Palmer Divide Research

Ayer Ranch

Ranches and homesteadsHistoric or vanishedEl Paso County

What we know

Hobbs (1950) placed Easton's first post office 'about one mile north and east of the Ayer Ranch'. Judy von Ahlefeldt's 1979 Black Forest map shows the Ayer Ranch just south of the Eastonville cemetery. The 1976 county survey (B19) gives 12620 Meridian Road, with a log homestead cabin of about 1880, barns and a potato cellar; the Census geocoder puts that address about two-thirds of a mile north-northwest, in Sec. 7; not reconciled.

Where it was

Richard Ayer's patented land (1890 and 1893), the north and middle of Sec. 18, T12S R64W; the Ayer family also patented parts of Secs. 6, 19 and 20 (1886-96). Center of Richard Ayer's parcels; good to about half a mile.

A street address, located with the county's address points.

See it on the map

Sources

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 Ayer Ranch?

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.