What we know

Then in Douglas County. Frankstown 12 miles west, Bijou Basin 20 east; ten families within two miles (1869 report, certified by James F. Gardner, postmaster at Frankstown). PO 1869-1871 and 1872-1874. 5.7 miles northwest of Elbert.

Where it was

SW1/4 of Sec. 5, T9S R64W, from G. W. Hertel's post office site report of Aug. 28, 1869, on Running Creek, east side, near the Franktown-Bijou Basin mail route (NARA M1126, S-0113), via the BLM PLSS survey grid. Good to about a quarter mile.

Placed from a written description, such as a land section, a distance from a landmark or an old survey note.

See it on the map

Sources

S-0064: Wikipedia, "List of post offices in Colorado" (A–F, G–O, P–Z) and town articles
S-0065: Colorado Council of Genealogical Societies, Place Names of Colorado (1999), PDF hosted by the Denver Public Library
S-0066: Jim Forte Postal History, U.S. post office database (postalhistory.com)
S-0113: U.S. Post Office Department, Reports of Site Locations, 1837–1950 (NARA microfilm M1126), Colorado rolls 73 and 74: Douglas, Elbert and El Paso counties
S-0120: Bureau of Land Management, National Public Land Survey System (PLSS) data: CadNSDI section and quarter-section polygons, Colorado

Sources are named in the text above. Numbers such as S-0080 refer to our source list. Most newspaper quotations were read in the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. Long quotations from recent books are shortened here.

Know more about Rock Butte?

Corrections, family stories, photographs, deeds, letters and maps are all welcome. Messages and files come to Michael Christensen privately; nothing appears on the site until it has been checked, and you'll be credited the way you ask.