in a Mining Town: Papeton's Story

Papeton was a town built around coal mining. It was named after John H. Pape, a banker from Colorado Springs. Many people who lived there were immigrants from Southern Europe, especially Italy. They came to Colorado in the early 1900s after arriving in the United States.

Miners Move to Papeton

Many of Papeton's first residents were miners from a nearby town called Curtis. They had to leave their homes because of worker issues. About 150 men, women, and children, led by John Pape, moved to Papeton. The Curtis mine, where they used to work, was started in 1899.

Building the Town

The plan for Papeton was officially recorded on May 13, 1901. John Pape divided the land into 180 lots for homes and businesses. The town was located near what are now El Paso Street, Templeton Gap Road, and Fillmore Street.

Papeton had a steel company, a power plant, farms, and a large greenhouse. Its streets were named after states, like Virginia and Pennsylvania. In 1908, plans were made to build a new two-room schoolhouse.

Helping Immigrants Learn

Around 1919, a special program was started for immigrants in Papeton. Professor A. P. R. Drucker and students from Colorado College helped teach English, civics (how government works), history, and math. They also offered wrestling and boxing classes.

Life on the Farm

A man named Nick Venetucci grew up on his family's farm in Papeton. His father, who was from Italy, worked as a coal miner. Sadly, Nick's brother died in an explosion on their farm. By 1942, about 200 people lived in Papeton.

The Templeton Gap Flood

On May 27, 1922, a very heavy rainstorm caused a big flood. This flood, the worst since 1880, swept through Templeton Gap and Papeton. The streets of Papeton were covered by up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water! Barns, fences, and roads were all washed away. After this, the government built projects to protect Colorado Springs and Papeton from future floods.

Papeton's Airstrip

An airstrip was built on 320 acres of land west of Papeton. This land was owned by the Colorado Springs Company. Winfield E. Bowersox, who learned to fly in 1913, helped build it. The airstrip was close to the end of the streetcar line. In the 1950s, Papeton was next to Nichols Field, another airstrip.

Venetian Village: A New Neighborhood

In 1954, the Venetian Village neighborhood was created. It was built between Templeton Gap, Columbine, and Hancock Roads. The streets in this new area were named after flowers, like Primrose and Larkspur. The plan for Venetian Village included two churches and a shopping center.

The land for Venetian Village was bought from the Venetucci family. They had farmed there for 33 years and had a house in Papeton. Between 2016 and 2017, the value of homes in this area increased quite a bit.

Becoming Part of Colorado Springs

Over time, Papeton became part of Colorado Springs through a process called annexation. On January 1, 1968, a part of Papeton, about 0.76 acres, was officially added to Colorado Springs. Papeton was one of several small towns, like Ivywild, Pikeview, and Roswell, that eventually became part of the larger city of Colorado Springs.

	Rockrimmon Pinecliff (former Pikeview area)	Cragmor
	Kissing Camels, Garden of the Gods		Palmer Park
		Venetian Village and former Papeton area
	former Roswell area	Patty Jewett downtown Colorado Springs	East Colorado Springs