Wellons – Colorado Ghost Town
by local author & historian: John LaBorde
There in the furrows of a wheat field is where a building once stood that housed a Post Office. Wellons was a Post Office in 1908 and more then likely was the home of a farmer. During the early 1900’s, the Post Office would contract with farmers and ranchers to operate a Post Office for them. On occasion these Post Offices would turn in to a community and maybe grow to a small town.
In the case of Wellons, it appears not much happened at the Post Office. There were no notes asto how long the office existed. Sometimes the farmer would not like the idea after all of having people enter his house to transact business or mailing letters. So they would let the contract expire or quit and a new place would be found.
Going north from the ghosts of Saugus on CR 48 one will come to a bend in the road. Here is where the U.S. Geological Survey map locates Wellons. A short distance beyond the intersection of CR 4U in a farmer’s wheat fields is where the map shows Wellons.
Nearby is a windmill, otherwise the land is devoid of any other structures. One can only imagine what it would have been like in 1908 to carry the mail out to this now empty field.
Over 100 years ago there were few fences and the wagon roads meandered, following the easiest route. Out there someplace stood a building that the wagons would head for. Did it climb over the rise to drop down the hill to the settlers place? The nearest town is about 12 miles away on the railroad line. It would have been a full days ride out and back for the delivery. Were other things delivered? Was it a trading post or store or shops.
The mysteries of ghosts leave so much to be conjured up.