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Town of Bennett History
Bennett was incorporated in 1930, with a population of 211. Bennett lies just north of Interstate 70 in Eastern Adams County at an elevation of 5,480 feet. Bennett residents enjoy the pleasures of small town living, while at the same time, residents can also enjoy the urban highlights of Denver only 25 miles from Bennett, and the Rocky Mountains only an hour's drive away.
The history and development of the Town of Bennett has been largely influenced by the transportation systems serving the nation. The earliest settlement near the town was located at a stage coach station. The first continuous east/west railroad route ran through the town, opening the area to further development. The advent of the automobile brought further development of the town, and the completion of Route 70 in the early 1950's assured that the town would continue to be on the major east/west national transportation network.
The earliest settlers in the Bennett area were homesteaders who arrived in the early 1860's. These early settlers built sod huts on quarter sections awarded by the federal government. In order to qualify for the quarter section, the homesteader had to prove that they had the financial capacity to fence the area, and to provide a shelter for themselves, their families, and their animals within one year of the time that they made their claim. Most of the early homesteaders raised dairy and beef cattle, and relied on dry land farming techniques to produce grain crops. Even though water was available at this time by only digging 30-80 feet below the surface, and Kiowa Creek ran year round, it was still not economically viable to irrigate large areas of land.
Approximately 18-20 families settled in the area immediately surrounding the present town of Bennett. It was these families that began the school system in the area. Close to a dozen one room schoolhouses, often adobe structures, were located within 5 miles of Bennett. The State Board of Education certified young girls 15 to 19 years of age to teach grades 1-12.
In the early 1870’s, the rudiments of the town of Kiowa began. This town was located just west of Kiowa Creek, centered around the Mack stagecoach station. The isolation of the area at this time was evidenced by the frequent reports of raids by the Kiowa Indians.
The life of this settlement was to be short lived. In 1875, a major flood occurred with the Kiowa Creek overflowing its boundaries, and destroying the town. It was at this time that the town was moved up the hill to the present day location. It was also in this flood that the town was given its current name. An entire train engine was swept away during that flood. That engine has never been found.
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